AutoWorld
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AutoWorld was an indoor theme park in Flint, Michigan, USA, built to make the town attractive to tourists. The theme park, which opened in July 1984, was originally set up as a Six Flags amusement park venture, but went bankrupt and closed during its first year. After an attempted revival in the summer of 1985 and other attempts at making the complex viable, it was demolished in 1997 and the land sold to the University of Michigan-Flint.
AutoWorld's first area was located inside a big dome. The insides were designed to look like Flint long ago. The first display that one encountered was a small cabin. Inside was a mannequin. When one pressed a red button on the outside of the cabin it kicked on a film that projected onto the mannequin's face. The mannequin was supposed to be Jacob Smith, founder of Flint. It would welcome the visitor to AutoWorld and talk about the beginning of Flint. In the center of the dome was a Ferris wheel, and nearby was a carousel and other attractions.
Out of the dome was an area with a giant car engine, a wall with a rotating display of old brand shields and an attraction depicting the past, present and future of automobile assembly. The Industrial Mutual Association Auditorium section had rides that featured robotic puppets, an IMAX theater, and a two-story ramp that exhibited a history of the effect of automobiles in popular culture.
AutoWorld was featured in the 1989 movie Roger & Me by Michael Moore. Footage of AutoWorld being demolished was shown in the 1997 film The Big One, also by Moore. The site is now home to the University of Michigan-Flint's William S. White Building.
