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( May 2011 ) Carowinds Carowinds Logo ( 2014 ) Slogan `` Where the Carolinas come together '', `` Thrill Capital of the Southeast '' Location Charlotte, North Carolina, United States Coordinates 35 ° 06 ′ 16.13 '' N 80 ° 56 ′ 22.12 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.1044806 ° N 80.9394778 ° W ﻿ / 35.1044806 ; - 80.9394778 Coordinates : 35 ° 06 ′ 16.13 '' N 80 ° 56 ′ 22.12 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.1044806 ° N 80.9394778 ° W ﻿ / 35.1044806 ; - 80.9394778 Owner Cedar Fair Entertainment Company General Manager Pat Jones Opened March 31, 1973 Previous names Carowinds ( 1973 - 1992 ), Paramount 's Carowinds ( 1993 - 2006 ) Operating season March -- December Visitors per annum 2,000,000 Area 400 acres ( 1.6 km ) Rides Total 56 Roller coasters 13 Water rides 7 Website www.carowinds.com Carowinds is a 400 - acre ( 160 ha ) amusement park, located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park is located on the border of North and South Carolina, with a portion of the park also located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at a cost of $70 million. This was the result of a four - year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall, who was inspired to build the park by a 1956 trip to Disneyland and a dream of bringing the two states closer together. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, Carowinds also features a 27 - acre ( 81,000 m ) water park, Carolina Harbor, which is included with park admission. The park has a Halloween event called SCarowinds and a winter event called WinterFest. Contents 1 History 1.1 Sale to Cedar Fair 1.2 Cedar Fair era 2 Themed areas and attractions 2.1 Celebration Plaza 2.2 Crossroads 2.3 Carolina Boardwalk 2.4 Carousel Park 2.5 County Fair 2.6 Thrill Zone 2.7 Camp Snoopy 2.8 Carolina Harbor 2.9 WinterFest 2.10 SCarowinds 2.11 Paladium 3 Fast Lane 4 Carowinds Festival of Music 5 Lodging 6 Timeline 7 References 8 External links History The original Carowinds logo, used from 1973 - 1992. Carowinds logo used from 1993 to 2006 The Carowinds theme park was originally envisioned as a component of a large resort which would include hotels, a shopping center, a golf course, and an NFL stadium. However, attendance at Carowinds was curtailed by the 1973 oil crisis, and plans for the proposed resort were put on hold. Hall and the other stockholders of the Carowinds Corporation continued to operate the theme park through 1974, though sagging attendance and mounting debt forced the company to sell to Taft Broadcasting in early 1975. Ownership had transferred from Family Leisure Centers -- a joint venture between Taft and Top Value Enterprises ) -- to Kings Entertainment Company, which in turn was acquired by Paramount. The park was purchased by Paramount Communications in 1993 and joined the Paramount Parks family. The park was renamed Paramount 's Carowinds in 1993 and later became an asset of Viacom following its acquisition of Paramount in 1994. The name `` Carowinds '' was derived from the park 's original theme of the history and culture of the Carolinas, and is a portmanteau of `` Carolina '' and `` winds '', in reference to the winds that blow across the two states. Carowinds operates seasonally from late March through early December, after the park 's Halloween event, `` SCarowinds '', and the park 's Christmas event, `` WinterFest ''. Sale to Cedar Fair On January 27, 2006, the Dayton Daily News reported that CBS Corporation ( which split from Viacom at the end of 2005 ) would be selling Paramount 's Carowinds and other parks in its Paramount Parks division. On June 30, 2006, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company acquired Paramount Parks, including Carowinds. Although Cedar Fair continued to use the Paramount 's Carowinds name through the remainder of the 2006 season, it began to phase out the Paramount name in press releases, the park website, and on signage within the park. In January 2007, a new logo featuring the Cedar Fair icon but lacking the `` Paramount '' name, was revealed on the park website. The new logo featured the trademark Cedar Fair flags, flying on the letter `` I '' on the Carowinds name. The other four Paramount - branded parks that Cedar Fair acquired all received similar changes. The `` Paramount '' name was dropped from all of the parks after the 2006 season. Cedar Fair era On August 26, 2013, Cedar Fair announced a $50 - million investment plan to expand Carowinds over three years starting in 2014. The expansion includes a $30 - million roller coaster, a $2.5 - million water slide, a $7 - million food complex, and $4 million to improve the park 's ticket booths and front areas. On August 21, 2014 Carowinds announced the addition of Fury 325 for the 2015 season. