Carwardine Parks of Virginia, Inc., d/b/a Carwardine Parks, is an amusement parks & leisure property company headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, U.S., and founded in 1980 by its longtime CEO Christopher R. Carwardine. It had been owned by The Mills Corporation from 1998 to 2007 when it was sold to Brazilian conglomerate Grupo Wágner as Mills became apart of Simon Property Group, becoming an autonomous subsidiary of Grupo Wágner (with separate stockholders and shareholders from it's parent), before being sold into a Carwardine family trust in 2021.
Carwardine, aside from building its 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.
Contents
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 1985, the chain was deemed the "fastest growing leisure or recreation chain in the history of the United States" by experts.
In March of 1990, after the success of Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America, Carwardine has officially announced their deal with Nintendo.
In 1991, Carwardine Parks went public on the stock market.
In 1992, Dept. 2 Productions was founded in order to produce more theming and queue videos/live show videos.
In 1993, due to the sale of DiC to ABC and the foundation of Dept. 2 Productions, Carwardine's near-decade long partnership with DiC ended for domestic production on queue-tapes.
In 1995, Jeffrey 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. Also in 1995, DreamWorks SKG bought the chain from Carwardine Colony Real Estate, Inc. Immediately, several changes were made to the staff, with several Carwardine staff members, most notably Amaya Carwardine getting kicked out of many of her roles.
In 1998, the company was sold from DreamWorks to The Mills Corporation, after both Chris and Wayne complained about how "corporate" the company got.
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. Frank Oz was appointed Multimedia Director of Dept. 2 Productions to produce CyberStar-esque videos for the new live shows.
Mobile cameras on rides without a permit from the Carwardine Video Program were banned in 2000, as CVP members (among them: Theme Park Review, The Theme Park Crew, 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 in most cases. 4. Spy cameras are banned in most cases. 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).
Carwardine Parks, alongside other Carwardine properties, sold LidRock lids throughout the mid-2000’s; from early 2003 to some point in the later mid 2000’s; most likely 2007 (it is believed that LidRock went defunct around then; if so, it might have to do with the Great Recession).
In 2014, another character in their line of mascot characters, named Catsi (voiced by Suzi Sparks) was introduced, licensed from Calzados Sifrina's in Venezuela.
In 2015, Dept. 2 Productions mostly moved from Virginia Beach's Airport Executive Center into a two floor, 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) facility in the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport industrial park. Former Shen Yun performance director Lee Kisfaludi (who's defection from the organization in 2018 led him to receive the Worcester Beacon Prize for Freedom) was hired as executive director of Dept. 2 Productions in 2019, with Jeremy Vallejos retained as president of Dept. 2.
In 2020, shortly after becoming CEO, Wayne Carwardine II announced a project entitled Plan 2020 to reinvigorate the company and it's properties again (with The Old Village of Providence and Mount Amazement named as two of the parks to undergo a heavy "reinvention"). This will include the creation of a spinoff real estate investment trust to invest in amusement parks, theaters, ski resorts, sports venues, and charter schools and to sub-contract some properties' operation. The company is set to move from the NYSE to NASDAQ. They currently are "YAH" on NASDAQ and formerly on the NYSE.
After the George Floyd riots, the parks policies have been updated once again, with metal detectors added at all parks to prevent rioting occurring and stronger rules regarding derogatory comments and politics.
Recently, Carwardine has notified the California governor if that their parks aren't able to reopen by January 1, 2021, all the unopened Californian parks will be written as a tax write-off and will not possibly reopen until they get enough demand.
Carwardine has since changed their plans to sue the Californian government if they don't get the parks to open in time for Christmas. They tried to sue them, but they failed.
In 2021, Grupo Wagner sold the chain back to the Carwardine family.
On May 1, 2021, the mask requirement was removed for the Ohioan and Texan parks.
Starting on June 1, 2021, the mask requirement was removed for vaccinated people in states that are mask-optional.
After the ICON Park Drop Tower incident in March 2022, Carwardine temporarily closed all of their Funtime-built rides, including the Mario's Wingflyer rides that were refurbed by Funtime.
