Very cool video. Sad how much it seemed like she wanted to make it work and just couldn't.

I feel so sad for that woman. She believed in and seemed to have an emotional attachment to this park. Very sad end.

As someone who lives in Maggie Valley, it’s always so eerie to drive by the parking lot everyday and just see the roller coaster barely peeking out over the mountain. It’s crazy to see a park that I went to as a kid now rotting and lifeless.

I'm 58 years old and can fondly remember visiting Ghost Town as a child with my family. Back in those days every families car displayed bumper stickers of all the tourist places visited and almost every car had a Ghost Town sticker on the rear bumper.

I grew up in East Tennessee in the 90s and the nonstop commercials for Ghost Town are legendary. But we never went as we had Dollywood - which was probably the nail in the coffin for Ghost Town as Dollywood expanded like crazy as this place withered away.

That woman who owned the park had so much determination to bring back Ghost Town in the sky, I'm really sad to see my childhood park in a condition like this :(. I lived in North Carolina from 1988-2003, I moved from Minnesota in 1987 when I was 3, and my parents decided to take a road trip for about six months, exploring the country. I moved into North Carolina around late 1988, two years later (mark we spent a lot more time than six months traveling) and lived in Charlotte for the duration of the time. I lived in Charlotte and visited Maggie Valley during my breaks, where I found that legendary theme park in the sky. I'd always love to take my friends from the city to Maggie Valley to experience the Ghost town in the sky. They loved the park and would always beg me to take them again. As time passed I moved on to high school in 1999, things really changed for me. One, I went on trips less often, and two, my friends didn't ask me to take them anymore. I guess they took their seperate paths. In 2001 I met the love of my life in high school and decided to take her to Ghost town in the sky as one of our trips. Everything was just as how it looked back when I was a child. Unfourtunatly there wern't as many guests as there were when I was a little child. Our first ride was the famous roller coaster that started with a drop at the beginning. the park attendant let us ride Red Devil (or known as the famous looping roller coaster) as much as we could without stopping through the loading zone since there was no line. Best roller coaster experience of my life. I do remember trying to buy another pass for the next year but I forgot to so I never did... In 2003 I decided to come back to the theme park after my graduation just one more time before I headed to College in California. When I arrived in Maggie Valley things were much more different than they were back in the day. I parked at the parking lot that held the guests for Ghost town, and when I got out of my car I saw that the cable car chairs had been removed, the grass was overgrowing the area. I decided to head to the main road, which was Rich cove road, but the road was blocked so I decided to go to the local folks to ask them what had happened to the famous theme park, Ghost Town In the Sky. The only person that could tell me about this was this young fellow, I long to forget his name, found him in a gas station nearby, told me that the park closed down for good just a year ago, the road has been blocked off, and no word has ever been said ever since... Here I am, in 2022, watching these documentaries about my amazing experience with Ghost town in the sky. I really hope they fix the theme park and put it back into operation, I'm very sad to see my childhood dream in a state like this. Thanks for reading my story. -Waffles

One of my fondest memories with my wife (R.I.P.) was our trip to Ghost Town in the sky. It was a wonderful weekend for sure. Shame it is no longer letting others make memories. -Larry

Funny story... the ghost town entrance is where I began my monthly curse and my mom bought my first sanitary napkin in the gift shop. I was mortified the entire day.

It's funny hearing a British person describe a park in North Carolina.

The concept of the rollercoaster on the mountain was a great idea, especially since you didn't have to wait to go up an incline. Great video as always, really enjoy hearing about parks that many people might not know existed.

Oh hey I live here! Theres actually talk of reopening it yet again in April 2019 as ghost town. It was one of my favorite places ever to go as kid, my dream was actually to be a can-can dancer when I grew up because of there.

I live in a town called Asheville about 45 minutes away. Ghost Town in the sky is right near the entrance to a local ski resort called Catalooche and it’s always been sad seeing ghost town and it’s chairlift sit derelict year after year.

