By subscribing to the news feed, you can be automatically updated whenever new content is added to Opacity. Just click the button below, or direct your feed reader to this URL.
While exploring some places in Mississippi, we came across this decrepit sign for Royal Land - an amusement park that has been closed since the 1970s. When I returned home I wanted to know more about it, and found this wonderful history...
Royal Land began as a heap of broken and outdated rides from the adjacent fairground, collected by "carnies" and fixed up to work again. Lloyd Royal, who owned the fairgrounds, became intrigued by this and decided to make his own non-traveling carnival here. He called it Royal Land after his last name.
The amusement park opened in the 1960s, and everything inside was obtained second hand. A roller coaster, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, and a train ride were bought at a discount or salvaged, and cobbled back into a (mostly) working state. It was all run by an old generator that would occasionally sputter out, causing the lights to dim and the carnival music to slow to a haunting waltz before dying completely. Sometimes the rickety roller coaster wouldn't make it up the last hill and had to be pushed. Llyoyd's son Monte, who helped put Royal Land together, often had nightmares of the Ferris wheel rolling over him while he slept. I wish I could have seen this place.
Royal Land only operated for three or four years before closing down for good. Unfortunately there weren't many remnants left behind the old gate, but I'm glad I was able to read this story published here.
Related Posts:
Comments pertaining to real location names, methods of entering the property, promotions or advertisements, off-topic discussion and general flaming, as well as those submitted under various aliases are subject to immediate deletion and your ip address being banned from this website. By submitting your comment you agree to these terms. Visit the forum for off-topic and general discussion. To prevent your comment from being removed and to help keep this site uncluttered, please read more about comments on opacity.
just say something about Opacity so I'll add you :)
But then again, most carnivals are barely above acceptable in terms of safety.
I don't think I'd feel inclined to go on a salvaged roller coaster.
It looks like a remnant from some horror movie set.
Motts...if you would like this DVD just email me and let me know because I can get my hands on it if you would like to really see an old park at its greatest. The park closed down in the 1980's (1987) and now all that is left is some old boards, abandoned junk, and maybe even traces of arson fires that gutted most of the buildings before it was razzed. :( I sure do miss this old park. I grew up here, I went to this amusement park many many many times as a child and on school field trips.
Let me know if you would like that DVD...no charge to you for shipping or anything. :) My email is kristieannesmama@aol.com!
BKW - nope, we ran around the grounds at night and found nothing but foundations and remnants of train tracks in the woods, nothing to shoot. Perhaps you're thinking of a different park http://www.opacity.us/...enre/amusement_park/
Your website has been my favourite for quite some time, keep up the awesome work Motts!
and his purty pics....
I have to take offense to people saying that carnival rides are not safe. It really depends on where you are. I spent most of my time in New England and they are very strict about ride safety - the rides are inspected every week by a state inspector and if the rides aren't safe, they don't run. I can't speak for every state (because I don't know what the laws are like outside of the states I personally traveled in) but I have more confidence in the rides at traveling carnivals than at six flags because at six flags the rides are only inspected a few times a year.
The whole idea of "Hey! I'm going to take some abandoned carnival rides and get 'em working again" is sketchy though. Rides usually have some value... if they were abandoned there was probably a reason for it. Most carnivals also keep electricians and people who know how to fix the rides on staff, so this sounds like a very sketchy arrangement. I guess it's good nobody got hurt at Royal Land, anyway.
I sure hope the rides are safe at places like Six Flags because that would really put a damper on my Summer since we go to Six Flags, Dorney Park, Hershey Park, and sometimes Busch Gardens Williamsburg (though that is a 9 hour car trip for us!) every year.
:)