Theme Park History: Boardwalk and Baseball Theme Park
Boardwalk and Baseball was my introduction into the world of amusement parks and theme parks. The short lifespan of the park was sad and I’ve always wished that it had stayed around so that I could have experienced it again as an adult.
Boardwalk and Baseball was located outside of Orlando, Florida in Davenport at the corner of Interstate 4 and Highway 27. Right in the heart of Florida.
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Early Memories of Boardwalk and Baseball
My fondest memory was of the gigantic wood roller coaster named the Florida Hurricane and how I wished I was big enough to ride it.
Writing this article reminds me of the joy I felt that day on my field trip while attending Yalaha Headstart School in Lake County Florida.
There were many rumors regarding why it had closed, so today we’re going through the history of Boardwalk and Baseball.
The 135-acre park was designed around the prime days of Coney Island and Atlantic City at the turn-of-the-century. Boardwalk and Baseball opened on Valentine’s Day of 1987 when it was changed over from Circus World, and closed January 17, 1990.
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Circus World Theme Park History
Circus World was a theme park owned by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Combined Shows Inc. in Davenport, Florida just 30 minutes from Walt Disney World.
This theme park was also meant to be the winter headquarters for the circus and to house the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College and museum.
1976 saw a peak rise in park attendance topping out around 1.3 million.
Although this seemed to be a good start for the circus-inspired theme park, attendance began to decline lasting seven years until a profit was finally made in 1980.
Despite the upkeep of the park and additional rides and show, attendance once again declined. This time the low crowd levels lasted five years in a row. Mattel who’d purchased the park from the Ringling Bros., sold Circus World to Jim Monaghan, which was finalized in 1984.
Monaghan goal was to make Circus World a world-class theme park by adding nine major thrill rides, but the park could not compete with the newly built Disney theme park, Epcot.
This led to Monaghan selling the park for stock to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in May of 1986. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich had already owned both SeaWorld Parks and Cypress Gardens at this time.
The Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Park Group goal was to turn the once circus-filled theme park into an Atlantic City inspired attraction called Boardwalk and Baseball.
Circus World Theme Park Timeline
- Groundbreaking on April 26, 1973 with contractor Mercury Construction Company of Haines City
- Partnership with Mattel
- The Circus Showcase for Circus World opened on February 21, 1974
- Zoomerang ride added June 1977 (an Arrow Dynamic roller coaster like Busch Garden’s Python)
- Roaring Tiger (would later be changed to the Florida Hurricane) added in 1978
- Mattel sold the circus back to previous owner in 1982
- Monaghan sold the park for stock to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1986
- Boardwalk and Baseball Theme Park officially opens in 1987
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Amusement Park Culture in Florida in late-1980s, early-1990s
The mid-1980s to late-1990s ushered in the theme park boom in central Florida. Michael Eisner’s golden age with the Disney company caused tourism to explode not just in Orlando, but in surrounding central Florida towns.
Tampa had its own piece of theme park real estate along with Polk County, Florida housing two popular theme parks at the time, Cypress Gardens and Boardwalk and Baseball Florida.
Central Florida was quickly becoming the number one tourist destination in the world.
…then came the Disney boom.
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Disney Boom
Both Michael Eisner and Frank Wells are responsible for keeping Walt Disney World alive with their golden era of world-class Imagineering.
Walt Disney World added two major theme parks in the 1980s, along with countless hotels and onsite activities to keep guests on the property.
This was evident as local theme parks such as Circus World/Boardwalk and Baseball couldn’t compete with the theme park blueprint Disney continued to execute.
Circus World Changes to Boardwalk and Baseball Theme Park
The change from Circus World to Boardwalk and Baseball brought about much excitement to the central Florida area.
A facelift of the failing circus-inspired theme park was something thought to compete with the neighboring Disney parks.
Following the transition, the new park tagline, inspired by the early boardwalk days, would go on to say: “Boardwalk and Baseball, An American Classic.”
Boardwalk and Baseball would be divided into two sections: the boardwalk area and the baseball section.
The Boardwalk section offered about 32 rides with a four-minute log flume attraction and the signature ride, the Hurricane wooden roller coaster.
Other Boardwalk and Baseball Attractions
- Ferris wheel
- A carousel
- Classic carnival rides
- Frontier show with sharpshooters, stunt riders and dancers
Boardwalk and Baseball Ticket Prices
- $16.95 for adults
- $12.95 for children under four feet tall and for adults over 55 years of age
- Children under age 3 free
Park admission cost included parking, unlimited rides, entertainment and baseball games.
Kansas City Royals
The baseball portion of the park housed a 7,000- seat stadium available for Kansas City Royals spring training. The Baseball City Royals, a local team, also hosted games there too.
Park guests were welcomed to view different activities and games that took place around the stadium area.
There was even the ability to make your own baseball card where you could choose your top team uniform, globe, cap, and bat. All-the-while getting into your favorite baseball pose.
Even with the spring training bringing in top athletes, this could not sustain the theme park.
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Cursed Before it Started
The idea and concept of Boardwalk and Baseball Theme Park was really good.
Now, the execution was definitely one of the factors that led to the quick demise of this promising theme park.
Coming off the coattail of Circus World, which was never truly successful, also added to the downfall of Boardwalk and Baseball.
The standard state fair type of rides could not compete with the imaginative genius in the world class Walt Disney World attractions.
Plus, the lack of care throughout the park such as cleanliness, poor staff morale, and lack of quality in both food and entertainment made the perfect brew for a disastrous theme park.
Boardwalk and Baseball did not connect with Florida tourists like Disney did. It also had even more competition with SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Cypress Gardens which basically sealed the deal on its demise.
Baseball fans were not even invested enough to help secure the parks future and on the afternoon of January 17, 1990, the new owners, Busch Entertainment, shut down the park with patrons still inside.
