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Carwardine Parks is an amusement parks & leisure property company headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, U.S., and founded in 1980 by it's CEO Christopher R. Carwardine. It is currently a subsidiary of Brazilian conglomerate Grupo Wágner, it had been owned by The Mills Corporation from 1998 to 2007 when it was sold to Grupo Wágner as Mills became apart of Simon Property Group.
Carwardine, aside from building it's own parks such as Carwardine Colony and The World of Redwall, has been known for buying & turning around struggling theme parks. Christopher's 2016 biography reflects this, titled "Resurrecting America's Theme Parks" and featuring anecdotes and other stories regarding the company's projects and acquisitions.
History
The first park, Carwardine Colony, was planned in the mid-to-late-1970s by regional real estate mogul Christopher R. Carwardine after he bought a disused landfill known locally as the "Trash Heap from Hell". During the oil crisis, Christopher decided to add the focus of a large theme park that wasn't far away from the beaches of Virginia.
After the success of the first park, the company was founded in August of 1980.
In 1995, Jeffery Katzenberg, after being fired from Disney, was made Chairman and President to reinvigorate the company. He was resigned in 2002 due to a reorganization in the company.
During the Mills Corporation's ownership of Carwardine Parks, they added in some parks some non-anchor stores that were normally found inside malls to some of the parks. They also made the PBS Kids Neighborhood brand the kids area of most Carwardine Parks in the United States.
Mobile cameras on rides without a permit from the Carwardine Video Program were banned in 2000, as CVP members (among them: Theme Park Review, TUBERIDES, CoasterForce, Coaster Studios, Koaster Kids, etc.) have to follow a strict set of rules (1. You must have a wrist attachment. 2. Waterproof cameras required for waterpark use. 3. Camera glasses are allowed. 4. Spy cameras are banned. 5. You must pay $10 a year for the Video Program), however, in 2011 the ban was relaxed for people with mobile phones on select attractions (Train rides, Coasters that are below 100ft and don't go upside down, and all floored Enterprises/Rangers (The floorless variants still ban phones, due to a lack of a cage).
Licenses In The Parks
Current
- The Andy Griffith Show & Mayberry R.F.D. (since 1993)
- Angelina Ballerina (since 2003)
- Animorphs (since 1998)
- Alvin and the Chipmunks (since 2000; bought the licenses from Premier Parks, since Six Flags won't use the license)
- Barney & Friends (since 2003; license shared with Universal Parks & Resorts)
- Blazing Dragons (since 1997)
- Care Bears (since 1987)
- Devo (since 2005)
- Dragon Tales (since 2003)
- Doctor Who (since 2006)
- Eckhart (since 2003)
- El Chavo (since 2016)
- Franklin (since 2000)
- Garfield (since 1997; license shared with Silverwood Theme Park)
- The Get Along Gang (since 1987)
- Goosebumps (since 1996)
- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (since 1993)
- Guardians of Ga'Hoole (since 2013)
- Hi-5 (since 2003)
- Homestar Runner (since 2017)
- Inspector Gadget (since 1986)
- LazyTown (since 2004)
- Little Bear (since 2000)
- Li'l Abner (since 1994) (Current at Dogpatch USA; Semi-Current at all other parks)
- Matlock (since 1993)
- Mega Man (since 1995)
- Minecraft (since 2012; Licenses bought from Notch himself back in September 2011)
- Mole Miner (since 2003)
- Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend (since 1999)
- NFL (since 2017; US parks only)
- Nickelodeon properties (since 2002; license shared with Triple Five Group, Village Roadshow Theme Parks, Universal Parks & Resorts, Sunway Group, and Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
- Nintendo (since 1990; licenses now halved by both Carwardine and Universal, meaning that they both have licenses to Nintendo, but can't have the same attractions)
- Pee-wee Herman (since 2011)
- Power Rangers (1995-2002; since 2013)
- The Raccoons (since 2001; license shared with Six Flags for Six Flags Winnipeg)
- The Red Green Show (since 2000)
- Redwall (since 2000; license shared with the following companies: Renald-Zanni Entertainment & The Redwall Abbey Company Ltd. for live shows and character appearances at independent parks such as York's Wild Kingdom and Arnolds Park Amusement Park; Six Flags for Six Flags El Kadsre, Six Flags Taiwan, and Six Flags Bahamas; and the owners of Charlesburg Lake Park)
- Richard Scarry (since 1990)
- ROBLOX (since 2017)
- Transformers (since 1986; license shared with Universal Parks & Resorts; Carwardine is mostly restricted to using elements from G1 due to Universal using elements from the movies)
- The Rock-afire Explosion (since 1990)
- Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat (since 2003)
- Sailor Moon (since 2018)
- The Secret of NIMH (since 1995)
- Shining Time Station/Thomas and Friends (1994-2007 in all parks, since 2019 in some parks; license shared with Kennywood Entertainment Company and Edaville Family Theme Park)
- Silverwing (since 2003)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (since 1995)
- Team Fortress 2 (since 2012)
- The Three Stooges (since 1992)
- Toad Patrol (since 2003)
- VeggieTales (since 1998)
- Warrior Cats (since 2009; license shared with Renald-Zanni Entertainment for live shows and character appearances at independent parks such as York's Wild Kingdom and Arnolds Park Amusement Park)
- Watership Down (since 2000)
- Wings of Fire (since 2018)
- The Wiggles (since 2013)
Semi-Current
These licenses don't have their own lands or attractions anymore, but the characters still wander around the park, appear in parades, have stage shows, and have meet & greet areas.
