Boardwalk Fun Park
Encyclopedia
Boardwalk Fun Park was a 28 acres (113,312.1 m²) amusement park
located in northeast Grand Prairie, Texas
near the intersection of Belt Line Road and Interstate 30. It was originally a water park
.
as "White Water" in the Grand Prairie Entertainment district along with Lion Country Safari
and the Palace of Wax.
The site was purchased and closed by Wet 'n Wild Inc. at the end of 1985 to reduce competition their park 5 miles (8 km) in nearby Arlington, Texas
. The closure was condemned by the city council who were granted a restraining order preventing dismantling of the park.
The council dropped their attempt to gain control of the park after a task force determined that it would be too expensive.
The park was redeveloped in 1991 and 1992 as Boardwalk Fun Park. The new owners used much of the old infrastructure and rides in the new park. The park suffered delays in construction and ride certifications, and it opened in July 1992. In September 1992, an accident on the park's roller coaster, the Pipeline Express
, threw a 12 year old girl some 35 feet (10.7 m) into an unused pool beneath the ride causing her to slip into a coma and suffer brain trauma. The coaster was closed following the accident. The victims parents sued the park for negligence and deceptive trade practices.
The park aimed at reopening for the 1993 season, which did not eventuate. After sitting closed for several years, in 1996 the park's land was purchased by Automotive Investment Group and the infrastructure and rides were removed in April 1997. The Grand Prairie Ford car dealership was constructed on the site in 1999.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
located in northeast Grand Prairie, Texas
Grand Prairie, Texas
Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Ellis, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is a part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Grand Prairie is a suburb of both Dallas and Fort Worth and had a population of 175,396 at the 2010 census.- History :The city of...
near the intersection of Belt Line Road and Interstate 30. It was originally a water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
.
History
The park was originally built and developed in 1982 by Herschend Family Entertainment CorporationHerschend Family Entertainment Corporation
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation is a privately owned themed-entertainment company that operates several theme parks and tourist attractions within the United States....
as "White Water" in the Grand Prairie Entertainment district along with Lion Country Safari
Lion Country Safari
Lion Country Safari is a drive-through safari park located in Loxahatchee , in Palm Beach County, Florida. Founded in 1967, it claims to be the first 'cageless zoo' in the United States....
and the Palace of Wax.
The site was purchased and closed by Wet 'n Wild Inc. at the end of 1985 to reduce competition their park 5 miles (8 km) in nearby Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
. The closure was condemned by the city council who were granted a restraining order preventing dismantling of the park.
The council dropped their attempt to gain control of the park after a task force determined that it would be too expensive.
The park was redeveloped in 1991 and 1992 as Boardwalk Fun Park. The new owners used much of the old infrastructure and rides in the new park. The park suffered delays in construction and ride certifications, and it opened in July 1992. In September 1992, an accident on the park's roller coaster, the Pipeline Express
Pipeline Express
Pipeline Express was a steel roller coaster that was located at Boardwalk Fun Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.When built in 1992, it was the newest Auto Sled from Bailey Manufacturing of Cameron, Ontario...
, threw a 12 year old girl some 35 feet (10.7 m) into an unused pool beneath the ride causing her to slip into a coma and suffer brain trauma. The coaster was closed following the accident. The victims parents sued the park for negligence and deceptive trade practices.
The park aimed at reopening for the 1993 season, which did not eventuate. After sitting closed for several years, in 1996 the park's land was purchased by Automotive Investment Group and the infrastructure and rides were removed in April 1997. The Grand Prairie Ford car dealership was constructed on the site in 1999.