It's been nearly 25 years since Opryland U.S.A was closed, razed, and paved over to make way for Opry Mills Mall. But for many who enjoyed the theme park in it's heyday, there are memories that live on for generations. Although I'm not born and raised in Nashville, my family in north Alabama made yearly excursions to Opryland when I was a kid, and I have some of my fondest theme park memories there as well.
In the Facebook Group "Opryland Memories," thousands of former employees, parkgoers, and resident Nashvillians share their pictures, videos, and questions about the old theme park. Just a few days ago, I ran across this post from Shawn Simmons...nearly twenty minutes of home video footage from his visit to the park in 1994.
It's some of the only footage I've ever seen from inside Chaos, the indoor roller coaster. It also features footage from several rides including the Wabash Cannonball and Grizzly River Rampage, live performances from inside the park, and quick clips from several of Opryland's shops, restaurants, and attractions.
It's obviously amateur footage, but how cool is it to see some of these memories come back to life!?