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride is the fifth - tallest roller coaster in the world, after its debut in the spring of 2015 as another component of the park 's previously announced `` top - to - bottom '' expansion program. A new front entrance, replacing the original North Gate entrance of the park, also opened along with Fury 325 for the 2015 season. On August 27, 2015, Carowinds announced that the water park known formally as Boomerang Bay would be expanded and renamed Carolina Harbor in 2016. The Australian theme would be removed and replaced with a Carolina harbor theme. The expansion includes a new six - slide complex, a new wave pool, and several new splash areas for kids. On August 18, 2016, Carowinds announced they would be expanding County Fair with the addition of 4 new rides : Electro - Spin ( a mondial top scan ), Zephyr ( A Zierer Wave Swinger ), Rock N Roller ( A Mack Rides Music Express ), and Do - Si - Do ( a HUSS Troika. ) Carowinds also announced that Carolina Cobra would be refurbished and renamed `` The Flying Cobras ''. They also announced that the Wings restaurant would receive various upgrades. Carowinds also announced the return of WinterFest, a Christmas event in November and December, that previously operated in 2005. For the 2018 season, the park 's children 's area known as Planet Snoopy, was expanded and converted to Camp Snoopy with the addition of six new children 's rides. Current Carowinds logo Themed areas and attractions The rides at Carowinds are based loosely around eight themed areas. Celebration Plaza Thrill level ( out of 5 ) 1 ( low ) 2 ( mild ) 3 ( moderate ) 4 ( high ) 5 ( aggressive ) Intimidator opened in 2010 Ride Year opened Manufacturer Description Thrill level Carolina Skytower 1973 Intamin A 262 - foot ( 80 m ) tall Gyro tower that gives guests a view of Carowinds and Charlotte. It was originally sponsored by and branded as the Eastern Airlines Skytower. It is turned into a Christmas tree of lights during the holiday season. Intimidator Bolliger & Mabillard A steel hypercoaster inspired by the famous stock car racing driver Dale Earnhardt. The 232 - foot - tall ( 71 m ) roller coaster travels up to 75 mph ( 121 km / h ). 5 Nighthawk Vekoma A Vekoma Flying Dutchman coaster. The coaster operated as Stealth at California 's Great America before being installed at Carowinds. When moved to Carowinds, it was known as Borg Assimilator ( 2004 -- 2007 ) and was themed after the Borg character from the television show Star Trek : The Next Generation. The theming was removed when Cedar Fair acquired the park, and the ride was renamed Nighthawk. 5 RipCord 1995 Skycoaster, Inc. A skycoaster formally known as Xtreme SkyFlyer. This ride is an upcharge ride. Guest must pay an additional fee to ride. 5 Rip Roarin ' Rapids 1982 Kings Entertainment Company A river rafting water ride. Crossroads Ride Year opened Manufacturer Description Thrill level Action Theater 1994 Iwerks 2016 : Home of Plants Vs. Zombies : Garden Warfare 3Z Arena. A 3D intra-active experienced developed by PopCap Games, Electronic Arts, and Alterface Projects, puts 2 teams against each other in a 5 - minute backyard battle, where they 'll shoot screens with blasters and track their scores as they go. Previous attractions : Days Of Thunder, James Bond 007 : License to Thrill, The 7th Portal 3D, SpongeBob SquarePants 4 - D & Dinosaurs : Giants of Patagonia. Afterburn 1999 Bolliger & Mabillard An inverted roller coaster featuring 6 inversions. Formerly known as Top Gun : The Jet Coaster ( 1999 -- 2007 ). 5 Boo Blasters on Boo Hill Sally Corporation An interactive dark ride where guests shoot at targets to collect points. Originally, the building was a theater that housed a variety of shows. It was previously known as Scooby - Doo 's Haunted Mansion from 2001 to 2009. Dodg'ems 1979 Majestic Rides A classic bumper cars attraction. Formerly known as Autodrome ( 1979 - 1981 ) & PT Bumper 's Dodgem ( 1982 - ? ). Southern Star 1986 Intamin A Looping Starship thrill ride. Formerly known as Frenzoid. The ride was removed by Paramount at the end of 2005 for Boomerang Bay ( now Carolina Harbor ) expansion. It returned in 2007 in a new location nearby. WindSeeker 2012 Mondial A 301 - foot ( 92 m ) tower swinger ride that spins to music and a light show. It was the tallest ride ever built at Carowinds until the opening of Fury 325 in 2015. Yo Yo 2008 Chance Morgan A swing ride that currently occupies the spot where Whirling Dervish, the park 's original Wave Swinger, was located. It was relocated from Geauga Lake. Carolina Boardwalk Sign for Carolina Boardwalk Ride Year opened Manufacturer Description Thrill level Carolina Cyclone 1980 Arrow Dynamics A steel roller coaster featuring two vertical loops and two corkscrews. It was the first roller coaster to feature four inversions. 