Skramp Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Ok, so I stumbled across this site today and they were talking about an old amusement park called Dogpatch USA in Arkansas. I searched and there was some ramblings on here about, but no real descriptions of it or anything. So, I'm wondering, does anyone know more about it or did anyone ever go there? What was it like? Looks crappy in the pics, but wonder what it looked like when they were taking care of it. http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/Dogpatch%20USA.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I looked into it heavily a couple of years ago, and they had high-intentions for the place, they wanted it to be the Disneyland of this area, but I don't think they were in the right market. But it did have its high time, and it was successful for a while... Someday someone might come and rebuild it, but I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Skramp, DCody out in LA would be interested in this topic since she is into abandoned amusement parks, etc... You might PM her about this and make her day. The place was pretty cool looking and it'd be interesting to see it restored/cleaned up. Cool topic and pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Long Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I went to this park way back in the old days when I was a young skinny guy. I guess was 7 or 8. interesting park. fun for kids. really pushed the ozark stereotype to the max. small with a cave similar to SDC, but not as nice. Went buy the wayside like WWW or Joyland without enough capital and population to draw from a park cannot succeed long term. As i remember this park was a couple hours into the ozark mountains. far from anywhere. and we started in branson which is no where Kevin Long Fat old guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCody Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 How did I not know about this place? I love the pics, especially the eerie one of the empty auditorium-type structure and the (now-ironic) "Come in In!" sign. Cool that it's being cleaned up, but at the same time, you gotta love the haunted places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster1 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 The place has been cleaned up within the last 2 years, there are photos out there on the net. Looks like it maybe accessible now to the public, but not sure. This is about 48 miles south of Branson off Route 7 between Harrison and Jasper, AR in the town of Marble Falls (formally Dogpatch, AR) Dogpatch Photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Dude! Followed some of the other links tonight, and what great pics! Again, very cool topic! Would love to hear and see more as it's restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedracer Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Here's a bunch of old pics of the park back in it's heyday: http://dogpatch.8m.com/past.html Detailed park history/description: http://dogpatch.8m.com/history.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadwayboy2007 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I also got into looking at this park a few years ago because I was in the musical Li'l Abner based on the comic strip of the same name and the same comic that the park is based on. Honestly I wasn't impressed by anything about it except the fact that it seemed to be themed very well after the comic strip. But it could have been from the aforementioned lack of descriptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC Ridesalot Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I visited this park many times as a child but have my memories kida scrambled with a couple of other attractions. My grandparents took us to Branson, Dogpatch, and the Lake of the Ozarks just about every year. I know for many years they had a make shift Dogpatch on the Dam strip at the lake of the ozarks. I actually believe that after the closing of the big Dog patch the owners may have tried to keep the smaller one open for a few years (this is what I heard, I have no facts on that). I do remember riding the coaster that went up the tube, then went around it a couple of times. My main memory was that it felt like you were in a jail cell from Hell. I also remember riding that big Space ship. The pond was a cool attraction though I remember the childhoood rumor that the pond was contaminated so for a while people wouldn't pay to fish there. I remember riding a train with a glass top from Branson to Dogpatch through the ozark mountains once. That was a cool expirence and I believe they still do something like that in Branson today. This park at the time was smaller than SDC but was a must do for anybody who loved coasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 What an interesting park, shame it had to close and l love those rubbish bins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippero95 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 We used to vacation in Hot Springs every summer when I was growing up. I vividly remember passing the signs and picking up the brochures for Dog Patch USA, but our parents never took us there. We were deprived! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 The only things I remember about the park were the inclined railway that took you from the front gate to the park, the two coasters ( a wild mouse and a chance toboggan), and the "hillbilly holdup" on the train ride. The closest thing to the "feel" of the place now is maybe Dollywood, or SDC, but both of those parks are far and away more impressive than Dogpatch was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterP Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 The comparisons to SDC and DW seem insulting to those parks. They have historically been two of the best-run parks in the U.S. Sure they both have a hillbilly theme, but Dogpatch appeared to be the real thing. I've been going to SDC since the 70s, and it was never even close to as cheesy as Dogpatch had to have been. Not meaning to be argumentative, but I hate that comparison. Its like comparing Martin's Fantasy Island to IOA or Fantasyland in the MK because they have the same "theme". But these pictures are awesome, and that would have been an interesting place to go and see real hillybilly fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycamps Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 It looks like it was abandoned far before 1993. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holtskee Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 There's a 1991 brochure on Theme Park Brochures.com: www.themeparkbrochures.net/1991/dog1991.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 WOW!!! I love that website. There is alot of good old, and I mean really old, stuff on there! Thanks for that link, I love seeing all that nostalgic stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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