- All Dogs Go to Heaven (since 1995)
- Anatole (since 2000)
- Big Bad Beetleborgs (1997-2002; since 2013)
- Heathcliff & The Catillac Cats (since 1986)
- McDonald's/McDonaldland (since 1989, mostly just the main characters of the franchise, but Mac Tonight did appear as an animatronic in Mayberry USA until a 2002 renovation that made the restaurant more "hometown", Freestyle Adventure City has a Mac Tonight animatronic in their McDonald's, which is a hand me down from a McDonald's in Atlanta licensed out to the Carwardine family)
- Mortal Kombat (since 1996)
- Noddy (since 1998)
- Simsala Grimm (since 2004)
- Strawberry Shortcake (since 1987)
- Wunderkind Little Amadeus (since 2009)
Former
- American Eagle Outfitters (2006-2011; AEO operated stores in some parks before closing the in park American Eagle and 77 Kids stores due to the stores being under performing and that resulted in American Eagle Outfitters terminating their licensing agreement with Carwardine)
- DreamWorks (1995-2007; lost the rights due to Grupo Wagner buying out the parks)
- LEGO (1995-2005; gradually toned down their usage of the license following Legoland California's opening before losing the licensing rights after Merlin Entertainments bought the Legoland chain)
- Marvel Comics (1993-1998; lost the licensing rights to Universal Studios in 1998)
- Masked Rider (1995-2002)
- Neale Godfrey's Money Town (1996-1999)
- PBS Kids (1999-2007; lost the licensing rights due to various disagreements)
- Sesame Street (1989-2007; license shared with Anheuser-Busch; lost the licensing rights along with those for PBS Kids due to various disagreements)
- The Simpsons (1990-2007; licenses lost to Universal Studios)
- Tony Hawk (2000-2006; lost the licensing rights to Six Flags)
- Toys "R" Us (2001-2017; lost the licensing right due to the store chain's bankruptcy, TRU Kids and Carwardine Parks may come back together if they both survive the coronavirus with at least $10 a share)
- VR Troopers (1995-2002)
Canceled
- Hard Rock Cafe (was going to be used at Freestyle Adventure City, but the plans ended up being canceled due to a disagreement between Carwardine and the Seminole Tribe of Florida)
Properties
Current theme parks
| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes | CWID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Park & New Jersey's Backyard | Vernon Township, New Jersey, U.S. | 1978 | 2016 | Purchase price $17M. Purchased from the Mulvihil Family. | |
| Akron Acres | Akron, Ohio, U.S. | 1924 | 1990 | Often bundled together with Geauga Lake. Purchase Price $6M. | AA10 |
| Alabama's Backyard | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | 1995 | 2002 | Purchase price $20M. | |
| Alaska Frontier Park | Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. | 1995 | - | New-build indoor theme park. Formerly known as "Marvel Frontier Park" [1995-1998]. | FP19 |
| Albuquerque Adventure City | Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. | 1998 | - | New-build theme park. | AA22 |
| Andy Griffith's Mayberry U.S.A. | Warren County, North Carolina, U.S. | 1993 | - | New-build theme park | MU15 |
| Arizona's Backyard | Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S. | 1995 | 2000 | Bought from TechEruo, formerly TechEruo's Blazing Acres. Purchased for $10M. | |
| AstroWorld | Houston, Texas, U.S. | 1968 | 2006 | Purchase price $20M. | |
| Billings' Wild Kingdom | Billings, Montana, U.S. | 1940 | 1982 | Purchase price $4M. | WK4 |
| Brilliance Port | Beaufort, North Carolina, U.S. | 1972 | 1999 | Purchase price $15M. | BP25 |
| Boblo Island Amusement Park | Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada | 1898 | 1993 | Purchase price $14M. | BI16 |
| Boston Funplex | Boston, Masachusetts, U.S. | 1999 | 2011 | Purchase price $13M. Indoor theme park similar to the annual I-X Indoor Amusement Park event in Ohio. | |
