Photo TR: Oklahoma Off-Season Construction Tour

Shavethewhales · January 15, 2012

Today on my drive through Oklahoma I was able to stop at four different locations where the Oklahoma amusement/water park landscape is being shaped. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean I saw a whole lot.

I wanted to get an update on the Bell's Amusement Park situation, since Robby Bell is being forced to clear out his "storage" space near downtown Tulsa while simultaneously setting up shop again at last with a few kiddie rides at a local flea market. I first stopped by the downtown location to see what he had left in stock. I was shocked to see how much he had just lying out in the grass on an empty lot next to the street. Most of the log flume and a major piece of the Round Up is hanging out in one lot looking pretty bad. There is another lot farther up the street that actually has a fence around it, and it is there that he's put the last of his "good stuff" that might actually be re-usable but doesn't fit in the warehouse. I saw the old carousel barn, some fences, the base of a kiddie ride that will probably be moved to the new park soon, and pieces of the octopus ride among a few other odds and ends. The fence had a sign on it advertising that space would be available soon, so it looks like they're about to clear this lot for a new warehouse.

I then stopped by Bell's new home for the time being, which is a huge flea market way down in South Tulsa. It actually was quite a spectacle with all kinds of vendors and visitors and four of the old Bell's kiddie rides were set up in front. The rides aren't operating yet, there is still a lot of groundwork being done to lay electrical to each ride. It looked like some of the ride cars were being refurbished on site as well. When the rides do open however, it actually looks like they'll get a good crowd on the weekends. I saw lots of kids asking to go on the rides, and the parking lot was packed. It looks like they'll have 5 rides in total when they open in a few weeks, assuming they move that other kiddie ride in as well - I think they have space for it. We'll see if they can grow from here I guess.

Next I moved on to the other end of the turnpike to Frontier City. In case you haven't heard, Frontier City started teasing a few weeks ago that something was coming for 2012, culminating with a new sign hung on the wildcat that hinted at some sort of "cooler" water attraction of some sort. The parking lot is still marked up with construction markers as it has been for weeks, and there are utility flags up and down the street in front of the park. Since my last visit about a month ago they also added one of those big dumpsters used in construction, but it is empty and there is nothing around it. The sign that was hung on the wildcat has disappeared. I'm kind of wondering if they're still going to be able to build anything in time for the 2012 season, or if it will even be worthwhile.

Finally, I stopped by a brand new family water park that's being built in Norman at the Andy Alligators FEC complex. It's not much of a park, but it's big enough to be interesting, and there's always hope it will grow into something more substantial. I understand it will have a small lazy river, a water fortress play area with slides, and a slide tower with mat racing slides and a tube slide, and some other odds and ends. The only problem is that they want to charge an arm and a leg to get in, and they only sell season passes. Last I checked they were charging something like twice what White Water Bay (a much larger water park in OKC) usually charges for a season pass. I really don't know what they're thinking with their pricing structure, but I hope they have more business acumen than that so they can actually survive a season.

Anyway, that's what's happening in Oklahoma as far as parks are concerned. Literally the only parks I didn't hit up in this state are White Water Bay where nothing is happening and Kiddie Park, a tiny community amusement park in my home town of Bartlesville.

This is the "good" Bell's storage lot downtown complete with a fence and a little organization.

Looking closer at the remaining kiddie ride base. I assume this will head over to the new "park" soon.

The octopus is still here. Maybe he'll find a place for this at the flea market someday too.

A little ways down is the "bad" lot where it looks like they just threw stuff off a truck into an empty lot.

I can't tell if this is part of the park or just old junk.

Here are pieces of the log flume, the main arm of the Round Up, and some supports for the old sky way.

They're literally just out here on the street. Have been for years now.

When Bell's closed, a group of welders actually came out and donated time and materials to help take down this flume because they wanted to see Bell's reopen again and serve Tulsa. I wish I remembered who they were.

Does it look like it's salvageable? Maybe with a little work? It's a classic. This was one half of a flume that operated at the 1968(?) Worlds Fair. The other half used to be at Dollywood.

Here's the next chapter in the Bell's story - the new park at the Saturday Flea Market.

I don't think most of these people will mind if the rides are a little rough around the edges.

Down at the far end of the lot, there's space for another ride. I'm guessing this is where that one in the lot will go?

Now onto FC. Meet the new dumpster.

Not a lot to see otherwise though. I looked everywhere for signs of something being put together. Nothing.

There are so many flags out here that something has to be going on.

You can see that the teaser sign is gone now. This is the whole area that they would have to work with. Lots of space and it's very viable to the interstate. Btw, that's Six Flags old HQ building.