Magic Springs and Crystal Falls

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The entrance to Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.
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The entrance to Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.
On ride shot of the Arkansas Twister, a thrill ride at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.
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On ride shot of the Arkansas Twister, a thrill ride at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.
The Gauntlet. A suspended looping coaster at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.
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The Gauntlet. A suspended looping coaster at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.

Located 50 miles from Little Rock, Arkansas, Magic Springs and Crystal Falls is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks. The park is open weekends from April through September and daily late-May through mid-August. Magic Springs and Crystal Falls was opened in the late 1970s, but closed for a brief period of time from 1995-2000. Magic Springs and Crystal Falls is owned by Themeparks LLC.


Contents

[edit] History

Magic Springs and Crystal Falls opened in the late 1970s, but investors became burdened by millions of dollars of debt and sold the park in the 1980s to a group headed by businessman Melvyn Bell, who then had his own financial troubles. It closed in 1995.

Fitraco, a Belgian company, bought the amusement park at a foreclosure auction in 1995. Ed Hart of Themeparks LLC was approached by Fitraco, and decided to take on the project. Themeparks LLC was the current owner of Kentucky Kingdom at the time, but later sold it to Six Flags.

Magic Springs and Crystal falls reopened in 2000 after Hot Springs voters approved a bond issue providing financing for the park. Attendance totaled more than 362,500 in 2000 and beat expectations. In 2001, attendance fell about 25 percent to roughly 272,000, and then to about 254,000 in 2002. The park continued to expand its ride offerings instead of hunkering down. Attendance grew again to more than 291,000 in 2003, the year the Timberwood Amphitheater debuted. It topped 400,000 in 2004 when The Gauntlet was added and the concert series was expanded.

Rides are continuously being added to the park. In 2006, a new coaster dubbed "X-Coaster" made its debut. The coaster is a $4 million steel coaster which includes the highest upside-down inversion in the world and makes it possible to experience inverted ride elements without shoulder restraints. This ride brings the total investment in the park to $39 million.

There has also been recent rumorss of Themeparks LLC selling the park to Six Flags or Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, the owners of Silver Dollar City, Celebration City, and co-owners of Dollywood. These rumors have yet to be proved.

[edit] Rides and Attractions

Magic Springs is host to many rides and attractions. Below you will find just a few of them.

[edit] Thrill Rides

  • 'X-Coaster' - A steel sit-down coaster which contains the highest inversion in the world at 150 ft. Opened in April 2006. Built by Maurer Söhne.
  • Arkansas Twister - A classic wooden out and back coaster. Features a 92 ft. drop. Relocated from Boardwalk and Baseball in Florida in 1992 where it operated as the Florida Hurricane. Designed by Don Rosser and William Cobb, built by Michael Black.
  • Big Bad John - An Arrow Dynamics Mine Train Coaster. Tallest drop of 41 ft. Relocated from Dollywood in 2002 where it operated as Thunder Express.
  • The Gauntlet - A Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster. Built in 2004 by Vekoma exclusively for Magic Springs and Crystal Falls. Features a 110 ft. drop and is the first Vekoma SLC to feature a redesigned wheel assembly to give a more comfortable ride.
  • Plummet Summit - A splash down ride with a 50 ft. drop. Built exclusively for Magic Springs and Crystal Falls and debuted in 2005.
  • Dr. Dean's Rocket Machine - A tower ride that launches riders almost 100 ft. in the air and then drops them back down. Built by S&S Power exclusively for the park and debuted in 2001.
  • Wild Thang - Riders can flip, twist, and spin through two motor driven rotations, with a third gravity driven rotation. A Zamperla Spinning ride.
  • The Hawk - A boom that rotates both clockwise and counter-clockwise at speeds of up to 13rpm that spins you over 70 ft. in the air. A Zamperla spinning ride.

[edit] Family Rides

  • Twist and Shout - A steel sit down coaster featuring crazy twists and turns. A Zamperla Wild Mouse Design.
  • Diamond Mine Coaster - A small but fun and exciting coaster.
  • Rum Runner Pirate Ship - A pendulum ride in the style of a pirate ship that swings you back and forth higher with each swing.
  • Old No. 2 Logging Company - A log flume ride that takes you through the rapids before taking a huge drop into a splash pool.
  • Carousel - The classic ride with horses and carriages.
  • Magic Swings - A swing ride that lifts you high in the air and then rotates.
  • Delineate - (coming in 2008) - A small capsule ride suspended eighty feet above a "bowl" shaped pool. The capsule rocks as you go further into the abyss.[citation needed]

[edit] Kids Rides

  • Fearless Flyers - Small airplanes where you control up and down movement while the ride spins.
  • Looney Ballooney - Hot air baloons that rise up while the ride spins.
  • Bugga Booga Wheel - A bug themed miniature ferris wheel.
  • Kit 'n Kaboodle Express - A miniature train ride that is exciting for the kids.
  • Li'l Leapin' Lizards - A gentle yet fun freefall tower.

[edit] Timberwood Amphitheater

The Timberwood Amphitheater is a state-of-the-art concert venue which offers a variety of entertainment. The 2006 line up includes:

Past performances include:

[edit] Annual Events

  • Education In Motion - School group days where fun at the park is linked to lessons in the classroom.
  • Magic Screams - Halloween festival in October where Magic Springs is transformed into a scary and frightening Magic Screams.

[edit] Crystal Falls

The large wavepool at Crystal Falls.
Visitors enjoy floating the lazy river at Crystal Falls.

Crystal Falls is the water park portion of Magic Springs and Crystal Falls and is included with regular admission. Crystal Falls is open from May through August. Rides include a lazy river, a large wave pool, three tube slides, a splash fun zone, and a kids fun area.

[edit] Awards

“Best of the Best” Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Readers Poll

Golden Guard Award Excellence in lifeguarding, Ellis & Associates

Southern Travel Treasure AAA

Gold Elite Award Performance of water safety staff, Ellis & Associates

Platinum Elite Award Performance of water safety staff, Ellis & Associates

The Natural State Award Arkansas’ top tourist attraction, Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism

Best Area Attraction Hot Springs Sentinel-Record, Readers Poll

Silver Elite Award Excellence in lifeguarding, Ellis & Associates

Large Business Recognition Excellence in landscaping, Hot Springs/Garland County Beautification Commission

Large Business of the Year Excellence in community service, Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce

Outstanding Achievement for Access to Persons with Disabilities S.A.I.L.S.

Silver Cup Outstanding effort in tourism, Garland County Hospitality Association

Top Three Family Friendly Parks in the Nation Better Homes and Gardens

[edit] External links

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