| Canada's Adventure City | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 1964 | 1985 | Purchase price approx. $8M. | AA5 |
| Canada's Opryland | Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada | 1985 | 1996 | Purchase price $5M | CO20 |
| Capital Adventure Acres | Washington, D.C., U.S. | 1999 | - | New-build theme park | |
| Carwardine Colony | Newport News, Virginia, U.S. | 1980 | - | New-build theme park. Flagship park of the chain. | CC1 |
| Carwardine's Adventure Acres | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 1988 | - | New-build theme park. First park in the chain to use the "Adventure Acres" moniker. Often credited as being America's first indoor amusement park. | AA8 |
| Celebration City | Branson, Missouri, U.S. | 2003 | 2010 | Purchase price $2M. | |
| Centerpoint Park | Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada | 1969 | 1993 | Described as "Niagara Falls' Coney Island" and as a New York counterpart to Boblo Island. Often bundled together with Darien Lake. Purchase price $1M. | CP17 |
| Cherokee Park | Qualla Boundary, Cherokee, North Carolina, U.S. | 2003 | - | New-build theme park. Co-owned with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. | |
| Chippewa Lake Park | Chippewa Lake, Ohio, U.S. | 1878 | 1982 | First park purchased by Carwardine. Purchase price $900,000, only park bought by the company that costed less than a million dollars to buy. | CL5 |
| Colorado Canyon | Evergreen, Colorado, U.S. | 1999 | - | New-build theme park. Replacement for the original Colorado Canyon. | |
| Darien Lake | Darien Center, New York, U.S. | 1981 | 2007 | Purchased as part of a package deal with Six Flags. | |
| Disney-Carwardine Studios Minneapolis | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | 1991 | - | New-build theme park. Owned in part with Disney. | DC14 |
| Dogpatch USA | Marble Falls, Arkansas, U.S. | 1968 | 2019 | Carwardine had previously leased the park from and operated it on behalf of Ford Carr (1994-2005), Pruett Nance (2005-2014), and Bud Pelsor (2014-2019) before buying it outright in 2019. Purchase price $6M. | |
| Durango Park | El Paso, Texas, U.S. | 2015 | - | New-build theme park | |
| Dylan Park & Redwall Abbey | Burlington, New Jersey, U.S. | 1918 | 1993 | Purchase price $20M. | DP18 |
| Entertainment Park Down Under | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 1986 | - | New-build theme park, formerly known as Adventure City Down Under until 2012 when a dispute from Grupo Wagner made the park change name. | EP7 |
| Freestyle Adventure Acres | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S. | 2008 | 2010 | Purchase price $17M. | |
| Screamin' Safari | Angola, Indiana, U.S. | 1956 | 2009 | Purchase Price $4M. Formerly known as Fun Spot Amusement Park & Zoo. | |
| Geauga Lake | Geauga County, Ohio, U.S. | 1887 | 2007 | Purchase price $15M. | |
| Great Escape | Queensbury, New York, U.S. | 1954 | 2007 | Purchased as part of a package deal with Six Flags. | |
| Hawaii Luna Park | Wahiawa, Hawaii, U.S. | 1950 | 1989 | Purchase price $17M. | LP9 |
| Henlopen Playland | Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, U.S. | 1925 | 1998 | Purchase price $19M. | HP23 |
| Holy Land Park | Roswell, Georgia, U.S. | 2008 | - | New-build theme park. Only religious-themed park owned by Carwardine. | |
| Joyland Amusement Park | Wichita, Kansas, U.S. | 1949 | 2007 | Purchase price $17M. | |
| Kid's World | Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. | 1990 | - | New-build theme park. Replacement of the original Kid's World, but is located mostly on the replacement pier to allow space for Pier Village | KW11 |
| La Cité Incroyable | Saint-Alban, Quebec, Canada | 1979 | 2001 | Purchase price $16M. | |
| Louisiana Jazzland | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | 2000 (original) 2018 (reopening) | 2015 | Purchase price $1M. Technically "bought" for $10M, but TechEruo's sponsorship made TechEruo pay $9M of the cost. | |
