Exploring The Abandoned Hard Rock Park - What Remains of Theme Park in Myrtle Beach South Carolina

Hard Rock Park Myrtle Beach SC

[@BrightSunFilms]

Great update! The mall portion was still fully standing when I was there in late Nov 2021. Insane that's it's already gone!

[@brendakrieger7000]

I'm going to watch your video after this one.

[@StubbyPhillips]

Well howdy there buuuuuudy!

[@CoasterHunt]

I really hope that all the blueprints and behind the scenes paperwork were all saved

[@scottcoleman2876]

Was more there in September 21

[@giantflamingo]

Two of my favorite channels

[@barrodexteriit.9301]

That Bright Sun Films video on this shows the crazy journey this park took from construction up to its closure. I'm glad you're visiting this place Adam!

[@brianmatthews4149]

Who lost there ass on this project.

[@tinytattoomike7943]

Crazy how trends change The trick is figuring out what the next TikTok is gonna be

[@GDS_Michelle]

Gotta check that out!

[@BlkBrd579]

They even found the blueprints for the park. Literally could make the park again if one wanted to.

[@gc4644]

@@brianmatthews4149 someone whom obviously did not invest very well in "location planning". There is a reason successful real estate developers use the cliche' "LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION". Just about anyone could have said opening a theme park of this substantial size & investment in the Myrtle Beach area will likely NOT be successful. That area will just never have the economy to support such a heavy investment..

[@usc8205]

Ever since they made the ridiculous decision to tear down The Pavilion Amusement Park in 2007, Myrtle Beach has never been the same. I knew this theme park would not last. Don’t think it ever had a “heyday”. I still get bummed out driving by the empty lot of what used to be a thriving Pavilion. Just sad.

[@donnajernigan5821]

You are absolutely right!

[@yellowdogadventures]

I agree 100%. The Pavillion was the "heart" of MB. Worst decision ever to remove it.

[@crush41gb]

Absolutely! The pavilion was one of two reasons I ever went.. the other being the beach ofcourse lol.

[@muteki99]

This is exactly why I was never excited about Hard Rock. Had it been a different time or place would have been different. If the Pavilion were still around I'd still be going to Myrtle Beach.

[@kamildouglas]

facts i miss the pavillion soo much myrtle beach will never be the same again

[@debbie991]

Thank you so much Adam for "letting me live vicariously through you" for all these years. Your video on Six Flags is still the best by far of all on KZbin, you were there at the right time. Love your work .

[@jeremyharris1547]

My inlaws live right in the area, they also had a friend who had worked at the park. The owners under bith iterations had never run a theme park and lacked the funding to even pay employees. It was truly sad because it could have been so much better if someone knew what they were doing.

[@noreenn6976]

Adam, you picked the worst winter to visit the Carolinas, thanks for continuing your journey.

[@sarakeith5480]

I always feel a little sad when I see failed theme parks!! Thanks Adam!!

[@candysmithart513]

I was actually gifted an annual pass to the Hard Rock Park which Freestyle honored for a while. It was no Disney or Universal, but it was kinda cool. The Led Zeppelin themed coaster was THE BEST! It’s the only coaster I’ve ridden that made it difficult to regain my footing afterward. Everyone looked like Jack Sparrow at the off-load. I also loved the smaller “Life in the Fast Lane” coaster. There definitely wasn’t enough landscaping or covered areas - all that concrete and asphalt in the Carolina heat was horrible! And I think the pyramid shown in your previous video looks a lot like the Hard Rock Cafe at Broadway at the Beach where Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar played on opening day. It’s a typical Hard Rock, but I enjoyed visiting on my 18th birthday (forever ago!).

[@joshglenn2115]

The Hard Rock pyramid was torn down a few years ago when Broadway at the Beach built a new section with a new Hard Rock Cafe. This pyramid is putt-putt course on HWY 17 near the airport.

[@markreardon3472]

It sure doesn't take long for nature to take over abandoned structures. Thanks for sharing! Two Thumbz 👍👍

[@kylewayne1]

I like this guy who lives in my phone and shows me different places every couple days.

