North Carolina Amusement Parks—the History Project
UPDATE: In 2018, I moved to Central Florida and stopped working on this project.
North Carolina amusement parks have a strong history. Although most are long-gone, the parks located in North Carolina helped to shape the future of amusement parks and theme parks.
This project will look to document the lost, vanished and current North Carolina amusement parks. Using newspaper databases, research tools and local history collections (usually at public libraries) to record and tell the story of the more than 80 parks that existed in the Tarheel state.
Contact me (George@imaginerding.com) if you have any information about a North Carolina amusement park!
New Article: The first Roller Coaster in North Carolina!
North Carolina Amusement Parks
| Name | City, State | Open | Closed |
| Airport Amusement Park | Charlotte, NC | 1940s? | 1958 |
| Arkland Park | Franklinton, NC | ? | ? |
| Atlantic Beach, Inc. (Idle Hour Amusement Center) | Atlantic Beach, NC | Mentioned in 1951 Billboard | ? |
| Atlantic Amusement Park | Atlantic Beach, NC | Mentioned in 1955 Billboard | ? |
| Bear Creek Scenic Railroad | Kannapolis, NC | Open | |
| Bloomsbury Park-Electric Park | Raleigh, NC | 1912 | 1915 |
| Brookside Park | Raleigh, NC | 1888 | 1915 |
| Carolina Amusement Park | Gastonia, NC | 1957 | 1958 (?) |
| Carowinds | Charlotte, NC | 1973 | Open |
| Chavis Park | Raleigh, NC | 1938 | Open |
| Cherokee Fun Park | Cherokee, NC | ||
| Cherokee Wonderland | Cherokee, NC | 1962 | 1967 |
| City Park | Burlington, NC | 1948 (?) | Open |
| Cool World | Wilmington, NC | RCDB lists steel 1997-1998 | |
| Deadwood | Williamston, NC | 1992 | 2008 ? |
| Dowdy’s Amusement Park | Nags Head, NC | 1963-2005 | |
| East Carolina Chapter NRHS- | Farmville, NC | 1964? | 1981 |
| Exhilarama Park-Prehistoric Park | Cary, NC | 1993 | 2001 |
| Frontier Land – Magic Waters Park | Cherokee, NC | 1968 | 1982 |
| Frontier Village | Blowing Rock – Boone, NC | 1966 ? | Open |
| Fulton Heights Park | Salisbury, NC | 1906 | 1910 |
| Fun N Wheels | Atlantic Beach, NC | ||
| Fun-Land Park | Greensboro, NC | 1945 | |
| Ghent Park | New Bern, NC | 1913 | |
| Ghost Mountain Park | Maggie Valley, NC | 1961 ? | |
| Ghost Town in the Sky | Maggie Valley, NC | 1960 | 2002 |
| Gold City | Franklin, NC | 1965 | 1980s |
| Goldston’s Beach, Crystal Beach, Marshburn’s Beach | White Lake, NC | Crystal Beach mentioned in 1956 Billboard. | |
| Greenfield Park | Wilmington, NC | 1918 | |
| Greensboro Amusement Park | Greensboro, NC | 1943 | 1944 |
| Highlander Railroad | Maggie Valley, NC | 1963 ? | |
| Hillbilly Park | Evergreen, NC | 1967 | |
| Hitching Post Drive-In Theater & Kiddie Land | Salisbury, NC | Mentioned in 1957 Billboard | ? |
| Jeepers | Concord-Gastonia, NC | 2004 | 2005 or 2006 |
| Jubilee Amusement Park | Carolina Beach, NC | 1977 | 2004 |
| Jungle Rapids | Wilmington, NC | Open | |
| Jungleland Park | Atlantic Beach, NC | 1999 | 2005 |
| Lake Hickory Amusement Park | Hickory, NC | 1940s? | 1950s? |
| Lakeside Park | Wilmington, NC | 1918 | 1919 |
| Lakewood Park | Durham, NC | 1902 | 1932 |
| Lakewood Park | Charlotte, NC | 1910 | 1933 |
| Land of Oz | Beech Mountain, NC | 1970 | 1980 |
| Lindley Park | Greensboro, NC | 1902 | 1918 |
| Lumina Park | Wrightsville Beach, NC | 1905 | |
| Maggie Valley Railroad | Maggie Valley, NC | 1966 ? | |
| Nissen Park | Winston-Salem, NC | 1900 | 1919? |
| North Park | Burlington, NC | 1952 | Open |
| Playland Park | Charlotte, NC | Mention in 1957 Billboard | ? |
| Professor Hacker’s Golf | Salter Path, NC | ? | Open |
| Pullen Park | Raleigh, NC | 1888 | Open |
| Recreation Park – Nature Center | Asheville, NC | 1930, Mentioned in 1955 Billboard | 2000 |
| Reynolds Park | Winston-Salem,NC | RCDB lists steel sitdown in 1957 | |
| Riverside Park | Asheville, NC | 1904 | 1916 |
| Santa’s Land | Cherokee, NC | Open | |
| Sea View | Wilmington, NC (Wrightsville) | 1889 | |
| Shelby City Park | Shelby, NC | Open | |
| Stith Park | Rocky Mount, NC | 1960 | Open |
| Stowe Park | Belmont, NC | ||
| Sunset Park | Rocky Mount, NC | Open | |
| Suttle Pool & Park | Charlotte, NC | Mention in 1955, 1957 Billboard | ? |
| Toyland Park | Durham, NC | Mentioned in 1953, 1957 Billboard | ? |
| Tweetsie Railroad | Blowing Rock-Boone, NC | 1957 | Open |
| Village Park | Kannapolis, NC | Open | |
| Western North Carolina Scenic Railroad Company | Lake Lure, NC | 1966 ? | 1968 |
| Wrightsville Beach | Wrightsville Beach, NC |
Are there any that I’m missing from my list?
