| |
| Location |  |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | May 23, 1998 |
| Owner | Koch Family Parks |
| Previous names | Alabama Splash Adventure (2014 to 2018) Splash Adventure (2012 to 2014) Alabama Adventure (2006 to 2011) VisionLand (1998 to 2005) |
| Website | https://alabamaadventure.com/ |
Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure is an amusement park and water park in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. Opened in 1998, the park went bankrupt in 2002 and did not operate at all that year. The property has changed owners several times and from 2012 to 2013, it operated exclusively as a water park. It was acquired by the Koch family in 2014 and has since seen investment in both the amusement and water parks. The park is home to Rampage, a 120 foot tall wooden roller coaster.
History
The park was built by West Jefferson Amusement and Public Park Authority, an organization created by 11 cities. It opened on May 23, 1998.[1]
VisionLand did not operate at all during the 2002 season. The park filed for bankruptcy in June, claiming it was $100 million in debt.[2] It was subsequently put up for sale and was sold to Southland on January 2, 2003 for $5.25 million. A competing bid was placed by Themeparks LLC, who at the time also owned Magic Springs and had previously owned Kentucky Kingdom.[3] For the 2003 season, the name was changed to "Visionland" (the "L" now lowercase) and the park reopened following $5 million in renovations.[4]
In 2005, the park opened Zoomerang, a shuttle roller coaster purchased from a closed Australian amusement park named Wonderland Sydney.[5] The following year, the name was changed to Alabama Adventure.[6]
The park changed hands again in May 2008 when it was purchased by Adrenaline Family Entertainment.[7] The park was purchased by General Attractions in January 2011 who subsequently re-branded it as Splash Adventure. After the 2011 season, the company closed the amusement park (excluding the Main Street area) and invested $1.5 million in four aquatic attractions.[8] According to the chief executive of General Attractions, most of the operating costs went towards the amusement park despite the water attractions being more popular with guests.[9]
In March 2014, the Koch family purchased Splash Adventure and announced that the amusement park would reopen that year.[10] Several kiddie rides were added, including the Centi-SPEED roller coaster.
For the 2019 season, the amusement and water parks were separated into two separate identities, "Alabama Adventure" and "Splash Adventure". However both remain accessible with a single ticket. Two attractions were added: a water slide, and the Galleon.[11]
Roller coasters
Present
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centi-SPEED | Fajume | Kiddie | 2014 | Operating |
| Cheddar Chase | L&T Systems | Wild Mouse | May 14, 2022 | Operating |
| Rampage | Custom Coasters International, Inc. | Wooden | May 23, 1998 | Operating |
Past
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Mania | E&F Miler Industries | Kiddie | May 23, 1998 | 2011 | Relocated to Elitch Gardens |
| Zoomerang | Vekoma | Shuttle | May 8, 2005 | 2011 | Relocated to Wonderla |
Attractions
Present
- This list is incomplete, please expand it if you can.
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop Zone | Zamperla | Drop Tower | 2016 |
| Jump Around | Zamperla | Jump Around | 2014 |
| Little Harbor | Allan Herschell Company | Roundabout | 2014 |
| Rockin' Tug | Zamperla | Rockin' Tug | 2018 |
| Scrambler | Eli Bridge Company | Scrambler | 2018 |
| Splash Express | Zamperla | Junior Railway | 2014 |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner Manufacturing | Tilt-A-Whirl | 2018 |
| Yo-Yo | Chance Rides | Waveswinger | 2018 |
Past
- This list is incomplete, please expand it if you can.
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BuzzSaw Falls | SkyTrans Manufacturing | Shoot The Chute | May 28, 2011 | 2011 | Relocated to Waves Resort Corpus Christi |
| Fender Bender | Bertazzon | Dodgems | 1998 | 2011 | Relocated to Botton's Pleasure Beach |
| Giant Wheel | Mondial | Ferris Wheel | 1998 | 2011 | Unknown |
| Midway Carousel | Chance Rides | Carousel | 1998 | 2011 | Unknown |
| MindSpinder | Fabbri | Unknown | 1998 | 2011 | Unknown |
| Pirate | HUSS | Pirate Ship | 1998 | 2011 | Unknown |
| Space Shot | S&S Power | Drop Tower | 2001 | 2011 | Relocated to Darien Lake |
| Tidal Wave | Zierer | Waveswinger | 1998 | 2011 | Unknown |
| Vertigo | HUSS | Enterprise | 1998 | 2011 | Unknown |
| Wild River Gorge | FAB Design | River Rapids | 1999 | 2008 or later | Unknown |
Non-ride attractions
Wipeout Adventure Course was a ropes course which operated from 2012 to 2019. It incorporated water features including cannons.
References
- ↑ "Theme Park Opens in Alabama". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "VisionLand debt prompts Chapter 9 filing".
- ↑ "San Diego-Based Company Buys VisionLand". NBC13. Archived from the original on 2005-01-08.
- ↑ "A new vision". Tuscaloosa News.
- ↑ "Birmingham, ALA.-It's official! Visionland's new $5 million triple loop roller coaster has been named the Zoomerang!". Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel.
- ↑ "Visionland amusement park renames itself 'Alabama Adventure'". Theme Park Insider.
- ↑ "Alabama Adventure sold". WBHM.
- ↑ "Alabama Adventure to Become Waterpark Only". Coaster101. April 5, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ↑ "New Splash Adventure to expand water park in Bessemer (slideshow, video)". AL.
- ↑ "Splash Adventure Waterpark purchased by The Koch Family". Amusement Today.
- ↑ "As Parks Grow, Alabama Adventure + Splash Adventure Gain Separate Identities". NewsPlusNotes.
External links
- Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