I went to Ghost Town in the Sky as a young child, like maybe 7 or 10. Hard to remember exactly. I rode the chairlift. We saw the cowboy shoot out and I got frightened. This part of North Carolina had a few famous theme parks. The Land of Oz is not far. I went there too, as a child. that place really has some tall tails told about it. Tweetsie Railroad, probably the most successful. Ghost Town in the Sky was unique. It brings memories of my Dad and he was always awesome. The guns were loud and scared me, but Dad got down and we sat on the ground and he reassured me. I was very young but I remember seeing how he was not scared, so I wanted to be strong too. So I faked it, and pretended I was Dad. I just did what he did. I guess it was sort of a life lesson. I was a child. Now I am 50. Dad passed away in Oct. Ghost Town in the Sky is a really happy, great memory for me. Thanks for the video.

I went there with my dad back in the summer of 1988 when we were in the area for a family reunion. It made for a fun day. I remember the staff were clearly trained to ask everyone where they were from, and when we said New York state, they'd all make fun of us for being Yankee city slickers, but it was all in good fun. It was all completely functional at that point, and I remember the shoot outs. The old west theme was kitchy even then, but it worked somehow. I remember eating baked beans for lunch and then trying very, very hard not to barf them up after a few rides. The video is spot on - because it was on that ridge, the rides flung you over the edge, which made it scarier/more fun. I feel like there used to be more regional theme parks like that in the US, and at some point in the past 20 years, the industry went through this 'go big or go home' phase where it's fewer bigger parks.

I visited Ghost Town many times as a kid. My parents met at ghost town while in high school and have been married since. Even my grandpa worked at ghost town for a season after he had retired. It’s a shame to see the park still abandoned every time I visit.

Ghost Town was always a part of my childhood. I loved the chair lift, and the cable cars. The street shoot out always scared me. One Summer the special guest was Jerry Mathers....The Beaver. I have somewhere in a box pictures that my mom took of us getting autographed picture. I need to find those and post them. The candy, the gift shop and shhhhh, dont tell my mom, but i would "sneak" into the saloon and watch the Can Can girls. I thought i was being sly. Was up that way October '18 and rode thru the parking lot. So much about the area has changed. Stayed at Jonathan Creek Inn and ate breakfast every morning at Joey's Pancakes. I'm almost 60 yo and still making memories to add to my childhood.

The idea of a park on top of a hill though... thats awesome, would love to ride the coaster there.

I remember visiting as a child in the mid 1960s with my parents and two brothers. Saw the shootout, the can-can dancers, and FRED KIRBY! He had a cowboy show on Sundays in Charlotte back in the day. What a day we had in Ghost Town. This video brought back great memories of my childhood. What a terrible shame I can’t take my grandkids there.

I was blessed to have got to go there forty years ago as a kid great memories wish it would open again it was so cool back in the day.

my father inlaw saw burt reynolds performing as a cowboy at ghost town, way back before he became famous

As a kid I almost fell out of the coaster as it went through the loop. My dad had to grab me and shove me back into my seat.

I lived in Maggie valley my family owned the mountain joy cottages across the road from it ..... the people who run that town wanted ghost town the fail ..... they caused my family to lose over 1 million dollars in money cause of the ghost town issue .... Dolly Parton offered to buy it and make it perfect ... and they told her she would have to widen all the roads and build more roads to the park due to the traffic it would cause the people who run that town are old assholes who would rather the town suck then to grow finally moved out about two years ago due to the dying town but wow it’s messed up that people were all affected by this choice not just ghost town ... and luckily my family has other businesses but some people’s entire life’s are in there

I feel like they sealed their fate when they named it ghost town.

I live so close to this park. It was so sad to see it gone. I remember Silver Dollar City. Thank you for the video very cool.

"I hope that I can make them happy." Alaska Presley seems so genuine and nice. I hope shes doing well and thriving after this.

I've been to Ghost Town in the Sky several times as a teenager & young Adult, in the 70's & mid 80's. Was so much fun, i miss it. I'm 63 years old now.

I went here as a child, my father a profound history buff insisted. I’m very sad to see what has happened to such a fond part of my childhood memory. This was in the early 90s and the park was flourishing. I’ll never forget riding the swinging boat with my mother who is terribly afraid of heights. Back and forth over or right to the side of the edge of the mountain, each time it swung she grasped my brother & my arms literally pinching us as she screamed, we laughed. I have old photos on each and every prop in the park.