[@rhondaz356]

WOW, it's sad and puzzling why it had such a brief, dismal lifespan. The weather completely mirrors the mood. Thanks a bunch, Adam... Abandoned places are so interesting. 👏🌧☁️👏

[@michaelblack1864]

Great stuff, documenting modern failures. There must be loads of places like this scattered around.

[@rhondaz356]

@@michaelblack1864 agreed 👏🌟

[@AudreyMealiff]

The timing was terrible, I guess. 2008 was not a good year for huge expensive tourist projects.

[@jderekwilliams]

I was at the groundbreaking event that they had for the Hard Rock Park in 2007. Most of that demolition has occurred over the last 2 months.

[@DawnLynnCat]

It was good to see him back in his old risking arrest to explore abandoned areas style.

[@nwharbes]

I know right I love his older video's.

[@Ivan-bf1jm]

Adam is a rock star always living on the edge 🤘🏽🤣

[@rickjarvis5954]

I used to work at harbour lights resort which is right across from medieval times. We all watched as the park was built and joked about how long it would last. Little did we know that about a year later it would shut down. Watched it built then watched it start to be disassembled.

[@stevevorgias6734]

Brilliant video knowing you record history of yester year you can always look back and see what was. Absolutely love this

[@Julie-ms9ss]

Stay safe on those slick roads , Adam. I’m enjoying your road trip videos. 💕

[@marlenestonesifer2817]

My son and his friends went to that park when it first opened. He said it was really neat. Well themed, and a lot of different rides. They all loved it. Glad he got some souvenirs.

[@roadweary5252]

Bright Sun Films is an amazing channel! The documentary was excellent. Stay safe Adam!

[@alianningson3829]

Apparently, they have two! I just watched an excellent one from the summer where they went in and looked at all the abandoned buildings. Hard to believe how much has changed in a few months. They have another one I'm going to look up next that is about the history of the park, apparently.

[@boganpainter1638]

I miss Hard Rock Park. The Moody blues dark ride was incredible and of course the Led Zeppelin roller coaster was great with a perfect music integration. There were not enough rides, but it was really more about the shows. The owners of Hard Rock Cafe (The Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida) had nothing to with Hard Rock Park, they just licensed the name. Freestyle Music Park’s owners bought the property out of bankruptcy and I believe could have made it work with as cheap as they bought it. They were not able to use the Hard Rock Name or the names of any rides or anything else in the park due to the original owners claiming that as intellectual property. Ultimately, the greed of the original owners doomed Freestyle as the claimed the layout of the park was there intellectual property as well.

[@HINOBI2047]

Greed in business is usually the culprit behind great things downfall, such a shame.

[@markthorpe5642]

I am laughing out loud, when you mentioned “first ones here” and, if it wasn’t so cold you would have done the Clark Griswold chariots of fire run, my dad and i alway quoted Clark, sadly I lost my dad 8 years ago, but Adam, you brought those memories straight back and for that I thank you 🙏

[@Trainy2]

Seems like such a cool concept for a theme park. It was just opened at exactly the wrong time during the 2008 financial meltdown.

[@Rangers242]

The Six Flags New Orleans video was the first video I ever watched from you Adam. Crazy to think that was almost a decade ago! I thank you for the many entertaining hours since then.

[@alianningson3829]

I remember that one too. It was really quite uncommon at the time.

[@discretecinema8451]

Good to see you doing what I originally made me subscribe to you all those years ago on the OG Adamthewoo channel. Also for some reason I haven't seen any of your videos recently but glad this one actually showed up in my subbox

[@SeanFlaharty]

I was only able to visit Hard Rock Park one time. The rides were a lot of fun and the staff was very friendly. You would have loved their "strange' Moody Blues-themed dark ride. It was a real trip. Thanks for uploading this video, I have been curious as to how the place looks today. Now I know.

[@helgabullabong]

When you put your camera over the fence to film, I had flashbacks to your drone battery retrieval video!!

