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.
Mississippi Showboat
- Thread starter Harry
- Start date
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
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.
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.
I wonder why it took 23 years to remove??? Let's just hope none of the rides like Excalibur or Pirate's Adventure stay SBNO for as long as that!!!!
Maybe. Depends if anyone here got on it?
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.
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.
It was used to put banners on to advertise the up and coming events. It was all lit up on the fireworks events.