Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
April 12, 2007 issue
Story by Sam Calhoun
Tweetsie Railroad’s whistle will echo between Boone and Blowing Rock for at least another four years. The Wild West theme park—now celebrating its 50th anniversary in its 51st season—signed a four-year extension to its lease with Dee Arthur Properties, a group that owns 142 acres of the park territory.
“Four years is not a very long time, but it’s enough time to do work on improving the park and to look for another location,” said Chris Robbins, general manager of Tweetsie Railroad. “I’d be much more excited with a permanent solution, but I’m happy with the four years that we do have.”
Robbins said that Tweetsie Railroad, Inc. signed the lease extension in February with Dee Arthur Properties. Tweetsie Railroad, Inc. owns 97 acres of the theme park property, and last fall reached a long-term agreement with members of the Broyhill family to lease their 46 acres of the site.
Robbins confirmed that Tweetsie Railroad, Inc. is continuing to look for other sites in the North Carolina mountains for possible relocation of the park after the lease extension expires, but confirmed that he and the company prefer to stay at the current location.
“Plan B is still to move to another location. We’d like to stay put,” said Robbins. “But [the lease extension] brings us some time to figure out how to move the park in an orderly fashion to another site.”
Looking ahead to opening day on May 4, Tweetsie Railroad is adding four new rides for the 2007 season. Robbins said that the rides are aimed at the “older kids” and are reminiscent of “classic carnival type rides.” The new rides are the Tornado, the Free-Fall, the Round-Up spin ride and a pirate-themed Dark Ride.
A new event is also on the docket for 2007. A weekend with Bob the Builder is planned for July 21 and 22.
For more information, click to www.tweetsie.com.