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Park Profile
www.parkworld-online.com
Wild West World
Cowboy charm in Kansas
Above: No ribbon cutting for American cowboy spirit is a richly ingrained nine years’ experience at family entertainment venues
cowboys! At the opening of
tradition in Kansas, and now Thomas and Cheryl the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper and Hopalong
Wild Wild World, Dick Chance,
Etheridge, developers of new park Wild West Cassidy Cowboy Museum. With a staff of 50
Len Soled and Thomas
World, want to bring the values of kindness, permanent and 550 seasonal employees, he
Etheridge (left to right) do the
generosity, and bravery to a new generation of optimistically hopes to draw 500,000 guests in the
honours the cowboy way, using
wire cutters on a strand of
families. Paul Ruben saddles up and gets on down first year to Wild West World, including 35 per cent
barbed wire
to Wichita. from group sales. He is targeting his marketing
towards Kansas families.
L
ocated geographically in the very centre of the
US, in Park City, a suburb of Wichita, Wild West Wholesome family entertainment
World is the globe’s only “all-Western” theme “We are well known in the state for family
park, and also the only park in the state of Kansas. The entertainment,” he notes, “and we aggressively
new $30-million facility occupies 130 acres, including market through all mediums to reach our audience.
the Wild West World hotel and space for future In this day and age it is very rare to find wholesome
restaurants and hotel development. The park itself and family entertainment. We wanted to help fill that
adjacent parking lot occupy approximately 80 acres. void.”
Entering the park, visitors find themselves on Old “Wild West World offers a wonderful variety of
West Main Street with a beautiful hand carved fountain rides for all ages,” he explains, “and 100 great
in the centre. A large lake is situated at the end of the family experiences. We have built the park with the
street. Wild West World has 24 major rides, 12 retail kiddie rides, family rides and the thrill rides
outlets, 18 food elements, 18 games, four musical interspersed so that the whole family can stay
venues and a 1,200-seat multi-purpose auditorium. together as they go through the park. We also offer
With several lakes intermingled throughout the park, exciting games, retail shops, restaurants, great
Wild West World has created an oasis on the Prairie. musical entertainment and, coming in June, the
Although Wild West World CEO Thomas Etheridge National Acrobats of China. The public loves the
has no track record of managing a park, he does have park. Our grand opening brought rave reviews.”
34 JUNE 2007
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