why can't Indy have its own amusement park?

[Cormaster]

2 parks, 2 failures. After Old Indiana closed, Six Flags bought the property and immediatly rounded up old roller coasters to put on the property...however Six Flags Indy never opened. Instead the site's a stupid wildlife reserve.

And then theres the Garfield Park that never opened. What gives? I love Kings Island, and hate Kentucky Kingdom, but either way I'm sick of having to drive to go to an amusement park!

[westcoaster]

Indy should build a race car inspired park its home to the Indy 500 and Nascar races and so much more:

[DeLorean Rider]

Its not easy to just, Build an amusement park and make it work.

As with anything there are three things that are important to consider when building: Location!, Location!, Location.

No offense, but if I wanted to build a successful amusement park, Indiana would not be my first choice.

[Raptor66]

Holiday World, Indiana Beach, You have some amusement parks.

[Gordon Bombay]

Dont forget Fun Spot in Angola!

I remember while visiting some family in Fort Wayne a few years ago there was an article about how six flags never did anything with the Old Indiana property and was considering building a park near Fort Wayne since the area was growing so much at the time, I remember my relatives being so excited. Like Delorean Rider said, its all about location, if you build in Indiana you may not have harsh local competition but CP and KI, and yes sometimes even SFKK due draw people from that state.

[ragerunner]

Indy should build a race car inspired park its home to the Indy 500 and Nascar races and so much more:

Actually I have heard in the past some discussion about the track building a race car type theme park. Who knows. I know Legoland is working on plans in KC, but I also thought Indy might be a better location. (Closer to Chicago, etc...) Plus, less competition in Indy than KC (with WOF).

[BoddaH1994]

Want a good assertion as to why Indy doesn't have a park?

Its scope would overlap KI's too much and it's too risky of business to build a park with the assumption that you can draw patrons away from such a large park.

[DeLorean Rider]

Good point^

Once again: Location! Location! Location!

Too much competition to start a park from scratch.

[Cormaster]

I mean its not that big of a deal, since KI is only like an hour and a half away, but considering the cost of gas prices, it would be nice to not have to drive far. BTW Holiday world and Indiana Beach are lame. We went to Holiday world once, stayed for 2 hour and left it was so horrible. And as for indiana beach, well it runs like a state fair: In otherwords you have to buy tickets to get on rides.

I just don't get why six flags didn't open up here. if you already have the coasters on the property, why not open up? Seems like all six flags knows how to do these days is buy parks and exploit them (Kentucky Kingdom) or buy parks and give up and sell them. Whats really stupid is Six Flags paid for these coasters, and then ended up scrapping them! Spend all that money then not even open.

And still what ever happened to this Garfield's Adventure land that was supposed to open up in Noblesville?

[MikelAS]

I live in Lafayette, Indiana. I got really excited when I heard that Six Flags planned on opening an amusement park only about a half hour away from here. Sadly, it never happened. I love Indiana Beach and all (it's a half hour away) but it really isn't a park that you can spend the whole day at. Every time I go there I get there at about noon, and end up leaving around 5. It just isn't big enough, and it's too expensive for what it offers. The nearest MAJOR theme park is I believe Kings Island, which is about 3 hours away. Kentucky Kingdom is about the same distance, as well is Great America in Chicago. I think the Old Indiana location would have been a good spot, as there are no major theme parks within 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Also, Indiana is the 11th, or 12th (I believe) most populated state in the nation. Indianapolis is also the 11th or 12th most populated city in the nation. I believe attendance could be very nice with the right marketing, etc. Ah well, I'll keep wishing and hoping...

[DropZone99]

I live ind Indianapolis, and to tell the truth there is hardly anything to here except going to football, bastetball ect. games, or going downtown, the Zoo, or a mall.

We used to have an amusement park called Riverview Park [i think that's it's name.] but it got tour down to make a neighbor hood. This was along time ago, but if it was still open it could have had about 15 coasters.

There is tons of great land to make a theme park out of in the Indianapolis area, but they always fail.

If we had an amusement park it would attract more people here and the city would become bigger, more populated and more tourism.

[deb]

I live halfway between Indy and Dayton. To tell you the truth, if I can avoid Indy, I will. Granted, it's about 2 hours to KI, but we make an open to close day of it. If we were going to Indy, it would kill it for me. I want to make a trip of it, and not have someone calling me asking where I am... And expecting me to show in 45mins. I wouldn't go to an AP if it were in Indy.

deb

[Monroe]

Simply, the amusement park gods (who live in Ohio) will not allow it. We are the masters of the amusement park now, what we say goes. Obey our commands or don't ride roller coasters!!!!!!!!!

