In light of Louisville businessman Ed Hart's recent bid to re-open Kentucky Kingdom (story), we thought we would look back at the history of this troubled park.
May 23, 1987 - The park opens to the public. Located on 10 acres of land leased by the nearby Kentucky State Fair and Exposition Center, the park opens with four themed areas and several rides, including a Schwarzkopf Jet Star II steel roller coaster named Starchaser.
1987 - The park closes before the end of the season. The Texas based company who owns the park files for bankruptcy and all rides are auctioned off, including Starchaser even though it remains on site and is later re-purchased.
1988-1989 - Kentucky Kingdom remains closed.
1990 - Ed Hart puts together a team of designers and management and develops a plan to expand the park to twice its original size, add several new attractions, and refurbish existing buildings. Key ride additions include wooden coaster Thunder Run, and a Vekoma boomerang named Vampire.
1991 - A new section is added to the park, but is located across a major Fairground access road. Crossing guards are needed to allow guests to travel to and from the new section.
1992 - Hurricane Bay water park opens.
1993 - Hurricane Bay is expanded
1994 - A Vekoma roller skater junior steel coaster, aptly named Roller Skater, opens for the start of the season.
July 26, 1994 - Starchaser temporarily closes after two trains collide, injuring a 7-year-old girl. Five lawsuits are filed against the park as a result.
1995 - Vekoma's first suspending looping coaster in North America opens under the name T2. Another major addition to the park comes in the form of a 16-story tall Intamin giant drop named Hellevator. Starchaser is sold to Darien Lake in New York at the end of the season.
1997 - Chang, the tallest, longest and fastest stand-up roller coaster in the world, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, highlights the opening of the park for the season.
September 27, 1997 - The park is sold to Premier Parks, Inc. for $81 million. As part of the sales agreement, Premier agrees to invest $12 million into the park over the next two years and to spend $1 million per year on marketing.
April 1, 1998 - Premier Parks, Inc. buys out Six Flags for $1.9 billion.
June 20, 1998 - Twisted Sisters, a dueling wooden coaster designed by Custom Coasters International, makes its debut.
June 21, 1998 - The park officially changes its name to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, becoming the ninth park to bear the Six Flags name.
April 7, 1999 - The brakes on the boomerang coaster Vampire fail during the train's return to the station, causing the train to valley in the cobra roll and leaving guests hanging upside for several hours. This problem happens again on April 10, and yet again on June 4. The ride is sold to Six Flags New England after the season.
May 2000 - A Maurer Söhne wild mouse named Road Runner Express is added to the park.
2002 - Twisted Sisters is renamed Twisted Twins after members of the 80's rock band Twisted Sister threaten to sue the park.
2003 - A Schwarzkopf steel shuttle loop coaster, which was previous located at Six Flags over Georgia (and Great America before that), opens under the name Greezed Lightnin'.
2005 - A Proslide tornado named Tornado opens in Hurricane Bay.
2005 - 2009 - Attendance drops nearly 35% due to improper management and lack of investments into the park.
June 21, 2007 - Superman: Tower of Power (previously known as Hellevator) is permanently closed after a snapped cable severs the feet of a 13-year-old girl.
June 13 2009 - Six Flags files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
February 4, 2010 - Six Flags immediately ceases operations due to an inability to reach a lease agreement with the Kentucky State Fair Board.
May 27, 2010 - Ed Hart forms the Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Company and the State Fair Board announces he will assume control of operations for the 2010 season.
July 25, 2010 - Six Flags and the Kentucky State Fair Board reach a settlement on the land and rides. Six Flags receives Road Runner Express and is forgiven $2.8 million in lease related payments. The State Fair Board uses $2.35 million from Ed Hart to purchase Six Flags' 20-acre stake in the park.
Early 2011 - The State of Kentucky denies the $50 million bond sought by Ed Hart and the Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Company.
March 2011 - The city of Louisville denies a $20 million request from Ed Hart.
April 2011 - Ed Hart reveals a plan to re-open the park in two phases. The first phase would open immediately after funding is secured. The second phase would double the size of the water park and add several new attractions including a major roller coaster.
2011 - Chang is relocated to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.
August 23, 2011 - Schneider Cos., the parent company of Galt House and Crown Plaza Suites, reportedly guarantees funding of $20 million for the redevelopment project.
September 30, 2011 - The Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Company ends talks with the Kentucky State Fair Board and announces they will no longer take part in the re-opening of the park.
November 4, 2011 - Ed Hart sues the State Fair board for $1.4 million he spent in his attempts to re-open the park.
January 16, 2012 - The Koch family, owners of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, IN, announce they are exploring the possibility of taking control of the park.
February 7, 2012 - Bluegrass Boardwalk, Inc. is created by four members of the Koch family in order to negotiate a lease with the Kentucky State Fair Board.
February 23, 2012 - A lease agreement is approved and Bluegrass Boardwalk announces their intentions to re-open the park in May of 2013.
May 10, 2012 - An opening date of May 11, 2013 is announced, along with the promises of free soft drinks, free sunscreen, and free use of inner tubes - all amenities Holiday World is known for.
May 24, 2012 - The opening date is pushed back to 2014 after the dilapidated state of the park becomes clear. It is also announced that the opt-out date for the lease agreement has been moved from June 1, 2012 to August 16, 2012.
June 15, 2012 - The Koch family announces their withdrawal from the Bluegrass Boardwalk project. Governmental regulations and stipulations are cited as a reason for their decision.
August 15, 2012 - Ed Hart announces a $40 million bid to reopen the park in 2014. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear expresses his concern for the bid since it calls for a $30 million loan that could leave taxpayers on the hook if the deal falls through.
Sources:
http://savekentuckykingdom.com/Kentucky_Kingdom/Park_History.html
http://timelines.home.insightbb.com/sfkk_years.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Kingdom
http://rcdb.com/4563.htm
http://www.kentucky.com/2012/08/17/2302234/fate-of-theme-park-remains-on.html
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