It was rumored that the closing came based on a claim from Busch Entertainment that Boardwalk and Baseball never made a profit.
And just like that, the theme park was done.
The Baseball City Royals would go on to be sold in 1992 while The Kansas City Royals continued spring training at Baseball City until 2002.
The following decade would be filled with rumors of a possible Six Flags replacement, but all that ended when the longstanding IMAX theater was demolished in 2003.
Boardwalk and Baseball Timeline
- Circus World was built in 1973
- Mattel, Inc. takes over
- Sold it to developer Jim Monaghan in 1984
- Harcourt Brace and Jovanovich in buys it in 1986
- Park changed to Boardwalk and Baseball and opened on February 14, 1987
- HBJ sold its theme park assets (which included SeaWorld and Cypress Gardens) to Busch Entertainment Corporation on September 28, 1989
- Busch Entertainment closed Boardwalk and Baseball on January 17, 1990
- Final trace of park remnants demolished in 2003
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Final Thoughts
If you google Boardwalk and Baseball you will come across information from others who loved the park as well.
Although the land was eventually transformed into retail space, restaurants, and offices, I will always have a special place for Boardwalk and Baseball in my heart.
It was my very first introduction into theme parks, which inspired me to create this website for other theme park enthusiasts.
Do you have any pictures or personal stories from Boardwalk and Baseball or Circus World? If so, please share them with me in the comments section below.
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Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
NikkyJ
(Original Article Written in September 2012/Updated July 9, 2022)
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I was one of the ensemble dancers in BW&B’s Colorado Riders outdoors arena show. This was back around 1987. I remember seeing the advertising for the show’s ensemble dancers and so I showed up. The only dance experience I had was teaching aerobics at Bally Health Clubs, but I figured ‘how hard could it possibly be?’…. I was thrilled to be chosen as one of the ensemble dancers! I was told I was chosen because I was tall and would fit the costumes! I recall my Colorado Dance choreographer had to work extra hard with me to get the dancing moves down pat. I was trained to throw an ax (yes, a genuine ax!) at a target. I was trained to keep a lasso up in the air and twirling. I was trained to roll a hoop on the ground and keep it rolling. Yet most importantly, I was trained on the job…to dance!..It was especially important that we all looked happy and constantly SMILED in the 90+ degree heat with heavy costumes on reminiscent of the Old West days. There was little to no shade in that outdoor arena. We were out there performing in the hot sun doing multiple shows a day. I remember being treated well as an employee. I was able to roam the park and ride as many rides as I wanted in between shows. Many of the performers were ‘show people’ and rarely left their make up areas, constantly applying more makeup and fixing their hair. Yet there was a small group of us that would enjoying roaming the park between shows, after we had set up our props for the next show…. We explored the park, riding whatever we wanted, hanging out in the cafeteria, or whatever.. we just had to be back on time for costuming for the next show. The best part of the park was the wooden roller coaster and the wooden board walks one would traverse to get through the park. … I met my then Baseball player boyfriend in the employee cafeteria when he came over to talk to our little dance group. He said he saw me ‘twirling’ and just had to talk to me. I remember in our little group there were a couple of gay male dancers. One in particular that was strikingly handsome. I really thought at first that ‘my’ baseball player was interested in him! We even had a bet going that the ballplayer was interested in him over me! hahaha…another fond memory down memory lane…one of the girls in our dance group was an African American born again Christian. She led me to Christ and prayed with me in the employee parking lot after our shows one early evening. That is a very special memory above so many others!
Wow Linda!
Such a powerful story you shared about your time at Boardwalk and Baseball. They had you doing everything from dancing to throwing axes…how cool!!! As you told your story, I could imagine every scene as BW&B imagery is still vividly in my head. I also enjoyed hearing about you meeting your boyfriend at the time there and being shared the Gospel while you worked. Boardwalk and Baseball was such a beautiful theme park and it wish it was able to still be here today.
If you have any photos from your time there, I’d love to share them on this article.
Thanks again for your story!
That is so awesome. Great memories (especially that last part…God is so awesome!!!).
I was part of Show Audio. I was 1 of 4 audio techs kept on after Augie shut us down. We kept the stadium audio and public address systems running. We were the announcers. I lasted part time for another 2 +\- years. I will spare you my bitterness.
I’m sorry the way things ended up for you and the park. Thank you for sharing your experience. It means so much to me.
My son & I went w a friend, the stallions performing chose my son out of the crowd to
pose w, little did we know he was allergic. Sadly we spent most of the day @ the nurses station…
Still would have liked to go back.
Thanks for the memories ☺️
Hi Elaine!
Thank you for that story. Sorry to hear that your son had to suffer so much that day. Boardwalk and Baseball was truly a unique theme park here in central Florida.
I took my father and daughter there only to have a lightning strike cause a power outage and the park closed immediately. We never made it back. I moved to Celebration, Florida in 2017 only 7 miles away right off I-4. The street lights are still the same from back in the day and the street names remain the same. Soon it will be and obscure meaningless trivia question. How did George Brett Way get its name ? Great shopping and upcoming residential area now.
Thank you for sharing your story!
I went there in 1987 for our company outing when I was in boot camp. It was the 1st time in 7 weeks we were allowed to leave the base. I will always remember it as a magical, fun place.
Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m the auctioneer that liquiated the theme park for anheuser bush in 1990 and now in my 90th year of life living in the tampa area. i was on the feature cover of auction world magazine for auctioning off the park. that day i did not get a bid on the reserve of two million dollars .. but i do believe i may have been auctioning the larest item ever to be auctioned …the mile-long hurriciane old woodie rollercoaster-col.jack burchill.
Wow, that’s such an incredible story! Thanks for sharing it with us.