Licenses in the parks
Current
- The Amazing Spiez (since 2010)
- The Andy Griffith Show & Mayberry R.F.D. (since 1993)
- Angelina Ballerina (since 2003)
- Anne of Green Gables (various incarnations, including the 1979 anime series and Kevin Sullivan's Anne of Green Gables productions) (since 1989)
- 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 1994; license shared with Universal Parks & Resorts)
- Between the Lions (since 2003)
- Blazing Dragons (since 1997)
- Care Bears (since 1985)
- Dennis the Menace (US) (since 1982)
- Devo (since 2005)
- Dragon Tales (since 2003)
- Doctor Who (since 2006)
- Digimon (2000-2002, since 2015)
- Eckhart (since 2003)
- El Chavo (since 2016)
- Franklin (since 2000)
- G.I. Joe (since 1985)
- 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)
- Hip Hop Harry (since 2006)
- Homestar Runner (since 2017)
- Inspector Gadget (since 1986)
- Jim Henson properties (since 2000; license shared with Six Flags for Jim Henson's MuppetWorld)
- 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)
- MLB (since 2000; US & Canada parks only)
- The Muppets (since 2000; license shared with Six Flags for Jim Henson's MuppetWorld and Disney)
- My Little Pony (since 1985)
- Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend (since 1999)
- NFL (since 2017; US parks only; license acquired from Vista Parks)
- Nickelodeon properties (since 2002, and including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since 2009 and Winx Club since 2011; license shared with Vista Parks, 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)
- Overwatch (since 2018)
- Pee-wee Herman (since 2011)
- Pokémon (since 1998)
- Power Rangers (1994-2002; since 2013)
- The Raccoons (since 2001; license shared with Six Flags for Six Flags Winnipeg)
- Rainbow Brite (since 1984)
- 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, Universal Parks & Resorts for Universal Studios Paris, and Latikuu Edacra for Latikuu Park)
- Richard Scarry (since 1990)
- ROBLOX (since 2017)
- ThunderCats (1986-1989, since 2004)
- Transformers (since 1985; 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; license shared with Disney for Disney's Studio Park in Australia)
- Sesame Street (1989-2007, since 2020; license shared with SeaWorld Entertainment)
- The Simpsons (1990-2007, since 2021; license was lost to Universal, shared with Disney and Universal starting in 2021)
- Shining Time Station/Thomas and Friends (1994-2007, since 2011; license shared with Kennywood Entertainment Company)
- Silverwing (since 2003)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (since 1995)
- Strawberry Shortcake (since 1982)
- Team Fortress 2 (since 2012)
- Technic Heroes (since 1995)
- The Three Stooges (since 1992)
- Toad Patrol (since 2003)
- Totally Spies (since 2002)
- Undertale (since 2019)
- VeggieTales (since 1998)
- Voltron (1984-1988, since 1999)
- Warrior Cats (since 2004; 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)
- WWE (since 1986; license shared with Vista Parks)
Semi-current
These licenses don't have their own lands and/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)
- Biker Mice from Mars (since 1994)
- Big Bad Beetleborgs (1997-2002; since 2013)
- The Country Mouse and City Mouse Adventures (since 1998)
- ECW (since 1997; although the promotion and the successor WWE brand no longer exist, the ECW name is still used on occasion, such as for special appearances by former ECW talent and 90s-themed WWE special events at Carwardine Parks properties)
- Heathcliff & The Catillac Cats (since 1986)
- Horseland (since 2007; while the web game went offline in 2019, Carwardine still uses the license due to contractual obligations)
- Jollibee (since 2015; characters only seen at Carwardine Corners and Veroland thus far)
- 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)
- NHK Childrens' Properties (Peek-A-Boo and Fun Fun Studio) (since 1996)
- Noddy (since 1998)
- Simsala Grimm (since 2002)
- Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (since 2007)
- Wowser (since 1991)
- 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 in park American Eagle and 77 Kids stores being under performing which 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)
- Harry Potter (2001-2007; Warner Bros. pulled the license and gave it to Universal due to lack of revenue)
- Jeopardy! (1998-2002; manly used for the Jeopardy! Carawardine Parks Challenge shows)
- 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)
- LidRock (2003-2007(?))
- 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; Carwardine is planning to regain the license as part of Plan 2020)
- 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.)
