Kentucky Kingdom 6-1-11

[Austin]

So today was graduation practice at Freedom Hall so while I was in the area I took some pictures of the park. Currently we have the first pictures that I know of looking into the park from the backlot showing things that have been stored and how they were stored. The park looks OK not great or bad just OK. Paths are covered mostly in leaves but not completely covered in them. Over by where skycoaster was a window was busted out and the wooden fence in the park was partially removed to help take the ride out. some of the fence beams were laying in the middle of the path.

I did leave the backlot before I got pictures of everything because a security guard/worker stopped at the back gate by T2 and was watching me and figured he was going to tell me to leave so I left. However this is what I saw and took pictures and tried to put on video. In the Paramax/Batman Arena the chairs from the waterpark were stacked up, benches were sitting there, and all the go karts were piled in there. Not sure if the go-karts should be stored outside or not but that seemed odd. From Google satellite last night it appeared that some Tin Lizzie cars might have been there but I wasnt able to get a good view of the entire inside. On Huron Avenue on the left side if your coming from Crittenden Dr. a roller skater car was sitting partially upside down but no other cars or trains were around it. I know for a fact that those are actually stored inside a building so thats questionable.

Out in front by the entrance, rust is quickly taking over the metal pieces on the ticket booths and on the structures over the gates some pieces of the building have been removed or fallen off. One piece appeared to be a vent cover.

Now it is important to mention that I did not trespass or enter the park to take these. I simply parked the car and got out and walked to the fence.

Now onto the pictures and video.




Lets start by the Paramax/Batman Arena


Go karts.


Zoomed out to get a view of the whole place.


Panned to the right a bit


Seems like that one wasn't stored with much care.. the body is completely detached from the chassis which is under it.


Zoomed out a little to show more of that side.


This is after I left that area to avoid someone saying something. these pictures from a slight distance is from the Strike & Spare parking lot


Thunder Run


T2


A panorama picture (sorta)


Another of T2 and the waterpark


T2 up close


Big Wheel


Greezed Lightnin


The waterpark


Thunder Run


Beginning with these pictures I moved to the main parking lot and started taking pictures up close again.


Needs a paint job!


Zooming out a bit


Zooming out further


GL's Spike. The building on the left has some damage. Picture later.


Looking toward the gates


Bluebeards Bounty. Thankfully a forest has not grown up right here so I did get a good glimpse inside.


Such a strange view


Looking to the right a little more


Back to Bluebeard. It needs paint also


A little bit different angle.


Vines -.- I hate them. Also take note of the windows/glass


Someone busted the one down here out.


Path is relatively clear except for part of the fence that was removed.


That train ride used to bet there. The tracks are there but hard to see.


Zooming in a bit.


Breakdance. Appears to be stored correctly but im not sure.


Another shot looking towards where RRE and Skycoaster were. Sorry for the blur


Theres the building again. And the damage I was talking about. Looks like the wood behind it is water damaged. This is how mold starts and how buildings start to fall apart. this wood is much more susceptible to rot and mold now if not fixed soon.


Back of one of the buildings.


Breakdance's sign is still up


I want to say that this was a smoking area but I'm not sure.


Another look inside this gate


Now for the entrance


Ticket booths. Notice the rusted up trim on the buildings


Looking this way.


This shot shows the vent cover that is missing but its not really clear. If you look where the spire is in the center and look down next to the sky under its roof there is a big shadowy area. That is where the cover is missing. Didn't think about getting a better picture.


A shot of the entrance area and down towards Thrill Park Theater


The entrance area from another angle


And this is where the gates were actually.


The store attached to the theater. I'm not sure but it looks like some of the metal pieces that held the signage and characters to the building might have been removed. It just looks a little better than it did last Fall.


Well thats all the pictures I had. I got video from each place I stopped so I'm going to splice them all into one video and post it later.

[Midgetman82]

At least the park wasn't under water for a month, and all the machines are broken and corroded beyond repair. But fixing what's been damaged to this park isn't gonna be cheap either. I'm happy to see Breakdancer is covered. If any flat ride is to stay for the next time it opens, it HAS to be Breakdancer!

[Austin]

Yeah haha. Conditions are slowly deteriorating here through. Metro Council needs to approve this bond deal quickly before the costs to repair the park go up.

Everyone at Graduation practice kept saying that they wish the park was open because they would have spent the rest of their day there and talked about how convenient and fun the park was.

[DarienLake:D]

Sad to see any park deteriorate like this.....

[Jp]

Great Pictures, hope it will reopen soon..

[Austin]

Thanks. I'll be putting the videos together tomorrow.

[Vic]

nice pics Austin... as bad as the park may look in some places... things are looking up

[Austin]

Thanks. I was expecting a little more vandalism but things look fine given the circumstances.

[Austin]

Video is posted up in the first post.

[Austin]

The video has been fixed and is back up again!