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Libertyland

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Coordinates: 35°07′08″N 89°58′55″W / 35.119°N 89.982°W / 35.119; -89.982
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Libertyland
LocationMemphis, Tennessee, United States
Coordinates35°07′08″N 89°58′55″W / 35.119°N 89.982°W / 35.119; -89.982
StatusDefunct
OpenedJuly 4, 1976 (1976-07-04)
ClosedOctober 29, 2005 (2005-10-29)
Area25 acres (10 ha)

Libertyland was an amusement park located in Memphis, Tennessee. Opened on July 4, 1976, it was located at 940 Early Maxwell Blvd. It was structured under the nonprofit 501(c)4 US tax code. It closed due to financial reasons in 2005. In 2022, a youth sports complex was built on the site of the amusement park.[1]

History

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In May 1971, directors of the Mid-South Fair proposed an amusement park at the Fairgrounds to local officials. Their proposal included themed areas to be located north of the park, and a monorail system for parking lot circulation.[2] Their hope was to maximize the use of the land, utilizing existing attractions such as the wooden coaster Pippin, renamed Zippin Pippin with the opening of Libertyland, and the Grand Carousel.

Libertyland opened as an amusement park on the Mid-South Fairgrounds on July 4, 1976. Several rides were added to the pre-existing rides that had operated in that place before. The Zippin Pippin was widely popular as it was Elvis Presley's favorite wooden roller coaster. The Grand Carousel was also a classic and was widely appreciated. The park gradually drew in decent crowds over the years, but never made a great profit. It continued to add attractions, such as a steel coaster called the Revolution, and others. During the late 1990s, it added a Top Spin ride, dubbed "Tidal Wave." It was removed later, and in April 2002, the drop tower Rebellion was added. It featured a 90-foot (27 m) drop and drew larger crowds to the park.

Financial troubles

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For many years, it was widely known that Libertyland was having financial difficulties, failing to turn a profit. Few new attractions were being added, and crowds began to diminish. In 2005, it commissioned a firm to redo its image. A new logo was designed and buildings were repainted, but the effort did not bring in enough of a profit, if any, to maintain the park as a viable ongoing operation. Although the operating loss was minimal compared to the tax revenue generated in the area around the park by tourists. The city later spent more than the operating loss on a youth jobs creation program to replace the jobs lost by teenagers who worked at the park.

Closure

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The park operated its last day for a corporate day on October 29, 2005. In early November, a meeting was called before the Mid-South Fair board of committee to close it. The vote was passed and the announcement was made public. Their reasonings included lack of profit, a steady decline of attendance, and they wanted to extend the midway for the annual Mid-South Fair which operated adjacent to the park's site for 10 days in October. Its closure followed that of Adventure River, Memphis' only water park by less than ten years. The City of Memphis had also closed Bud Boogie Beach in the early 1990s.

Grass-roots effort and auction

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The decision to close Libertyland led to the formation of Save Libertyland!, a group formed to fight for Mid-South Fair to reopen the park, citing that the park created hundreds of jobs for Memphis-area teens and was an affordable place for families to spend time.[3] Save Libertyland! filed a complaint in court to block Mid-South Fair from auctioning off the rides and equipment, arguing that they were owned by the City of Memphis. The city ended up claiming ownership of the Pippin and the Grand Carousel.[4] The group brought in a few companies willing to operate the park, mainly Joyland, Inc. (T-Rex Group), which was known for buying financially troubled amusement parks and turning them around. However, Mid-South Fair went on with plans to auction the assets off.

Mid-South Fair brought in an auctioneer group and the auction was held on June 21, 2006. Most of the rides were sold, including the Zippin Pippin, which was eventually bought by the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin and rebuilt at their city-owned Bay Beach Amusement Park. The Revolution was bought by DelGrosso's Amusement Park but not reassembled. The Rebellion was sold to Ghost Town in the Sky and reopened in 2007. Other rides were dispersed to sites around the country.

In December 2006, Joyland Inc. sent the city a letter of intent for developing a new amusement park on the Libertyland site. The deal was to be completed on a three-year lease plan, and Joyland hoped to receive the Grand Carousel and Zippin Pippin as well.[5] However, upon viewing the site in-person, Joyland Inc. pulled out of the deal due to extensive damage to infrastructure, including wiring and plumbing.[6]

Post-closure

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The Grand Carousel was leased and restored by the Children's Museum of Memphis and began operating in the new pavilion in November 2017.[7] The Revolution was bought by an amusement park in the Philippines and now operates as The Zimerman Corkscrew Coaster. The Zippin Pippin is in Wisconsin and is still operating to this day. People with Tennessee State IDs or drivers licenses can ride the Pippin for free.[citation needed]

The northern tip of Libertyland was redeveloped as part of a parking lot and green space for tailgate parties known as Tiger Lane. In 2022, the Memphis Sports and Events Center was built on the site of the amusement park. The 227,000 square feet (21,100 m2) sports complex can host tournaments and other events and includes two adjacent soccer fields.[1]

Attractions

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References

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  1. ^ a b Dries, Bill (June 14, 2021). "Liberty Park breaks ground after 14 years and three mayors". Daily Memphian. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  2. ^ Cook, Klink (May 5, 1971). "Fair Launches Drive To Build Pleasure Park Like Six Flags". The Commercial Appeal. p. 1. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Williams, David (January 25, 2006). "Fair's ownership of Libertyland rides in doubt". The Commercial Appeal. pp. C1, C2. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Williams, David (June 20, 2006). "Save Libertyland says 'Wait'". The Commercial Appeal. pp. C1. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Williams, David (December 7, 2006). "Joyland planning park in Memphis". The Commercial Appeal. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "No Joyland in 2007". The Commercial Appeal. January 3, 2007. pp. A8. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Chaney, Kim (September 6, 2017). "Old Libertyland Carousel Finds New Life At Children's Museum". ABC24. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
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