5 Carolina Goldrusher 1973 Arrow Dynamics A steel Mine train roller coaster. It was the first roller coaster at Carowinds and is only one of three original rides still operating. It 's also the first roller coaster to cross state lines ( North Carolina & South Carolina ). Ricochet 2002 Mack Rides A steel wild mouse roller coaster. Carousel park Ride Year opened Manufacturer Description Thrill level The Scrambler 1973 Eli Bridge A classic Twist ride. It was originally named Kaleidoscope. Vortex Bolliger & Mabillard A steel stand - up roller coaster. It was the South 's first stand up roller coaster. 5 SlingShot 2015 Funtime A Sling Shot ride that catapults riders nearly 300 - feet into the air at speeds up to 62 miles per hour ( 100 km / h ). SlingShot is an additional charge attraction. 5 The Grand Carousel 1979 Philadelphia Toboggan Company An antique carousel. Originally located in Planet Snoopy before the 2018 season. County Fair Ride Year Opened Manufacturer Description Thrill level The Flying Cobras 2009 Vekoma A standard Boomerang model roller coaster. The train is pulled up the lift hill backward and then released down the hill forward into a cobra roll and vertical loop before repeating the journey in reverse. It was relocated from Geauga Lake where it was known as Mind Eraser ( 1996 - 2003 ) & Head Spin ( 2003 - 2007 ). Formerly known as Carolina Cobra ( 2009 - 2016 ). 5 Electro Spin 2017 Mondial A Top Scan that sends riders through a freely rotating orbit through the air on its floorless gondolas. Opened as part of the new County Fair area in 2017. 5 Zephyr 2017 Zierer A swing ride that suspends guests as the ride rotates in a circular, wavelike motion. Opened as part of the new County Fair area in 2017. Rock ' N ' Roller 2017 MACK Rides A Musik Express that Rock N ' Rolls guests around and around, up and down as high - energy tunes and spectacular lighting complement the experience. Opened as part of the new County Fair area in 2017. Do - Si - Do 2017 HUSS A Troika that sends guests flying through the air and gliding up, down and around as three giant arms rotate riders in different directions -- all while increasing speed and elevation. Opened as part of the new County Fair area in 2017. Thrill Zone Fury 325 opened in 2015 Ride Year Opened Manufacturer Description Thrill level Fury 325 2015 Bolliger & Mabillard A giga coaster loosely themed around Charlotte 's nickname the `` Hornet 's Nest '' with a height of 325 ft ( 99m ), making it the tallest giga coaster and fastest non-launched roller coaster in the world, reaching speeds of up to 95 mph making it the sixth fastest in the world. Fury 325 is the tallest ride ever built at Carowinds and the single largest investment in the park 's history. 5 Drop Tower : Scream Zone Intamin A drop tower ride with a height of 160 feet ( 49 m ) and a drop of 100 ft ( 30 m ). It was originally named Drop Zone : Stunt Tower ( 1996 -- 2007 ). Hurler 1994 International Coasters, Inc A wooden triple out and back roller coaster. Originally themed to Wayne 's World when the park was owned by Paramount. Scream Weaver 1979 Anton Schwarzkopf A Schwarzkopf Enterprise ride. It was originally located in the original County Fair area, where it was known as Meteorite. Camp Snoopy Ride Year Opened Manufacturer Description Thrill level Beagle Scout Acres 2018 This climb and play area features 8,000 square feet of interactive play elements and lots of shady spots for parents to rest. Opened in 2018 as one of 6 new Camp Snoopy attractions. Camp Bus 2018 Zamperla A bus themed mini flying carpet ride. Families soar up, down and all around with the Peanuts Gang. Opened in 2018 as one of 6 new Camp Snoopy attractions. Charlie Brown 's Wind Up 1973 Zamperla A miniature swing ride. Formerly known as Top Cat 's Swing Time & Backyardigans Swing - a-long. Flying Ace Balloon Race Zamperla A flying balloon ride. Formerly known as Boo Boo 's Balloon Race, Boot 's Balloon Race & Peter Potamus ' Magic