I went here all the time when I was a kid. The roller coaster was so shoddy it stopped suddenly and my head slammed into the front of the cart. Good times.

Really appreciate the fact that you link footage credit, i really love the history alot but also wanna check out exploring videos sometimes.

Always a fun place, loved going here with my family. . . Ghost Town in the Sky & Santa Land were always on our list when we went to the mountains!

I visited this park many times during the late 80's and early 90's. It sure is sad to see what has become of this place. My daughter had some great times there. It really was a neat place. I wish I could afford to tackle it, if for no other reason just for the memories. Hope it makes it back.

So sad to see... I have a photograph of me and my dad riding the chairlift up to Ghost Town in the Sky. I must have been about 8 or 9... They even had a stagecoach ride... Those were the days when you would get a bumper sticker attached to your car while visiting the park!!!! If I remember my dad was not happy about that...Great video/fond memories...

Very similar concept to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park! It’s interesting to see what they did wrong, and being employed at the Caverns, strive to do better. Best wishes to the elderly lady who poured so much into trying to bring it back to life.

My grandparents brought me here (and to Santa's Land in Cherokee) every summer when I was little, and I always loved it. I remember my favorite ride nearby the Red Devil coaster; it was an indoor scrambler where they'd turn off the lights when the ride started, and then turn on strobes for the duration. I think it was called The Black Widow. Another fun fact: the fiddler you see at 0:13 became hard of hearing as he got older, and every year he would turn his amps up louder. It eventually reached the point that it was deafeningly loud; many people couldn't endure more than a few minutes in that music hall. Awesome fiddle player, though!

I worked here for their short reopening in 2007. It was one of my first jobs, working in the Silver Dollar Saloon. I remember we had so much equipment that was broken and unfortunately was never fixed.

i remember me and my dad doing the blacksmith presentation in 2014 before it closed, dad is actually in the video lol sad to see the park shut down

I was there when I was a kid. They had gun fights. I’m 70 now.

We went to Ghost Town every year. It's so sad that it no longer exists. We loved it so much.

I went several times in the late 90’s. I always had a great time with my grandparents. I have so many pictures with my Grandma on the chair lift and remember shouting “all aboard” on the train.

Went there when I was a kid back in the late 80s early 90s. I have such good memories there. Still have the picture of my mother and I in the chair lift. They has a camera set up to take the photos. The shootouts were the most memorable parts for me.

I love your channel, I especially love the expedition extinct series. I have an odd obsession with amusement parks specifically abandoned ones. I've never heard of a lot of the parks you feature and I love it! It's hard for me to find videos on parks I 've never heard of.

Amazing, almost unbelievable, that an 88 year old was so driven and active in this.

I miss this place. I went when I was 2 and 6, and I loved it. It was where our family went for vacation. It’s been almost 10 years since I last went, and is very sad. I saw it last week driving to Charlotte, and was very sad. Luckily, someone bought it and plans to reopen it, but I’m not counting on it. They’ve already redone the bottom!

Man if I was rich... mhm, a mountain with rollercoasters, that's a winner!

The Marshal in the film of the gunfight is Bill Leatherwood who worked there for 39 years and performed more gunfights than anyone. He was a good man to work for rest his soul.

I went there in the late 70's with my mom (I was around 13-14). We rode the chairs up and then down later. I thought it was a pretty cool place. I've wanted to go back but life always has other plans. I went by there about a year ago and was saddened about the chair lift being gone and the train cars rusted so bad. One of my favorite pictures of my mom and dad was taken on the top of the entrance coming out of the A-frame building.

I am 55 years old. I was lucky enough to go during its good time. Still have positive memories from then. Took my kids back when they were young they enjoyed it and I got to enjoy it through them all over again. Thank you for posting this.

My family visited in the early 70s. That region was quite the theme park Mecca, with Ghost Town, Tweetsie Railroad and the Land of Oz all within reasonable driving distance of each other. The combination of walking attractions, live shows and amusement park rides made for full-on entertainment. I was barely into my teens at the time, and would probably have enjoyed it even more if I had been old enough to appreciate the cultural aspects of the place. A wonderful memory, and I do wish I could take some modern youngsters there.