- 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)
International
- Woody Woodpecker (2004-present) [Spain, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Greece]
Properties
Current theme parks
| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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]. |
| Albuquerque Adventure Acres | Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. | 1998 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Andy Griffith's Mayberry U.S.A. | Warren County, North Carolina, U.S. | 1993 | - | New-build theme park. |
| 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. |
| Boblo Island Amusement Park | Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada | 1898 | 1993 | Purchase price $14M. |
| 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. |
| Brilliance Port | Beaufort, North Carolina, U.S. | 1972 | 1999 | Purchase price $15M. |
| Camp Carwardine | Denton, Texas, U.S. | 1988 | - | New-build theme park. First Texan Carwardine Park built from the ground up. |
| Canada's Adventure Acres | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 1964 | 1985 | Purchase price approx. $8M. |
| Canada's Opryland | Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada | 1985 | 1996 | Purchase price $5M. |
| 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. |
| Carwardine Corners | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | 1983 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Carwardine C-Zone | Katy, Texas, U.S. | 1990 | - | New-build theme park. |
| 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. |
| Carwardine's Dubailand Adventure | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 2012 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Carwardine's Great America | Arlington, Virginia, U.S. | 1977 | 1980 | Formerly the third Marriott's Great America park. First acquired park in the Carwardine chain. |
| Carwardine's Magic Planet | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | 2003 | - | New-build theme park. |
| 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. |
| 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 | Purchase price $900,000. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| El Kadsreian Adventure Acres | Cicmpillici, El Kadsre | 1992 | - | New-build theme park. Co-owned with El TV Kadsre Television Network. |
| Entertainment Galaxy | Euclid Square Mall, Euclid, Ohio, U.S. | 2018 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Entertainment Park Down Under | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 1986 | - | New-build theme park, formerly known as Adventure Acres Down Under until 2012 when a dispute from Grupo Wagner made the park change name. |
| Freestyle Adventure Acres | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S. | 2008 | 2010 | Purchase price $17M. |
| Geauga Lake | Geauga County, Ohio, U.S. | 1887 | 2007 | Purchase price $15M. |
| Goodtimes Amusement Park | Parker, Texas, U.S. | 1956 | 1983 | Purchase price $4M. |
| 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. |
| Henlopen Playland | Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, U.S. | 1925 | 1998 | Purchase price $19M. |
| 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 |
| La Cité Incroyable | Saint-Alban, Quebec, Canada | 1979 | 2001 | Purchase price $16M. |
| Louisiana Jazzland | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | 2000 (original) 2010 (reopening) |
2008 | 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. |
| Marquette Woods Park | Marquette, Michigan, U.S. | 1920 | 1992 | Purchase price $400,000. |
| Memphisworld | Germantown, Tennessee, U.S. | 1986 | 2006 | Purchased from Six Flags. |
| Mid-American Adventure | Eureka, Missouri. U.S. | 1971 | 2021 | Purchased on April 2nd, 2021 due to the 2021 bankruptcy of Six Flags. |
| Mississippi's Backyard | Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. | 1997 | 2000 | Bought from TechEruo, formerly TechEruo's Blazing Bayou. Purchased for $10M. |
| Montreal's Adventure Acres | Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, Canada | 2020 | - | Soft-opened in 2020 with limited capacity, full opening happened 2021. |
| 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. |
| The Old Village of Providence | Scituate, Rhode Island, U.S. | 1960 | 1998 | Purchase price $1 million. Originally just a living museum depiciting life in the 1700s/1800s before Carwardine added some amusement rides and roller coasters to supplement the living museum experience. |
| Omaha Luna Park | Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | 1916 | 1998 | Purchase price $20M. |