Flying Balloons. Kite Eating Tree 2018 Zamperla A mini drop tower. This ride takes you 20 feet to the top of the tree and gently brings you back down. Opened in 2018 as one of 6 new Camp Snoopy attractions. Peanuts Pirates 2005 Mack Rides Heinrich Mack K.C, A Seesturmbahn ( Sea Storm Ride ) with rotating pirate ships themed to The Peanuts. It was relocated from sister park Canada 's Wonderland where it was once known as The Great Whale of China. Formerly known as Flying Dutchman 's Revenge. Peanuts Trailblazer 2018 Zamperla A mini whip ride. Rev up your engines for a ride on this off - road adventure where you whip around and around in your car with the PEANUTS gang. Opened in 2018 as one of 6 new Camp Snoopy attractions. Pig Pen 's Mud Buggies 2018 Zamperla A jump around ride. Take an adventurous spin in your all - terrain vehicle where you 'll be bounced up, down and around. Opened in 2018 as one of 6 new Camp Snoopy attractions. Snoopy vs. Red Baron 1973 Chance Rides A small plane ride themed to Snoopy. Formerly known as Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines & Tommy 's Take Off. Snoopy 's Junction 1973 Crown Metal Products A miniature train ride. Originally opened with the park in the Country Crossroads section ( now Crossroads ) as Shortline Railroad. In 1975, the ride was moved to a new home. This train ride was formerly known as Flintstone Express, Yogi 's Jellystone Garden & Dora the Explorer 's Azul Adventure. Wilderness Run 1998 E&F Miler Industries Take a high - speed taxi ride through Lucy 's neighborhood. On this junior - sized roller coaster, riders climb a 15 - foot ( 4.6 m ) lift hill before the remainder of their city chase begins. The downward bank turn and series of airtime bumps make for a taxi ride that kids of all ages can enjoy ! Formerly known as Taxi Jam ( 1998 -- 2004 ), Hey Arnold 's Taxi Chase ( 2005 -- 2009 ) & Lucy 's Crabbie Cabbie ( 2009 - 2017 ). Woodstock Express Philadelphia Toboggan Company A junior wooden roller coaster. Formerly known as Scooby Doo, Scooby Doo 's Ghoster Coaster & Fairly Odd Coaster ( 2005 - 2009 ). Woodstock Whirlybirds 2018 Zamperla A mini teacup ride themed to Woodstock. Riders spin and twirl along in teacups dressed up as bird nests. Opened in 2018 as one of 6 new Camp Snoopy attractions. Carolina Harbor Main article : Carolina Harbor Included in the price of admission to Carowinds is access the 27 - acre Carolina Harbor water park. Based on a Coastal Carolina theme, it features 15 rides and attractions. Originally opened as Ocean Island in 1982, the water park has also been known as Riptide Reef ( 1989 -- 1997 ) WaterWorks ( 1997 -- 2006 ), and Boomerang Bay ( 2007 -- 2015 ). On August 27, 2015, Carowinds announced a planned 2016 expansion for the area that will add five additional attractions and result in the name changing to Carolina Harbor. WinterFest Carowinds re-introduced WinterFest for the 2017 season. This seasonal holiday event features the park decorated for the Christmas season, a tree lighting, Christmas carolers, homemade crafts, and select rides. The park previously had Winterfest in 2005 when owned by Paramount. SCarowinds In 2000, the park introduced SCarowinds ; an annual Halloween attraction. SCarowinds is presented on select nights in September and October, as well as the first weekend in November. The park is open with The Great Pumpkin Fest starring Snoopy and rest of the Peanuts gang throughout the day, typically closes at 5 : 30pm, and reopens as SCarowinds at 7pm with the evil witch and SCarowinds ' 1st lady of terror Lilith. The experience includes numerous haunted attractions and incorporates most of the existing park rides into a nightmarish experience. The SCarowinds Halloween Haunt is recommended for ages 13 and up, but any age is permitted for admission. Paladium The Paladium is an outdoor amphitheater located at Carowinds. It opened in 1975 and was the Charlotte area 's premier outdoor concert venue until the opening of Blockbuster Pavilion, now PNC Music Pavilion, in 1991. Admission to the Paladium is separate from admission to Carowinds. In 1992, the Paladium hosted Chapel Hill 's James Taylor. It had Virginia 's Dave Matthews Band in ' 93, UK 's Depeche Mode in ' 94, Athens GA 's B - 52 's in ' 94, Johnny Cash in ' 95, Billy Ray Cyrus in ' 95, Blues Traveler in ' 96, UK 's Duran Duran in 2000, Weird Al Yankovic in ' 00, Atlanta Christian rapper Lecrae in 2014 ( for Rock the Park ), and Skillet in 2015. Fast Lane Further information : List of Fast Lane attractions § Carowinds Fast