[art_star]

I know exactly what you mean. I live about 20 minutes south of Indy and there is absolutely nothing to do there. The city is really going down hill too. I think that with this new stadium thing, the possibility of getting our own theme park could go up. Ofcourse, no one wants to go the stadium except people from Indy anyway, so.

I have noticed that a LOT of KI guests are from Indiana or the Indianapolis area. ALso, Indy is a great city navigational wise. You can get here directly from an interstate from alot of different places. I think that would help. But, personally as a resident of that area (not for long though, going to Purdue in August), I would not want to go to Indy even if it had a theme park. SImply put, it is an ugly city with nothing going for it.

[Cormaster]

The new stadium is great, especially the talk of the superbowl being held here one day. You'd think with the Colts winning the superbowl that maybe Cedar Fair or Six Flags would look at us more now.... but things are about to get worse before they get better, as just like someone mentioned above with riverview park, another attraction of Indianapolis, IN is about to get torn down for more sub divisons: Verizon wireless music center (formely Deer Creek). Really makes me mad as I probably go to 3 or 4 concerts a summer there. The issue isn't that it doesn't make enough money, it makes plenty, but apparently the land it worth more than what they make off concerts there, and just like everything in America, its all about money, and not passion.

But yeah I had to make the mistake of looking up Old Indiana in wikipedia... I don't miss the park much really. The water park was cool, but I was agravated because it was so cheap and close our family Kings Island trips ended up becoming boring Old Indiana trips. They had 2 coasters: the mad mouse and the ripoff of the Wildcat from Cedar Point. The rest were just fair rides. The owners deserved what they got when it closed, as they got a fake saftey inspector to inspect all their rides and attractions, and it cost someone's life, and a 4 year old ended up paralyzed waist down! A huge lawsuit occured and it bankrupted the owners.

But the site, especially with the waterpark, would of made an awesome six flags! there was like nothing but open fields around it, and I was thinking how Great America tore down the shockwave in 2002, the year it was supposed to open: That coaster could have been ours! A looping coaster bigger than The Vortex!

It does seem like the Amusement park gods are against us. Everything always falls through.

[tigellinus]

I also live in Indy, and for the record, the city is *NOT* going down hill and in fact is growing in population, and Hamilton and Hendricks County are both in the top 25 fastest growing counties in the entire US!! (unlike Hamilton County, OHIO which is *decreasing* in population!...though Warren Co. is growing)

And also to set the record straight, while I would not have closed Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, they're completely re-doing White Water Park Amphitheatre AND Lucas Oil Stadium is supposed to have state of the art acoustics for a stadium since speaker company Klipsch (which is based in Indy) is working on the sound system.

But the bottom line for no amusement park is location...SFGA, SFStl, SFKK, HW, KI, and even CP!!...it would make no sense...similarly to Indy not having a baseball team with the Reds, Cubs, etc. But maybe one day it's possible as Indy continues to grow...since Indy is the most populated city in the US not located on a major body of water, so that's pretty good!!

[BoddaH1994]

I live ind Indianapolis, and to tell the truth there is hardly anything to here except going to football, bastetball ect. games, or going downtown, the Zoo, or a mall.

We used to have an amusement park called Riverview Park [i think that's it's name.] but it got tour down to make a neighbor hood. This was along time ago, but if it was still open it could have had about 15 coasters.

There is tons of great land to make a theme park out of in the Indianapolis area, but they always fail.

If we had an amusement park it would attract more people here and the city would become bigger, more populated and more tourism.

Riverside Park was/is located in Indianapolis. It only had two coasters, though. It now operates as a city park, but all amusement rides closed in 1970.

Riverside Park on RCDB

[RWildman424]

I would love not having to drive almost 2 hours for the nearest theme park. I live about 7 miles east of downtown Indy. Its fun going into town, but a theme park around here would make it much better. But like art_star, I'm off to Purdue in August, so it no longer makes any difference to me.

[Cormaster]

I would love not having to drive almost 2 hours for the nearest theme park. I live about 7 miles east of downtown Indy. Its fun going into town, but a theme park around here would make it much better. But like art_star, I'm off to Purdue in August, so it no longer makes any difference to me.

See thats what I'm talking about! KI Is great, but come on. I drive a Chevrolet Cavalier... it gets 24/32 mpg but even with that I still had to pay nearly 30 dollars twice in one week to make my trip to KI last weekend. With Gas prices these days sure would be nice to not have to spend that kind of money to go to an awesome theme park!

