Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley prepares to re-open after 3-year closure

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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The Wild West-themed amusement park plans to add zip lines and be fully opened later this year. Press release here:

Maggie Valley’s Ghost Town in the Sky, one of North Carolina’s most unique amusement parks and family destinations, will re-open under new ownership after being closed for 3 years. Alaska Presley purchased this park at a bankruptcy auction this past spring. Since then, she has been working diligently on getting the park prepared for a partial opening, Phase One, projected sometime this summer.

The first phase will include the famous chairlift ride, which takes passengers 3500 feet up and back down the side of Buck Mountain, with breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains above and the valley below. Alongside the chairlift are railway tracks that in the past, hauled passengers up the Incline Railway. When the park re-opened in 2007, the Incline was not restored and hasn’t been operating since before 2002. Presley has recently purchased all the parts that are needed to get the Incline Railway running properly. Both the chairlift and incline railway debark at the second level, referred to by Ghost Town now as “Level Fun.”

Level Fun will feature some of Ghost Town’s existing kiddie rides, a museum and a restaurant. The kiddie rides are in the process of being moved from higher elevations of the park down to Level Fun.

Two zip lines are being added to Phase One at the bottom of the mountain, located to the left of chairlift as you look up the mountain from Ghost Town’s entrance. The zip lines are over 300 feet long each, one being close to 400 feet long. After the zip experience, participants will be lowered from a 45 foot-high tree house to the ground, which will be a thrill in itself.

“This is just a taste of what is to come,” says Presley. “More zip lines are planned in later stages of our development that will be like no others in the world!”

Ghost Town’s zip lines are manufactured and installed by Beanstalk Builders (www.beanstalkjourneys.com) from Morganton, NC. They have built zip lines throughout the country and are known for their safety features. Instead of using hand brakes, Beanstalk Journey’s zip lines use a “Peter Pan” landing, which means that the zip riders use their feet and walk to a complete stop on an upward slope. Beanstalk Journey’s zip lines are different than most others because children as young as 4 years old can participate.

The Phase 2 Opening includes action-packed cowboy gunfights, can-can dancing and live music from Ghost Town’s legendary Western Town. Projected to open in 2013, plans now are being made for how shuttling guests from Level Fun to Western Town.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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29 Comments

  1. Paul December 6, 2013

    Angie what you write is true…but I think you missed having fun because you were too concerned with such trivial things such as fudge shortages and cob webs. The ski lift ride is wonderful and the view is astounding…or should I say views. I was taken back to my former days in gold nugget junction in Osage beach,MO and what a great fulfillment of a childhood memory. I was like a kid again even as a 47 year old adult. If you expect a Disneyland it is not for you…but if you truly want a great day with the family…you need to go. I plan to take my kids and grand kids 2014. Just want to have fun? Relax and take time to slow down and enjoy life at GT in the sky! I live in Hot Springs, AR and don’t work for GT…just expressing my view. Vacationing should be about slowing down to capture time to enjoy the things that matter most in life…family! You’ll get it @ GT

    Reply
  2. Angie Meiggs October 22, 2013

    Dear All –
    How disappointing it is to write this message but it has to be done. We visited Ghost Town in Maggie Valley this past weekend (on Fri 18OCT) and paid $24.95 each to get in. A total of 6 adults and 2 children. We were told at the bottom that there were ‘a few rides no operational for the adults, but that the kids rides were still open and the shows and attractions were still going.’ We should have second guessed our decision at that point, but we were so excited to visit once again for the first time in many years and as a whole family. Once we got to the top, we realized the true defintion of GHOST TOWN. NO ONE was there, not even majority of the employees. At 12 noon on Friday, only 3 of the souvenir shops were open with very limited staffing; no chapel services were scheduled; no restaurants were operational; the fudge shoppe keeper wasn’t even in the shop and only 2 half pans of fudge that were several days old were available (btw…. anyone could have helped themselves to the goods because the shop wasn’t secured!!!); only 4 of the street crew/gun fighters were at work plus the martial (and they stood around in corners smoking cigarettes talking and laughing with one another); the saloon show only included 3 ladies, the piano player, and the host of the show; the bartender didn’t even have drinks on tap, just canned drinks for $2.00 each. No kiddie rides were open, even though the signs posted in the gift shop stated that there were 3 kiddie rides available that day (the operator didn’t come to work!!!) The T-shirt salesman told us that no one on the property even knew they were supposed to be open that day. They had to call their friends to come into work, IF they even showed up at all. The place was filthy! The bathrooms looked like they had not been attended to in MONTHS. There were rust and stains in all of the commodes, spider webs in the corners of the rooms (even the INSIDE bathroom), spider webs lining the staircases in the gift shop. It was the epitomy of a run down ‘has been’. Once complaining at the bottom back in the gift shop, we were informed that we got to see what was advertised and that no refunds would be given. It’s sad to see an establishment with this much history go down in shame, but I’m afraid that’s what is going to happen and very quickly.

    Reply
  3. DAVID COBURN September 7, 2013

    You may be wondering why I have made so many responce?
    My father and his company,J.Coburn,Inc are the one
    who built Ghosttowninthesky in Maggie Valley,nc-Also
    built Six-Gun territory in silver Springs,fl-Frontier-
    land in Cherokee,nc.-Two parks in pennsylvania and 1park in ST. Louis.So now I’am very familiar with them.

