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[Junior]

I've discussed Libertyland in Memphis in a few threads on SDCFans.com in the past, but just found out yesterday, Libertyland has been closed for over 4 years. The park is most famous as the place Elvis Presley used to go...he'd rent the entire park overnight and he and the Memphis Mafia would go spend hours riding the woodie out there...the "Zippin Pippin." The park has been stripped and everything sold off or removed to different places. The little corner of the Mid South Fairgrounds it sat on was made into a parking lot, I think. Go to Wikipedia and type in Libertyland and you'll get a discription of the park and what was there. It was a nice little day trip park.

[Junior]

At the bottom of the Libertyland entry on Wikipedia is a link to a site "Remember Libertyland-A Libertyland Tribute Site" and it has several nice pictures of the park after it closed, and shows the dismantling of the Zippin Pippin.

[rubedugans]

But The Green Bay City Council-Wisconson did buy The Zippin Pippin, or at least what was salvagable-The rails/tracks- as much as possibe. It is to be opened at Bay Beach Amusement Park by May 2011. Being originally built in 1912, and being neglected since 2005 has caused much damage. 

[Junior]

I was glad to see it was being refurbished and used again...oldest woodie in the country...that's pretty good.

[rubedugans]

It is a bit like the touring rock bands that have 1-2 original members, are they still the SAME band from 20 years ago?

I love that it is being used don't get me wrong, I am just playing devil's advocate in that it won't be the original, however it will still call itself the oldest I think just because it is using some original parts!

[biscuitcreek]

I lived in Memphis from 1985 - 1998 and never went to Libertyland other than during the Mid-South Fair every year.  Libertyland admission fees were never enough to support the park, and the City Council never fully funded it, either.  Although I've enjoyed roller coasters at many parks, I never rode the Zippin' Pippin -- my loss.  Not only is Libertyland gone but the Mid-South Fair is no longer held in Memphis.  The Fairgrounds is supposed to be redeveloped into something -- if the Memphis politicians can ever agree on what that something is.