Opryland USA Today

Your webmaster in June 1998 visiting the then-closed Opryland USA. Very tough experience for him because he grew up riding the rides at Opryland USA every summer as a kid when he visited his grandparents just outside of Nashville.

Very Tough Visit Your webmaster in June 1998 visiting the then-closed Opryland USA. Very tough experience for him because he grew up riding the rides at Opryland USA every summer as a kid when he visited his grandparents just outside of Nashville.

Your webmaster in June 1998 visiting the then-closed Opryland USA. This was the main entry gates to the park. The sign infront of the Ticket Booth reads: AREA CLOSED.

Area Closed Your webmaster in June 1998 visiting the then-closed Opryland USA. This was the main entry gates to the park. The sign infront of the Ticket Booth reads: AREA CLOSED.

Hard to Hold Back Tears Your teary-eyed webmaster (left) in June 1998 visiting the then-closed Opryland USA.

After Opryland USA closed, it was demolished, and a shopping mall was built in its place. The mall was named OpryMills. Shoppertainment is their theme. I hate OpryMills. It is no different from any other crappy Mills mall I have seen. Potomac Mills in Virginia is plenty, thank you very much. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

OpryMills After Opryland USA closed, it was demolished, and a shopping mall was built in its place. The mall was named OpryMills. Shoppertainment is their theme. I hate OpryMills. It is no different from any other crappy Mills mall I have seen. Potomac Mills in Virginia is plenty, thank you very much. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

Opry-Crap-Mills' Grand Crappy Opening. Big deal. I've seen better things open than a huge metal box with more boxes inside it. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

Grand Crappy Opening Opry-Crap-Mills' Grand Crappy Opening. Big deal. I've seen better things open than a huge metal box with more boxes inside it. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

When I first set foot inside this dump, I was down right disgusted. Completely Disgusted. I loudly asked my Dad, "Where are the rides?!?" He replied asking me the same thing. Face it. Opryland was a much, MUCH nicer place to visit than an indoor mall. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

Disgusting When I first set foot inside this dump, I was down right disgusted. Completely Disgusted. I loudly asked my Dad, "Where are the rides?!?" He replied asking me the same thing. Face it. Opryland was a much, MUCH nicer place to visit than an indoor mall. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. I miss the sound of a chain-lift, I miss hearing the screams, I miss hearing the "Your Time is Running Out" in the queue for CHAOS, I miss all the trees, I miss the park. Bad decision to close a theme park. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. I miss the sound of a chain-lift, I miss hearing the screams, I miss hearing the "Your Time is Running Out" in the queue for CHAOS, I miss all the trees, I miss the park. Bad decision to close a theme park. (Image generously STOLEN from OpryMills.com back in 2000)

Pathway This used to be the pathway that led to CHAOS, Opryland's indoor roller coaster.

Grizzly River Rampage Drained track from the Grizzly River Rampage.

Opryland was shut-down after the 1997 season, and completely demolished to build OpryMills, a mega-mall. Surprisingly, the track of Grizzly River Rampage was left virtually untouched.

Grizzly River Rampage Opryland was shut-down after the 1997 season, and completely demolished to build OpryMills, a mega-mall. Surprisingly, the track of Grizzly River Rampage was left virtually untouched.

CHAOS used to be located here. CHAOS was my favorite coaster while I was growing up. As the 1997 season approached, Opryland really slacked off with the quality of the light show that CHAOS had. When it opened in 1989, riders were given a pair of 3D glasses to enhance the laser light show. The coaster was carefully dismantled and sold to Premier Parks (now known as Six Flags) who shipped the coaster to the site of former Old Indiana Fun Park in Thorntown, Indiana. Two coasters from Opryland are still around. Hangman was moved to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in California and renamed to KONG. Timber Topper/Rockin' Rollercoaster is currently being built at Great Escape in Upstate New York for the 2003 season, and has been renamed to Canyon Blaster. All the others including CHAOS, Wabash Cannonball, Screamin' Delta Demon were scrapped when Six Flags sold the Indiana property to a tanning bed company who is currently developing the land as a wildlife conservatory.)

CHAOS Today CHAOS used to be located here. CHAOS was my favorite coaster while I was growing up. As the 1997 season approached, Opryland really slacked off with the quality of the light show that CHAOS had. When it opened in 1989, riders were given a pair of 3D glasses to enhance the laser light show. The coaster was carefully dismantled and sold to Premier Parks (now known as Six Flags) who shipped the coaster to the site of former Old Indiana Fun Park in Thorntown, Indiana. Two coasters from Opryland are still around. Hangman was moved to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in California and renamed to KONG. Timber Topper/Rockin' Rollercoaster is currently being built at Great Escape in Upstate New York for the 2003 season, and has been renamed to Canyon Blaster. All the others including CHAOS, Wabash Cannonball, Screamin' Delta Demon were scrapped when Six Flags sold the Indiana property to a tanning bed company who is currently developing the land as a wildlife conservatory.)

Hotel Entrance Gate Former entrance gate to Opryland USA built for Opryland Hotel guests to enter the park here near CHAOS.

Grizzly River Rampage More of the Grizzly River Rampage track.

Grizzly River Rocks Rocks that made up the Grizzly River Rampage track.

Grizzly River Rampage This is where the ride ended. The water pool is seen in this photo.

Grizzly River Rampage Station Remains of the station of the Grizzly River Rampage.

Peeking Through the Fence Peeking through the gate at what is left of the station structure.

Station Torn Out More peeking through the gates at the station structure.

This was a very sad photo stop for me. I grew up riding this raft ride. This was a ride the whole family would ride and I have very fond memories of it. Whoever sat next to Grandpa ALWAYS got drenched!

Grizzly Memories This was a very sad photo stop for me. I grew up riding this raft ride. This was a ride the whole family would ride and I have very fond memories of it. Whoever sat next to Grandpa ALWAYS got drenched!

Opryland Trams Former Opryland USA parking lot trams. Now being used for OpryMills.