North Carolina People, Places, and Things-April 22
I am the dad to five adult children. As they were growing up I attempted to remind them they were special and to implore them to learn something new. My goal was to do that daily.
In 2016 my goal is to learn something new daily on the people, places, and things that make North Carolina special.
I lived in Rock Hill SC for six years and a big Christmas gift for our children during that time was a gold season pass to Carowinds Amusement Park.
The park is located just 6 miles north of Rock Hill SC and actual straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina State border. With the weather warming up the park will start seeing larger crowds each weekend.
I got to wonder about the history of Carowinds and did some research.
In October, 1969 Charlotte businessman E. Pat Hall announced the construction of Carowinds, a 73-acre theme park that would straddle the North and South Carolina state line and provide entertainment to families across the region.
The name, Hall said, was derived from the two states the park would be named for and the winds that blew across them. The park when it was designed and built was meant to be larger than some of the country’s most recognizable theme parks at the time including Disneyland, Astroworld in Houston, Texas, and Six Flags in Atlanta, Ga.
The park officially opened to the public on March 31, 1973 nearly four years after it was announced. The company has changed ownership several times over the past 4 decades. When my family was going there on a regular basis it was owned by Paramount.
Since 2006 Carowinds has been owned by Cedar Fair, L.P., owner of the world-famous Cedar Point and Knott’s Berry Farm theme parks, they purchased Paramount Parks in a blockbuster deal.
Over the last four decades it has evolved to become a regional, and internationally known tourist destination, employing over 2,000 people each season, and has grown from 73 acres to covering now 398 acres today.
Back in the 1990’s we could get a season pass for $49.00 today the price is $100.
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