David Graham
David Graham

Cypress Gardens and Wild Adventures Sold

September 26, 2007, 7:37 PM · Herschend Family Entertainment was the winner in a private auction of the Wild Adventures amusement park, in Valdosta, Ga. Herschend, the owner of the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., will pay $34.5 million for the theme park, whose parent company was forced into bankruptcy, in part due to hurricane damage at its Cypress Garden park in Winter Park, Fla.

Cypress Gardens also was sold, for $16.8 million to Land South Holdings, of Mulberry, Fla. Land South announced in its bid filing that it intends to keep the park open as a tourist attraction.

More: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-cypressgarden092607,0,6488225.story
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=7132737

Replies (4)

gatrader
Stephen Tuday
September 26, 2007 at 9:25 PM · This is certainly great news as I have been a fan of WA since I discovered that park a few years ago. Perhaps my season pass (passport) will start being honored next year at Dollywood or even Stone Mountain Park, now sister parks.
CarolinaStingray
Mike Duchock
September 27, 2007 at 7:06 AM · A pass for one Herschend park doesn't usually give you free admission to other sister parks but you do usually get a pretty steep discount. For example, a Dollywood season pass holder gets 50% off of a One-Day All Attractions Pass at Stone Mountain Park.
jstavely
John Stavely
September 27, 2007 at 8:38 AM · Happy they weren't bulldozed!
jadams4
James Adams
September 27, 2007 at 9:18 AM · Not to sound too cynical, but I find it hard to believe that the new company will keep Cypress Gardens open as a theme park for very long. Land developers have been chomping at the bit to develop the area into homes of various levels and purposes. I would wonder if they will start to "shrink" the theme park, keep most of the gardens and use the remainder to develop into waterfront property. Just what we need in Florida, more developers.

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