2009.04.29
From Explore to 'Blue Ridge America'
Developer Larry Vander Maten finally gave the public a peek at what he has in mind to transform Explore Park into "Blue Ridge America," a major family vacation destination on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Though he didn't reveal all elements of his plan in presentations before Roanoke County and recreational authority officials Tuesday, what he did show makes it clear he has kept his pledge not to bring roller coasters to the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge. If he can raise the money to realize his vision, it would be in line with what local movers and shakers originally wanted Explore Park to be. We'll talk about the plan in an editorial Thursday.
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I just read the article on this and think his plan sounds awesome! What a great way to attract people to the area! I hope he eventually gets the funding to make it happen!
Comment by HCS — April 29, 2009 @ 12:37 pm
I agree HCS...it reads like a real draw and attraction to bring in tourists off the parkway ( and their money). Best of luck to this guy!
Comment by Kristen — April 29, 2009 @ 1:51 pm
yup and I would quite enjoy having something like that so close to home that my family could visit practically whenever we want!
Comment by HCS — April 29, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
If this guy can come up with the money and just make it twice what it was, it will be the best thing to come along in the area over the last 20 years.
If he pushes hard enough, he might even get started before the art museum becomes ugly office space.
Comment by Jerry W — April 30, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
If we let this developer have control of the park it would basically amount to giving it to the company which takes down old log cabins, barns, outbuildings, churches and old mills and sells 100 or more of them a year to people in Japan. These old historical buildings of Virginia's Explore Park are only going valuable to this developer as long as he feels that they are making him money. If not, then they would become as useful as an outdated or worn out amusement park ride, history!
The focus of the park will change from education to that of amusement. A family won't be able to pay an nominal admission fee, and spend a few hours in the park. They will want to you purchase a two or three day pass with would include over night lodging. The new park will function as Disney or Dollywood, and the local business will not see any benefit because the new park may also expand and create its own adjacent water world park, and other attraction, then force you into purchasing additional tickets options.
This plan will transform Virginia's Explore Park into a resort. A resort provides the following: food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping. Blue Ridge America will be a self-contained commercial resort. Gone will be such things like education, and history. The name "Blue Ridge America" will mean that it is a "historical resort" in only because it is located in an historical setting, and its mission will no longer be education, but commercialism at the price of local history simply as a painted backdrop, and noting more. The new park will focus in on all of the commercial aspects of the original Bern Ewart's plan for the American Frontier, which may mean that the living history museum may become the back drop for hollywood style fake Western gunfights. Roanoke County has been sold a bill of goods, and the Blue Ridge America is basically a rehashing of "Disney's America" a defunct history-based attraction which was planned for Haymarket, Virginia in the early 1990's.
Comment by Rark Ranger — May 24, 2009 @ 8:25 am
I used to work at Virginia's Explore Park, and I would go back to work there in a heartbeat. I am not disappointed with this new plan for Explore Park. I expected this commercialization of history. The video plan sounds like the old rehashing of Bern Ewart plan the creation of a park. Lets face it, the park opened before enough of it got built. Visitors are not going to be drawn to the park by overhead gondola rides. You need to develop the park land on the other side of the Roanoke River which has the best vista views. then you need the loop the Park with a real steam train. You need more historical buildings assembled throughout the park, for example: Mills types in different historic areas. There needs to be a saw mill, a covered bridge, an iron furnace, general stores, a trading post, and you need to expand the time periods into the 20th century, and celebrate the construction of the Blue Ridge 'Parkway with a CCC Camp, and Route 11. I just see this plan as taking history, and living history, and commercializing upon it. With all of this talk of Disney World, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg, Tennessee, etc., they are going to bring Disney's high price admission prices, and the imagineering factor into the park, and create the historical theme park from Hell.
The conversion of Virginia's Explore Park as some have stated it to "be like a National Park on steroids" is going to turn this little historical theme park into a Dollywood-Silver Dollar City knock-off amusement park in a setting tacked on to the Blue Ridge National Parkway. So instead of the parkway ending in the world of kitsch and tackiness of Pigeon Forge and Cherokee it is going to be attached to its heart. Gone will be the days of the nice little teaching park which benefits elementary school classes because that will bring in enough revenue to the park. Gone will be the days of historical accuracy and period appropriate, living history, and membership in such groups as The Association for Living Historical Farms and Agriculture Museums (ALHFAM). More than likely the National Park Service will close their visitor center at the entrance to the new Blue Ridge America amusement park. Then I would bet almost anything that they would rip up their access road because that was a commitment to Explore Park and not Blue Ridge America. The Blue Ridge Town will become a craftsman like village similar to areas found in Dollywood which used to be Silver Dollar City, Rebel Railroad, and Goldrush Junction. Areas of the new park will more than likely be called attractions rather than historical areas. Blue Ridge America will become a pop culture celebration of American history rather than a living history theme park. The people at Colonial Williamsbug have considered Virginia's Explore Park as being yuck-low-class because all of the buildings were more to create the park. So with the coming of Blue Ridge America more than likely they will consider it as being Santa's evil twin or the evil monkey on the back of the Blue Ridge Parkway! Blue Ridge America will be like having "Wally's World" in your backyard and attract dysfunctional families like the Griswolds from far and wide. Get ready for the slot machines!
Comment by Theodore R. Hazen — May 24, 2009 @ 10:50 am