Sid & Marty Krofft's Short-Lived Atlanta Amusement Park | Newstalgia

Wesley delves into the history of Sid and Marty Krofft's Atlanta amusement park, which was open for less than six months in 1976.
Hear more about this topic on our podcast: • Newstalgia Podcast #7:...
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Instagram: / viewistproductions

[@thomastedder654]

The Kroft brothers will never know just how much joy they brought to us children who enjoyed all their TV shows. They were incredibly creative.

[@privateprivate4691]

Grew up in Atlanta, and I was 9 when it opened and closed. It was incredible, but honestly all I really remember is the pinball ride. There was nothing sadder over the following years than going to the Omni and seeing the shut down park just sitting up there still and dark, so close yet so far away. That used to make me so sad.

[@sthom146]

So true. I was only 4 when the park opend and closed , but we went to the Omni movie theatre a lot in the following years and I definitely remember looking up all all that color wishing I could go see what was up there. One time my aunt took me to what was probably the lowest level or exit and I could see things through the closed gate. Even in the dark, I still wanted to go inside so bad.

[@allenwilliams7210]

@@sthom146 same here! I was so excited but also had a nightmare about it. I guess at age 3 or 4 it’s fascinating but still a little scary Sigmund the Sea Monster, HR Puff and Stuff and some of those characters

[@carlexus3133]

I was 6 and look like I was not the only 1 scared of that place but wanted to go soo bad.

[@desiguy55]

wish it was located in Florida, a much friendlier tourist area.

[@auggiedoggie21]

I was 9 and my grandfather took us downtown one Saturday afternoon to go to this park. I remember the pinball ride as well and not much else! A few years before we would go to Rich's department store (also downtown at that time) and ride Priscilla the Pink Pig they had installed on the roof. Great memories of a time that seems so long ago now.

[@raypierce5818]

Thanks for this video! I performed in the Lidsville Theater and on the Storybook Stage as well. I can only tell you how amazing it was to be a part of!!

[@allenwilliams7210]

Wow! Amazing

[@HeadNtheClouds]

Cool 😮

[@19isthenumber]

My Mother was so disappointed that we didn't get a chance to go before they closed. We lived no more than 5 minutes from the Omni and the day we were going we found out it was closed. Now today I missed Marty Kroft with THE HR PuffnStuff at Dragon Con in Atlanta. His brother and him have an imagination from God himself. They entertained me so much as a child and as soon as I see HR Puffnstuff I sing the theme song! I love the Kroft Brothers. Thank you so much for giving us genuinely innocent joy!

[@SidMartyKrofftPictures]

So good to see the place again Wesley! 💛💙💜💚🧡❤

[@ranoverray1]

Wow!!! I was 5 when I went and remember the pinball ride so vividly !

[@starrhelms8235]

RIP Marty Krofft. Although I lived in Chattanooga, TN at the time I often visited my grandmother in Atlanta and was fortunate enough to experience the World of Sid & Marty Krofft. And yes - the pinball ride was amazing!

[@lisasniadach8612]

I loved this place. Will never forget going there.

[@CoondawgPD]

I worked security there in ‘86. I would go up there and walk around just for the nostalgia. I miss the ice rink as well.

[@DaveCobbIdeaguy]

This video literally contains footage of my personal “theme park white whale”, that I have been dreaming of seeing since I was six. Thank you!!!!

[@viewistproductions]

Wow! That's awesome!! Glad we could help!

[@nathanielcruz8872]

@@viewistproductions where did you find these videos for the park

[@justaskinbag]

Excellent documentary Wesley! I was one of the lucky 300,000 who got to attend The World of Sid & Marty Krofft back in 1976 (as well as a couple of the Six Flags amusement parks). Thanks for reminding me of that annoying greeter mime -- NOT! LOL

[@dabneyoffermein595]

what was the park like. can you take us through it as to what you remember!!!! ???? So cool that you were able to do the park , WOW

[@popetzm1]

Don't forget about kingdom's 3 amusement park that was in Riverdale

[@artgamechanger3841]

@@popetzm1 Never heard of it. I'm going to have to look it up now! Thanks!

