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| Not a real ride but it could have been a Fun Junction creation |
Unlike the Florida parks, the Atlanta location wasn’t a blank canvas. It was a secondhand project with rides that had mismatched parts, aging infrastructure and a layout that felt like rides were placed by someone spinning around and pointing at random spots on a map. The ferris wheel placement alone could’ve been used as a case study in “What were they thinking?” It was by the road, but just in an odd place.
The land was limited, though they did purchase a little bit more to the side and expanded to build ArieForce One. The utilities were old. The buildings were tired. And every time Fun Spot wanted to add something new, something else had to be removed. Not because they wanted to, but because there simply wasn’t room or the infrastructure to support it.
Fun Junction had already been struggling long before Fun Spot arrived. What Fun Spot knew they were buying was:
- outdated rides
- awkward layout
- limited land
- a local-only market
- rides needing major repairs
- attractions being dismantled so parts could be scavenged and rigged to fit other rides
- plumbing failures
- drainage issues
- an electrical grid that couldn’t support modern rides
- “grandfathered” code violations
- equipment that had been patched together instead of properly repaired
And then there were the county restrictions: strict zoning, noise limits, height caps and environmental rules. In Florida, Fun Spot could expand freely within their property. In Fayette County, they were boxed in before they even started.
Here’s something locals know but outsiders don’t: Fun Junction had a bad reputation. Customer service was rough. Everything looked dated, shockingly dated. Considering the park was built in the 1990s, it was far too young to look the way it did. I realize they were buying rides secondhand but even carnivals with the same rides take a little pride in keeping things in good repair and looking presentable. Most of us didn’t even realize Fun Spot had taken over until the Samson Go-Kart track opened almost a year later.
Fun Spot had to earn trust and that took time. But even once they did, the park still wasn’t a full-day destination. Midday meant standing or walking around in the blazing sun with almost no shade. Six Flags, for all its flaws, at least gives you trees and places to escape the heat.
When Fun Spot announced a brand-new RMC coaster, ArieForce One, it felt like the turning point. A world-class ride in our backyard? Finally, something big. What’s next?
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| Not a Fun Spot coaster but it totally could have worked. |
I was able to catch a few rides on it a few years ago and it was incredible. But ironically, it highlighted one of the park’s biggest problem: people came, rode the coaster and left. It wasn’t enough to transform the park into a full-day experience. Why? Their other coaster, a 38-foot Hi-Miler portable coaster called Hurricane, couldn't hold a flame to it. Furthermore, the other attractions, mostly carnival flat rides like the Paratrooper, Scrambler, Spider and the Bertazzon Matterhorn ride known as Riptide—aren't exactly the sort of rides a coaster enthusiast is looking for when it comes to racking up credits.
To build it, Fun Spot had to demolish the mini-golf courses, which, believe it or not, were one of their most reliable money-makers for a while. Terry and I as well as my friend Ernie, found ourselves playing mini-golf there several times. As bad as I am at it, I still had a great time losing. With the courses gone, it left our area without a good place for mini-golf, you don’t know what you got until it’s gone. After the coaster opened, the ferris wheel hung out for a little while and then one day disappeared and a few other rides followed. The replacements, a Larson Flying Scooters ride called Screaming Eagles, a Larson built Tilt-A-Whirl and a Trabant like ride built by SBF-Visa called Hook & Slice which all felt like some one thought “something is better than nothing” rather than strategic additions. Three of the rides at Fun Spot, Scrambler, Flying Scooters and Tilt-A-Whirl, are also rides that are at Six Flags. Speaking of Six Flags, many of us Six Flags fans were always hoping that our beloved Wheelie, which Fun Spot bought and relocated to Orlando when Sky Screamer was built, would be brought back to Georgia...when it closed in Atlanta, we all had hopes it would come to Fun Spot Atlanta but sadly, it didn't.
Staffing was another ongoing issue. Employees often work two or three rides at once. Management turnover was constant. Operating seasons changed unpredictably. Season passes cost Florida prices but delivered Georgia uncertainty. Some seasons they ran all year long, others they ran with just the arcade and bumper cars open.
Fun Spot wasn’t competing with Six Flags, but the locals absolutely saw it that way.
With the park closed, the big question is: what becomes of the land? The rides? ArieForce One? Will a new owner step in? Will the park sit abandoned? Will the rides be sold off piece by piece? Will they be moved to Florida or the planned Biloxi location or will they build it from the ground up without these rides?
A friend and I have tossed around our own ideas and one of the most interesting possibilities is this: a carnival company could buy the property and use the back end of the 15 acre property as winter quarters. They could store equipment, operate the park and use their own surplus rides that have been outmoded by newer and easier to move rides within the park while keeping the land functional as a “fun spot” rather than letting it overgrow and become a relic of the past.
It’s not impossible. In fact, it might be the most realistic “happy ending” the park could get. Of course the fact that Fayette County is so good at stalling or making permits difficult to obtain might make this impossible.
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| Not the actual Fun Spot but it gives the vibe |
There’s an old saying: You never really know what’s behind the walls until you start tearing them down. Sometimes you find treasure. Sometimes you find a disaster, which is what Fun Spot found when they started tearing down the walls.
Fun Spot Atlanta was both a place full of memories, potential and charm, wrapped around problems no one saw until it was too late. BTW, they had the ABSOLUTE BEST corndogs, no joke.
I’ve shared my story, but I know I’m not the only one with memories tied to this place.
Did you grow up going to Dixieland/Fun Junction? Did you have a season pass? Did you only ever stop by for one ride and leave? Did ArieForce One bring you out for a visit?
I’d genuinely love to hear your experiences. Drop your stories, thoughts or even your frustrations in the comments — the conversation is half the fun.
And if you enjoy these deep dives into pop culture, retro history and whatever else is swimming around in my brain and want to help me keep researching, writing and preserving these little pieces of the past, you’re always welcome to toss a small “thank you” my way through the link in my bio. Never expected — always appreciated.
Thanks for being part of this community and for keeping these memories alive.
I’ve shared my story, but I know I’m not the only one with memories tied to this place.
Did you grow up going to Dixieland/Fun Junction? Did you have a season pass? Did you only ever stop by for one ride and leave? Did ArieForce One bring you out for a visit?
I’d genuinely love to hear your experiences. Drop your stories, thoughts or even your frustrations in the comments — the conversation is half the fun.
And if you enjoy these deep dives into pop culture, retro history and whatever else is swimming around in my brain and want to help me keep researching, writing and preserving these little pieces of the past, you’re always welcome to toss a small “thank you” my way through the link in my bio. Never expected — always appreciated.
Thanks for being part of this community and for keeping these memories alive.