    Reply
    1. Paul December 6, 2013

      What was the one in St. Louis called?

      Reply
    2. Becky Pruitt March 9, 2014

      Hi, David … please contact me. Would love to “hook up” with you and Kathy again. I’m living in South Carolina. Hope to hear from you soon! Becky

      Reply
    3. Cathy Martin December 28, 2014

      what year did Ghost Town in Maggie open?

      Reply
  4. David Coburn August 2, 2013

    She will try to,but never suceed in restoreing it to it’s former glory.

    Reply
  5. Sam July 28, 2013

    I have been visiting ghost town since 1984 and some of my fondest memories were made there. In 2006 I visited, and the park had recently been re-opened but the red devil roller coaster wasn’t operational. I hope now that Ms. Presley has bought the park she will restore it to its former glory. SAM

    Reply
  6. Marla June 14, 2013

    I started going to ghost town when I was six years old .i also went to six gun territory in fl as I live there. I want to take my grand kids this summer but can’t find out if it open. Does anyone know the answer?

    Reply
    1. David Coburn August 9, 2013

      GHOSTTown IN THE SKY is open and operating under new ownership.Not as good as it once was,but SIX-GUN territory is no longer open.

      Reply
  7. Cameron Hunter April 8, 2013

    I love ghost town in the sky, but i hate from what im guessing that they got rid of the roller coaster sadness, that was always a thrill

    Reply
  8. Gary papa Smith March 13, 2013

    I can’t wait for phase two to open, I first whent to Ghost Town when I was 5 back in 1969 and have been their several times since. I want to share this with my Grandson.

    Reply
  9. leah November 30, 2012

    i love ghost town i bean there 69 times with my boyfriend , mom,mamaw and so on…

    Reply
  10. jim bost November 26, 2012

    in 1965 my dad took me to ghost town,we lived in greenville sc,about 75 miles away.i took my kids there every year until they closed in 2002 when they reopened i went back until they closed again,i heard a couple of weeks ago they had reopened this year. i will go back next year,great family fun. jim

    Reply
  11. carmen johnson September 8, 2012

    i went there as a kid in the 80s! i always looked forward to that trip with my grand parents every summer. maggie valley, ghosttown, and cherokee! i took my kids last year only to find it very much a ghost town! so sad. not even a putt putt open. we stayed in maggie valley and traveled the area. sure hope opening ghost town in the sky back up helps.

    Reply
  12. Sandy September 4, 2012

    I am so excited to bring my family there again we went there about 3 yrs ago,right before they closed again.I love to stay in Maggie Valley also.

    Reply
  13. william d brown August 27, 2012

    i vist ghost town in the 70 and love it as kid and just went back in 2007 with my kids and they love it too . my family and myself say tks 4 keeping the park open. i plan on comeing back again . i love the mountain and people there .

    Reply
  14. david August 17, 2012

    i have always wanted to go and then they closed it down but now, finally got somebody in their trying to make it great again I will be headed that was as soon as the western town gets up and going thanks again

    Reply
  15. Sherry C Stanley August 7, 2012

    Is Ghost Town in the Sky open??

    Reply
    1. Jennifer Saylor August 7, 2012

      Sherry, a look at the website seems to indicate that some parts of it are open, yes. http://www.ghostowninthesky.com/

      Reply
  16. frank July 21, 2012

    im so happy mrs. pressley is reopening ghost town. i hate to see these older parks get closed down. i have been here twice ,once in 98 and once in 2001. i used to live in florida and there was the same place there called six gun territory. i went there when i was 11 years old.

    Reply
    1. Pamela Rush August 8, 2012

      I remember six gun territory when I was a child too!!! Is this a similar park?

      Reply
      1. Jason Sandford August 8, 2012

        Yes Pam! That portion of the park isn’t quite open yet, but they’re planning to bring it back.

        Reply
      2. David Coburn August 2, 2013

        yes,it is similar but not exactly alike.It was built by the same company that built Ghosttown in maggievalley nc,Frontierland in cherokee,nc,and two parks in Pennsylvania,and one park in St.louis.Six-Gun is nolonger open.
        Hope that helps.

        Reply
      3. David Coburn August 2, 2013

        YEs,it is similar.the company,J.Coburn,inc.who built six-gun in ocala,fl.also built GhostTown in maggie valley,nc,Two parks in Pennsylvania,Frontierland in cherokee,nc.The only park remaing operational is ghosttown in maggievalley NC.

        Reply
      4. David Coburn August 9, 2013

        Yes,ghosttown and six-gun are similar.They were both built by the same company-J.Coburn,inc.

        Reply
        1. Corky Hedrick June 12, 2015

          Hi David, I don’t know if you remember me but I was a can can girls at GT when your dad owned it. I was there in the late 60″s. We are trying to locate you and your sisters to let you know we are having a reunion July 18, 2015 up at Ghost Town with all the old can can dancers and gunfighters from the late 60’s early 70’s. A few of the girls will be dancing in a show and we have a big dinner planned for that night. We would love to have you all attend if possible. I hope this reply gets to you. Thanks

          Reply

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