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Led Zeppelin Roller Coaster May Ride Again: Hard Rock Park Rescued By New Owners

2/19/09, 1:15 pm EST

Photo: Clary/AFP/Getty

The Shake, Rattle & Roller Coaster may soon ride the rails again: South Carolina’s Hard Rock Park was saved from bankruptcy and liquidation yesterday after a new ownership group stepped in to buy the beleaguered amusement park, MyrtleBeachOnline reports. FPI MB Entertainment purchased the shuttered park for $25 million, just months after Hard Rock Park failed to find a buyer when it first went to bankruptcy court in September 2009. The new owners hope to reopen the park by Memorial Day 2009.

Hard Rock Park opened to great fanfare in April 2008, boasting rides dedicated to Led Zeppelin and the Moody Blues and featuring a park-opening concert by the Eagles. As the recession kicked in, however, park-goers became scarcer, ultimately forcing the park to close a month early and lay off most of its employees. Even the licensing deal that allowed the park to be named “Hard Rock Park” was jeopardized. While FPI MB Entertainment said the location would remain “Hard Rock Park,” they likely won’t sell any merchandise relating to the restaurant chain.

Considering even Disney was forced to make some layoffs today, you might be thinking now isn’t the best time to be getting into the amusement park business. But part of the Hard Rock Park’s problem was its high ticket price of $50. The new ownership has hinted that park-goers will be much “happier” with the price of admission this year. Plus, anytime you can buy a less-than-one-year-old amusement park that cost $400 million to construct for $25 million, it seems like a good deal.

As for all the rock memorabilia the park was harboring, for the most part all that stuff had been cleared out after it filed for bankruptcy. However, some memorabilia has gone missing, leading officials to think that either “the company’s list of memorabilia was wrong or some of it had been stolen.” So if there’s some guy from South Carolina on eBay right now claiming to own a Jimi Hendrix guitar, it might be worth bidding on.

Daniel Kreps

More General, Rock News


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Comments

Arlington, VA | 2/19/2009, 1:55 pm EST

NO FAIR! Another misleading headline getting us to link to an article that couldn’t be further from the subject we all think we are linking to.

disbot 3000 | 2/19/2009, 2:39 pm EST

Imagine that: A teaser headline that doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story in order to draw readers in. I don’t think it’s ever been done before in the history of all media. If that’s the best thing you’ve got in your life to get upset over, your must be a grand life indeed. Kudos to you!

Anonymous | 2/19/2009, 2:41 pm EST

To “Arlington”:

Exactly what part of “Led Zeppelin Roller Coaster May Ride Again: Hard Rock Park Rescued By New Owners”, vs the actual story inside, did you find misleading??

Anonymous | 2/19/2009, 2:43 pm EST

The headline CLEARLY states the article is about HARD ROCK PARK, and the Led Zeppelin rollercoaster.

If you thought the link was going to be a story about a Led Zeppelin reunion, you are a total moron who doesn’t know how to read.

Hey Anonymous | 2/19/2009, 3:07 pm EST

Calm the fuck down. I’m sure you are so much better than everyone else in every way. Jeez.

Greg | 2/19/2009, 3:11 pm EST

taking the metaphor of a rock and roll band as a rollercoaster, it might be a little misleading to say that a once-defunct band may “ride again” i.e., play again. I’m just saying. Please don’t beat me, anonymous. ill make sure it dont happen again, massa.

Anonymous | 2/19/2009, 4:01 pm EST

Greg,

If you took even the fraction of a second to read the FULL headline, “Led Zeppelin Roller Coaster May Ride Again: Hard Rock Park Rescued By New Owners”…. we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

You only partially read it. No excuses.

You lose.

Mhmm | 2/19/2009, 6:16 pm EST

Am I the only one excited that the park is reopening?

Anonymous | 2/19/2009, 7:03 pm EST

I was contemplating a trip to Myrtle Beach, and to the park last Christmas, before I found out that the park had closed.

Hopefully, if they are still open this summer, I’ll make another attempt to go.

Red | 2/20/2009, 9:41 am EST

So in effect, Anonymous, after Greg answered your question, it still wasn’t good enough. What a stinkhole douchebag you are. When are you moving out of your parents’ basement and putting up your Dungeons and Dragons stuff on eBay?

DeadFace | 2/20/2009, 7:44 pm EST

on the home age, it was a picture oh Robert Plant, saying the roller coaster may ride again, which I took as meaning the ups and dows often referred to a band on tour.

And here, it’s an actual freakin’ roller coaster.

So, Anonymous, what part don’t YOU understand? The headline, once INSIDe, says it’s at a theme park. Not so on the homepage.

Anonymous | 2/20/2009, 8:23 pm EST

DeadFace,

The full headline was available on the homepage, which linked to this page.

Sorry, your excuse doesn’t fly, and your stupidity keeps growing.

um... | 4/20/2009, 9:49 pm EST

dudee! im going to myrtle beach the second week of may! is NOTHING gonna be opened?!
sheeshhh. ):

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