Lane is a limited - access line queue system offered for an additional charge at Cedar Fair amusement parks. Visitors can purchase access, which includes a wristband that allows them to bypass standard lines in favor of shorter ones at many of the parks ' most popular attractions. Fast Lane Plus is a more expensive, higher - end version that includes several additional attractions. Carowinds Festival of Music The annual Carowinds Festival of Music allows music students to play in public performances and receive comments and ratings from nationally recognized adjudicators. Bands, choirs, show choirs, and orchestras can all play for ratings. Plaques and ribbons are awarded for performances which receive ratings of superior and excellent. Lodging Camp Wilderness Lodge : Luxury cabins that offer four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a great room. In addition, guests will find a kitchenette, dining area, wrap around porch with rocking chairs and an outdoor grill and patio. Camp Wilderness Cabins : Two bedroom cabins surrounding a pool, tennis court, and tram stop. Camp Wilderness RV Sites : Camp Wilderness features RV, Pop - up and Tent Sites and can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet in length. The paved RV sites feature full hookups with water, sewer and electric. SpringHill Suites : On February 13, 2018, Carowinds officially announced that a 130 - room SpringHill Suites by Marriott would open in 2019. Construction on the hotel is expected to begin in March 2018. Carowinds will own and operate the hotel, becoming the first Cedar Fair - owned franchised hotel. Timeline 1970 - 1979 1973 : Carowinds opens on March 31 ; the Monorail is still under construction and opens later. Original theme areas : Plantantion Square, Contemporary Carolina, Frontier Outpost, Pirate Island, Indian Thicket, Country Crossroads and Queens Colony. 1974 : Country Kitchen is added ; Whirling Well ( Chance Rotor ) ; picnic areas open. The Double - Decker Carousel is removed from the park at the end of the season and placed in storage. 1975 : Paladium Amphitheatre ; Happy Land of Hanna - Barbera ( themed area ) featuring Scooby Doo coaster ; Surfer ( Tagada ) ; Wagon Wheel ( Chance Trabant ) ; Waltzer ( Schwarzkopf spinning ride ). 1976 : Thunder Road ; 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow gauge Carowinds and Carolina Railroad removed. 1977 : White Lightnin ' ( Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster ) in Pirate Island ( entrance in Country Crossroads ) ; Whirling Well renamed Oaken Bucket and moved to east midway. 1979 : County Fair area added. Meteorite ( enterprise ) ; PT Bumpem 's Auto Stunt & Thrill Show ( bumper cars ) ; Whirling Dervish ( wave swinger ) ; Wild Bull ( Bayern Kurve ) ; Carousel. 1980 - 1989 Southern Star, originally added in 1986 1980 : Carolina Cyclone was added in Frontier Outpost. 1982 : Rip Roarin ' Rapids ; Ocean Island ( water park ). 1983 : Cable Skyway removed. 1984 : Smurf Island ( themed area ). 1985 : Blackbeard 's Revenge ( mystery house ). 1986 : Frenzoid, a looping Viking ship was added. 1987 : Expansion of Hanna - Barbera Land with three new rides ; Old Jalopies antique car ride removed ; Oaken Bucket removed. 1988 : WhiteWater Falls added ; White Lightnin ' coaster removed ; Black Widow ( thrill ride ) removed. 1989 : Riptide Reef water park ; Expansion of Paladium. 1990 - 1999 Hurler, added in 1994 1990 : Gauntlet ( shooting star, later renamed GR8 SK8 ). 1991 : Expansion of Paladium ; Speedway Cars removed. 1992 : Vortex was added in the Carolina Showplace section of Carowinds. 1993 : Action Theater was added in the County Fair section of Carowinds. Paramount Communications buys Carowinds, King 's Dominion, Kings Island, Great America, and Canada 's Wonderland. 1994 : Wayne 's World ( later renamed Thrill Zone ) section with Hurler and Carowinds Monorail removed. 1995 : Xtreme Skyflyer was added in the Wayne 's World ( later renamed Thrill Zone ) section of Carowinds. 1996 : Drop Zone : Stunt Tower ( later renamed Drop Tower : Scream Zone ) was added in the Wayne 's World ( later renamed Thrill Zone ) section of Carowinds. 1997 : WaterWorks water park is added. 1998 : Taxi Jam ( Later renamed Lucy 's Crabbie Cabbie ), TV Road Trip ( Later renamed Joe Cool 's Driving School ), and Chopper Chase ( Later renamed Woodstock 's Whirlybirds ). 1999 : Top Gun : The Jet Coaster ( Later renamed Afterburn ) was added in the County Fair section of Carowinds. 2000 - 2009 2000 : SCarowinds ; Flying Super Saturator ( steel coaster ) is added. 