Carowinds is a 112-acre (0.45 km 2 ) theme park, located adjacent to Interstate 77 on the state line between North and South Carolina, in Charlotte and Fort Mill, respectively. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at a cost of $30 million, after a four-year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall, who was inspired to build the park by a 1956 trip to Disneyland and a dream of bringing the two states closer together. It is owned by the partnership of Cedar Fair.
History
The Carowinds theme park itself was originally envisioned as a component of a large resort-type area that would have included hotels, a shopping center, a golf course, and a pro football stadium. However, as was true for many other theme parks across the country, attendance at Carowinds was severely diminished by the 1973 oil crisis, and the plans for the resort that would have surrounded the park were abandoned. Hall and the other stockholders of the Carowinds Corporation continued to operate the theme park through 1974, though sagging attendance and mounting debt forced the company to sell out to Taft Broadcasting in early 1975.
The park was purchased by Paramount Communications in 1993 and joined the Paramount Parks family, after ownership bounced from Taft Broadcast Company to Family Leisure Centers (a joint between Taft and Top Value Enterprises), to Kings Entertainment Company, which was the last owner prior to the acquisition by Paramount. The park was renamed Paramount's Carowinds in 1993. Viacom then purchased Paramount in 1994.
The name "Carowinds" was derived from the park's original theme. Since the park was built around the history and culture of the Carolinas, the name is a combination of "Carolina" and "winds", representing the winds that have blown across the two states. As the park changed ownership over the years, most of the Carolina themes and cultural attractions were dropped in favor of more generic television and movie themes.
Carowinds opens in late March each year and closes in early November, after the park's Halloween event, "Scarowinds". In 2005, a portion of the park reopened during December for the Winterfest Christmas festival. However, the park did not repeat the event in 2006, citing poor attendance. A similar decision was made regarding Kings Island's Winterfest.
On January 27, 2006, the website of the Dayton Daily News reported that CBS Corporation (which split from Viacom at the end of 2005) would be selling Paramount's Carowinds and other parks in its Paramount Parks division.
On June 30, 2006, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. acquired Paramount Parks, including Carowinds.
Although Cedar Fair continued to use the Paramount's Carowinds name through the remainder of the 2006 season, it began to phase out the Paramount name in press releases and on the website. In January 2007, a brand new logo, featuring the Cedar Fair icon, but lacking the "Paramount" name, was revealed on the park website. The other four Paramount-branded parks that Cedar Fair acquired will also be receiving similar changes. As of February 2007, the "Paramount" name has been dropped from all of the parks. In December 2009, Apollo Global Management purchased all Cedar Fair parks, including Carowinds.
Though it is the smallest and least well-known of Paramount's former parks, Carowinds is still a popular destination for tourists as one of 2 major theme parks in the Carolinas (Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro, NC is the other major park.)
Rides
Coasters
- Afterburn: A Bolliger and Mabillard inverted roller coaster. Located in the Country Fair section of the park.
- Carolina Cyclone: An Arrow Dynamics coaster featuring 2 loops and 2 corkscrews. Located in the Carolina Boardwalk section of the park. First roller coaster to feature a record breaking 4 inversions.
- Carolina Goldrusher: First roller coaster ever at Carowinds, made by Arrow Dynamics. Located in the Carolina Boardwalk section of the park. First roller coaster to cross state lines.
- Carolina Cobra: A Vekoma 125-foot (38 m) tall "Boomerang" coaster in which you are pulled up the lift hill backwards and then released down the hill forwards and go through a cobra roll and a 360 degree loop then go up another hill, and then you are released backwards repeating the ride backwards.
- Woodstock Express : Join Woodstock on his zany adventure on this wooden roller coaster. Formerly Fairly Odd Coaster.
- Lucy's Crabbie Cabbie : A big city chase through Lucy's neighborhood ensues on this miniature, 15-foot high roller coaster with cars resembling taxi cabs.Formerly Hey Arnold's Taxi Chase.
- Hurler: A wooden out and back roller coaster formerly themed to Wayne's World located in the Thrill Zone section of the park.
- Intimidator: A Bolliger and Mabillard roller coaster that is currently under construction and set to open in the Spring of 2010. Inspired by the famous stock car racing driver Dale Earnhardt, Intimidator will become the one of the Southeast's longest, tallest and fastest roller coasters.
- Nighthawk: A Vekoma Flying coaster. This ride operated as STEALTH at California's Great America before being installed at Carowinds.
- Ricochet: A "wild mouse" coaster. Located in the Carolina Boardwalk section of the park.
- Flying Ace Aerial Chase : Travel with "flying ace" Snoopy on a high flying adventure on this family coaster. Formerly Rugrats Runaway Reptar.
- Thunder Road: Twin wooden roller coaster that crosses the NC/SC border. Both sides go forwards and mostly race each other. Located in the County Fair section of the park.
- Vortex: A Bolliger and Mabillard (B&M) "stand up" coaster. Located in the Carolina Showplace section of the park.
Thrill rides
- Drop Tower: Scream Zone (Formerly "Drop Zone: Stunt Tower"): An Intamin free-fall tower. It is 160 feet (49 m) high and has a 100 ft (30 m) drop. It is located in the Thrill Zone section of the park.It also features an 17.6 meter manetic brake system.
- Scream Weaver: A Schwarzkopf Enterprise ride with a one-and-a-half minute ride time, located in the Thrill Zone section of the park.
- Southern Star: An Intamin Looping Ship Thrill ride, located in the County Fair section of the park. Formerly known as the Frenzoid.
- Xtreme Skyflyer: A Skycoaster that has to be paid for first, located in the Thrill Zone section of the park.
- Thunder Raceway Go-Carts: Go-Carts that have to be paid for first, located in the Thrill Zone section of the park.
Other Rides
- Carolina Skytower: An Intamin 320-foot (98 m) tall cabin tower that gives guests a view of Carowinds and Charlotte. It was originally sponsored by and branded as the Eastern Airlines Skytower. It is located in the Carowinds Plaza section of the park.
- Boo Blasters on Boo Hill: A dark ride where guests shoot targets and get a score and is themed to the Peanuts. Originally, the building was a theater and variety shows were shown inside. It is located in the Carolina RFD section of the park.
- Action Theatre: A 3-D Ride in the Action Theater themed to SpongeBob SquarePants. Located in the County Fair section of the park. 2009 will be the last year that Spongebob is featured due to an expired contract with Viacom.
- Yo Yo: A Chance yo-yo swing ride, currently occupies the spot where Whirling Dervish, a park original wave swinger sat. Located in the County Fair section of the park. (Relocated from Geauga Lake in Ohio)
- Dodg'ems: Bumper Cars located in the County Fair section of the park.
- The Storm in a Scrambler: whirling gondolas that spin in a circular motion. Located in the Carolina Showplace section of the park.
Planet Snoopy
Charlie Brown Wind Up
- A miniature swing ride.
Flying Ace Balloon Race
- A flying balloon ride featuring Snoopy from the Peanuts .
Woodstock Gliders
- A flying ride themed to Woodstock. First resided at Cincinnati's Coney Island Park in 1935. In 1972, debuted as Flying Eagles at sister park Kings Island with the park's opening. Moved to Carowinds in 2005.
Snoopy's Junction
- A miniature train ride.
Woodstock's Whirly Birds
- A monorail with helicopter cars themed to Woodstock.
PEANUT'S Yacht Club
- A mini speed boat ride relocated from sister park Canada's Wonderland where it was once known as Bedrock Dock.
Snoopy's Space Race
- A small flying jet ride.
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