Celebration City

Last updated
Celebration City
Previously known as Branson USA
Celebration City Gate.jpg
Location Branson, Missouri, U.S.
Coordinates 36°38′52″N93°17′45″W / 36.64765°N 93.2959°W / 36.64765; -93.2959
StatusDefunct
OpenedMay 1999
(24 years ago)
 (1999-05) (Branson USA)
May 1, 2003
(20 years ago)
 (2003-05-01) (Celebration City)
Closed2001
(23 years ago)
 (2001) (SBNO until 2003)
October 25, 2008
(15 years ago)
 (2008-10-25)
Owner Herschend Family Entertainment
Operating seasonMay until October
Attractions
Total30+
Roller coasters3
Water rides2

Celebration City was a theme park located in Branson, Missouri, United States. It was themed after America in the 20th century, with areas based on Route 66, Small-town America in the 1900s, and a beachside boardwalk in the 1920s. As a "sister park" to Herschend Family Entertainment's Silver Dollar City theme park located nearby, It was meant to continue the day where Silver Dollar City's 19th century theming left off. It opened in the afternoon into the evening, with the operating day capped off by a laser and fireworks display.

Contents

The park featured many rides, shows, and attractions. Its operating season ran from May until mid-September.

History

An amusement park named Branson USA was opened on the site in 1999. It struggled in its early years and closed in 2001. Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation purchased it in 2002 with plans to redevelop and reopen it. It was reopened as Celebration City in 2003, after a redesign and expansion the Branson Courier reported had a cost of over $40 million. It was equipped with a laser, water, and fireworks show, a wooden roller coaster, and a brand new log flume ride in 2008.

On October 24, 2008, Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation announced that the park would not reopen for 2009, due to unmet financial expectations. It closed on October 25, 2008. Herschend continues to operate the nearby Silver Dollar City and White Water Branson parks; in announcing the closure, the company stated "...the company is already exploring various new development concepts for the site including an aquarium, other family attractions, retheming the current park and also, destination retail and dining."[ citation needed ]

Rides

Since the park closed, some rides have been moved to other locations, and some remain in place. They included:

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References

  1. "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  2. http://amusementtoday.com/backissues/May-2015-LoRes.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. 1 2 "Wild Adventures making big plans for 2010". Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved 2009-10-08.