2001 : SCOOBY - DOO 's Haunted Mansion ( later renamed Boo Blasters at Boo Hill ) ; WaterWorks expansion ; Stan Lee 's 7th Portal 3D ( feature in Action Theater ) ; Whirling Dervish ( swing ride ) removed. 2002 : Ricochet is added and Carolina Crossroads area is re-themed to Carolina Boardwalk. 2003 : Nickelodeon Central, featuring Rugrats Runaway Reptar ( New Vekoma Jr. SLC ), Wild Thornberrys River Adventure ( Formerly Powder Keg Flume ), and Rocket Power Air Time ( Formerly Gauntlet ) ; SpongeBob SquarePants 3D ( feature in Action Theater ) ; Carolina Sternwheeler ( Original Ride ) riverboat removed. 2004 : BORG Assimilator ( later renamed Nighthawk ) Flying coaster added. 2005 : Nickelodeon Central expands into Animation Station, featuring Phantom Flyers ( relocated from Kings Island as Flying Eagles ), Flying Dutchman 's Revenge, Little Bill 's Cruisers, Dora the Explorer Azul 's Adventure ( Formerly Yogi 's Jellystone Tour ) and Frenzoid removal begins in September. 2006 : Frenzoid was removed. WaterWorks was rethemed and renamed to Boomerang Bay and converting the old Frenzoid lake into a heated lagoon. Thunder Raceway Go - Carts was built in the Thrill Zone. The Funtastic World of Hanna - Barbera ( feature in Action Theater ) was also added. Paramount Parks is sold to the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company for 1.24 billion dollars. This puts Carowinds under the Cedar Fair family of parks. 2007 : Frenzoid was put back in as Southern Star in County Fair section. The price for a single day ticket dropped for the first time ever. Carolina Skytower was repainted to look like an American flag. 2008 : A second wave pool named Bondi Beach added along with cabanas in Boomerang Bay. This added 20 acres ( 81,000 m ) to the park making it 112 acres ( 0.45 km ). Geauga Lake 's Yo Yo swing ride was also added in the title County Fair section. Flying Super Saturator only operates on the Boomerang Bay operating calendar. Thunder Road now runs both sides going forwards again. The Flying Super Saturator is removed from the park in August. 2009 : Carolina Cobra, a Boomerang roller coaster featuring new trains from Vekoma, opens in the former location of the Nickelodeon Flying Super Saturator. Carowinds rebuilds more sections of Thunder Road. Nighthawk was repainted with yellow track and navy blue supports. Hurler receives some re-tracking. Scarowinds returns for its tenth year. Wild Thornberry 's River Adventure removed for a new attraction. Dora the Explorer Azul Adventure 's track is also modified. 2010 - present 2010 : Intimidator : A 232 - foot - tall ( 71 m ), 5,316 - foot - long ( 1,620 m ) Bolliger & Mabillard hyper coaster replaces Wild Thornberry 's River Adventure. Planet Snoopy replaces Nickelodeon Central, featuring Snoopy 's Space Race, a small flying jet ride. Carolina Cyclone is repainted blue, yellow and orange. Scooby Doo 's Haunted Mansion becomes Boo Blasters On Boo Hill, with new special effects ; all connections to Hanna - Barbera 's Scooby - Doo have been removed. Carowinds rebuilds more sections of Thunder Road. Carowinds starts replacing pavement with brick pavers to help reduce heat flow from walkways. 2011 : Snoopy 's Starlight Spectacular, a million - dollar nighttime walk - through light and sound experience featuring the Peanuts characters. Snoopy 's starlight spectacular utilizes light, sound, and motion to create a full sensory experience. Snoopy 's Starlight Spectacular runs from May 28 to September 4 in the County Fair and the Planet Snoopy sections of the park. Carowinds will stay open till 10pm every night June 27 to August 7. `` Nights of Fire '', a nightly fireworks show will play July 1 to September 4 at Carowinds Plaza at 10 : 00 pm. Vortex receives a new red track and grey support paint scheme. Ricochet receives a touch up paint job. Work continues on Thunder Road and Hurler 's rehab and work continues on replacing pavement with brick pavers to help reduce heat flow from walkways. Carowinds has also expanded the park by 61 acres ( 250,000 m ). 2012 : WindSeeker, a 301 - foot - tall ( 92 m ) thrill ride opens, Fast Lane added, Joe Cool 's Driving School closes. 