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Magic Springs & Crystal Falls

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park
Magicsprings-logo-color-large.jpg
Location Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
Coordinates 34°31′10″N 93°0′57″W / 34.51944°N 93.01583°W / 34.51944; -93.01583Coordinates: 34°31′10″N 93°0′57″W / 34.51944°N 93.01583°W / 34.51944; -93.01583
Owner EPR Properties
Operated by Premier Parks, LLC
Opened July 22, 1978
Operating season April–October daily through May–August
Rides
Total 20
Roller coasters 5
Water rides 2
Website www.magicsprings.com

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 50 miles from Little Rock. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks. The park is open weekends from April through October and daily late-May through mid-August. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park was opened in 1977, closed in 1995, and reopened in 2000. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Premier Parks, LLC.

Magic Springs (reopened as Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in 2000) opened July 22, 1978, but investors became burdened by millions of dollars of debt and sold the park in the 1980s to a group headed by businessman Melvyn Bell, who then had his own financial troubles. It closed in 1995. Fitraco, a Belgian company, bought the amusement park at a foreclosure auction in 1995. Ed Hart of Themeparks LLC was approached by Fitraco, and decided to take on the project.

Magic Springs and Crystal Falls reopened in 2000 after Hot Springs voters approved a bond issue providing financing for the park. Attendance totaled more than 362,500 in 2000 and beat expectations. In 2001, attendance fell about 25 percent to roughly 272,000, and then to about 254,000 in 2002. The park continued to expand its ride offerings instead of hunkering down. Attendance grew again to more than 291,000 in 2003, the year the Timberwood Amphitheater debuted. It topped 400,000 in 2004 when The Gauntlet was added and the concert series was expanded. In March, owners of Magic Springs agreed to sell the attraction to CNL Income Properties. They leased back the park to the former owners, who continued to manage it. On June 10, 2008, it was announced that PARC Management had taken over the park's management. The leasing agreement between owner CNL and PARC Management was terminated in November 2010 and a new operating agreement with Amusement Management Partners, LLC was announced in January of 2011. In late 2016, CNL sold a bundle of its theme park properties, including Magic Springs, to EPR Properties, a REIT based in Kansas City. It was announced at that time that management responsibilities for Magic Springs would be assumed by Premier Parks, LLC. At that time the name was changed to Magic Springs Theme and Water Park.


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