Joyland comes to a sad end

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Joyland comes to a sad end

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Күн бұрын

The Joyland Amusement Park has been shuttered for over 10 years, but neglect, vandalism and weather have taken a final toll on the iconic Wichita landmark. Recently, a large section of the wooden roller coaster was toppled during a storm and most of the other remaining structures have been torn down. Read more here: www.kansas.com/...
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Пікірлер: 48

@pastoraj 9 жыл бұрын

Spent some wonderful days at Joyland. When I was growing it up it was the place to go in Wichita. I kissed my first girl there in the "Spook House". Good memories.

@johnlysle 9 жыл бұрын

That's sad, I lived in Wichita for a while. Going to Joyland was my best memory oof the city.

@grego7345 9 жыл бұрын

I don't think tourism has much to do with it, the fact that Joyland sits in a bad area has played a huge role in the park's demise.

@eliasmertens9313 9 жыл бұрын

Greg Skipton I do think vandalism played a big part is some of the damage to the park because remember all the fires that use to start in some of the old structures? I believe those were either started intentionally be some teenagers, or accidentally by squatters and teens using those places as secret places to smoke or something.

@judithhstevens126 3 жыл бұрын

Now it does not when I was growing up. In the 1970s I was the only child in the neighborhood I grew up in most were teens or in their 40s very few young kids. When I became adult . The owners of the houses started creating rental houses.

@judithhstevens126 3 жыл бұрын

@@eliasmertens9313 that was after it closed. I live next to it and so does my parent.

@shop99er 9 жыл бұрын

In it's time, Joyland was a great place. Back in the 60's, we were there no less than twice a month during the open season. Back then, the area wasn't "bad." There were nice neighborhoods there, and the various vandals, thieves, and general low-lifes hadn't really taken root in Wichita, yet. But now, and for the last 20 years or so, the way people want to be entertained has changed. Small "Mom & Pop" parks like this aren't going to attract the public's dollars like they used to. While it's a shame in a lot of ways, it's really just another way to see how public wants change over time. The City wasn't going to do anything about saving the park. It's not their park, and so, not their problem.Wichita does not owe it to anyone to keep this or any other entertainment venue open. Even more so when it's a place that had all but dies 10 years ago. Maintenance costs on the machinery that is needed to keep something like Joyland operating are huge. The material is expensive, and so is the labor. No investor is going to take on a park of this size, knowing that they'll have to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get it open. That's just not smart business. And then there's the tourism issue. Wichita has never been a place for tourists to go. Let's face it, if you're gonna go to Kansas, Wichita is going to serve as an entry point, and not much else. Now that the park's pretty much gone, there's a surge of "It should have been saved" comments all over the social media. Where were all these people during the big push to raise money to save it? Probably saying the same thing Joyland's owners and the City said... "We don't have the money." So, if you're gonna whine that it should have been saved, why didn't you help save it?

@jusduhfaxmam 7 жыл бұрын

Spent all of my grade school and junior high fun nights at this place back in the late 60's and early 70's, have some really great memories, so sad that its not around anymore.

@busstop1100 9 жыл бұрын

The commenter on the video is a bit wrong. The roller coaster, while small, was one of few in the US that had the propulsion hill it did. Roller coaster seekers from all over came here just to ride it. There being little and now NO incentive to come to WIchita...

@robertpolnicky7702 4 жыл бұрын

Probably a lot of variables that wrecked joyland business is complex. I know that in the fifties we hAd kiddieland and joyland and the average working class salary was 95000 year in todays dollars wife stayed home. My dad had 3 farms an airplane and a house wonder if thatwas still the case for boeing engineers byfore it closed. I feel standard of living has been destroyed by the campaign finance govt corruption whixh trump isnt fixing. I remember that clown like i saw it last week. It was 1971. I only wish its hand would have moved perpendicular to the organ and it would have looked. More authentic. Its amazing how many people remember that.

@FunkyStudios 7 жыл бұрын

My One Ear Enjoyed This

@mz.6109 5 жыл бұрын

I will miss Joyland! As a child it was the best place for us folks who grew up down there in and around Wichita. Sad to see it go as Wichita has changed so much.

@merrrickmauff5777 8 жыл бұрын

😭😭😭😭😭😭 I want Joyland to come back

@trenthundredlademann2311 6 жыл бұрын

merrrick mauff same here

@judithhstevens126 3 жыл бұрын

I don’t because ripple can’t learn to control the sound of the music

@Vinylsarus 9 жыл бұрын

Anyone still remember the discount tokens they gave away in Lay's potato chips? :) Sad to see it go, but all things come to an end.

@terryrose4804 Жыл бұрын

"Leonard Kratzlo" on the local commercials was Professor Erickson (?) from Wichita State University.

