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Libertyland

{{Short description|Former amusement park in Memphis}}

{{Infobox amusement park

| name = Libertyland

| previous_names =

| logo =

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| image = Libertyland entrance.JPG

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| caption = Main entrance gateway and drop tower in 2005.

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| location = Memphis

| location2 = Tennessee

| location3 = United States

| coordinates = {{Coord|35.119|N|89.982|W|type:landmark_region:US-TN|display=it}}

| status = Closed

| opening_date = {{Start date|1976|07|4}}

| closing_date = {{End date|2005|10|29}}

| theme =

| season = April to September

| attendance = 372,807 (2004) {{Cite news |last=Williams |first=David |date=March 14, 2005 |title=The thrill is gone at fair, Libertyland |url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/march-14-2005-page-1-52/docview/2658494889/se-2 |access-date=March 14, 2025 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=A1, A5}}

| area = {{convert|25|acre}}

| area_acre =

| rides =

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| park1 =

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| opened1 =

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}}

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.

History

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.{{Cite news |last=Cook |first=Klink |date=May 5, 1971 |title=Fair Launches Drive To Build Pleasure Park Like Six Flags |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2655763004/sem-2 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=1}} 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,{{Cite news |last=McCrarey |first=David |date=June 1, 1979 |title=Libertyland to open long-awaited ride |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2656399347/se-2 |access-date=February 1, 2025 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=21}} and others. During the late 1990s, it added a Top Spin ride, named Tidal Wave. In April 2002, the Tidal Wave was replaced by the drop tower Rebellion.{{Cite news |last=Clubb |first=Deborah |date=April 18, 2002 |title=Libertyland cuts $2 off charge for admission |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2658661326/se-2 |access-date=February 1, 2025 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=B2}} It featured a {{convert|90|ft|m|adj=on}} drop and drew larger crowds to the park.

= Financial troubles =

For many years, it was widely known that Libertyland was having financial difficulties, failing to turn a profit.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} Few new attractions were being added, and crowds began to diminish. In 2005, Mid-South Fair commissioned a firm to design a new logo for Libertyland and rebuild its image. They also repainted several buildings, but the effort did not bring in enough visitors 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.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

= Closure =

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.{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=David |date=November 3, 2005 |title=Ride may be over for park |url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/november-3-2005-page-1-98/docview/2658239496/se-2 |access-date=March 14, 2025 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=A1, A9}} The vote 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 =

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.{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=David |date=January 25, 2006 |title=Fair's ownership of Libertyland rides in doubt |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2658276374/sem-2 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=C1,C2}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=David |date=June 20, 2006 |title=Save Libertyland says 'Wait' |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2658259917/sem-2 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=C1}} 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.

File:Zippin Pippin and Warehouse.jpg

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.{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=David |date=December 7, 2006 |title=Joyland planning park in Memphis |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2658002540/sem-2 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=A1,A3}} However, upon viewing the site in-person, Joyland Inc. pulled out of the deal due to extensive damage to infrastructure, including wiring and plumbing.{{Cite news |date=January 3, 2007 |title=No Joyland in 2007 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2658504384/sem-2 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=The Commercial Appeal |pages=A8}}

= Post-closure =

The Grand Carousel was leased and restored by the Children's Museum of Memphis and began operating in the new pavilion in November 2017.{{Cite news |last=Chaney |first=Kim |date=September 6, 2017 |title=Old Libertyland Carousel Finds New Life At Children's Museum |url=https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/local/old-libertyland-carousel-finds-new-life-at-childrens-museum/522-4f26b061-6446-44e6-a123-934c61483065 |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=ABC24}} 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.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

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 {{convert|227,000|sqft}} sports complex can host tournaments and other events and includes two adjacent soccer fields.{{Cite news |last=Dries |first=Bill |date=June 14, 2021 |title=Liberty Park breaks ground after 14 years and three mayors |url=https://dailymemphian.com/article/22495/memphis-liberty-park-youth-sports-complex-groundbreaking |url-access=registration |access-date=November 11, 2024 |work=Daily Memphian}}

Attractions

References

External links

  • [http://www.rememberlibertyland.com/ Remember Libertyland - A Libertyland Tribute]
  • {{RCDB|4592}}

Category:Defunct amusement parks in Tennessee

Category:History of Memphis, Tennessee

Category:Landmarks in Tennessee

Category:Buildings and structures in Memphis, Tennessee

Category:1976 establishments in Tennessee

Category:2005 disestablishments in Tennessee

Category:Amusement parks closed in 2005