[@AleAround]

Keep these vlogs coming ATW loving these. Hope your family time goes ok too...

[@DJMetzler337]

I love when you do the abandoned stuff! Thanks, Adam!

[@michaelgraham827]

Nice and early this morning. Heck it! Let's watch 🤣 be safe, brother.

[@scottsatinoff1142]

Awesome video man!!!! Great to see what Hard Rock Park looks like now lol

[@sunset_pink9170]

I used to work in the church building next door to the park. I remember seeing everything getting built. The preview center was a Big and Tall store originally and they transformed it into a really exciting walk threw. Once you entered there were different rooms that were themed to different eras of music. I remember they had an original Atri that you could play pong on in this 70s themed room… then you walked into a spinning tunnel that made you feel like you were tripping out. There was a British themed room. I remember saying the preview center was more fun then the park lol The eagles and George Clinton were the first artist to play in the outdoor theater. That brick wall and tree were actually all that is left of a movie theater from the 80s that was there not in the park. I would love to meet you adam while you are in town!!!!

[@michaelross2500]

Thank you for all the great videos

[@leighanna22]

I love your channel so much it makes me very entertained I really appreciate all the videos a lot

[@eugenemcnair2924]

Adam, lived in Myrtle Beach from 2002 to 2010, did security at the park during construction. The first building you showed was the Welcome center/ offices. The property started out as the Wachama mall it was actually two buildings,Hard Rock took one of them for the dark ride. remember the building for a time housed the engineering office when the park was under construction.

[@candysmithart513]

Waccamaw Mall 😉

[@yellowdogadventures]

now it will become another housing development

[@jtkirkfan2002]

The biggest shame was that the owners of "The Pavilion", a local amusement park that had been around for decades and decades agreed to close it in exchange for interest in this park. I was there in 2006 for its final season. It was a classic local amusement park with a dance hall. Some of the flat rides were moved to Broadway at the Beach but its best rides like the coasters, log flume, one of the wettest "rapids rides" around and a "Haunted Hotel" dark ride were demolished. If you're still in town, maybe give us a look at where it used to sit.

[@alianningson3829]

That is so sad! Gave up a lot for nothing.

[@molliesmith3178]

I was also there at the final day of the pavilion.

[@molliesmith3178]

I was lucky enough to get a chance to go to hard Rock Park. The dark ride was themed to the song Knights in White satin. The roller coasters themed to led zeppelin was awesome. Also the roller coasters themed on life in the fast lane was good . There was a unique roller coasters that used a ferris wheel type mechanism to take the trains to the top of the ride to Starr it and a karaoke queue line

[@richardlong172]

The Pavilion was the heart of Myrtle Beach I can't believe they would rip it down

[@boganpainter1638]

The city didn’t tear down the Pavilion. It was the owners Burroughs & Chapin who planned to build a mega resort in its place. That fell through with the Real Estate collapse of 2008.

[@_dmfd]

Woohoo! Classic Woo with an abandoned episode. Great way to start my Saturday

[@gordonwchas]

We drove up from Summerville, SC in August 2008 to celebrate my other half's bday. We loved the Led Zepplin coaster and Life in the Fast Lane but our favorite was the Nights in White Satin dark ride. It was in 3d with glasses you wore, with physical elements like a giant smoke ring that gets blown in your face. Sad that it is all gone. Thanks for covering this.

[@tomry831]

These videos have been very enjoyable. Thanks for the road trip Adam. We are here for anything you are willing to share with us. I think you nailed it on the head when you said you have to use your imagination. These videos allow us to use our imagination. You allow us to live vicariously through you. We love the deep cuts keep them coming.

[@pinkpegasus6144]

Great video. I love seeing these abandoned old places.

[@DaRossman]

"Sorry folks the park's closed!" LOL! Love the vacation lines! Great vlog! So sad to see what would have been an awesome theme park close so quickly! Keep safe!

[@esliet]

Perfect weather to explore an abandoned park. Good job

[@adventuresintvland]

I never heard about this park. Unfortunately it opened in 2008 during Big Recession. Looks like it would have been cool

[@flyordye83]

I worked here for first aid for both hard rock park and freestyle music park.

