Magic Harbor
More actions
Magic Harbor was an amusement park previously located in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, USA. The park originally operated as PirateLand.
From 1982 to 1986, the Thompson Family, who operated Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Frontierland Family Theme Park and Pleasureland Southport in the UK, operated the park on a lease contract. The Thompson Family would sell their lease in 1993.
History
PirateLand opened on May 30, 1964.[1] The park included antique cars, an 1880 locomotive, and other amusement rides.[2] The park closed in 1972 and reopened in June 1975 as Magic Harbor.[3][4]
In 1980, the park was renamed The Lighthouse and given a new Christian theme.[5][6]
In March 1982, the owners of Blackpool Pleasure Beach negotiated a new lease for the park and acquired the assets of The Lighthouse, which had closed in August 1981. The name was reverted back to Magic Harbor and the park was given a new British theme, including an English pub.[7]
During the 1980s, the park was at the center of a legal dispute over the terms of its lease. The local county filed a lawsuit against the city council, claiming that the leases had not been advertised properly and were not bringing in enough money. Blackpool Pleasure Beach closed the park due to the uncertainty surrounding its lease.[8][9]
In 1993, Blackpool Pleasure Beach sold its lease to Bob Megerles of Miami and Malinda Nicholson of Augusta, Georgia. Magic Harbor reopened on 29 May 1993 but only operated for one season, closing later that year.[10]
Coasters
Defunct
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Witch | Unknown | Sit-Down | 1983 or earlier | 1983 or later | Unknown |
| Big Apple | Pinfari | Kiddie | Unknown | 1986 | Relocated to Pleasureland Southport |
| Corkscrew | Arrow Development | Sit-Down | 1975 | 1977 | Relocated to Myrtle Beach Pavilion |
Attractions
Defunct
- This list is incomplete, please expand it if you can.
References
- ↑ "Pirateland Amusement Park To Open May 30". Sun-News. 1964-03-26. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ↑ "Indian Attacks, Pirateland Spotlight Face Old 97". Florence Morning News. 1964-04-30. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ↑ "Charlottean Will Build Myrtle Beach Theme Park". The Charlotte Observer. 1974-05-26. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ↑ "Magic Harbor Murders Unsolved". Sun-News. 1976-10-23. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ↑ Caughman, Holley (1980-06-29). "Family dream comes true". Sun-News. p. 4.
- ↑ Burger, Ken (1981-08-14). "There's no booze, no ripoffs - just family entertainment". The State. p. 47.
- ↑ Burton, Tom (1982-03-13). "Park owners hope for success". Sun-News. p. 1.
- ↑ "Park doors remain closed". Sun-News. 1988-05-23. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ↑ "Lease lawsuit keeps park closed". Sun-News. 1988-05-23. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ↑ "Magic Harbor park to open at noon today". Sun-News. 1993-05-29. p. 32. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "1979 Magic Harbor park map". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
External links
- Magic Harbor on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