[@Lakeplanner]

I grew up in Atlanta in the 70s and 80s and I still have fond memories of from when my mom took my brother and I in 1976. I mostly remember the pinball machine ride and crystal carousel, as well as the giant escalator which I believe is still there. We only got to go once, as it closed a few months later. For many years, I wondered if it really even existed as it seemed to have disappeared from cultural memory until the arrival of the internet. Your video did a great job pulling together what little historic documentation remains to show what the park was really like.

[@viewistproductions]

Thank you! Hopefully even more footage and photos will resurface one day

[@19isthenumber]

This was also a very magical and historic video. Thank you for this because I loved the Okefenokee Swamp at Six Flags!!!!

[@landerstyle100]

wish they still had that tv special somewhere love to see that

[@viewistproductions]

I think I read somewhere that the footage was lost in a fire. I really hope someone still has it stored somewhere though -Wesley

[@MARCIE12ification]

@@viewistproductions check youtube

[@judis6224]

You can get it on dvd,go through Amazon UK,get the music with Jack wild.

[@blueburygeminitheemoprince6175]

Me too!!!

[@kisslena]

RIP Marty Krofft🕊️ Thank you for creating my good childhood memories.📺💛

[@BillVol]

Wow! Great piece of reporting. I first visited the Omni International in January of 1980 to see the Hawks. The mall was still quite busy other than where the theme park was. We could see the remnants, including the wording "World of Sid and Marty Krofft" on the side. I always felt like I'd just missed out on something. Also, I always figured that the boxes hanging were just decoration. I never knew they were to cut down on sound. Unfortunately for Atlanta, it has not improved any downtown. It's still dangerous. Those guys gave it a great effort, though. Thanks again.

[@kristalgic1534]

I was born in the early 90s, but my mother passed her love of Sid and Marty Krofft on to me at a young age. This place looks like it was so cool despite it's problems. I wish I could have seen it. It's sad how little survived from it. It's hard to find any photos, footage, or physical items from the park. I'd especially love to see the hour long ad for it

[@Wild1995]

Great job. Never knew this existed. Just another reason to love the 70s in all of its crazy glory

[@cobamfxcobamfx4826]

I did however discover an old disco on the property that was built in 1976 closed in 1986 and everything is still intact..

[@sthom146]

On the Omni property? What was the name of it?

[@tinas2782]

Wow I loved watching Sid & Marty Krofft shows as a kid but had never heard of this place....

[@NathanielClay]

This video deserves way more views

[@DanOutdoorsUK]

It's only been up a few days

[@NathanielClay]

I know lol

[@asshatsanddarwinism]

Amazing video. I was a kid in the suburbs of Atlanta that summer. It was great being transported back to that magical place. Well done.

[@viewistproductions]

Thank you so much!

[@Doongie4ever]

I never get tired of hearing stories about this place and this is by far the beat video about it. Awesome work!

[@jameseason3283]

The pinball ride looked awesome.

[@gulliblesbabbles]

How have I lived my entire life not knowing anything about this venture? Truly amazing! When I was a kid, we visited Six Flags that had a Sid and Marty Kroft show. It’s one of the few things I remember from that visit.

[@stebaer]

This is a very good follow-up of both The Sid & Marty Kroft Productions and the characters that they had brought to life too.

[@jonp4826]

I went to this on my 11th birthday 5-23-76. Still remember going up the longest escalator in the world and then the different levels that everything was on.

[@jayeparker8150]

I want to cry sometimes....I loved that show, all shows of the 70s and 80s. 😢

[@joanfan6324]

I want to see pictures of the park when it was abandoned.

[@barbiefilms20]

This place looked liked it was so cool! I would've loved to go there!

[@vincentholt495]

Nice video! I’ve worked in that building for the last 10 years. This was a great glimpse of what was once there.

[@irishis3]

My friend and I were able to go to The World of Sid and Marty Krofft during the brief time it was open. Unfortunately the crystal carousel was not working that day. We also got to meet Bob Denver at Mimi‘s afterwards. A day I will never forget

[@viewistproductions]

Wow! That sounds like the best day ever! I'm jealous -Wesley

[@raypierce5818]

Bob Denver was dating Patty Maloney (from The Miniature Follies en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Maloney) at the time so he was there quite a bit.