[@CM-zx4ge]

Great to see this ! I worked as a stilt walker performer there. I remember opening day very well! It was such a cool park ! Nothing else was like it.

[@lovebuzz1979]

Enjoyed watching👍👍

[@michaelmedlen784]

be safe-enjoy time with mom.

[@Rose258V]

Great selection for a video! 👌 Thx

[@Michaela243]

Thank you for the video! As part of our daughter's high school graduation we took her and three of her friends to the Hard Rock Amusement Park the middle of June 2008. It had not been open too long before we went. I'm not sure about the roads now but then it seemed hard to get to. We enjoyed the park a lot. The things I remember the most was the coaster was outstanding, it didn't feel like there were a lot of rides but felt they could add and grow and the park was way over staffed the day were were there. We went back when it was Free Style but the vibe was not as good and attendance was even less than our first visit.

[@1954shadow]

Way back in the 70s, my parents had a motor home, we use to go to Myrtle Beach and stay in the Pirate Land and Lakewood, campgrounds, just up from Garden City.

[@candysmithart513]

I have a lot of great childhood memories from Pirate Land (in a tent!) and Lakewood in the 80s! The family “upgraded” to Myrtle Beach Travel Park near ‘90.

[@ThanaPups]

Hard Rock Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants yet I never knew about this

[@deadTheDrizzle]

Adam said he was going somewhere that doesn't exist anymore, and my head exploded.

[@theshylibrarian4020]

I live right outside Myrtle Beach and had no idea there used to be a hard rock theme park. Only lived here a couple years though. Thanks for sharing!

[@janmcguire5268]

Thanks for sharing this. What a pity the park was so unsuccessful. From the pictures I’ve seen, it was a lovely park.

[@brianvaci8241]

Excellent video. I worked for 15 years at Waccamaw. The park was literally right in our backyard. We saw it come and sadly go.

[@MrRolandTravel]

You inspire me a lot keep it up Watching from Uganda 🇺🇬 let stay connected ♥️

[@gregorylenton8200]

enjoyed todays show...thanks

[@resortbudgeting5460]

I was able to go once when it was hard rock. We stopped at a welcome center off of highway 501 for discount tickets. It seem like as a customer they price pointed us out for the “regular” customer. We left the property to go for lunch. The “dark ride” reminded me of a really cool carnival ride! Music was great though!

[@marilynwright7212]

Loving your vlogs. come to cape cod and I will show you around. The kennedys live down the street. Loved backroads and commentary of the way things used to be.

[@floridafunandmore]

My band used to play in Myrtle Beach and one of the club owners put us up in a hotel across the street from the speedway. We could hear the cars going around the track on the weekends, the track still lives on, on Iracing.

[@williamyeager7496]

So sad reminds me of all the great attractions and places I used to have in my neighborhood and beyond. Progress doesn't always mean better.

[@FerchovRey]

Yeah road side attractions, landscapes and abandoned places. Old School Adam is back and love it😎🤙!!!!

[@davie941]

this was very interesting , well done and thank you again adam 😊

[@judykobussen2849]

I went once just after it opened up and the dark ride that you are talking about was the Moody Blues...very trippy and great music! We had a good time and there was lots to see and do; too bad it didn't make it...

[@brendakrieger7000]

Stay safe in your travels💜 I never knew that this even existed! Thank you for sharing😎 Never been to a Medieval Times either😋

[@bubbadoodah]

This blog video gives you a great look into the future of Disney's theme parks.

[@Mikie606]

I got to visit this spot about 4 years ago, its so awesome, hope I can make it back before its gone forever

[@KirkandRA]

I have never heard of this..thanks for showing us 😎

[@MrMuzikProductions]

Oh man Adam. I would have come back and taken down that huge, wall size map of Hard Rock 'N Roll theme park to take with me. That's a huge collectors item. Just fantastic!

[@robbietaylor2668]

Glad you made it to the beach!

