Fair operator to close on Wild West World in May

"Knowing what you're doing out there is a biggie."

Best quote ever. Interesting that they're investigating Etheredge. Is being a moron criminal?

http://www.kansas.com/101/story/352438.html

Follow up storry

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Change the name to eliminate the stigma of its founder's legal problems and its two-month failure.

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Wild West Land? ;)

OK

The Park Formerly Known as Wild West World (with some strange squiggle that represents the park name)

$15 per head and only expecting 150k to visit the park sounds like a much more reasonable business plan.

"The park's purchase, along with $4.2 million for the 35 rides, will be financed by industrial revenue bonds from Park City.

Whitson said he expected the City Council to move quickly to approve the bonds. The Park City Council is firmly behind the deal, Whitson said, and he has heard no taxpayer protests."

The Murphys got the city to finance the purchase of the park and the rides? Boy they fell for it, hook, line and sinker.

You clearly don't get it. 4.5 million is a drop in the bucket in terms of what they will take in in both payroll taxes and taxes spend by visitors. Its just not part of the parks addmission. It's the tank of gas they get, the hotel stay, The visits to other things in the area.

I and a few others wondered why the city didn't step in before. Clearly it was because they were too far gone to start with.

Theres tons of attractions operated at a loss by City's and States but overal they make a profit from them on some of the things I stated above.

Chuck, who says Cincinnati actually stepped in and bought a failing railroad that is now the cities biggest cash cow.

Is there even anything left of the park besides the buildings?

Oh I get it, and I know how the Murphy's operate. Their escapades graced the pages of Amusement Business for years.

Crazy Horse sort've bet me to it, but what's left at the park ride-wise? I know HW bought their frog hopper, but were any other rides bought off?

Well, Finally got the link to work on my computer, and I saw these two statements:

"Murphy's plan is to install 35 rides in a park that once held 24, requiring significant new construction."

"The park's purchase, along with $4.2 million for the 35 rides..."

Anybody more local to the park have any idea what rides are still there, and what they may be adding?

*** This post was edited by Floorless Fan 3/29/2008 12:28:36 PM ***

The impression that I got was the the lenders repossesed all the iron as soon as they had become aware of the situation.

While the idea of Wild West World was a nice one, many agree that the owner was way in over his head. That much is true.

Being a resident of the surrounding area, the first and only time I went was on opening day. Having said that, I wasn't interested in making a return any time soon. Although the price of entry was nice and rather cheap, it didn't seem too interesting to me, as I just saw it as a rather large carnival more than a theme park.

Granted, the theming was nice and all, the best thing that was there was the wild mouse. You could find all of the other rides as a staple at most carnivals and state fairs, sure, as well as said wild mouse, but for being in my mid twenties, that's the only thing that got me going (22 times that day, hehe).

In answer to your question - is anything left? The answer would be no. It's almost literally a barren field now, with the exception of most of the main entrance areas and the theater at the entrance.