Will Ghost Town in the Sky Reopen? The Latest Update
The future of this abandoned theme park looks bleak as the project continues to hit roadblocks
Ghost Town in the Sky, aka Ghost Town Village, is a long-shuttered Wild West-themed amusement park that sat atop a mountain in Maggie Valley, NC. It opened in the early 60s. However, it began stumbling in the 90s as revenue couldn’t support maintenance needs for rides, such as the famous Red Devil Roller Coaster.
In 2002, a chair lift ride that took guests to the park from the bottom of the mountain broke down in the summer heat. A few days later, the park closed and was put up for sale. The park briefly reopened in 2007 after millions were spent on renovations. But the park closed once again after the 2009 season. In short, the park has a long, complicated history of failed resurrections. Ghost Town has experienced bad luck and lived up to its name. It became a real ghost town.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Is Ghost Town in the Sky open?
- Will Ghost Town in the Sky reopen?
- Ghost Town in the Sky lawsuits
- What would a rehabilitated Ghost Town in The Sky look like?
- What about housing and infrastructure?
- Why did Ghost Town in the Sky close?
- If you build it, will they come?
Is Ghost Town in the Sky open?
Today, Ghost Town in the Sky is not open to the public. There have been several attempts to re-open the park, but none took hold. Work has been done at the park periodically. Still, the investment to get the thing back up and running would take a lot of work and be substantial. The park’s infrastructure is in shambles. There have been reports of vandalism, mold and general disrepair. Plus, getting people and fresh water to the top of the mountain at a high elevation has been a real problem.
Will Ghost Town in the Sky reopen?
The future of Ghost Town is still uncertain. As evidenced by two decades of failed attempts, the job of breathing life back into ghosts isn’t an easy one. Resurrection is a delicate process with many challenges, including housing and infrastructure problems.
The most recent resurrection talks began in 2019 when Frankie Wood negotiated a deal with owner Alaska Presley. A new corporation was formed, Ghost Town in the Sky LLC, and Wood was signed on as a managing member. In August of 2021, Wood made a rare public speaking appearance. At the time, he announced an investment of up to $200 million into the park in front of the local Chamber of Commerce. But while these talks inspired hope for some, they sparked doubt for others. In the following months, reports came out that Wood had a complicated financial history.
Ghost Town in the Sky lawsuits
Presley, the long-time owner of Ghost Town in the Sky, passed away at the age of 98 in April 2022. Therefore, there has been an ongoing legal battle surrounding Ghost Town in the Sky and its stakeholders. According to The Mountaineer newspaper, there was a recent motion by Ms. McClure to dissolve the current partnership. Meanwhile, the property continues to deteriorate.
What would a rehabilitated Ghost Town in The Sky look like?
While things don't look good now, we can think about what things would look like when the situation was more promising. In recent years, reports came in that Storyland Studios had been enlisted to help with the design and planning of the resurrected park. Storyland Studios is owned by Disney alumni Matt Ferguson, who has ties to Maggie Valley.
Previous plans for the resurrection of the park also detailed mix-use retail and residential development. Wood previously noted that the lower level of Ghost Town might look something like "Broadway on the Beach" in Myrtle Beach. Which offers shopping, dining and entertainment. The second floor could eventually be sold or leased for residential use, according to Smoky Mountain News. There is no word on what will become of the original rides. However, Wood had mentioned there may be some theme-park style rides, including a Ferris wheel. That is if the plans had ever come to fruition.
What about housing and infrastructure?
Better infrastructure and housing would have to be a big part of the resurrection plans to help Ghost Town Maggie Valley become the tourist destination it was always meant to be. For instance, it is estimated that over 200 employees would be required to run the resurrected Ghost Town in the Sky. This means 200 families would need affordable housing in the area. The area is also in need of restaurants, a grocery store and an urgent care facility to support a local economy. This could, in turn, support the park.
When will Ghost Town reopen?
At the time of this writing, it is unlikely Ghost Town will reopen. In fairness, there will remain a heavy level of skepticism as previous attempts have looked promising only to fail.
Why did Ghost Town in the Sky close?
As beautiful as Maggie Valley is, it couldn’t attract the number of tourists needed to support the park. At one time, Ghost Town served as a worthy rival to the pre-Dollywood Silver Dollar City/Goldrush Junction theme parks. But as Dollywood and Pigeon Forge soared, Ghost Town began fading. And as the park cut corners to keep things open, rides and services began to fail. Ghost Town Village was trapped in a vicious cycle in which it had to fight to stay alive.
If you build it, will they come?
The nostalgia factor alone would be awesome. There are thousands of people who grew up going to Maggie Valley and have wonderful childhood memories. These folks would love to share that experience with the whole family. They'd love to take their kids or, more likely, their grandkids.
Ultimately, the effort will be a fascinating test case of the power of nostalgia. In theory, if this plan works it could mean new life for legacy entertainment options throughout the region. Places with a strong history that through bad breaks or bad management decisions got caught in a downward spiral in a competitive business. They couldn’t bounce back. You can build it, but will they come?
Should they revive this park in the mountain town of Maggie Valley NC? Let us know what you think in the comments!