The site of the former Six Flags New Orleans looks like it could possibly see another theme park very soon. The Paidia company has made a huge proposal with much of the funding in place already. The theme park could be open within the next few years if the proposal goes through, and could surprisingly include many of the rides that are still standing in the park, including the coasters.
Theme park news guru, Screamscape, lays out exactly what’s going on and who is behind the proposal. The basic idea though, Jazzland will return to New Orleans. Jazzland was built and then bought and operated by Six Flags New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 and closed the park for good. Since then, the park has become a ghost town and has seen vandals have their way with the park, turning it into an eyesore.
Video-Watch around the abandoned Six Flags New Orleans
Most recently, the park was the setting of a key scene in the most recent Percy Jackson series:Sea of Monsters. That film could have actually served as the catalyst to what is coming.
The park will be opened in phases, with the theme park portion costing around $50 million to open. Coasters like the Jester will be rethemed and refitted to fit into new areas of the park. The Mega Zeph will be restored and reopened with the help of Gravity Group.
Other phases of the park include a waterpark, shopping and dining district and a movie backlot. Quite a few Hollywood films have made New Orleans their home over the past few years, with more coming in the next few months, such as the new Transformers:Age of Extinction. A movie backlot, with sound stage areas is a smart move, and could bring more revenue.
As for the theme park, there will be four areas of the park:
“The Quarter” — focuses on the history of New Orleans
“The Bayou” — focuses on the diverse cultures of New Orleans
“The Beach” — focuses on the enjoyment of life in New Orleans
“Sportsman’s Paradise” — focuses on the love of the outdoors and natural areas around Louisiana
The Quarter will be the entrance to the park and will feature a 4D show-Voodoo Queen’s Battle of the bands. It will also feature an Imagination Movers dark ride, and a Showboat entertainment venue.
The Bayou will feature a simulator, a flume ride that takes guests through the Louisiana sugar industry, and will be the first area earmarked for expansion, with restored or new flat rides coming within the first few years of operation. There will also be a slew of new restaurants featuring the fine dining of the area featured in the bayou.
The Beach will be home of the newly restored Mega Zeph, complete with new Timberliner trains a tunnel, and an on board sound system that will feature New Orleans band Better Than Ezra.
The area will also feature a drop tower inside if a lighthouse, a new boat ride inspired by the old tunnel of love rides called “Sea of Love” and featuring the song of the same name. Plus an all new Laff in the Dark dark ride (hopefully by Sally or Garner Holt darkrides) a haunted house and a new Wild Maus coaster.
Sportsman Paradise will feature the Jester, repurposed as Driskill Mountain in which guests will witness wild life and whisk through the highest point in Louisiana. It will also include an all new suspended soaker coaster based around the fire fighters of the area, as well as a mud truck ride, an all new rapids ride, and yet another dark ride. This one will be an interactive shooter, in which guests will go hunting.
The park still needs final approval and funding, but the biggest hurdles still appear to be in the actual area itself. The structures were severely damaged during Katrina, and vandals have made it a nightmarish landscape.
Still, it should be an amazing story to follow.
All photos courtesy of All photos courtesy of the Jazzland Park Facebook page.
Be sure to stay tuned for more information as we track the progress of Jazzland, and be sure to follow along with us on Twitter @BehindThrills for the latest updates.
Show your support, and download the full proposal by becoming a fan on the official Jazzland Facebook page by clicking here!
