Magic Springs and Crystal Falls is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 50 miles from Little Rock. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks. The park is open weekends from April through October and daily late-May through mid-August. Magic Springs and Crystal Falls was opened in the late 1970s, closed in 1995, and reopened in 2000. Magic Springs and Crystal Falls is owned by PARC Management.
History
Magic Springs (reopened as Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in
2000) opened July 22, 1978, but investors became burdened by
millions of dollars of debt and sold the park in the 1980s to a
group headed by businessman Melvyn Bell, who then had his own
financial troubles. It closed in 1995. Fitraco, a Belgian company,
bought the amusement park at a foreclosure auction in 1995. Ed Hart
of Themeparks LLC was approached by Fitraco, and decided to take on
the project.
Magic Springs and Crystal falls reopened in 2000 after Hot Springs voters
approved a bond issue providing financing for the park. Attendance
totaled more than 362,500 in 2000 and beat expectations. In 2001,
attendance fell about 25 percent to roughly 272,000, and then to
about 254,000 in 2002. The park continued to expand its ride
offerings instead of hunkering down. Attendance grew again to more
than 291,000 in 2003, the year the Timberwood Amphitheater debuted.
It topped 400,000 in 2004 when The Gauntlet was added and the
concert series was expanded. In March owners of Magic Springs
agreed to sell the attraction to CNL Income Properties. They will
lease back the park to the former owners, who will continue to
manage it. On June 10, 2008 it was announced that PARC Management
has taken over the park. They are doing surveys to see what changes
and improvements are wanted by the guests in the park.
Rides and
attractions
Thrill
rides
-
X-Coaster - (52") A steel sit-down coaster which flips
upsidedown 150 ft in the air. Opened in April 2006. Built by Maurer
Söhne.
-
Arkansas Twister - (48") A classic wooden out and back
coaster. Features a 92 ft. drop. Relocated from Boardwalk and
Baseball in Florida in 1992 where
it operated as the Florida Hurricane. Designed by Don Rosser and
William Cobb, built by Michael Black.
-
The Gauntlet - (52") A Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster.
Built in 2004 by Vekoma for Jazzland in New Orleans. The sale never
finalized and Magic Springs and Crystal Falls bought the coaster.
Features a 110 ft. drop and is the first Vekoma SLC to feature a
redesigned wheel assembly to give a more comfortable ride.
-
Dr. Dean's Rocket Machine - (52") A Double Shot tower
ride that launches riders almost 100 ft. in the air and then drops
them back down. Built by S&S Power exclusively for the park and
debuted in 2001.
-
Wild Thang - (48") Riders can flip, twist, and spin
through two motor driven rotations, with a third gravity driven
rotation. A Zamperla Spinning ride.
-
The Hawk - (48") A boom that rotates both clockwise and
counter-clockwise at speeds of up to 13rpm that spins you over 70
ft. in the air. A Zamperla spinning ride.
Family
rides
-
Twist and Shout - (48") A steel sit down coaster
featuring crazy twists and turns. A Zamperla Wild Mouse Design.
Relocated from Gillian's Wonderland Pier as Wild Wonder. Operating
since 2000.
-
Diamond Mine Coaster - (between 36" and 42" with adult)
A small but fun and exciting coaster. Built by Miller Coaster,
Inc.
-
Rum Runner Pirate Ship - (between 42" and 48" with
adult) A pendulum ride in the style of a pirate ship that swings
you back and forth higher with each swing.
-
Old No. 2 Logging Company - (between 36" and 42" with
adult) A log flume ride that takes you through the rapids before
taking a huge drop into a splash pool.
-
Carousel - (under 42" with adult) The classic ride with
horses and carriages.
-
Magic Swings - (48") A swing ride that lifts you high in
the air and then rotates.
-
Big Bad John - (42") An Arrow Dynamics Mine Train
Coaster. Tallest drop of 41 ft. Originated in Six Flags St. Louis
as one half of the River King Mine Train duo. Removed from park in
1988 and sold to Dollywood. Relocated
from Dollywood in 1998
where it operated as "Thunder Express".
-
Plummet Summit - (42" to ride alone 36" with adult) A
splash down ride with a 50 ft. drop. Built exclusively for Magic
Springs and Crystal Falls and debuted in 2005.
Kids'
rides
-
Fearless Flyers - (under 42" with adult 1 adult per car)
Small airplanes where you control up and down movement while the
ride spins.
-
Looney Ballooney - (under 42" with adult 1 adult per
car) Hot air balloons that rise up while the ride spins.
-
Bugga Booga Wheel - (under 42" with adult 1 adult per
car) A bug themed miniature ferris wheel.
-
Kit 'n Kaboodle Express - (less than 42" with adult) A
miniature train ride that is exciting for the kids.
-
Lil' Leapin' Lizards - (minimum 42" maximum 48") A
gentle yet fun freefall tower.
Timberwood Amphitheater
The Timberwood Amphitheater is a state-of-the-art concert venue
which offers a variety of entertainment. Concerts are held every
Saturday during the operating season. While there is free lawn
seating, there are also 26 rows of bench reserved seats in front of
the stage. Currently VIP Reserved seats (the first six rows) are
$10.00 while the price for the rest of the reserved seats is
$5.00.
Annual
events
- Education In Motion - School group days where fun at the park
is linked to lessons in the classroom.
- Magic Screams - Halloween festival in October where Magic
Springs is transformed into a scary and frightening Magic
Screams.
Crystal
Falls
Crystal Falls is the water park portion of Magic Springs and
Crystal Falls and is included with park admission. Crystal Falls is
open daily from May through mid-August and weekends to the end of
September. Crystal Falls has many water attractions which
include:
- Bear Cub Bend - kid play zone
- Crystal Falls Wave Pool
- Crystal Lagoon - four tube slides three body slides and a kids
play area (Opened in 2007)
- Grizzly Creek Splash Zone - kid activity zone with water
cannons and a suspended bridge
- High Sierra Slide Tower - four tube slides, each different in
darkness
- Kodiak Canyon Lazy River
- Rapid Falls Raceway - seven side-by-side racing slides (Opened
in 2008)
Awards
“Best of the Best” Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Readers
Poll
Golden Guard Award Excellence in lifeguarding, Ellis &
Associates
Southern Travel Treasure AAA
Gold Elite Award Performance of water safety staff, Ellis
& Associates
Platinum Elite Award Performance of water safety staff,
Ellis & Associates
The Natural State Award Arkansas’ top tourist attraction,
Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism
Best Area Attraction Hot Springs Sentinel-Record, Readers
Poll
Silver Elite Award Excellence in lifeguarding, Ellis &
Associates
Large Business Recognition Excellence in landscaping, Hot
Springs/Garland County Beautification Commission
Large Business of the Year Excellence in community
service, Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce
Outstanding Achievement for Access to Persons with
Disabilities S.A.I.L.S.
Silver Cup Outstanding effort in tourism, Garland County
Hospitality Association
Top Three Family Friendly Parks in the Nation Better
Homes and Gardens
Incidents
Main article: Incidents
at PARC Management parks
- On June 9, 2007, a power outage left 12 roller coaster riders
stranded upside down 150 feet in the air for 30 minutes..
- On September 4, 2006, an 11-year-old boy was shot in the wrist
by a falling .22 caliber bullet.
- On July 30, 2006, a 45-year-old woman from Memphis, Tennessee
fell from the Twist and Shout coaster. Inspectors said that she was
too large for the ride, causing the restraints to not work
properly..
References
External
links
