The History of North Carolina’s Mile-High Theme Park: Ghost Town in the Sky

In 1961, one of the best and most unique theme parks opened on top of Buck Mountain, with an elevation of 4,650 ft in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. The popular Western-themed amusement park, founded by R.B. Coburn, would forever capture our memories and hearts for the ones who remember it.

Ghost Town in the Sky was a huge success in the 1960s until the mid-1980s, bringing some of the biggest stars to the area and welcoming over 500,000 annual visitors during its heyday. It was once famously promoted as North Carolina’s mile-high theme park, with the famous chairlift moving over 1,200 people per hour, taking visitors to the top, with a shuttle bus for the ones who were not brave enough to ride it. At the top, the park was divided into different towns and themes, with several iconic rides.

Story continues