| Opryland | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | 2003 | - | New-build theme park. Not to be confused with the original park. |
| Pacific Playland | Spokane, Washington, U.S. | 1981 | 2003 | Purchase price $7M. |
| Parque Aventura de México | Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico | 1999 | - | New-build theme park. Called "The Adventure Park of Mexico" on the English Carwardine Parks website. |
| Phelworth Mining Site USA | Sturbridge, Massachusetts, U.S. | 2005 | - | New-build theme park. |
| PortAventura | Spain | 1995 | 2004 | Purchase price $2M. |
| 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. |
| Rose Park | Thomasville, Georgia, U.S. | 1927 | 1983 | Purchase price approx. $20M. |
| Saltair-World | West Jordan, Utah, U.S. | 1990 | 1997 | Purchase price $15M. |
| Saudi Springs | Saudi Arabia | 1984 | 2003 | Purchase price $2M. |
| Screamin' Safari | Angola, Indiana, U.S. | 1956 | 2009 | Purchase price $4M. Formerly known as Fun Spot Amusement Park & Zoo. |
| Southern Springs | Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. | 1969 | 2003 | Purchase price $5M. |
| Stoogeland Theem Park | Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S. | 1992 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Tijuana's Adventure Acres - Ciudad de Aventura Tijuana | Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico | 1997 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Tokyo Carwardine Colony | Akiruno, Tokyo, Japan | 1995 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Utah's Backyard | Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. | 2013 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Veroland | Vero Beach, Florida, U.S. | 2004 | - | New-build theme park. Formerly known as "PBS Kids Neighborhood" from 2004-2007. |
| Warriors Woods | Rome, Georgia, U.S. | 2017 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Whalom Park | Lunenburg, Massachusetts, U.S. | 1893 | 2001 | Purchase price $8M. |
| Williams Grove Amusement Park | Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | 1850 | 2007 | Purchase Price $7M. Oldest park in the chain. |
| The World of Redwall | Austin, Texas, U.S. | 2004 | - | New-build theme park. |
| World of Redwall Australia | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia | 2020 | - | New-build theme park. |
| World of Redwall Europe | Halsall, Lancashire, England, U.K. | 2015 | - | New-build theme park. First Carwardine park in the United Kingdom. |
| The World of Watership Down | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | 2005 | - | New-build theme park. |
| Zábava Park | Nitra, Slovakia | 1959 | 1990 | Purchased for US$5M from the Czechoslovakian government.
|
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. |
| The Beach Waterpark | Mason, Ohio | 1985 | 2019 | Reopened in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Blazing Springs | Flagstaff, Arizona | 1996 | 2000 | Bought from TechEruo in 2000, formerly TechEruo's Blazing Springs. |
| Carwardine Canyon | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 1984 | - | Carwardine's first attempt at a waterpark, often considered the "Disneyland of Waterparks" for it's outrageous theming. |
| Discovery Waterpark | Newberry Springs, California | 1962 | 2004 | Bought from S.L. Investment Group LLC. |
| Fallsview Indoor Waterpark | Niagara Falls, Ontario | 2006 | 2020 | Bought for only $250,000 due to COVID having an economic impact on the resort.
Connected into a Carwardine Funtown Resorts & Hotels resort that will open in 2022. |
| Hawaiian Falls Ames | Ames, Iowa | 2020 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Hawaiian Falls The Colony | The Colony, Texas | 2004 | 2020 | Bought from ProParks. |
| Hawaiian Falls Garland | Garland, Texas | 2003 | 2020 | Bought from ProParks. |
| Hawaiian Falls Jasper | Jasper, Arkansas | 2020 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Hawaiian Falls Mansfield | Mansfield, Texas | 2008 | 2020 | Bought from ProParks. |
| Hawaiian Falls Roanoke | Roanoke, Texas | 2011 | 2020 | Bought from ProParks. |
| Hawaiian Falls Sebastopol | Sebastopol, California | 2021 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Hawaiian Falls Waco | Waco, Texas | 2012 | 2020 | Bought from ProParks. |
| Hawaiian Falls Weiser | Weiser, Idaho | 2020 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Hawaiian Falls Woodbury | Woodbury, Connecticut | 2020 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Oakwood Lake Resort | Manteca, California | 1974 | 2004 | Was derelict and abandoned for the entire 2003 season. |