| Maple Leaf Playland | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | 1985 | 2001 | Purchase price $11M. | |
| Mount Amazement | Great Barrington, Massachusetts, U.S. | 2003 | - | New-build theme park | |
| New Mexico's Backyard | Roswell, New Mexico, U.S. | 2003 | - | New-build theme park | |
| New Roseland Park | Canandaigua, New York U.S. | 2000 | - | New-build theme park | |
| Omaha Luna Park | Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | 1916 | 1998 | Purchase price $20M. | LP24 |
| Opryland | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | 2003 | - | New-build theme park. Not to be confused with the original park | |
| Parque Aventura de México | Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico | 1999 | - | New-build theme park. | |
| Phelworth Mining Site USA | Sturbridge, Massachusetts, U.S. | 2005 | - | New-build theme park | |
| Rose Island | Charlestown, Indiana, U.S. | 1981 | - | New-build theme park, situated on the site of the original Rose Island on Fourteen Mile Creek. The site is currenly leased from Clark County and is part of Charlestown State Park. | RI2 |
| Rose Park | Thomasville, Georgia, U.S. | 1927 | 1983 | Purchase price approx. $20M. | RP4 |
| Saudi Springs | 1984 | 2003 | Purchase price $2M. | ||
| Stoogeland Theem Park | Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S. | 1992 | - | New-build theme park. | ST15 |
| Tijuana's Adventure Acres - Ciudad de Aventura Tijuana | Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico | 1997 | - | New-build theme park. | TA21 |
| Utah's Backyard | Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. | 2013 | - | New-build theme park. | |
| Warriors Woods | Rome, Georgia, U.S. | 2017 | - | New-build theme park. | |
| The World of Watership Down | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | 2005 | - | New-build theme park. | |
| Whalom Park | Lunenburg, Massachusetts, U.S. | 1893 | 2001 | Purchase price $8M. | |
| Williams Grove Amusement Park | Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania | 1850 | 2007 | Purchase Price $7M. | |
| The World of Redwall | Austin, Texas, U.S. | 2004 | - | New-build theme park. | |
| World of Redwall Europe | Liverpool, England, U.K. | 2015 | - | New-build theme park. First Carwardine park in the United Kingdom. | |
| Zábava Park | Nitra, Slovakia | 1959 | 1990 | Purchased for US$5M from the Czechoslovakian government. | ZP12 |
Current Water Parks
Does not include water parks located in amusement parks
| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Springs Indoor Waterpark | Anchorage, Alaska | 2005 | - | New-build waterpark. Near Alaska Frontier Park. |
| Blazing Springs | Flagstaff, Arizona | 1996 | 2000 | Bought from TechEruo in 2000, formerly TechEruo's Blazing Springs |
| Stoogeland Nitwit Springs | Nashua, New Hampshire | 2008 | - | New-build water park. Located on the same property as Stoogeland Theem Park. |
Current Fairs
- FairCon - traveling fair
Current Venues
- Maestro Stadium - Stadium in Newport News, opened 1991.
Current other properties
- Jeepers! (Carwardine Park) - A family entertainment center chain, revived in 2011.
Upcoming Parks
- Montreal's Adventure City (Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, Canada - to open in TBA Summer 2020, originally planned to open May 3rd)
Former Cruise Ships
The cruise line was discontinued in 2020 due to Coronavirus concerns, all of the roller coasters are sitting in the abandoned parking lot behind The World of Watership Down and will be auctioned off April 5th, 2020. Carwardine has expressed interest in restarting cruise line operations once the pandemic has passed, though with entirely new ships called "neo *greek letter*" (ex. Carwardine neoAlpha), as the majority of the old ships (except for Alpha, Kappa, Omega, Iota, and Zeta - which are being stored awaiting further decisions by Carwardine) are currently up for sale.
