Magic Springs and Crystal Falls
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Magic Springs and Crystal Falls is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 50 miles from Little Rock. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks. The park is open weekends from April through October and daily late-May through mid-August. Magic Springs and Crystal Falls was opened in the late 1970s, closed in 1995, and reopened in 2000. Magic Springs and Crystal Falls is owned by Themeparks LLC.
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[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.
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. In March owners of Magic Springs agreed to sell the attraction to CNL Income Properties. They will lease back the park to the former owners, who will continue to manage it.
[edit] Incidents
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On June 9, 2007, a power outage caused by a large bird crossing electrical lines, left 12 roller coaster riders stranded upside down 150 feet in the air for 30 minutes. Firefighters used a generator to move the vehicle past the lift hill to allow it to coast back to its station. No one was injured, however one rider vomited and another complained of a headache and neck pain. The ride, called X-Coaster, was not immediately reopened once power was restored.[citation needed]
On September 4, 2006, an 11-year-old boy and his mother were riding the Old No. 2 Logging Company log flume ride around 6pm when the boy was shot by a falling .22 caliber bullet in the wrist. She immediately searched for medical attention when the ride stopped. The bullet had been shot from outside of the park and hit the child when it was falling. The bullet did not fully penetrate the child’s wrist. The victim received treatment from the emergency medical technicians. Hot Springs police spokesman Tom Winton said there were no reports of hearing gunshots and that it is nearly impossible to tell who fired the shot. “It’s still being investigated, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to wind up being a freak accident”.[citation needed]
On July 30, 2006, 45-year-old Felicia Robinson of Memphis, Tennessee fell from the Twist and Shout coaster due to centrifugal force. Robinson fell 10-15 feet, and was taken to a local hospital. Inspectors said that Robinson was too large for the ride, causing the restraints to not work properly. A report by the Arkansas Department of Labor stated that the ride operator should not have let Robinson occupy more than one seat on the ride. Robinson sued the park and the ride's importer for US$16 million, claiming that the park failed to seat her properly, and that the ride did not provide adequate safety features.[citation needed]
On August 28, 2005, a ride maintenance worker was seriously injured while he was working to repair The Gauntlet roller coaster. The worker had been called to the inverted looping roller coaster early in the afternoon when the ride's computer sensors detected low air pressure in the brake system and activated the emergency brakes. The train stopped near the end of the ride short of the loading station, on a section of track that is 25-30 feet high. Park officials had to use a ground hoist to evacuate riders. While the maintenance workers were assessing the problem the train rolled forward. The victim's legs got caught between the wheels of the train and the tubular steel track of the ride. He was trapped for nearly two hours. Firefighters who responded to the scene used a metal cutting saw to cut away some of the wheels and the track's structure in order to free the man. The man remained conscious during the rescue, but reports indicate that he suffered severe trauma to his lower legs. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.[citation needed]
See Incidents at independent parks for more information.
[edit] Rides and attractions
[edit] Thrill rides
- 'X-Coaster' - (52") A steel sit-down coaster which flips upsidedown 150 ft in the air. Opened in April 2006. Built by Maurer Söhne.
- Arkansas Twister - (48") 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.
- The Gauntlet - (52") A Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster. Built in 2004 by Vekoma for Jazzland in New Orleans. The sale never finalized and Magic Springs and Crystal Falls bought the coaster. Features a 110 ft. drop and is the first Vekoma SLC to feature a redesigned wheel assembly to give a more comfortable ride.
- Dr. Dean's Rocket Machine - (52") A Double Shot 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.[1]
- Wild Thang - (48") Riders can flip, twist, and spin through two motor driven rotations, with a third gravity driven rotation. A Zamperla Spinning ride.
- The Hawk - (48") 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 - (48") A steel sit down coaster featuring crazy twists and turns. A Zamperla Wild Mouse Design.
- Diamond Mine Coaster - (between 36" and 42" with adult) A small but fun and exciting coaster.
- Rum Runner Pirate Ship - (between 42" and 48" with adult) 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 - (between 36" and 42" with adult) A log flume ride that takes you through the rapids before taking a huge drop into a splash pool.
- Carousel - ( under 42" with adult) The classic ride with horses and carriages.
- Magic Swings - (48") A swing ride that lifts you high in the air and then rotates.
- Big Bad John - (42") An Arrow Dynamics Mine Train Coaster. Tallest drop of 41 ft. Relocated from Dollywood in 2002 where it operated as "Thunder Express".
- Plummet Summit - (42" to ride alone 36" with adult) A splash down ride with a 50 ft. drop. Built exclusively for Magic Springs and Crystal Falls and debuted in 2005.
[edit] Kids' rides
- Fearless Flyers - (under 42" with adult 1 adult per car) Small airplanes where you control up and down movement while the ride spins.
- Looney Ballooney - (under 42" with adult 1 adult per car) Hot air balloons that rise up while the ride spins.
- Bugga Booga Wheel - (under 42" with adult 1 adult per car) A bug themed miniature ferris wheel.
- Kit 'n Kaboodle Express - (less than 36" with adult) A miniature train ride that is exciting for the kids.
- Li'l Leapin' Lizards - (minimum 42" maximum 48") 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. Concerts are held every Sarurday during the operating season.
[edit] Past performances
- Styx
- LeAnn Rimes
- Diamond Rio
- Rebecca St. James
- Ryan Cabrera
- Cowboy Mouth
- Michelle Branch
- Boys II Men
- Better than Ezra
- The Charlie Daniels Band
- Grand Funk Railroad
- Shaggy
- Jars of Clay
- Foreigner
- Kansas
- Steppenwolf
- Three Dog Night
[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
Crystal Falls is the water park portion of Magic Springs and Crystal Falls and is included with park admission. Crystal Falls is open from May through August. Crystal Falls has many water attractions which include:
- Bear Cub Bend - kid play zone
- Crystal Falls Wave Pool
- Crystal Lagoon - four tube slides three body slides and a kids play area
- Grizzly Creek Splash Zone - kid play zone
- High Sierra Slide Tower - four tube slides
- Kodiak Canyon Lazy River
- Rapid Falls Raceway - racing slides
[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] References
[edit] External links
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