Comments on: The World of Sid and Marty Krofft Oral History #1

By: don nadeau

don nadeau — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:34:23 +0000

What happened to the Crystal Carosel? Does anyone know where it is? Is it in boxes or is it being used somewhere?

By: Nancie Barnett

Nancie Barnett — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:15:29 +0000

My father, Saul Barnett represented Sid and Marty Croft and was directly involved in the creation of the short lived park. He was there on opening day. I remember my dad talking about the project and how beautiful the crystal Carousel looked.

By: Eric Frampton

Eric Frampton — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:11:58 +0000

I was there! I don’t remember much except the huge escalator (of course), and I vaguely remember riding around in the pinball.

Then, I remember my folks getting a postcard in the mail some weeks later saying “please come back and visit us again”… t’was not to be.

Anybody remember that there was an ice skating rink on the ground floor of the Omni at that time? And Colony Square, too.

By: Jeannie Weller Cooper

Jeannie Weller Cooper — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:57:35 +0000

I’m not sure why I never visited the actual WSMK- I “did” every other park of the sort several times over. It seems in my memories that it wasn’t actually open very long. I, like a previous poster, went ice skating there fairly often in the mid ’70s when a friend’s mom was at Georgia State. I, too, always looked up at the escalator and wondered what was up there. Seems like I went up the steps one time as far as I could go without getting caught? Loved the Banana Splits when I was a small kiddo. Loved them during their brief tenure at Six Flags, as well. Fantastic blog; loved the Catledge >actualite<.

By: Melody

Melody — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:33:32 +0000

I went to the park when I was 6 years old. I still have the amusement park map and a very cool and colorfol postcard. I’m sure they will make their way onto eBay soon! I loved the Carousel and the huge escalator. I don’t remember much else!

By: Deanna

Deanna — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:16:32 +0000

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I almost forgot to share this. I was wandering around the sticks of CNN Center the other day and found a architectural model of the building and hotel where it actually has the amusement park represented with a little carousel and everything. VERY cool!

By: Deanna

Deanna — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:09:06 +0000

My Grandmother took me twice when I was seven. I mostly remember the pinball ride. I still maintain it was the greatest experience of my life! (It’s a good thing the ride’s long-gone so I don’t have to be disappointed by the reality of it as an adult. Memories are always much better than reality.)

Ironically, I now work at CNN Center on 7 North. My non-scientific research has concluded that I’m working just down the hall from where the pinball ride sat.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:02:30 +0000

Hi! Long time reader, first time commenter.

I went to The World of Sid and Marty Krofft (TWSMK) as a five year-old. My mother’s best friend in high school moved to Melborne, FL sometime in the late 1960s, and she and her son came up to Atlanta for the express purpose of visiting the park.

I too remember when the area around the Omni was a dump. Sketchy garages, nothing open past 5pm, etc. It was a scary place as a kid, and it didn’t get better until Turner bought the complex and ran the hoods off.

I don’t remember much about the park itself. I certainly remember the escalator (it’s still there, right?). I remember once you got to the top, there was a guy on stilts (not a mime) and he ran some kind of “circus show” (there was a sword swallower there went I went, and a couple of other performers I can’t remember).

The level underneath that had the Crystal Carousel, and the level underneath that had the pinball ride (the guy you interviewed doesn’t seem to get the the “car” was supposed to be a pinball).

That’s all I really remember of the park – other than getting one of those giant suckers I treasured for months before actually eating. As I recall, there really just wasn’t a lot there – although it took up a huge amount of space, there were really only 3-4 rides of note at TWSMK.

I have a picture of me and my mom on the Crystal Carousel (which was somewhat unique in that it didn’t have a “top”, like most carousels). I have absolutely NO IDEA where it is though. Given my present situation, it could be in a box in Charlotte, Suwanee, or Ft. Lauderdale. I’ll look for it this weekend if I have time, though.

Love the site! Keep up the good work!

By: Terry Kearns

Terry Kearns — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:21:02 +0000

I didn’t understand then and don’t now. The TV show? Sid and Marty must have been great salesmen.

But the OMNI was quite an attraction and felt safe. I ice skated there, there were theaters. Riches and Davisons were open. MARTA construction hadn’t ripped up downtown. That’s where you’d take our kids to the circus, but not to Sid and Marty Crofts.