Liberty land closed and rides sold.

[Menwithbrokenhearts]

Just found this on the net.

This is from the Commercial Appeal:

Libertyland rides, equipment up for sale today

By David Williams
Contact
June 21, 2006

The auction of Libertyland's rides and equipment is on.

The grassroots group Save Libertyland's request for a temporary injunction was rejected in a four-hour Chancery Court session Tuesday that owed more to the slow grind of justice than the zip of the Pippin.

Plaintiff attorneys were unable to convince Chancellor D.J. Alissandratos that the city -- not the Mid-South Fair -- owns the Zippin Pippin, the Revolution and other park rides.

Today's 10:30 a.m. auction could raise $1 million or more for the fair, according to David Norton of Michigan-based Norton Auctioneers, which is conducting the sale.

City ownership of all rides was a key to Save Libertyland's strategy for getting the park re-opened by a new operator. But the group's legal case was undercut when the city administration ultimately claimed ownership only of the Grand Carousel, which is not part of the auction.

"The City Council was on our side. The mayor was not," said Steve Mulroy, a Save Libertyland leader. "I believe the fact that the mayor was not -- that the city attorney representing Memphis didn't claim ownership -- was a big part of the reason we lost."

Save Libertyland founder Denise Parkinson said, "This is our citizens' effort and the city killed it. And Mr. Alissandratos danced on its grave."

Parkinson was a plaintiff, along with Save Libertyland, group member Mike McCarthy and state Rep. Henri Brooks.

The Save Libertyland effort apparently will continue. Mulroy said he spoke with potential new operator Robert Barnard minutes after the court decision and that his interest in opening a Memphis amusement park remains. Barnard's T-Rex Group operates Joyland Amusement Park in Wichita, Kan.

Save Libertyland officials have spent nearly seven months trying to revive the park, touting it as a source of family entertainment and youth jobs that could help lessen crime.

But Debbie Branan, Mid-South Fair executive committee member, said the park's closing was heartbreaking for fair officials, as well.

"I'm involved in the youth talent program at the Mid-South Fair, and so many of the kids from the youth talent program work at Libertyland as entertainers," she said. "I have to tell them they can't work there."

Branan testified that the park, which opened in 1976, lost money all but about four years, with average annual losses of $300,000 to $500,000.

"The community did not support Libertyland," she said after the hearing.

Fair and city officials announced an agreement Monday that settled ride ownership issues, with the Grand Carousel going to the city and the fair deemed the owner of other rides.

Also, according to the fair's news release on the agreement, the fair is assured of remaining on the Mid-South Fairgrounds through 2008.

The long-term future of the fair on the fairgrounds is in doubt because the city and county plan to redevelop the 170-acre complex.

While the city-fair ride ownership agreement was being announced Monday, Save Libertyland officials were trying to stop the auction with their court filing.

They continued the push Tuesday morning, before the court hearing. Mulroy and Parkinson appeared before the City Council parks committee, which supported the group's cause and voted to have council attorney Allan Wade attend the hearing and help fight for the temporary injunction.

Wade attended the hearing, but didn't join the cause, telling Alissandratos, "We are not a party to this case."

Wade said his instructions came from council chairwoman TaJuan Stout Mitchell. "She basically said the committee doesn't speak for the council," Wade said after leaving the courtroom.


and from the Memphis Business Journal;

Memphis Business Journal - 5:13 PM CDT Wednesday

The Zippin Pippin, the most prominent and historic ride at Libertyland, sold for $2,500 today at public auction.

The historic roller coaster, reportedly Elvis Presley's favorite ride, had been in operation since 1923. It was among an estimated 100 items Mid-South Fair officials put up for auction Wednesday as they prepare to close the park and sell off the assets to recoup losses.

Topping the money list was the Kamikazi, which sold for $190,000, followed by the Rebellion at $155,000. The park's other roller coaster, the Revolution, sold for $55,000.

About 75 people paid the $10 fee to take part in the auction that started around 10:30 a.m. and wrapped up shortly after 3 p.m.

The auction was conducted by Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Mich., which specializes in the auction and appraisal of amusement parks, carnivals, Halloween attractions, zoos, water parks and other tourist attractions.

Fair and auction officials had estimated that the sale could bring in as much as $1 million. Billy Orr, president and CEO of the Mid-South Fair, said after the auction they expected the sales total to be close to that figure.

A final tally was not expected until Thursday.

Those buying the items have 30 days to remove them from the park, Orr said.


----I went there so many times as a kid. Hoping to take my kids some day. Elvis loved that park, sad to see it go.

[Awickedreigndrop]

That's really sad to see history go down the drain like that. I've been to Libertyland once and I found it to be fun. I'd also rode on the Zippin Pippin, it was my niece's first rollercoaster ride. It's seems like they're destroying everything in Memphis that had something to do with Elvis. First it was Elvis Presley's Memphis, the Baptist Memorial Hospital, and now Libertyland.... soon the Heartbreak Hotel will be on the list. What is going on in Memphis?

[NEA]

That is very sad.

It's a shame EPE couldn't have done (or didn't want to do?) anything to help preserve Elvis' favourite fairground attractions.

I never managed to see them up close when I was in Memphis and I was hoping that on my return visit in the future I would have been in a position to see the likes of the 'Zippin' Pippin''.

Sad.

[JDD]

We stopped by several years ago during my annual visit to Graceland and , they had really let it all fall into a bad state IMO. It wasn't very clean, the rides weren't that good compared to what you could get elsewhere. Its cool Elvis had a place to go and escape to, but this place wasn't going to compete in 2006 anymore. I've watched a lot of good places go over the years.



Awickedreigndrop, isn't the plan for the Heartbreak just to have it become bigger and even more Elvis themed then it is now? Thats what I heard. They've been buying up property on the Blvd too, so I expect someday that they'll clean all that back up and it'll be even more fun for Us Elvis fans.

[Awickedreigndrop]

Awickedreigndrop, isn't the plan for the Heartbreak just to have it become bigger and even more Elvis themed then it is now? Thats what I heard. They've been buying up property on the Blvd too, so I expect someday that they'll clean all that back up and it'll be even more fun for Us Elvis fans.

*Take a huge sigh of Relief* I thought that they were taking it down forever. Thanx for the info, I thought they were going demolish crazy in Memphis.

[Albert]

Does anyone has recent pictures of Liberty land?