[@irishis3]

Yes! Patty was with him!

[@BabbleOn777]

When we went I was four years old. I was already a huge fan of the Kroft shows (I still have my tin HR P'nS lunch box!). My family went there when we were coming back from Disneyworld to Ohio. I remember the glass horses, yeah...it was phenomenal in my mind. (Coming back from my first time at Disneyworld, you can imagine!) The pinball ride was, a little strange, but I have a picture from it as well. I look happy. You should do a second part to this, adding to how they got screwed even further but McDonalds. (Kroft bros. designed ALL of their characters, and rides for them, and McDonalds screwed em..) Look into it, nobody talks about that!

[@ginagershon7467]

I have ticket packs from Sid and Marty Kroft

[@mibevan]

I remember Defunctland Mentioning this place in his "Tales from the Okefenokee" Video

[@NathanLeeJames]

Dude! Awesome vid! I sooo wish it was still around! That’s the kind of thing I’d go visit if I had a time machine! Amazing!

[@joeylake1124]

I was the first guest to ride the HR Puffinstuff ride!

[@KentonWiedenbeck]

I was 9 when this opened and remember my mom and her current boyfriend taking me here. It is strange that my memory of that day was mainly the pinball ride and going up the big escalator. I knew the area around this part of town and definitely not a good one. Just the next year when it was closed, me an my best friend tried sneaking up into the area during the day and got chased out the building by security. My friends dad owned and ran a sports car repair shop out of an old fire station just down the road from the omni mixed in among a lot of abandoned warehousing and manufacturing buildings. As two white kids in the area we definitely stood out in the run down housing and neighborhoods . Crime in this part of town was definitely a issue and people who came to the Omni for concerts and events pretty much knew to just stay in the designated parking areas and only walk to the venue where security and Atlanta police was present. At that time I lived in the suburbs of Atlanta but hung out with my friend at his dads shop just about every weekend. We definitely had a lot more easier time going into buildings and just running around downtown as who wanted to rob or much less mess with two crazy white kids. I remember a few years later me and my friend were back inside the omni center and I'm guessing by this time the owners or managers of the building didn't care anymore about the park as security over time had become non existent and we got bold enough to make it around the obstruction they created around the entrance of the escalator and we managed to spend over an hour running around on the upper floors. I remember forgetting my polaroid that I has gotten on my birthday a few weeks earlier and was so disappointed I couldn't get proof of our fun that day. My plans were to go back the next weekend, but my friends dad had gotten robbed at his shop and was shot at that next week causing an end to the weekends hanging out there.

[@claudetteking1039]

I remember going down to see it as a kid, but never got to go up. I just remember everyone's parents complaining about how expensive it was. I remember thinking the hanging boxes to muffle sound were box kites.

[@wejcynp8943]

love the krofft shows my fav dc follies which most dont remember.

[@Legolad]

Wow. Thanks for this great video! I went there when I was a kid. I pestered my parents for months to let me go.

[@NIKMOE]

Excellent video! I also appreciate covering smaller regional theme parks which is something you don't see the big theme park KZbinrs doing. Well done!

[@scottfox5270]

This one of my favorite and wish I’ve could seen the place before it was gone ❤️ Scott Fox

[@Scottzilla1970]

Wow that was super interesting! Even way down under here in Australia Sid and Marty Krofft were entertaining us kid all through the 70s

[@MrRyan-wu4jx]

I grew up in the late 80s-90s didn’t see much Kroft stuff on TV but remnants of merch from the shows scared the absolute hell out of me. This place would’ve been my worst nightmare.

[@erinboatguy]

Right!!!! Yep I had nightmares from that hr puff n stuff TV show with that scary witch and talking flute. Maybe it was an age thing maybe older kids liked this crap but me and my little brother didn't

[@jeffb3487]

I was there still have the souvenir poster. I can remeber the shows and the pinball ride. Thanks for this 👍

[@willevans7430]

Great video still it saddens me to realize that through the decades I was 13 then I’m 58 now that it’s always greedy CEOs & bankers politicians and government always spoiling great things that could have been 😡 still l Sid and Marty croft Super show productions was magical at the time to a 13-year-old child living in a poor family in Georgia

[@joebagofdonuts]

This park was crazy - the entire thing was like a wild fever dream. (who else was scared to death by the spider lady - she was absolutely terrifying). I wish that hour long special about it's opening was still around - I'd love to see it.