| Schlitterbahn Arlington Heights | Arlington Heights, Illinois | 2020 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Schlitterbahn Canton | Canton, Ohio | 2021 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Schlitterbahn Cedar Park | Cedar Park, Texas | 2012 | 2019 | Bought from the Henry family. |
| Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi, Texas | 2015 | 2019 | Bought from the Henry family. |
| Schlitterbahn Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 2019 | 2019 | Bought from the Henry family. |
| Schlitterbahn Galveston | Galveston, Texas | 2006 | 2019 | Bought from the Henry family. |
| Schlitterbahn Kansas City | Kansas City, Missouri | 2009 | 2019 | Bought from the Henry family. |
| Schlitterbahn New Braunfels | New Braunfels, Texas | 1979 | 2019 | Bought from the Henry family. |
| Schlitterbahn Rolling Hills | Rolling Hills, California | 2021 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Schlitterbahn South Padre Island | South Padre Island, Texas | 2001 | 2019 | Bought from the Henry family. |
| Seven Peaks Waterpark Draper | Draper, Utah | 2022 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Seven Peaks Waterpark Midvale | Midvale, Utah | 2022 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Seven Peaks Waterpark Provo | Provo, Utah | 1990 | 2018 | Bought from Park Provo LLC. |
| Seven Peaks Waterpark Riverton | Riverton, Utah | 2022 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Seven Peaks Waterpark Salt Lake City | Salt Lake City, Utah | 1979 | 2018 | Bought from Park Provo LLC, has shuttle tram/bus rides to Utah's Backyard on some days. |
| Seven Peaks Waterpark Sandy | Sandy, Utah | 2022 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Seven Peaks Waterpark Taylorsville | Taylorsville, Utah | 2022 | - | New-build waterpark. |
| Splash Down Dunes Water Park | Porter, Indiana | 1994 | 2009 | Purchase price $2M, built on the former site of the Enchanted Forest amusement park that operated from 1957-1991. |
| Stoogeland Nitwit Springs | Nashua, New Hampshire | 2008 | - | New-build water park. Located on the same property as Stoogeland Theem Park. |
| Water Country | Portsmouth, New Hampshire | 1984 | 2010 | Bought in 2010, has shuttle tram/bus rides to Stoogeland Theem Park on some days. |
| Wet 'n Wild Las Vegas | Las Vegas, Nevada | 1985 | 2004 | Bought from Palace Entertainment. Not to be confused with the nearby Wet 'n' Wild Las Vegas in Spring Valley. |
| Wet 'n Wild Orlando | Orlando, Florida | 1977 | 2016 | Bought from Universal Parks & Resorts. |
| Wet 'n Wild Salvador | Salvador, Bahia | 1996 | 1997 | Bought from the Wet 'n Wild chain. Carwardine's first and currently only non-North American international dedicated waterpark. |
| Wild Rivers | Irvine, California | 1986 | 2011 | Bought from Mike Riedel. |
| Wild Waters | Ocala, Florida | 1978 | 2016 | Bought from the State of Florida. |
Current fairs
- FairCon - traveling fair.
Current venues
- Grafton Arena - Arena in Grafton, Virginia near Newport News, opened 2006. Home arena of the Newport News Storm of the National Hockey League. (Formerly known as Wawa Arena from its opening in 2006 until 2021, when Carwardine lost the license; since Carwardine struck a deal with Ahold Delhaize, it is soon to be renamed Food Lion Arena by the end of 2022)
- Maestro Stadium - Stadium in Newport News, opened 1991. Home stadium of the Carwardine family-owned Virginia Maestros of Major League Baseball.
- Newport News Civic Center - Arena in Newport News, opened 1995. Was the first indoor Little League venue at the time. Was the first home venue of the Newport News Storm of the National Hockey League from 2001-2003 (the team did not play during the 2004–05 NHL lockout).
Current other properties
- Carwardine Funtown Resorts & Hotels - Chain of resorts, hotels and motels, founded in 2001.
- Circus Playhouse & Food Emporium - A family entertainment center chain, acquired in 1984.
- Fantastic Tom's Pizza - A family entertainment center chain, founded in 1980. Initially a regional chain in Virginia and North Carolina before expanding nationwide in the 90s.
- Jeepers! (Carwardine Parks) - A family entertainment center chain, revived in 2011.
- Mount Tom Ski Area - Ski resort in Holyoke, Massachusetts - acquired in 2000.
- Star Plaza - Hospitality complex in Merrillville, Indiana - acquired in 2016.
- Tex Critter's Pizza Jamboree - A family entertainment center chain, acquired in 1984.
- Tokens 'n Pizza - Family entertainment center in Bedford, New Hampshire, acquired in 2002.
