A look at 15 Texas amusement parks that are no more, dating back to 1924
In January 2023, Universal Parks and Resorts announced it was developing a new theme park in Frisco, Texas — just outside of Dallas.
The park is set to be designed for families with young children, and be different from Universal's other parks in Hollywood or Orlando.
With a new theme park set to open in the future in Texas, what about all the other defunct amusement parks that once were?
While research shows there are nearly 40 theme parks that have opened and closed throughout the last century in Texas, here are 15 amusement parks you might remember visiting back in the day.
Aquarena Springs - San Marcos
1951 - 1996
Initially a hotel property developed in the late 1920s, Aquarena Springs was added to the property after the construction of a submarine theater and a large spillway ― water slide ― at one end of the site's lake.
The park featured attractions including mermaid performers, a sky ride and Ralph, the famous swimming pig. There was even a tic-tac-toe game where attendees could battle against chickens.
After closing in 1996, the land was acquired by Texas State University and was fully dismantled in 2012.
As of today, the park is now the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. It is an educational center aiming to preserve the resources of Spring Lake, which stands as one of the world’s largest aquifer-fed ecosystems.
Boardwalk Fun Park - Grand Prairie
1982 - 1992
Built in 1982, Boardwalk Fun Park was first known as "White Water."
Three years later, it was purchased by Wet 'n Wild Amusement Park and then bought by new owners in 1991 and redeveloped to Boardwalk Fun Park the following year.
The park suffered delays in construction and ride certifications and opened in July 1992. Two months later, a 12-year-old girl was thrown into an unused pool beneath the Pipeline Express rollercoaster, which she was on, causing her to slip into a coma and suffer brain trauma. The ride was closed following the accident.
Before the 1993 season, the park did not reopen and stayed closed until the land was purchased in 1996 by an automotive company. Today, the Grand Prairie Ford car dealership can be found at the former park's site.
Busch Gardens - Houston
1971 - 1973
In a May 1971 Caller-Times article, it was announced Busch Gardens in Houston, the state's newest attraction, was to open Saturday, May 29.
The $11 million garden and zoo was to be located next to the city's Anheuser-Busch Brewery, which opened in 1966.
The large garden and zoo area, featuring Asian animals and architecture, covered about 40 acres and admission was $2.25 for adults and $1.25 for children.
Due to poor attendance, the park expected 800,000 to visit during its first year and that attendance fell far short, Busch Gardens closed in 1973.
Fame City Waterworks - Houston
1986 - 2005
Fame City Waterworks was founded in 1986 and cost $6 million to make in West Houston.
The waterpark had a large wave pool, lazy river, speed slides and a kiddie area. There was also an indoor entertainment addition that had a movie theater, bowling alley, arcade and food.
The park was sold in 1993 and eventually became Adventure Bay until it officially closed in the summer of 2005.
Today, the site is now Funplex ― an indoor amusement park.
Hanna-Barbera Land - Spring
1984 - 1985
The park, which featured characters from the Hanna-Barbera animation studio, opened in March 1984.
Despite increased attendance in 1985, a number of factors led to the park's quick closure: an oil bust in the early '80s impacted the economy in the Houston area, AstroWorld and guests doing minimal spending in the park.
The park was sold and a waterpark was built in its place. That waterpark was then sold twice until Six Flags purchased it in 1999 and rebranded it as Six Flags SplashTown.
In 2019, it was renamed to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor SplashTown and is currently Houston's largest waterpark.
Joyland Amusement Park - Lubbock
1973 - 2022
Before it was Joyland Amusement Park, the park was known as Mackenzie Park Playground and opened in the 1940s.
In 1973, 13 rides were added and the park was renamed. The park ended having about 30 rides, including two rollercoasters. It is the most recent amusement park in Texas to shut its doors.
In September 2022, the owners of Joyland announced it would not reopen and the park would be auctioned the following month. Buyers had submitted an offer but backed out in January 2023.
The park's website was updated to include contact information for those interested in purchasing its rides and equipment, but as of April 2024 all rides have been sold.
Luna Park - Houston
1924 - 1934
Known as the "Coney Island of Texas," Luna Park was built on a 36-acre with a carousel, picnic areas, live entertainment, a dance hall and Houston's first rollercoaster, the Giant Skyrocket.
Upon opening in 1924, Luna Park was met with immediate controversy. In July, A patron accused park employees of treating her roughly as she was waiting in line for the Skyrocket, claiming it was because she was Mexican.
That same year in October, three people died in the park. Two were killed from a fall from the Skyrocket and the third died from a failed parachute stunt. In August 1925, a local barber was stabbed in Luna Park.
In 1930, a man's dead body was found on the park's grounds. Four years later, the park closed for good.
Magic Landing - El Paso
1984 - 1988
Magic Landing opened on July 4, 1984 and featured rides, a railroad, arcade machines and other attractions.
A year after opening, Magic Landing earned it's nickname, "Tragic Landing."
