What's New

Mississippi Showboat

Harry

Harry

Member
Opened in 1988. The Mississippi Showboat was a static fun house that operated along side next to the Buffalo helix that goes over the water. Unfortunately the Mississippi Showboat operated for it's last season in 1993 before being closed for good due to health and safety risks. It didn't open for the 1994 and remained closed ever since but still stayed on the park and used for advertisements that were hung from the side of the boat. The Mississippi Showboat was eventually scrapped in 2016. The footers are still left there to this day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan
DMP Miss.jpg


Photo by myself
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan
Shame that it was scrapped entirely instead of being maintained, or even moved to another location in the park to be used as a set piece.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan
It was later than 1993 when it closed. I think it was the season before the fencing went round the park and became a 1 price entry park(no more wristbands) as I remember a sign outside saying 2 ticket or 1 wristband entry
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan
I wonder if the park ever had any plans to reopen the Mississippi Showboat before they scrapped it?
 
Dan said:
I wonder if the park ever had any plans to reopen the Mississippi Showboat before they scrapped it?
Click to expand...
There was no longer a place for a low throughput, high maintenance fun house, which posed a health and safety nightmare filled with tight corners and moving parts hidden along dark narrow corridors. Alton Towers had to close theirs as well but that was in 1991, two years before Drayton closed theirs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan
It also had to have 3 staff working on it in its final years. (1 by the entrance collecting tickets and checking wristbands,2 at the top and the 3rd by the spinning drum as even I tried to stand up in it and tried to go all the way around. Theme parks were so much more fun back then.
 
It does sound as though it'd be difficult with the current Health and Safety Legislation, but it does sound like a lot of fun nevertheless - and very unique being a boat in the lake, again utilising that space in the park is a very good idea.
 
When it closed in the late 90s U had to leave your items with family members or in a box which was at the entrance so I doubt there was only pictures taken inside. I loved it as a kid and many kids we get off then go round for another go while our parents rested on benches nearby.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan
I think the Mississippi Showboat was insanely impressive, it's not every day you see a boat which is also a fun house - quite ambitious, and it certainly looked lovely across the lake. A shame that it closed, but I don't see it working with the current H&S Laws and the direction the park is headed in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top