Fun Spot America in Fayetteville shutting down after 36 years

Fun Spot America Atlanta, an amusement park mainstay in Fayetteville for 36 years, is closing shop Aug. 2.

“Thank you for the memories, the screams, and the love you’ve given us through the years,” the official Instagram page posted Thursday. “Come see us, make one more memory, and take one last ride.”

A press release by the Orlando-based company, which will continue to operate parks in Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida, did not explain why its Georgia park was shutting down.

“This was an extremely difficult decision,” said John Arie Jr., chief executive officer of Fun Spot America, in the press release.

Park operations will continue as normal until Aug. 2 each day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Season passes and gift cards will remain valid until that date and will still be usable at the two other Florida parks after that date.

Visitors play bumper cars at Fun Spot America theme park in Fayetteville on Friday, June 28, 2024. (Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC)

The park opened in 1990 with just a miniature golf course, adding the state’s only legal 75-foot bungee jump tower in 1992. Two years later, the park added batting cages, three go-kart tracks, bumper boats and laser tag.

Over the years, it added zip lines, antique car rides and a giant swing ride. It built its first roller coaster, Scream’n Eagle, in 2007.

In 2012, the name was updated to Fun Junction USA as the name “Dixieland” fell out of favor. By then, it had 22 rides and attractions.

Fun Spot America purchased the park in 2017 and renamed it in 2018.

The park has, in some ways, remained frozen in time to its 1990s beginnings.

This 1994 AJC story noted that it cost $16.95 for adult entry and $25 for a bungee jump at Dixieland Fun Park, which would eventually be named Fun Spot America in 2017. (AJC file photo)

But it has tried to innovate. The park in 2023 introduced its newest coaster, ArieForce One, which coaster enthusiasts consider one of the best in the world.

On the website CaptainCoaster, it’s ranked No. 7, “delivering relentless, world‑class airtime and powerful inversions that keep enthusiasts coming back for multiple laps. Reviewers consistently praise its smooth, aggressive pacing and the unique mix of elements that set it apart from other coasters.”