The World of Sid and Marty Krofft facts for kids
The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was a special indoor amusement park in Atlanta, Georgia. It was based on the fun TV shows made by two brothers, Sid and Marty Krofft. Imagine a park where all your favorite cartoon characters come to life!
History of the Park
The park was built inside a big building called the Omni International complex. It was designed to hold 6,000 visitors at one time. The park opened with a lot of excitement on May 26, 1976. It was even shown on the TV show Krofft Supershow!
Even though it was very exciting, the park didn't have many visitors. It only stayed open for six months, closing on November 10, 1976. The Krofft brothers thought one reason was that the area around the park in downtown Atlanta wasn't seen as a very safe place for families to visit back then.
Also, some people felt the park was too expensive. It cost more than other bigger parks like Six Flags Over Georgia. A professor named Dr. Dana White said, "People thought it would be a full-day family trip, but it only took a couple of hours. It wasn't worth the money or the drive."
After the park closed, its large space was mostly empty for a while.
Cool Park Features
The park was full of colorful and creative attractions, just like the Krofft brothers' TV shows!
- Amazing Rides: It had a huge carousel with crystal creatures. There was also a giant pinball machine-themed ride. On this ride, you sat in big ball-shaped pods and bounced around like a pinball!
- Your Ticket: Visitors got a special "ticket booklet" with four tickets. Each ticket was for a different area of the park.
- Longest Escalator: Most people started their visit at the very top floor. They rode the world's longest freestanding escalator up! This escalator was so long it was even in the Guinness Book of World Records.
- Park Levels: The park had four main areas:
* Tranquility Terrace was on the top three levels. * Uptown was on the next level down. * Lidsville was below that. * Living Island Adventure was on the bottom level.
- Circus Fun: On one level, there were three circus "trailers." Each trailer had a different performer. One popular show featured Betty Broadbent, a purple belly-dancing rhino!
- Live Shows: Another floor had a live stage with different shows. You could see a slackrope walker or cool street dancers called 33 RPM. Famous performers like Patty Maloney also put on shows. The park even featured "little people" performers, including Debbie Dixon and the twin brothers John and Greg Rice.
- Shops and More: This level also had a gift shop, places to eat, and a glass blower who made cool glass art.
- Forest Adventure: The lowest level had a Krofft forest theme. It had a theater with a live show featuring Krofft characters. There was also a crafts stall where you could see a leather crafts person.
- Skating Rink: The ground level of the Omni building also had a skating rink for more fun!
What Happened Next
After the park closed, the Omni building changed a lot. In the mid-1980s, Ted Turner needed a new home for his TV channel, CNN. He found that the old Krofft park area was perfect for TV studios and newsrooms!
CNN moved into the building in 1987. Ted Turner then bought the whole complex and renamed it the CNN Center. Some parts of the old Krofft park are still there today! The huge escalator, for example, is now part of the CNN Tour. The building also has an Omni Hotel, meeting spaces, restaurants, and gift shops. It's right next to the State Farm Arena.