Feel free to email me if you have any information or details about a long-lost park.
North Carolina Amusement Parks Video
North Carolina Amusement Parks Page Updates
5/7/2018
As I’m working on the Lost Amusement Parks of North Carolina book project, I will update this page with changes, additions and deletions. After my initial flurry of research on the amusement parks in the Old North State, I removed 11 parks from the table and added a few dates.
6/8/2018
I removed 14 parks from the list based on research conducted so far. Most of the parks removed simply didn’t have a mechanical device (like a carousel or another ride) or was considered a water park.
6/9/2018
Added Western North Carolina Scenic Railroad, Maggie Valley Railroad, Frontier Village, Bear Creek Scenic Railroad, Highlander Railroad and Ghost Mountain Park to the list.
Removed North Carolina Amusement Parks
| Name | City, State | Reason Removed From List | Date |
| Crystal Lake | Winston-Salem, NC | No Mechanical Rides or Devices | 5/7/18 |
| Dan Nicholas Park-Hurley Station | Salisbury, NC | No Mechanical Rides or Devices | 6/8/18 |
| Electric Park | Charlotte, NC | No Mechanical Rides or Devices – mention of a carnival the first year | 5/7/18 |
| Emerald Pointe | Greensboro, NC | No Mechanical Rides – a water park | 6/8/18 |
| Fantasy Island | Hope Mills, NC | Water Park Only | 5/7/18 |
| Fontana Village Resort | Fontana Lake, NC | No Mechanical Rides or Devices | 5/7/18 |
| Fuquay Springs | Fuquay-Varina, NC | No Mention of Mechanical Rides or Devices – But Still Need to Dig Deeper | 5/17/18 |
| Great Smoky Mountain Railroad | Bryson City, NC | No Mechanical Rides Besides the Railroad – Not an Amusement Park | 5/7/18 |
| Handy Dandy Railroad-Denton Farm Park | Denton, NC | Not an Amusement Park | 5/7/18 |
| Harden Park-Piedmont Park | Graham, NC | No Mention of Mechanical Devices | 6/8/18 |
| Heritage USA | Charlotte, NC | Actually in Fort Mill, SC | 6/8/18 |
| Hill Ridge Farm | Youngsville, NC | Just a Full-Size Train – No Amusements | 6/8/18 |
| Lake Tahkeeostee | Weaverville, NC | No Amusements – Just a Dammed-Off Lake | 6/8/18 |
| Latta Park | Charlotte, NC | No Mention of Mechanical Rides or Devices – But Still Need to Dig Deeper | 6/8/18 |
| New Hope Valley Railroad | Bonsai, NC | No Mechanical Rides Besides the Railroad – Not an Amusement Park | 6/8/18 |
| Paradise Park | Greenville, NC | Couldn’t Find This Park – There is a Paradise Fun Park in KillDevils Hill | 6/8/18 |
| Piedmont Park | Winston-Salem, NC | Fairgrounds and Circus Grounds for the City – No Amusement Park | 6/8/18 |
| Overlook Park | Asheville, NC | No Mechanical Rides or Devices | 6/8/18 |
| Queens Landing | Mooresville, NC | No Mechanical Rides or Devices | 6/8/18 |
| Rays Splash Planet | Charlotte, NC | Municipal Water Park Only | 6/8/18 |
| Silver Lake | Raleigh, NC | No Mechanical Rides – a water park | 6/8/18 |
9/19/18
Added Stowe Park, a municipal park with attractions in Belmont. Ran across it through a friend.
2019 Update – I moved to Central Florida and discontinued work on this project. I will leave this page up for any future researchers.
Frye’s Lake, Concord, NC.
mile and a quarter train ride, western town, zoo, merry go round, chair lift, mini golf, go carts, shooting range, swimming lake, roller rink, bowling. Roller rink and bowling is still open. Been in business 75 years.