- Carwardine Alpha (built in 1990, first cruise ship made by Carwardine Parks)
- Carwardine Beta (built in 1991) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Gamma (built in 1992) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Delta (built in 1993) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Epsilon (built in 1993) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Zeta (built in 1994)
- Carwardine Eta (built in 1994) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Theta (built in 1995) [now owned by Majestic International Cruises]
- Carwardine Iota (built in 1995)
- Carwardine Kappa (built in 1995)
- Carwardine Lambda (built in 1996) [now owned by Princess Cruise Lines]
- Carwardine Mu (built in 1996) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Nu (built in 1996) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Xi (built in 1996) [now owned by Cruise & Maritime Voyages]
- Carwardine Omicron (built in 1997) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Pi (built in 1998) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Rho (bult in 1999) [now owned by Oceania Cruises]
- Carwardine Sigma (built in 2000) [now owned by Cruise & Maritime Voyages]
- Carwardine Tau (built in 2000) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Upsilon (built in 2001) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Phi (built in 2001) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Chi (built in 2001) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Psi (built in 2001) [up for sale]
- Carwardine Omega (built in 2001)
Former theme parks
- Canada's Adventure (1983-1985; sold to Funtime Parks, Inc.; now owned by Cedar Fair)
- Colorado Canyon (1985) - Destroyed in a landslide in 1998, replaced with a new park with the same name in 2000 after 1 and a half years of construction.(Former ID: CC6)
- Kennywood (1990-2006; spun off in 2007) [Former ID: KW13]
Former other properties
Restaurant franchises in the parks
Most of the parks have one of these restaurant franchises. The soft drink brand who's products are served depends on the park (most Carwardine Parks serve Pepsi, others serve Coca-Cola: this is because Carwardine's soda contract is with Pepsi, however some of their acquired parks still serve Coca-Cola and run under their contract)
- Burger King (at Geauga Lake and Screamin' Safari)
- NOTE: Due to exclusivity rights, the Burger King at Geauga Lake is the only known location to serve Pepsi products instead of Coca-Cola. The standard Coca-Cola Freestyle machine is substituted with a Pepsi Spire, and the only drink from other locations that is kept is ICEE.
- Carvel Ice Cream (at Carwardine Colony and AstroWorld)
- Chick-Fil-A (at Whalom Park and Alabama's Backyard)
- Cinnabon (at most locations)
- Dairy Queen & Orange Julius (at most locations)
- Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (at some locations)
- Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins (at some locations)
- Insomnia Cookies (at some locations)
- Krispy Kreme (at some locations)
- KFC (at some locations)
- Lee's Sandwiches (at AstroWorld and The World of Redwall)
- McDonald's (at some locations)
- NOTE: Due to exclusivity rights, the McDonald's branches at Carwardine Colony, Freestyle Adventure City, Andy Griffith's Mayberry U.S.A. and Omaha Luna Park are among the few to serve Pepsi products instead of Coca-Cola, the others being in airports and formerly at the Mall of America.
- Nestlé Toll House Café (at some locations)
- Pizza Hut Express (at most locations)
- Popeye's (at Louisiana Jazzland)
- Pollo Campero (at Andy Griffith's Mayberry U.S.A. and Omaha Luna Park)
- Roy Rogers (at Chippewa Lake Park, Boston Funplex, and Darien Lake)
- Taco Bell (at some locations)
- Taco Bell Express (at some locations)
- Tim Hortons (at some locations)
- Subway (all locations)
- Starbucks (at Carwardine Colony, Capital Adventure City, Rose Park, and Geauga Lake)
Passports
- S-P Passport (Season Passes)
- Q-X Passport (Fast Passes)
- P-T Passport (Photo Passes)
- D-N Passport (Dining Passes)
- V-I Passport (VIP Passes)
- L-T Passport (Lifetime Passes; only given out occasionally, once in a Nintendo Power contest in 1993, second time given to "Lasso Jockey" Louie Manson for riding Lasso at Carwardine Colony 10,000 times in 2000, the third time in 2005 for the 25th anniversary contest, the fourth time was given to Patty Rappach (formerly known as Richard Sal Rappach) in 2008 for riding Special Delivery at Omaha Luna Park 5,000 times, and the fifth time given in 2013 to Troy A. Vincent for riding Bobsled Run at Akron Acres 12,000 times)
- M-B Passport (Membership Passes)
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