@JulieCCinCO 9 жыл бұрын

I remember going to Joyland, mostly on school trips, in the 80s. I hated most of the rides because they scared me as an adolescent - especially the Whacky Shack. I'll always fondly remember the "Last Warning" sign and having the Ferris wheel stop when I was at the apex...and the seat rocking - hated that. In the 80s it was already in pretty poor shape, which also freaked me out. I don't thing the pool ever had anything but stagnant water in it. The piano clown completely freaked me out. I probably only enjoyed riding the carousel. I remember riding the train one time and a board fell off the roller coaster onto the roof. I swore right then I would never ride the coaster again. I'm even freaked out to ride wooden coasters elsewhere to this day!

@eliasmertens9313 9 жыл бұрын

JulieCCinCO Ahh, sounds like some good memories! I wish I had gone to Joyland..... But of course it closed for good when I was just about five or so and my family next to never travels and we live in middle of nowhere southwest, Missouri.

@eliasmertens9313 9 жыл бұрын

What about of the Scrambler, Ferris Wheel, Dodgems, or Round-Up? Those looked like some fun rides.

@lindafogg6290 4 жыл бұрын

Elias Mertens I loved the Scrambler and the Round-up!

@robertpolnicky7702 4 жыл бұрын

In the 50s wichitas poulation was 240000 eastborough was way out in the country yet we had joyland and kiddieland. We had boeing cessna beech lear coleman and average working class salary was 95000 year in todays dollars. Wife stayed home.i feel like joylands demise is a red flag in our face thar we need campaign finance reform because that system destroyed our standard of living and sent jobs overseas. I remember the clown like i saw it last week it was 1971. I only wished the clowns hand would have moved perpendicular to the organ and it would have looked More authenric. It s funny how many people remember that.

@robertpolnicky7702 4 жыл бұрын

I remember riding the zipper that flipped us over 3 times in a row and was surprised how many people had ridden huge scary roller coasters in ohio yet they were afraid of the zipper. My buddy called the zipper a vo.mit machine. I dont think the city of wichita is responsible to reopen joyland but like eagles joe walsh said who grew up in wichita we need to get our dogmatic head s out of the sand and demand that our govt get rid of rhe campaign finance system that drives wages down . if people. Dont have money to go to joyland we dont have our 1 man 1 vote like we did in the 50s like is guaranteed in the dec of ind. People need to reAd it.

@mirandacox6075 9 жыл бұрын

No tourism? There are twice as many people that live in Wichita now then in the past 5-10 years! When the park was open, my family and I spent every summer at least a few times a month at Joyland! It was always packed! It seems to me that whomever the deciding factor was in closing Joyland just didn't have the heart to keep it up and running! There were plenty of locals who frequented Joyland every year!

@jcamp788 9 жыл бұрын

Miranda Cox The last 10 years has seen a massive entertainment culture shift. Will people shell out a lot of money to go to a theme park just to stare at their phones? Or continue to do it at home? Not to mention the cost of doing business (like purchasing new rides/attractions, and maintaining them) has gone up immensely in the last 10-15 years. And above all of that, the park is located in a ghetto. But even if it was in a better area, I think he's correct- the park was a victim of time.

@grego7345 9 жыл бұрын

There's no tourism in Amarillo Texas either, yet their amusement park does just fine.

@mirandacox6075 9 жыл бұрын

I just happen to disagree. I think it would still be fine. It wouldn't have cost as much money as people think if the owner kept up with the maintenance, and if they didn't have the resources, they should have sought out investors. There are plenty of people in Wichita who would of supported the park. Look at the Starlight Driven!! Driveins are a thing of the past, yet this one is still up and running, and in a "ghetto" area of Wichita!

@jcamp788 9 жыл бұрын

Miranda Cox How are they supposed to keep up with maintenance when the park isn't making any money? Who's going to invest in a failing park besides the owners? That's a toxic asset to start with. Investors buy in when they believe they can get a return on investment. What return would a failing amusement park that's already behind on maintenance and seen a consistent drop in attendance give an investor? That would be like investing in pagers back in 2004. A drive-in has a small sliver of the overhead cost that an amusement park does. For one, they employ a small fraction of people compared to a place like Joyland, and their mechanical maintenance costs are also a very very small portion. Then subtract liability insurance costs and... well, you get the picture. It really is sad and unfortunate the park met its demise, I went there twice when I was a kid back in the late 80's/early 90's. But the memories remain, I just wish they would have auctioned off pieces of what was left. Owning a piece of that park would have been cool for nostalgia's sake.

@judithhstevens126 3 жыл бұрын

@@jcamp788 it’s not a ghetto. Be careful what you say plainview is on east side of the park I live in the southwest side , that side is not , the owners on my side have turned the houses into rentals. We have nice people in our neighborhood where I live. The houses on my side are expensive