In a 1985 El-Paso Times article, an 18-year-old employee, Frank Guzman Jr., was killed after his arm was severed by a rollercoaster car.
The park later closed in 1988 due to low attendance and problems obtaining a $1 million required insurance policy.
Peppermint Park - Pasadena, Houston, Friendswood
1956 - 1994
Also known as Peppermint Park Kiddieland, Peppermint Park opened in 1956 in a Sears parking lot in Pasadena.
The owner then moved the park to the Gulf Freeway on I-45 with a roofed structure. The owner eventually sold the property and purchased property on I-610 to build an indoor facility.
In 1979, new owners purchased Peppermint Park and moved it to Highway 59. It was eventually sold and closed in 1989 after one of the owners died.
Another new owner purchased the park and moved it to Friendswood, but made it smaller and raised the prices. It closed for good in 1994.
Throughout its history, Peppermint Park included a merry-go-round, boat ride, a helicopter-themed ride, bumper cars and a number of carnival games.
Playland Park - Houston, San Antonio
1940 - 1967, 1943 - 1980
Playland Park in Houston opened first in 1940, and existed not far from where AstroWorld would open in 1968.
The park offered fun ride and attractions, including the Giant Skyrocket rollercoaster from Luna Park. It closed its doors in 1967.
The San Antonio site opened in 1943 and was home to The Rocket, a popular wooden rollercoaster currently located at a Pennsylvania amusement park.
Playland Park in San Antonio closed on Labor Day in 1980, due to the result of the economy and, according to a 1981 article from Texas Monthly, entropy.
Seven Seas Marine Life Park - Arlington
1972 - 1976
Seven Seas Marine Life Park — a $10 million, 35-acre amusement park — opened in 1972, hoping to become a major tourist attraction in Arlington. It featured performing aquatic mammals, penguins and a killer whale named Newtka.
After four years of business, the park closed and ended up becoming an $80 million debt. The marine animals, including Newtka, were scattered across the country.
Before closing, Seven Seas turned into a waterpark named Hawaii Kai in May 1976. But by September, the park filed for bankruptcy.
Former employees told The Dallas Morning News poor management was to blame for the closure.
Six Flags Astroworld - Houston
1968 - 2005
Houston's infamous AstroWorld opened in June 1968 as a complement to the already built Astrodome.
In 1975, Six Flags purchased the park and brought in several new attractions including the high-speed rollercoaster, the Texas Cyclone.
In 1984, "Looney Tunes" characters inhabited AstroWorld and continued to entertain millions of visitors.
However, Six Flags failed to turn a profit for five straight years, having a $122 million loss for the first half of 2003. On Oct. 30, 2005, AstroWorld closed its doors.
Six Flags cited the close due to declining attendance, rising property value and conflicts with Reliant Stadium, a nearby arena affecting the park's parking.
Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi - Corpus Christi
2015 - 2020
Groundbreaking on the $40 million, 473-acre Schlitterbahn started in February 2013. It was supposed to be completed in 2015, but did not open until April 2016.
The waterpark came with a full-service restaurant, two kids' areas, a river system and other attractions. A resort opened on the southern end of the park that same year.
In May 2017, the park filed for bankruptcy. In April 2019, a new owner rebranded the waterpark as Waves Resort Corpus Christi Featuring Schlitterbahn.
The rebrand came with a new color palette, an outdoor movie theater, a gaming lounge and a new dog park.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Waves Resort made the decision to not operate with a 25% capacity in March 2020. A year later, it was announced the waterpark would be demolished.
Splashtown San Antonio - San Antonio
1985 - 2021
Splashtown San Antonio, also known as Splashtown USA, opened in 1985.
The waterpark was located on 20 acres of San Antonio's northeast side, featuring a half-million-gallon wave pool, a quarter-mile-long lazy river, 40 water slides and tube rides and more.
After 37 years of operation, Splashtown announced in October 2021 it would close at the end of its operating season and not reopen.
However, after 37 years of operation, the park closed in 2021 at the end of its operating season and announced on social media that it would not reopen. Reports from the time noted that the San Antonio City Council approved a zoning change in the area to make room for a car dealership.
Its reason for closing? San Antonio City Council approved a zone change to the Splashtown property to build a vehicle dealership on the land since the park's owner decided to retire.
Zero Gravity Amusement Park - Dallas
1992 - 2021
Zero Gravity was an amusement park in Dallas featuring rides themed around freefall and simulated flying.
The park opened in 1992, with an ejector seat ride being one of the first attractions. In 2001, Zero Gravity became the exclusive United States operator of the Adrenaline Drop, an unattached freefall experience.
In 2011, a couple was left stranded 100 feet above the ground for three hours while on the Texas Blastoff Bungee Ride due to a malfunction.
The landlord who owned the site of the park sold the land and the park closed 10 years later.
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or X @johnpoliva.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: 15 defunct Texas theme parks that once were