2013 : Dinosaurs Alive !, a walk - through Dinosaur Exhibit ; Dinosaurs : Giants of Patagonia 3D ( feature in Action Theater ) ; $50 million expansion announced on August 26, to include multiple new attractions, concessions, games, and 285 jobs. This places Carowinds as the fourth largest Cedar Fair park. 2014 : Two new slides were added to Boomerang Bay : Surfer 's Swell and Dorsal Fin Drop. New Harmony Hall marketplace is built in the Intimidator field, replacing Snoopy 's GR8 SK8. Chick - fil - A moves into the former Country Kitchen building and a new restaurant, `` Chickie 's and Pete 's '' replaces Outer Hanks, and Auntie Anne 's takes over Plaza Funnel Cake. The former Chick - fil - A is renovated into Funnel Cake Emporium. Xtreme Skyflyer is renamed to Ripcord and is relocated to the Nighthawk lake. Ricochet repainted. Go - Karts are removed and land clearing begins for a future roller coaster. Toll Plaza is removed and a new one is built further away from the park. The Plantation House entrance closes. 2015 : Fury 325 debuts along with a new 8.2 - acre ( 3.3 ha ) main entrance plaza which was opened in association with the new coaster. Sling Shot, a new ride that catapults riders nearly 300 - feet into the air at speeds up to 60 mph ( 97 km / h ), was also added to the park in 2015. Woodstock Express and Afterburn are repainted and Thunder Road, which operated for 39 years, closes permanently on July 26, 2015. Carowinds surpasses an annual attendance of 2,000,000, becoming the fifth most - visited Cedar Fair park. 2016 : Boomerang Bay water park is expanded and renamed Carolina Harbor. Plants Vs. Zombies : Garden Warfare 3Z Arena, an interactive 3D game, debuts in Action Theater. Cirque Imagine becomes the new feature at the Carowinds Theater. Papa Luigi 's Pizza is remodeled. Southern Sidewinder, Mini Golf, and Whitewater Falls are all removed. 2017 : Carolina RFD becomes County Fair with four new rides ( Electro - Spin, Zephyr, Rock ' N ' Roller, and Do - Si - Do ) ; Old location of County Fair becomes Crossroads ; Carolina Cobra is repainted and renamed to The Flying Cobras, and is rethemed to represent an airshow ; Drop Tower repainted ; Panda Express relocates to Joe 's Cool Café, with old location demolished ; New Game Card system is added for all games ; WinterFest will return from November to December 2017. 2018 : Planet Snoopy becomes Camp Snoopy with the addition of six new rides, and a complete re-theme of the area. Flying Ace Aerial Chase is repainted and renamed to Kiddy Hawk. The Carolina Showplace section of the park is renamed Carousel Park. WinterFest becomes a permanent seasonal event. Carowinds ' first hotel, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, is announced and begins construction for a 2019 opening. Land clearing of the former White Water Falls attraction begins for a future project. References Jump up ^ `` Boomerang Bay ''. carowinds.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Press Releases : : Cedar Fair Entertainment Company ''. Cedarfair.com. Archived from the original on 2006 - 07 - 28. Retrieved 2011 - 05 - 22. Jump up ^ Frazier, Eric ( August 26, 2013 ). `` Carowinds plans $50 million expansion ''. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 18, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2013. Jump up ^ Théoden Janes ( 21 August 2014 ). `` Carowinds to get one of the world 's tallest, fastest coasters ''. charlotteobserver.com. McClatchy Company. Retrieved 22 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Welcome to Carolina Harbor Carowinds ''. carolinaharbor.carowinds.com. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ https://www.carowinds.com/play/rides-coasters Jump up ^ Kulmala, Teddy ( August 27, 2015 ). `` Carowinds announces major waterpark expansion, new slides ''. The Herald. Retrieved December 21, 2015. Jump up ^ Janes, Theoden ( August 27, 2015 ). `` Carowinds expanding its water park in 2016 ''. The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` SCarowinds Halloween Haunt Hours ''. Carowinds. Retrieved August 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Carowinds Fast Lane ''. Carowinds. Retrieved April 28, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Carowinds Festival of Music : : North and South Carolina 's Themed Amusement Park ''. Music.carowinds.com. Retrieved 2011 - 05 - 22. Jump up ^ https://www.coaster101.com/2018/02/13/carowinds-building-new-springhill-suites-hotel-2019/ Jump up ^ Celeste Smith, Eleanor Kennedy. `` Carowinds buys 61 acres for expansion ''. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 02. Jump up ^ Worthington, Don ( September 7, 2013 ). `` Carowinds announces 2 new water slides for 2014 ''. