Lakewood Fairgrounds

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Lakewood Fairgrounds

Lakewood Fairgrounds' long history as a part of the area's entertainment scene got new life when the Atlanta City Council approved a plan to convert it into a movie studio.

Atlanta's city council has approved a plan to turn long-abandoned Lakewood Fairgrounds into a movie studio.

Preservationists have long sought to keep the Spanish-style architecture intact.

The fairgrounds' antique market was an area institution for 20 years.

Gov. Lester Maddox, stole the show at the opening of the 54th annual Southeastern Fair at Lakewood with a demonstration of his skill at riding a bicycle backwards. Reacting with laughter (top right) is former Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield, president of the Southeastern Fair Association.

The roller coaster (center) was a highlight of the 1946 Southeastern Fair.

Part of the roller coaster was blown up for "Smokey & the Bandit 2" in 1982.

Lana Drouillard, Miss Canada 1971, stands aboard NASA's replica of the Apollo 15 moon rover on exhibition at the Southeastern Fair in 1971.

Cars competed at the site in 1941.

Horses gallop on the track at Lakewood Park in 1933.

By the mid-70s, the site was in disrepair.

The fairgrounds bustled with activity in 1963.

Dave Merrifield performs on trapeze attached to the underside of a helicopter high above ground during the 1978 Southeastern Fair.

Ferris wheels lit the sky in the 1939 fair.

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Atlanta's city council has approved a plan to turn long-abandoned Lakewood Fairgrounds into a movie studio.

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