Miracle Strip Amusement Park

Miracle Strip Amusement Park

A postcard from the 1970s showing the park.
Location	Panama City Beach, FL, United States of America
Opened	1963
Closed	2003
Rides
Roller coasters	1- The Starliner
Status	Abandoned http://www.shipwreckisland.com
Associated with Shipwreck Island Waterpark

Not to be confused with Miracle Strip at Pier Park. Associated with Shipwreck Island Water Park.

Abandoned

Miracle Strip Amusement Park is an abandoned theme park built in 1963 located in Panama City Beach, Florida, Right across the street from the beach. The highlight of the park was The Starliner Roller Coaster, an "out-and-back" wooden coaster designed by John Allen upon the parks initial conception. A few other rides lay nearby to the Starliner and a small arcade center and food stands rounded out the fledgling park.

As the strip grew in popularity and Panama City Beach became more of a tourist location, increasing popularity, the park grew as well. More and more rides were added throughout the late 60's, until the 80's and the park grew up around the Starliner, which was by far the main draw for the parks entire run. As the city became more of a spring break hotspot, the popularity of the family friendly Miracle Strip Park decreased, though it remained a draw for families up to the 2000s.

In 1963 the Starliner was the first coaster built in Florida. Coasters in general were on the decline after World War II and many doubted the success of the coaster. A group of men in Panama City Beach joined together in a partnership to start up the new attraction. James I Lark Sr., Harry Edwards, Alf Coleman, Bill Parker, Dawn Bennet and Julian Bennet. The group pulled together money at the end of 1962 and the building of the Starliner began in early 1963. Dawn and Julian Bennet originally owned the land the coaster was built on and because of there attribute it cut down on start up cost tremendously.

The park began to grow as the years went on and in the mid 1960's Ed Nielson of Birmingham, AL, who owned and operated a Municipal park, Fair Park; left the park to join the up and coming amusement park. Nielson owned the original arcade machines but leased them out to the park. Nielson put old and new machines into the metal building arcade. Not only did the park rent from Nielson, who owned the arcade games and a couple of the rides, but originally the park rented rides from traveling carnivals. Eventually the company paid off debts and the park began to grow. Some of the stockholders were bought out and eventually the park gained the arcade games, rides, and food service. The park was eventually owned by one family, the Lark's who later expanded the amusement park by creating Shipwreck Island Waterpark directly across the street.