I remember going here on a summer camp field trip back in 2006/2007. Literally forgot all about it until watching this. Really brought back some memories. Thank you and good job!

Such a shame. I'd love to visit such a unique place. I live in Salamanca NY. We have an old abandoned wild west ghost town theme park too. I can still see it from my back yard right now. It wasn't as large as the one referred to here but it was no less beautiful. After many years of service, it also sat abandoned till someone turned it into a high scale restaurant with cool looking empty wild west style buildings all around it. The views are spectacular. When that restaurant went out of business after decades, it was bought and turned into a high end Harley Davidson themed bar/restaurant but mismanagement saw that- that was only open a yr or 2. Now it's empty again. It's very sad. If I had the couple million to buy the property I'd have just made a unique private home and maybe put up a few cabins to rent out on the mountain.

My parents took us to Ghost Town soon after it opened in the very early 1960s. It remains one of my fondest childhood memories, My parents fell in love with Maggie Valley and we returned to vacation there a few times during my childhood. I'm very sad to see its demise and especially troubled to learn that efforts to save it were not encouraged by local officials. Still, that was a great report. Very well done. Thank you.

I went there back in the 80's as a kid. I loved going there and Tweetsy Railroad.

In 1975 I was on an eastern USA vacation for 2 weeks when I visited the park. This video is really a walk on memory lane! I stil have some super 8 film i have filmed there!

Wow I remember being there when I was 12 years old 1972, I decided to get on the swing, it swung out over Maggie Valley looking down into the valley below the cows and buffalo looked like ants I also remember loosing my shoe it came off my foot when I was on the swing, my shoe is now somewhere at the bottom of the Mountain I had so much that year.

My mom went to this park as a child and have these old photos they took there. It’s good that people take the time to talk about places like this because I would have never known about Ghost Town or that my mom went if I had never seen this video.

it was on the news again just last week (May 2018) someone has bought it and they are gonna make it more modern and open sometime in 2019

A shame what happened to it, a theme park on a mountain is quite the unique idea. Impractical but cool.

My late grandfather who worked for WLOS-TV 13 produced the advertising spots that appear at the beginning of this video. I appeared briefly on the swing ride in one of these clips, I was around 10 years old. He produced most of the local Ghost Towns ads for R.B. Colburn who was the owner for much of the life of the theme park. Thanks for sharing!!

I remember going their as a kid and having a ball. My grandparents loved taking us to places like Ghost Town, Tweetsie Railroad and other small amusement parks. I took my kids there and we were there 2 days before the chairlifts were stuck for 2 hours. We got sutck on them, but it was for only 5 or 10 minutes. I would love to hit the lottery for a couple of hundred million and be able to reopen old parks like this.

We used to go to this park in the 70s. I hadn't thought of it in years. I have some great memories of those rickety rides.

This was the best 'Expedition Extinct' yet! The footage is very evocative.

My late husband played in the Band. They were "The Mile High Boys" They played many years there. I miss him very much!

I remember as a 5 year old the cowboy shootouts and being scared as hell on that chairlift. The commercials were so fun cause it was like our own little disneyland. Great video hit me right in the nostalgia bone.

I have been there as kid back in the 80's. As my family would visit Cherokee North Carolina. I remember riding the train up the mountain. As well the ghost town.

The only realistic way this part could be reopened would be to have the entire thing torn down and rebuilt from scratch, including the chair lift (or possibly a gondola like they have at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia) and the incline railroad. The rollercoaster on the side of the mountain can be a huge drawing point, maybe even add a couple of other rides that hang over the mountain for thrill seekers, like that one ride they have in Las Vegas that hangs over the side of the building. Rebuilding the town itself would be whole new buildings and plumbing from the ground up, maybe add a functioning wooden water tower also like from the 1800s (or a modern one with an exterior that looks like an old one). Also instead of an Old West theme which is kinda weird for the East Coast, why not build an old Appalachia themed site with actual Eastern Cherokee Indian tribal stuff. Not only would that prove more realistic it would be educational for kids. Maybe even have a Civil War Weekend since those are popular in the South with many folks and that part of the State of North Carolina has interesting history regarding the War Between the States. For rides other than the ones mentioned, add some old classic fair rides like the Tilt-A-Whirl, Scrambler, Ferris Wheel, ect. Trust me when I say the old ones are the best and having them at 4,000 feet above sea level would be thrilling enough. All of this would cost a fortune and would probably take a few years to repay and start producing a real profit, but with time and effort made I believe something like this could be a big boon for whoever tried it.

