After 5 years of sitting vacant, the amusement park is set to reopen on Friday, May 25th th. Aptly named, the Town of Saints in Heaven, it is over 3,300 feet up the mountain from the valley below. Ascent to the gardens can be done by chair lift, 75 degrees, incline train, or long and curvy carriage ride. Once there you can enjoy a variety of bars from bumper cars and Scrambler to a mile high rollercoaster and tower every new drop. Most of the rides offer a nice view of the valley below, but the roller coaster, named Cliffhanger, has the most to offer. exciting The Cliffhanger is a unique roller coaster that cuts over the edge of the mountain, offering spectacular views and scenery. If you don’t mind riding, you can wander around a real western town, which includes two saloons, a jail, a school and a church. Saloons feature live music and Can-can girls, and on the streets they can rob banks, break chains and guns. ever. Chorokee Indian dancers and musicians do not want to miss out on other activities. The new area of Saint Town in the Sky is the Heritage Town Square. This site takes you through the history of the Wild West, Western North Carolina, and 40 years of Holy Town Memorabilia. There are also blacksmiths and a mining town where they have pans of gold and North Carolina gems. Such a variety of activities makes Holy Spirit in Heaven a great amusement park for the whole family.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit has some ghosts of his own. General Manager Bob Cordier describes one such story;
One piece of the ghost story GhostGhost involves a painting of the Silver Dollar Saloon and its bartenders. A picture once hung on the wall in a saloon in which a minister with a huge beard worked. Old photos from that time time taken show a poster on the wall behind the saloon bar. The painting has been lost for several years, but it was mysteriously found in behind-the-scenes footage taken in the 2006 film Holy Town. It was never found on the map itself, and there is no explanation for this fact. mystery.” (Gleaton)
When this western-themed amusement first opened in 1960, it was the city’s first attraction in Maggie Valley. With the success of Ghost Town, the town of Maggie Valley began to build motels, restaurants and shops for visiting families. Holy Town operated successfully for 41 years, but closed in 2002 after a series of equipment problems. The town has noticed a decline in tourism, closed for years, but still attracting visitors who enjoy the country music shows, skiing, and hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Ghosttown in the Sky http://www.ghosttowninthesky.com/default.htm (Retrieved May 23, 2007)
Gleaton, Sonja “City of Saints in the Sky”