[@bocron]

I was 11 years old and loved that place.

[@MrSpacejase]

From fantasy world to fantasy news. Poetic

[@JOECANDELA22]

I remember reading about the park in Dynamite Magazine which was a kids magazine put out by Scholastic Books, but I never knew the park actually opened. Obviously it opened and closed so quickly I missed all the press about it. The Sid and Marty Krofft shows were very popular in the 70's. Thanks for the video.

[@darkdominance911]

I'll never forget We just moved there and it closed before I could see it...

[@dmarqu11]

Fascinating video, thanks for making it!

[@THEcucufate]

I cant believe all that stuff went into the trash. How sad. Every question asked, like "Who wants to work in an office with an amusement park right outside the door?" I was answering "ME!!!!"

[@loadedbun]

This is such an incredible video, thank you for this valuable information :)

[@amykeenom5479]

My uncle and cousins lived right outside of Atlanta during the 70s through the late 80s or early 90s. My parents & I would drive to visit them from where we lived in Middle Georgia, a little over an hour away. We went to this park during one of those visits. I only remember a tiny bit of being at this park back in 1976. I was born in 1973, so I would have been only 2 or 3 years old! All I remember is a ride that people sat in that went inside an opening in the wall that seemed too flattened/thin to fit through. I have to think this was the pinball ride, but I can’t be sure. I don’t remember riding anything, though. I remember waiting in line. Maybe the rides were broken down at that time, like the vid mentioned. I’m turning 50 in August. How can I remember this from so long ago when I was so young, but I can’t remember crap I did last week?!? 😂 I also rode the Okefenokee swamp ride at Six Flags in Atlanta before it became the Monster Plantation in 1980. Brief but great memories from my childhood!

[@wesleyshelby8163]

Hey you can definitely remember that age! I was born in 82 and can remember in 1984 I had Banana Splits Posters. They may have come from the Omni when my dad took us to see the Harlem Globe Trotters in the early 80s. The park was closed by then but probably still had Sid and Marty Krofft Memorabilia.

[@LetsGoThere]

Cool footage! I'm a huge Krofft fan also and did a few videos on the brothers.

[@viewistproductions]

Thanks for checking it out! Love your stuff too!

[@wesleyshelby8163]

Those sound boxes are still in the Omni/ CNN Center. You can see them from the food court oh the escalator is still there too.

[@skunkman9815]

They should bring back the world of Sid and Marty Krofft and include shows like mutt and stuff

[@sosonolow5094]

I went when I was a kid and it was really cool. I loved the pinball game. But thinking back on it, it was pretty empty. I'm really glad I got a chance to go though.

[@ivane5110]

As a major Kroft fan back then I'm amazed I don't recall this even existing (And I'm someone who can still clearly picture the superheroes water skiing show ads in comics from then). But man would I have loved it. What a shame it was rushed into opening.

[@ColinLooksBack]

Loved this video! I wish I could have visited Lidsville!

[@theyakkomanguy7522]

It's really sad that a concept like this was never attempted again after 1976 for a pretty understandable reason. For a month, future Muppet puppeteer Steve Whitmire brought his puppet Otis and talked to visitors visiting the building when he was a young teenager.

[@rcasey81]

New to your Channel. Loved this video. Keep it up.

[@CreesNostalgiaHut]

I went here on a trip to Georgia in 76...... we went to Six Flags Over Georgia and also went to Atlanta..... I remember the pinball ride vividly. I rode that thing SO MANY TIMES.... I was yelling "WATCH OUT EVERYONE CAUSE CREE IS COMING" and everyone looked at me like WTF???? Place closed a long time ago.... never went back to Georgia since that trip anyway. I went to a whole lot more parks in their heyday.... if you wanna know leave a reply and I'll tell you. Ha

[@retrogeek3694]

Nice video. Also just want to point out at 7:47 you can see a very young Steve Whitmire (former Kermit the frog, Rizzo the rat ,ect)

[@landerstyle100]

wonder what happened to the crystal carousel horses etc.