Just happened upon this video today and it’s super nostalgic and incredibly sad. My grandparents took us to Ghost Town when I was around 8, which would’ve been around 1991. It was different than anything I’ve ever experienced since then and is such a fond memory for me. I was able to take my first born (she was almost a year old) in 2007 and remake and remember so much walking down those streets, seeing the can-can girls, the saloon, we even did an old timey photo with my parents while we were there. It wasn’t completely open then and unfortunately we’ve never been able to go back to any of the temporary opening since then. I’d love the opportunity to just go walk those streets one more time and see what was so special to me again.

I remember going in the 80's. Think around 85. It was one of a few places we visited in the NC mountains that year. I grew up in NC. Had to move to IL. Remember on a road trip back home I stopped my son out front to look up that mountain. It wasn't open and just looked so sad. I just thought of our family trips there over the years. Hopefully one day something is done to bring the park back.

How sad. This looks like a unique place to have a theme park. I would remove the chair lift and put the furnicular back as a means of transportation though. "Appalachia world...moonshine and mayhem!" Would be my tag line and I'd go heavy on the food selling with all American food and try to get a demonstration moonshine still going as a means of advertising and raising revenue for ride repairs.

I grew up mostly in SC, but my family went to this place once when I was a kid, probably around the late 90s or so. I remember enjoying it, especially because I really like mountains, but it definitely wasn't super busy that day. Sad to hear what became of it.

"A day is not wasted if a memory is made." Came from a card that my family and I got from the chair lift, with a photo of us. This was in the late nineties, near the end of its life, and even then it was... kind of blah. I remember seeing all kinds of signs saying that employees weren't entitled to employee discounts, which really drives home that a business is going downhill.

I went there as a child and there were lots of people there. I can't remember much, just how steep that incline was while going up to the town and going back down again. I was surprised at how loud the guns were, too, never having heard so many blanks fired in so frequent a manner. It seems like we also road a bus between the incline and the ghost town and the turns seemed really sharp but I was so small when there, I can't remember any more than that.

As a kid who grew up in Western NC, I've visited the park many times with family. It's definitely a sad story. It feels like at some point multiple systems degraded to the point that it just wasn't possible to save it without massive amounts of money, likely more than it was worth. Gained yourself a subscriber! Check out Jacob (aka the Carpetbagger)'s channel as well, as his excellent footage was featured in this video.

If I won the Powerball jackpot I'd invest in this place for a Fall season attraction. Something real scary.

When I was a kid I used to do competitive roller skating. My instructor, his wife, and partner moved to Maggie Valley in the late 80's to start an Ice Skating show at Ghost Town. They invited us to come visit and tour the park. I remember riding the Sea Dragon, probably my favorite ride... Anyway, they joked how the "Mountain Men" would come to the show and hoot 'n' holler at the scantically-clad women skaters. The park holds those memories for me, but I sadly don't think it'll ever be viable again.

My grandparents took us here everrrrryyyy summer when we were little. I wasnt sure if it were still open. Sad to see it like this... but I remember when I was little it would open and close and open and close and open and close.... it was only a matter of time. I have so many memories with my late grandpa here and a heavy emotional attachment to the park even though its way sketchy lol. Id never get on that rollercoaster now!

I totally went there as a kid (late 80's), and even still have a Ghost Town patch from the visit :)

So i finished the entire video. I remember another KZfaqr (maybe Adam the Woo) doing a video and people commented not wanting another religious theme park. In like 2014.

I spent my childhood visiting Ghost Town from the first year it was built until it's original closure. So sad for my family! I have so many pics from through the years! Thanks for doing that you do. I love to see these stories and now I have my daughter interested too!

