Every longtime Nashvillian can agree on one thing: We were robbed when Opryland USA closed. And that it was replaced by a mall makes the sting all the worse. Who wants a mall when you can plummet through waterfalls on the Grizzly River Rampage, or go hoarse from screaming on the Wabash Cannonball?
A Brief History of Opryland USA
Opryland USA opened in 1972, becoming the first amusement park dedicated to live music. Its slogan was “Home of American Music,” and it featured live performances by Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff, and more. It opened only eight months after Disney World, and was Nashville’s top tourist destination for almost 30 years, attracting around two million people annually.
Little Margaret could have happily spent all day every day at Opryland. (Jan Kingsbury / Kingsbury family matriarch)
The Rides
If I’m being honest, I don’t really remember the music — I remember the rides. I was five when I first visited Opryland and rode my first roller coaster, a bright red contraption that went in a small circle, yet thrilled me nonetheless. I remember being jealous of my two older sisters riding the big-kid rides, though there was plenty to do for young’uns like myself.
My family frequently bought summer passes to the park, and as the years went by, I could go on more and more of the rides. My favorites involved water: Flume Zoom and Grizzly River Rampage. As a tiny 12-year-old, I was just barely tall enough to ride the Hangman when it opened in 1995. Opryland set the bar for all my other amusement park experiences.
While most of the rides are lost to time, some live on in other amusement parks around the U.S.
Suddenly, It’s Gone
Opryland USA closed in December of 1997, when Gaylord Entertainment made the surprising and sudden decision to shutter the park and build Opry Mills Mall instead. I attended that final December’s Christmas in the Park with my grandmother and cousins. It was our last chance to say goodbye to the beloved park. Gaylord executives have since admitted closing it was a mistake, especially considering the online shopping boom right around the corner.
What would Nashville be like now if it had never closed? Our current tourism industry centers bachelor/bachelorette parties and drinking, but it’s nice to remember that it wasn’t always this way. As a parent, I know exactly where we’d be every weekend: Having a blast at Opryland USA.
