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Cypress Gardens Closed!

Gone for good?

From Susan Jackson
Posted September 23, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Today Cypress Gardens in Florida finally gave up the ghost and closed after revamping the park.


Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond.

From TH Creative
Posted September 23, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Boy Jason and Sara are BUSY lately!

Orlando Sentinel: Cypress Gardens shut down once again Wednesday, its owner saying it has exhausted "every possible approach" to keep the storied-but-struggling tourist attraction open.

The abrupt closing came just seven months after the region's oldest theme park -- once famed for its botanical gardens and Southern belles -- had reopened on a bet that it could succeed with a combination of scaled-back operations and cheaper ticket prices.

Owner Land South Holdings LLC, the Polk County investment firm that bought Cypress Gardens for $17 million at a bankruptcy auction in 2007, said in a statement that it could find no way "to keep the park running in its traditional form."

The company said it has begun negotiations with several potential buyers and lessees interested in acquiring all or parts of the property.

From Domenik Jost
Posted September 23, 2009 at 6:25 PM
Straight from the cypressgardens.com website:

Cypress Gardens and Splash Island Waterpark Now Closed
WINTER HAVEN, FL, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009:
From the earliest moment that our firm purchased Cypress Gardens and Splash Island Waterpark, our highest priority has always been to maintain the park’s beauty and protect its proud traditions as a mainstay of the State’s history and natural treasures. It is with these ideals in mind that we must announce that the park will be closed for business as of Wednesday, September 23, 2009.
During the last two years, Land South Adventures, LLC, has explored numerous management frameworks and exhausted every possible approach to keep the park running in its traditional form. Now, we are in the process of negotiating with several potential purchasers and lessees for all or part of the property, and do not feel it is fair to our employees, the guests, or the public to continue operations heading into the fall with the future of the property in flux. We are optimistic that the outcome will be in the best interests of both the park and the residents of Polk County and the State of Florida.

From Gareth H
Posted September 23, 2009 at 9:25 PM
Well lets place bets on LegoLand putting up some cash and purchasing it.

Stranger things have happened!

From Rob P
Posted September 24, 2009 at 2:21 AM
That's sad.

From TH Creative
Posted September 24, 2009 at 5:47 AM
Here's a thought ...

Find an investor to buy the name and re-locate it closer to the tourism areas -- Highway 192 or I Drive.

From David Graham
Posted September 24, 2009 at 6:35 AM
TH along that idea, if they did that, sell the property to the state for a park. That way it can be put, if not already, on historic site, the state can preserve the property. Legoland or whomever can have the naming rights, Cypress Legoland Gardens or whatever. I can see it as a win, win other than the purest wanting to keep the name there, tied to the current property

From James Rao
Posted September 24, 2009 at 8:06 PM
TPI Gardens, anyone?

From Gareth H
Posted September 25, 2009 at 8:34 AM
Would sell a lot of T-Shirts then Robert ;)

Who would TPI Gardens be sponsored by though?

From ricky pateman
Posted March 3, 2011 at 11:12 AM
its always sad when a theme park closes but i live in the uk england and your park is big news over here at the moment, storm surge has arrived from your park to the uk, It is now operating this year at thorpe park,
It is also said over here that tussards is intrested in buying cypress gardens alongside merlin and turning it into legoland which is also over here in the uk
Tussards is a uk based company that owns many theme parks in the uk including thorpe park, alton towers, chessington world of adventures london dungens and the london eye.

From Nick Markham
Posted March 3, 2011 at 3:40 PM
^You are correct. Merlin announced it will build a new Legoland Florida which is scheduled to open this year!

From James Rao
Posted March 3, 2011 at 9:01 PM
I'll wager anyone $100 that the Green Bay Packers will win Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011. Any takers?

From Nick Markham
Posted March 4, 2011 at 7:14 AM
^ Nah, Green Bay doesn't have a chance of even getting to the super bowl...

From James Rao
Posted March 4, 2011 at 10:55 AM
You're probably right. And a Legoland in Florida, that will never happen!

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