I remember seeing their commercial repeatedly growing up and wondering who the child was having such a good time, skipping and flailing her arms. Oh if we could all be that happy! ☺

I always wanted to go to this place! I sorta did.....when my mom was pregnant with me, back in the 70's!!

Someone should open it up exactly like it is and give tours of the old town. Also with the big paranormal craze maybe do paranormal tours overnight. That has made a lot of people money. Loved this place as a child and have fond memories of it still.

As a kid in the mid 60s, our family would visit Ghost Town for family vacations. I remember one time we went and Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver) was in the street fight. My sister and I have a picture of us with him signing his picture...I remember not fully understanding how I could watch the show on TV and he be my size and then be a grown teenager there....simple minds. One of the other highlights of the mountain top town was the Saloon and the Can Can girl....swishing there dresses and whoopin and hollerin....AHHH....Memory Lane...aint it GREAT!

I remember seeing the commercial on tv as a kid and always wanted to go.

I live near Ghost Town and actually know the original owner, sadly I don't think this place will ever be reopened. It's been debated several times between my friends and I and we've even been on the Ghost Town grounds. But it's just going to be left to rot...

Apparently, this park was bought and they have plans to reopen in the spring of 2019. They plan to have multiple new attractions for the 2019 season.

I visited the park as a child around 1964. I barely remember it but my Mom still has old photos of the place. I still visit Maggie Valley occasionally, the big draw now is the casino just over the mountain in Cherokee.

As a North Carolinian I've been there many, many times. First time was in 1983 @ 3 yrs old. Still have the pictures with my grandmother on the chairlift, pictures with the actors & NA dancers, & many more memories. Hope they'll reopen it. I want to take my kids to it.

I grew up in Asheville, NC and spent a lot of my childhood at Ghost Town. On more than one occasion I have been stuck on those chairlifts! It got to the point that I stopped going and I doubt if it ever reopens that I would go.

This park always stayed in my mind after seeing adam the woo do a vid on it years ago - for sure one of the more unusual parks and one I'd have loved to visit, but I'm on the other side of the world. To be fair it was doomed without it's major rides running, and it would cost a fortune to resurrect now, which would be financial suicide given the general decline in this type of attraction's appeal. Sadly it's all VR from here on in lol

Hi my husband and I found this park while on our honeymoon in 6/94. We had a lot of fun!! We never knew it existed and we just live in Virginia. I think that maybe one reason not enough people came to visit was that it did not have the advertisement it need it. I grew up in VA but have family that we visited all over NC as I grew up and not once had I ever heard of Ghost Town in the Sky. Which after being there as an adult wish that my parents had known that it was there so my family could have visited.

Came here from an urban explorer page. Super cool to see they built it in the mountain! Riding a roller coaster on a mountain would be way cooler and scenic then any roller coaster cedar point has!

Should it re open, they could make use of the chair lift and train a bit more by adding mountain biking, alpine coaster/s and even zip lines.

It was a very cool park. I really liked it.

That roller coaster was the first i ever rode that flipped upside down. I was wanting to go back to it one day. I think i still have my conductor hat with Ghost Town stitched in red on the bill. Brings back such good memories, thank you.

I went to Ghost Town a few times as a kid in the '70's and '80's and really enjoyed it

I worked there in the early 90s, it was very unique.

I had never heard of this park very interesting!

I'll be 70 in March 2019 and I remember going there as a child. What a flashback!

I went to 'Six Gun Territory' a couple of times when I was a kid. When your video started I said hey this is like 'SGT' and was surprised when you enlightened me to the fact they were related. Thanks for the little flashback to yesteryear! Stage coach rides, steam train, Shoot- outs in the streets. Then some regulars like a mouse trap style coaster, a flume ride, etc. Yep then I remember back in the 70s or early 80s I believe I read that they sold the place to build more houses, Florida, like we need more houses. Now we need a gate. All are welcome just please leave all your blue problems you are running away from in the land you are running from. Keep up the flow of interesting history I enjoy them all and you do a fine job!

Crazy, looks like there is a new group working on it and it will re-open in 2019 😮