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 9, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Carowinds to Reach Exciting New Heights ''. PR Newswire. August 21, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Worthington, Don ( February 1, 2015 ). `` Carowinds ' upgrades focus on ' business of making memories ' ''. The Herald. Retrieved September 28, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Carowinds - Facebook ''. Carowinds. April 11, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015. Jump up ^ Carowinds, com. Carowinds https://www.carowinds.com/what-s-new. Retrieved 10 February 2016. Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ Carowinds ( @ Carowinds ) ( 20 January 2016 ). `` Papa Luigi 's will also be opening 2016 with a fresh new look ! 🍕 😋 '' ( Tweet ) -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ `` Carowinds Park Map 2017 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Instagram post by Carowinds Jan 31, 2017 at 8 : 46pm UTC ''. Instagram. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ `` Carowinds on Twitter ''. Twitter. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 29. Jump up ^ https://www.carowinds.com/explore/camp-snoopy External links Amusement parks portal North Carolina portal South Carolina portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carowinds. Official website Carowinds at the Roller Coaster DataBase Festival of Music Official Site Cedar Fair Amusement parks California 's Great America Canada 's Wonderland Carowinds Cedar Point Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Gilroy Gardens Kings Dominion Kings Island Knott 's Berry Farm Michigan 's Adventure Valleyfair Worlds of Fun Water parks Boomerang Bay Carolina Harbor Castaway Bay Cedar Point Shores Knott 's Soak City ( Buena Park ) Oceans of Fun Soak City ( Kings Island ) Soak City ( Kings Dominion ) Soak City ( Valleyfair ) Splash Works WildWater Adventure Wildwater Kingdom ( Allentown, Pennslyvania ) Former parks Geauga Lake Knott 's Camp Snoopy Knott 's Soak City ( San Diego and Palm Springs ) Star Trek : The Experience Wildwater Kingdom ( Ohio ) Other amenities Camp Snoopy Dinosaurs Alive ! Fast Lane Halloween Haunt Planet Snoopy WindSeeker People Matt Ouimet Dick Kinzel Miscellaneous Incidents at Cedar Fair parks Revenue : $1.16 billion USD ( 2014 ) Employees : 1,700 full time, 37,000 seasonal Stock Symbol : NYSE : FUN Website : cedarfair.com Carowinds Roller Coasters Afterburn Carolina Cobra Carolina Cyclone Carolina Goldrusher Flying Ace Aerial Chase Fury 325 Hurler Intimidator Lucy 's Crabbie Cabbie Nighthawk Ricochet Vortex Woodstock Express Attractions Action Theater Boo Blasters on Boo Hill Dinosaurs Alive ! Drop Tower : Scream Zone Planet Snoopy SCarowinds WindSeeker Winterfest Xtreme Skyflyer Former Carowinds Monorail Flying Super Saturator Scooby - Doo 's Haunted Mansion Thunder Road White Lightnin ' Paramount Parks Former properties Amusement parks Bonfante Gardens Paramount Canada 's Wonderland Paramount 's Carowinds Paramount 's Great America Paramount 's Kings Dominion Paramount 's Kings Island Terra Mítica Water parks Crocodile Dundee 's Boomerang Bay ( Paramount 's Carowinds ) Crocodile Dundee 's Boomerang Bay ( Paramount 's Great America ) Crocodile Dundee 's Boomerang Bay ( Paramount 's Kings Island ) Raging Waters Splash Works WaterWorks Other Star Trek : The Experience Proposed properties Paramount Murcia Paramount Movie Park Korea London Paramount VIAF : 315171217 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carowinds&oldid=843125272 '' Categories : Amusement parks in North Carolina Amusement parks in South Carolina Carowinds Cedar Fair amusement parks Economy of Charlotte, North Carolina Fort Mill, South Carolina Buildings and structures in Charlotte, North Carolina Buildings and structures in York County, South Carolina Landmarks in North Carolina Landmarks in South Carolina 1973 establishments in North Carolina 1973 establishments in South Carolina Tourist attractions in Charlotte, North Carolina Tourist attractions in York County, South Carolina Amusement parks opened in 1973 Hidden categories : Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Articles that may contain original research from May 2011 All articles that may contain original research Articles needing additional references from May 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles with multiple maintenance issues Pages using deprecated image syntax Coordinates on Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Nederlands Edit links This page was last edited on 27 May 2018, at 01 : 44. 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Question: what amusement park is in charlotte north carolina
Answer: Carowinds