[@stevegrgas4535]

That’s sad. I wish I could have visited the park. I grew up on all those shows

[@stephengurr8365]

Great doc! I was one of the lucky few who attended. I was five. My only memory is of the pinball ride. It made me sick.

[@greg6363]

Another issue regarding the park was the fact that it takes a significant financial investment to build a park and the mid to late 70s was a period of sky high interest rates which made such a proposition an expensive one, especially with the maintenance it takes to keep the rides in service.

[@SKinSKorea]

I grew up in the '70s! Too bad I missed this (I lived in NOLA). a

[@jefbowles7745]

Bless your gingerbread hearts this was the show for me I finally got H.R. Pufnstuf the series your inspired show and many more have inspired so many people over the years and for those who are true Pufnstuf fans the song Pufnstuf is golden 🎃🌻🎃🌻🎃🌻

[@jimb9454]

1:14 oh man, all that grass !!

[@Phoenix85006]

I had no idea they had this amusement park! Too bad it didn't last at least we still have the TV shows 👍

[@GorgeousFaustina]

this is so underrated

[@VondaInWonderland]

What a sad story, I wish that I could have gone ♥

[@recursiveidentity]

I was one of the "lucky" ones who went. Very underwhelming experience - A man in stilts jumped down at us on the giant escalator near the top and pissed off my mom because she's scared of heights. A lady in a spider suit yelled at us because "we didn't ask any questions", and the pinball ride was fun. We stayed like 3 hours and did the whole park.

[@djs2356]

Please do a Newstalgia about 'Old Chicago Amusement Park' in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

[@Dan-um9bk]

Do more Sid and Marty Kroft videos please!

[@winternow2242]

The Crofts were also behind The Banana Splits and Electro Woman & Dyna-Girl? Amazing.

[@allenwilliams7210]

I went to this crazy thing. It was scary and exciting at the same time

[@jesskcanada]

Before my time, but it looks like it would've been so fun - especially that pinball ride!

[@djs2356]

Well done.

[@louellasnugglebunny]

I would have loved to have seen that hour long special and I wish I knew whatever became of the carousel horses!

[@tomxconn]

Still IS a rough part of town. If you have to go there, be extra careful at night.

[@sthom146]

What's weird was that the city in general was a lot safer in 1976 than 2020

[@ernstcanche4267]

Very cool video

[@lynnfox3730]

I loved Lidsville.

[@DanOutdoorsUK]

Found the link to this in a story on my news feed on my phone

[@garycondon7719]

Fascinating

[@dananderson3077]

They gave it a shot to quote him. interesting times...they caught alot of work from HB and Taft Broadcasting....

[@Bradwick1]

Acoustics are everything for the ambient mood created. Most public places like this never even consider acoustics. The afterthought of sound deadening the building brought the cost way up. Probably should have started smaller to work out the kinks of the rides etc. and farther away from Six Flags.

[@DreamDancer82]

Too bad I hadn't been born yet. I would have loved to ride that carousel and the pinball ride.

[@GirlfriendNinja]

I went the Summer it opened. My first date with my high school sweetheart there.

[@thescarletandgrey2505]

There was also a park called Kingdoms 3, closed down around the same time. Atlanta in the mid-70’s was just not the safest-seeming city. Given a later opening who knows these parks may have succeeded.

[@spasticpug5209]

Where can I see the tv special dedicated to the park?

[@jonnybigmuff]

CNN is leaving the former Omni Complex/CNN Center. The only thing left is the tube escalator. Richard Branson could buy it and bring the whole complex under the Virgin Media dome, including the Arena. Bring Sid and MArty's World back!

[@michaelleary9233]

Glad I never knew about this, I would've bugged my parents to go, but it looks like it would be disappointing, since I was a fan of the later Krofft shows like Bigfoot and Electra Woman.

[@kevinstephens5108]

Where did you get the footage at 5:06 and 5:19 from?

[@Club-Dreamiverse]

Looks like Universal Studios or Six Flags or Cedar Point or Knotts could hire them for a new theme park.

[@selvahechicera4292]

Spooky. I was one of those 300k.