It makes no sense. We have Peyton Manning, the best quareterback of all time. If anything you'd think someone would want to build "Peyton Manning world" here! Peyton Manning WAS on the Colts when Six flags canceled there Plans to open their park in 2002...what gives?

[tigellinus]

Also realize in 2002 Six Flags had no money!! Which is why Dan Synder took over the chain, and then promptly starting selling off parks....

Indy's biggest strength is also it's biggest weakness...being centrally located to the majority of the Midwest in a crowded marketplace makes the Indy market that much tougher to succeed against other competition...but I still think one day it will be a reality.

[JjAmSaOnN]

...since Indy is the most populated city in the US not located on a major body of water, so that's pretty good!!

Where did you get that information? Not true ... try Phoenix. Also Indianapolis has the White River.

[tigellinus]

The White River is a sewage stream!! But I disagree about Phoenix....in addition to the numerous large bodies of lakes (which aren't Geist reservoirs here!!), you're also forgetting about the Salt River and that little thing called the Colorado River!! So no...Indy is the more land-locked!!

[JjAmSaOnN]

Though it may be polluted, it is still a natural river flowing through the center of the city. I don't think you can say it is landlocked. The Salt River is man made canal through Phoenix, dries up. The Colorado is nowhere near Phoenix. I could say Atlanta ... the Chattahoochee doesn't even go through the city.

I was just curious where you got the information in your statement because it did not seem accurate to say Indianapolis is the largest city with no major body of water near it. Sounds like this is just your personal opinion and feeling and not factual.

[tigellinus]

I heard it on the audio broadcast of this year's Indy 500....do you think they were fibbin' or something???

[italianchef]

I know how you feel. I live in Fort Thomas and wish that there was a park 1/2 as good as Kings Island in my county - perhaps at Newport. Then I could enjoy the rides much more often.

Have a great weekend!

Charles

[The Interpreter]

Also, you CAN buy an all day or a half day ride pass to Indiana Beach. And Holiday World and Indiana Beach are not lame. The former is a winner of the Applause award from IAAPA and the latter is perhaps one of the most charming amusement venues in the United States.

As for a theme park in Indy, it would be easier to get the attendees to travel to the parks that exist than to draw the needed base to Indy, Locals alone cannot support a park in this day and age. Smaller parks are closing left and right. Large parks are rarely built from scratch in the USA, when an existing park can be acquired so much more cheaply.

Hard Rock Park, and before that IOA are the only recent examples of USA major park construction. Yet another reason I am HIGHLY skeptical that the so called major park being built in Wheeling, West Virginia will actually be that....

[Cormaster]

Large parks are rarely built from scratch in the USA, when an existing park can be acquired so much more cheaply.

Exactly why I hate six flags for screwing up the old indiana deal. Alright its like this. Old Indiana wasn't quite the size of KI but it was at least as big as Kentucky Kingdom, and it had a LOT of room to expand.. there was nothing but vacant land around it. Its main feature was old fashioned fair rides, and a waterpark almost the size of Boomerang Bay! So Six flags allready had the basic rides. Six flags added like 6 coasters to it from the closed Opryland, and then they never opened it! If you got the rides there, why not open it? Instead they sell it to some enviromentalist wacko in 2002 who turns it into a wildlife perserve! Redicolous! If they were smart Not only would they have opened it, but they would of moved Shockwave from SFGA over there too!

But nope, six flags is stupid.

[DropZone99]

I agree with Cornmaster, if they already have the rides there, then they should open the park. Well i know that Six Flags was having trouble at the time, but they should of just forgot about Six Flags Indy for a while and once they got enough money they could open it and build up from there. I just think Indianapolis needs a theme park very badly. We can't afford driving almost two hours for a day or two of fun.

Indiana Beach isn't the best amusment park, you should call it a permanet fair.

Holiday World is awesome, but it is farther away from Indy than KI is.

[The Interpreter]

Six Flags did market studies...and what was intended to be a park serving Indy didn't happen.

The Garfield people did market studies, and what was intended to be a new theme park serving Indy didn't happen.

Neither modern days Six Flags (Premier Parks or Snyder) nor Cedar Fair has ever built a theme park from scratch.

But a few people with opinions posting on an Internet message board know there is a market in Indy. Hey, an idea. Go raise the money and open the park! If it works, you make money bigtime and prove the Garfield people and Six Flags wrong.

If it doesn't, or you can't raise the money.......

[Cormaster]

If one works in Louisville, KY then surely one would work in Indianapolis...oh wait maybe that one isn't working... at least not that well since Six Flags took over!