[@mandymorrow5473]

That place has always fascinated me! I wish they'd build a new one in Florida or even Memphis!

[@damako7072]

The best amusement park in Myrtle Beach was by far The Pavilion Amusement Park right on Ocean Boulevard. Which was torn down in 2006 and then they built this in a different location. Totally should of kept the Pavilion.

[@kamildouglas]

facts that was my childhood im still heart broken that they torned it down

[@damako7072]

@@kamildouglas It was the best! I still have memories sitting in front of that huge band organ eating a frozen covered chocolate banana while we took a break from the rides. Which was like 40 years ago.

[@richardlong172]

Hopefully any city officials involved in the decision to get rid of the Pavilion have been fired

[@blazer1005]

Thanks for the footage Woo. Very interesting.👌

[@Starscreamlive]

The Moody Blues' Nights in White Satin dark ride was my favorite. Cool, chill, trippy, and relaxing. I miss this place.

[@brianayres5139]

Awesome to see you filming in Myrtle Beach! I’m a local here now and it would have been cool to actually meet you. Love your videos and commentary.

[@heru-deshet359]

What a freaking shame! I was there over 20 years ago, going to hard rock cafe, the restaurants around the lagoon, the attractions, et al. Said I would go back with the family, but didn't. It's like the end of an era.

[@acmemeatsmoke4865]

I remember the Wacamaw pottery and malls more fondly in that area. When you showed the sign for freestyle park crew entrance, the building behind that was a Bugle Boy jeans outlet my brother was obsessed with. I liked the Bbq joint about 200 feet from it better. Now...all gone! 😥.

[@yungnsurly]

I loved going to Wacamaw Pottery when I was kid on vacations and all the waterslide parks!!

[@acmemeatsmoke4865]

@@yungnsurly Wacamaw was the best! Taking the tram between malls 1and 2 to 3 and 4. I will always remember the smell of that cart where the guy made those glazed nuts in the one mall. Or the guys engraving glass and crystal in the back of the pottery. Remember the arcade in there, back between to cross over to the two malls? Or the toy store that was there.

[@yungnsurly]

@@acmemeatsmoke4865 I got my dad a glass paper weight from there with his initials on it. He has since passed, but I got it back and have it on my desk now. :)

[@christophernoah3749]

Man your closer than you ever have been to me lol. Hour and some change away. Glad to see you making content still. Been a sub since your beginning on different accounts. Stay positive brother.

[@goingslightlymad7172]

You need another drone! That view would have been awesome! Enjoying your travels! :)

[@mushieslushie]

When this park first opened I thought it looked pretty cheaply done but I think it was good for what it was. Pretty crazy that with everything a project has to go through these days that something of this magnitude could fail so hard.

[@watchmevisit]

Interesting to see what it looks like now. Visited Hard Rock once during its short life. Was an interesting park with lots of potential. Felt like it was heavily inspired by Islands of Adventure. Writing was sort of on the wall though when we saw how dead the park was in the middle of summer. Had the place to ourselves.

[@cindythecatwoman1601]

It will be interesting to what they put in there and, was great to see. I guess nothing lasts forever. I remember going to the Hardrock Cafe in Boston. They had great burgers 🍔.

[@EBS-Studios]

“Adam The Woo” Excellent Video! Thank You 👍

[@nathanlarson429]

Myrtle Beach speedway was awesome use to go there often when I worked at bell and bell lots of good memories there

[@jasonschannel1315]

Awesome video Adam! I was just watching a few days ago from other Myrtle Beach local KZbinrs as well about the Hard Rock Theme Park. But Myrtle Beach is one of my favorite beaches to go too. It get's a bad name because of the crime but that is everywhere. But I will say Myrtle Beach is the one place where you can get some of the best seafood around especially since there are so many seafood buffet's around. Anyhow have a great time time while your there.

[@conniecrawford5231]

I just watched Justin Scarred’s blog- did you know Ally just had serious intestinal surgery days ago and is hospitalized and has a rough recovery ahead? Sending prayers their way! He mentions you giving him your tiki panels before you moved! I know you guys are buddies!

