A Coaster-to-Trails Conversion?
Everland, an amusement park in South Korea is home to a unique trail, the Plum Blossom Walkthrough Trail, which uses land that was once occupied by a roller coaster.
From the article "Everland unveils plum blossom trail" |
"Spanning 33,000 square meters, it is the biggest botanical garden in the park’s history. It boasts some 700 plum trees of over 11 different species, scattered among 10,000 trees and colorful plant life. The 1-kilometer trail takes 40 minutes to walk through, and the gradually ascending route offer exquisite sights along the way, as if handing out gifts one by one." (The Korea Herald)
The trail sits along the area that was one part of the Eagle Fortress, which was an Arrow Dynamics suspended coaster, built in 1992. Despite a top speed of just 40 miles per hour, it hugged the hilly terrain of the park, making for one of Asia’s most thrilling coaster experiences during its 17 year operation.
A POV of the ride is embedded below:
It was closed in 2009 after spare parts for Arrow suspended coasters became too costly to find and properly maintain the ride.
I'm not sure there are any other examples of land that once held a roller coaster being converted into a walking park, at least not in modern times. When coasters get defunct, they are almost always replaced by other coasters or attractions, or occasionally sit dormant for some time. Are there any other examples you can think of?
Thanks as always for reading!
Comments
Post a Comment