Has anyone died at Joyland?

There has been one death related to the roller coaster in the history of Joyland. That death also had nothing to do with faulty structure. In May of 1977, a 7-year-old boy died after falling from the roller coaster while standing up during a series of hills on the ride.

Why did Joyland in Wichita close?

The owners of Joyland Amusement Park are putting the land up for sale. Joyland opened in Wichita in 1949 and permanently closed in 2006. Since then, the former amusement park has fallen to vandalism, overgrowth, graffiti, trespassers and neglect.

When did they close Joyland?

2004
Joyland Amusement Park/Closed

How many people have died from roller coasters?

Results: Forty people, ranging in age from 7 to 77 years, were killed in 39 separate incidents. Twenty nine (73%) deaths occurred among roller coaster patrons. Eleven fatalities resulted from external causes related to injuries from falls or collisions.

When did Joyland roller coaster open in Wichita KS?

Lester Ottaway opened the 40-acre park in 1949 during the beginning of the post-war economic boom as the aircraft industry in Wichita took off and the city’s population was rapidly growing. A total of 1,200 cars filled the parking lot on the day the mayor cut the ribbon on the roller coaster.

How did Kevin Briley die at Joyland in Kansas?

Then, in 1998, Kevin Briley, a maintenance worker, was killed when he was hit by the roller coaster as he cut weeds underneath it, not hearing the ride coming. The following year, Kansas lawmakers considered requiring state inspections for amusement park rides. But they ultimately decided to just require them to buy insurance.

How many cars were in the parking lot at Joyland?

A total of 1,200 cars filled the parking lot on the day the mayor cut the ribbon on the roller coaster. Evenings at the park were especially memorable in the days before television and air conditioning were commonplace.

When did the opera house at Joyland burn down?

In 2008, paintballers sprayed the Joyland park, weeds had grown into the cracks and “wind whistled through buildings with no windows and through the ghostly skeleton of the roller coaster, now silent.” In 2009, the opera house burned down, and in 2010, Stanley Nelson died.