[@TheDailyWoo]

Yes Ive been talking with him . Wishing them both the best

[@alianningson3829]

I am scared for Ally. She really doesn't seem well.

[@JinxEverywhere]

Loved this video, such a fascinating place

[@Jonf119]

Great video nice to see you going back to your abandoned video roots. Still enjoy all your content though.

[@johnb9842]

I was lucky enough, thanks too my sweet mother; to visit this park while it was Hard Rock park. As a youngster. Only half the rides were operational. And there were only a handfull of folks in the park. It was a beautiful park.

[@erinwatlington5762]

That building was a store when that area was a outlet mall. Then it became the preview area while the park was being built. It was cool to walk through and lots of picture opportunities.

[@ThemeParkObsessionDD]

I can’t believe that concept art was still in that building. That was really cool!

[@genestray1]

This is when your drone would have been good to have.

[@jaynova1219]

Drone shots are not trespassing either nice work around you can’t own the sky… sometimes restrict it though

[@magiccheeseball]

@@jaynova1219 yeah like Disney world has no fly zone over it so they kind of own the sky above it

[@RollerCoasterExpedition]

I visited this park during the week of July 4th 2008, it was great! Loved Led Zeppelin the ride, this was a beautiful park. I had the opportunity to tour the construction of the park in 2007 while it was under construction.

[@willbygosh4887]

I think they invested over 400 million to build the Hard Rock Theme Park and when it tanked a year later,it sold for 25 million and became Freestyle Park which stayed open for maybe a year,it all happened during the great recession.The oceanfront hotel rates should super chip there this time of year in Myrtle Beach ,Market Common in the Airport area is like an old style shopping district that not many outside know about.The historical downtown area in Myrtle Beach is kind of interesting near Maryland Fried Chicken which is really awesome.

[@lawrenceflail3164]

The original ownership group had projected to build the park for an amount less than the $400 million number that gets thrown around but because of the excitement surrounding it during the planning phase they secured additional financing up to that amount. They didn't actually spend all of it on construction, as it has been stated that some of the money was allocated to debt service, so there was a considerable amount that was left over. I think that once it opened and the reception was less than what was projected they declared bankruptcy, quickly sold it and pockted the overage. It's a shame since it could've survived.

[@willbygosh4887]

@@lawrenceflail3164 probably bad timing,opened when the economy tanked during great recession.It became Freestlyle Amusement Park ,I think it was acquired from Hard Rock for likev25 million,sadly it still tanked.

[@christodd1000]

Great video! Hard Rock Theme Park was was actually themed And very detailed throughout its lands. Night time show was based on Queens Bohemian Rhapsody. Over all it was a great park that was opened during height of the recession . Glad you shared the video Adam!!

[@alianningson3829]

It was interesting to know that Disney owns the right to Bohemian Rhapsody and this park paid $100,000 to be allowed to use it in its show. The Bright Sun Films people found the contract in the mall building back in the summer.

[@capriceg7042]

(#116) Hey Adam!! Love your road trip vlog... Keep up the great job as it makes my day!! 💖

[@oldmanfiles8903]

I was a local at the time and I hated it. It took away our beloved ocean front amusement park the pavilion . Now that was a park many memories. Many years ago .

[@candarianpumpkin]

A music themed park sounds awesome! I'm sorry I missed it.

[@loualiberti4781]

Awesome Vid !

[@matteng1448]

Adam, cant wait to see you here in virginia again when you do sometime this year. Last time you were here near me you looked busy and you were kinda under the weather so I didnt bother you and large marge. Take care man! Enjoying learning about things at 32 I never knew I wanted to learn about haha

[@sharonproctor4079]

This Rock park should have been near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. I went there early 2000's. Spent a whole evening there. Just before leaving we discoved there we're two more floors! We only saw the first floor. Great history there of Rock and roll. Need a couple of trips to see it all. Cool two story tall guitars outside.

[@JDubKillinKicks]

Quite the swift turnaround from full fledged open theme park to abandoned to leveled as compared to other abandoned parks.