Upcoming parks
- CarwardineSphere (Lexington, Kentucky - to open in late 2022)
Former/Current/Upcoming cruise ships
History
Carwardine pitched partnering up with several cruise lines to use the characters they had the license to on sea, including Carnival, Royal Carribbean, Norwegian, and Cunard, the latter laughed Chris out of the deal, suggesting they make their own line of ships, Carwardine went forward and spent $15 million to build the Alpha, with the ship being built in Germany.
The cruise line was "put on hold" in 2020 due to Coronavirus concerns. Carwardine has a master plan for restarting cruise line operations once the pandemic has passed, including debuting entirely new ships called "neo *greek letter*" (ex. Carwardine neoAlpha) to accompany the existing fleet.
Fleet
- Carwardine Alpha (built in 1990, first cruise ship under by Carwardine Parks) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines] {Carwardine neoAlpha, launched December 2021}
- Carwardine Beta (built in 1991) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines] {Carwardine neoBeta, coming July 2022}
- Carwardine Gamma (built in 1992) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Delta (built in 1993) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Epsilon (built in 1993) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Zeta (built in 1994) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Eta (built in 1994) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Theta (built in 1995) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Iota (built in 1995) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Kappa (built in 1995) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Lambda (built in 1996) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Mu (built in 1996) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Nu (built in 1996) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Xi (built in 1996) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Omicron (built in 1997) [laid up in Newport, Rhode Island, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Pi (built in 1998) [spared for Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Rho (bult in 1999) [laid up in Aliağa, Turkey, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Sigma (built in 2000) [laid up in Aliağa, Turkey, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Tau (built in 2000) [laid up in Aliağa, Turkey, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Upsilon (built in 2001) [laid up in Aliağa, Turkey, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Phi (built in 2001) [laid up in Newport News, Virginia, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Chi (built in 2001) [laid up in Newport News, Virginia, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Psi (built in 2001) [laid up in Newport News, Virginia, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
- Carwardine Omega (built in 2001) [laid up in Newport News, Virginia, might become part of Carwardine Legacy Lines]
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.
- Coney Island - spun off in 2007
- Holy Land Park - (2008-2021; closed due to low attendance)
- Kennywood (1990-2006; spun off in 2007)
Former other properties
- Carwardine Mills - spun off in 2007, but the name remains
Cancelled parks
- Atlantis: The Water Kingdom (Carwardine failed to purchase the park, originally, Carwardine was going to purchase all of the slides at the park to be moved across several of their parks and then use the land for a Circus Playhouse, but that was also haulted, this time due to Hurricane Andrew, the land was later sold off in 1993.)
- Medievale Carwardine (a cancelled park themed to the Middle ages)
- Schuyler Lake (planned to be bought by the Mills Corporation's Carwardine Parks division in 1999, but Six Flags rejected the sale)
- SeaCarwardine (a cancelled park in Seattle themed to marine animals)
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).
- Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon (at most locations; there were only Cinnabons at such parks before Focus Brands bought Auntie Anne’s, then starting in 2011, Auntie Anne’s locations connected to the Cinnabons began opening)
- 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 was at first substituted with a Pepsi Spire, then a Cornelius IDC Pro a few years later, 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)
- Dairy Queen & Orange Julius (at most locations)
- Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (at some locations)
- Dippin’ Dots (all locations)
- Dippin Dots/Doc Popcorn (at some locations)
- Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins (at some locations)
- ICEE Mix It Up (all locations)
- Insomnia Cookies (at some locations)
- Jollibee (at some locations)
- Krispy Kreme (at some locations)
- KFC (at some locations)
- Lee's Sandwiches (at AstroWorld and The World of Redwall)
- Long John Silver's (at AstroWorld, Phelworth Mining Site USA and Geauga Lake)
- McDonald's (at some locations)
- NOTE: Due to exclusivity rights, the McDonald's branches at Carwardine Colony, Camp Carwardine, 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)
- Starbucks (at Carwardine Colony, Capital Adventure City, Rose Park, and Geauga Lake)
- Subway (all locations)
- Wendy’s (at Akron Acres; serves Pepsi, unlike most other locations)
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)
Trivia
- Employees are called "Carnies", similar to Disney's "Cast Members" term.
- This chain has an exclusivity deal with Pepsi, this is in contrast with most chains, who are sided with Coca-Cola instead.
- Some acquired parks still have Coca-Cola, due to the licensing deals they used to have.
