(upbeat music) - [Announcer] This is a production of PBS Charlotte.

(upbeat music) - [Jason] The thrills, the chills, the excitement.

(upbeat music) The sights, sounds, tastes and smells.

And with it all come the memories.

- My dad used to come here as a kid.

- I'm 44.

My dad brought me when I was five.

- [Jason] Join us as we celebrate 50 years of nostalgia on this "Carousel of Memories."

- It was like being a kid again.

- I absolutely loved coming here.

♪ Carol Williams.

- [Jason] Learn how one man's dream of creating a Disney-like theme park in the Carolinas became reality.

- He was not man that lacked confidence.

- [Jason] Meet the 11-year old who wrote a letter to that visionary asking for and being granted the park's first letter.

- Since your letter was the first we received with this request, we want to send you our very first ticket to Carowinds.

- [Jason] See how it grew from small, local roadside attraction.

- There was one roller coaster.

(man laughing) - [Jason] To a place where roller coaster enthusiasts come from all over the world.

- All walks of life come through here.

- [Jason] Meet some locals who come here all the time.

- Four times a month.

- [Jason] Out of towners who travel long distances to visit.

- Atlanta, Georgia.

- Daytona Beach, Florida.

- [Jason] Married couples who met here.

- It's where we started our family.

- [Jason] And a first round NFL draft pick who had his first summer job here.

- [Football Announcer] Jordan Davis.

- I needed the job.

I needed the job.

I needed to do something.

It was just kind of a perfect scenario.

(man screaming) - [Jason] So come take a ride with us as we celebrate 50 years of making memories.

- 50 years is unbelievable, man.

- I love Carowinds.

- To me this is sacred soil.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] "Carousel of Memories," 50 Years of Carowinds is a production of PBS Charlotte and made possible by viewers like you.

Thank you.

- What better way to begin celebrating Carowind's 50th anniversary than right here at the park's oldest ride?

Hello, and welcome to "Carousel of Memories."

I'm Jason Terzis.

The Grand Carousel, it has a rich history even prior to its arrival here at Carowinds.

Made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company 100 years ago during what's known as the golden age of carousels.

The horses you see here were all hand carved from solid wood, hand painted and finished with glass eyes.

No two of them are exactly alike.

The Philadelphia Toboggan Company produced just 87 of these carousels, only 29 of which are still in existence.

This particular one debuted in Evansville, Indiana in 1923 where it remained for 50 years.

In 1973, it was sold.

It went into storage for a few years before getting refurbished and brought down south to Carowinds.

It first welcomed riders here in 1979 and has been a guest favorite ever since.

(dramatic music) For half a century, it's been putting smiles on the faces of its visitors, no mater their age.

- Everybody just needs to be a kid every now and then.

- [Jason] That's why it was built here, 50 years ago.

- You make fun.

You know, you create an environment where people can actually come out here and make lifelong memories.

- [Jason] Just saying its name brings instant thoughts of joy.

- Carowinds is just such a great park, and I mean, it's been here for 50 years.

It's the best.

- So it is hugely important to a big segment of the community.

- I just remember it always being really spectacular.

- [Jason] A place designed for family fun, entertainment, and most of all creating lifelong memories.

- Yeah I've been coming to Carowinds since I was about, hmm, my first time was six.

- My dad brought me when I was five, so almost 40 years.

- My dad's been coming ever since he was born.

He turned 50 this year.

- [Jason] Some might say it's kind of like a one-day vacation spent with family and friends.

- I love like all the fun rides, and I love coming here with my friend.

- And I think it's a very good place for people to come and, you know, spend time with family.

- Hey, I just love the family environment.

It's exciting.

It's not too expensive.

- [Jason] And it's not just for the Charlotte region.

Many of its visitors travel long distances to get here and come as often as possible.

- At least a couple times a month, I would say.

- I come three, four times a year.

- Four times a month.

- And of course, I've had a season pass ever since I've been here.

- [Jason] It means so much to so many that wedding proposals and marriages happen here, in the water park, dressed as zombies, even on roller coasters.

- Believe me, I've been to more weddings than you.

- [Jason] It's fun for the guests, and even for those working here.

- I can talk about seeing a little kid ride the roller coaster over in the kids' area for the first time and hug a mom.

- That's what drives a lot of the people that work here is being part of those experiences.

You can't get that anywhere else.

You really can't.

- [Jason] And through it's half century has left an enduring imprint on the city, the region, and the Carolinas.

- If you're a Carolina kid or if you've been there, it's one of those things that's just very memorable.

- It's just, it's very personal to I feel like a lot of people that live here.

- It's a staple in the community, and we love it.

We love, I mean, absolutely love coming here.

- [Jason] And at the end of the day provides an escape from the real tasks and challenges of day to day life.

- And that's what amusement parks and theme parks are.

It's an escape from the realities of the day to day world, and it's the place where you can go with your friends or family and has some time for yourself and just be a kid.

♪ Carowinds, it's a magic breeze like the breeze ♪ - [Jason] For half a century, the Carowinds story has been written on the state line of the Carolinas, but that's not where its story begins.

(upbeat music) The first page in the Carowinds book was written in Anaheim, California where Charlotte real estate developer Earl Patterson Hall went on a trip in 1956, a year after a soon-to-be-famous amusement park opened.

- He went to Disneyland, was sitting on the bench, looked over at his family, from what I understand says, "We need to build one of these in Charlotte."

- [Jason] Hall earned his money buying, renovating and selling textile machinery and facilities.

A self-made millionaire, he set about the process of turning his amusement park vision into reality.

- He was determined, and if you've ever met Mr. Hall, he was not a man that lacked confidence.

So he came back and for the 10 years after that he traveled the world and talked to ride manufacturers.

In 1967 he announced that he was going to build Carowinds.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Construction of one man's dream began in 1970 on property located at the border of North and South Carolina, a location connecting America's upper midwest states to its southern states.

This dream was to build a place where people could come together to build memories, to create their very own dreams, to be entertained, and most importantly, to be happy.

Hall's goal is to develop a theme park destination that would provide thrilling rides, music concerts, performance shows and dining for all ages.

- [Jason] In naming the new park, Hall wanted something to represent both of the Carolinas, and as legend goes, while walking the property one day, a gust of wind knocked down a tree limb.

- And said, "When that gust of wind came up, "I said we'll have to call it Carowinds "cause the wind don't know no state line."

- [Jason] Hiring the same design firm that built Disneyland, the original layout of Carowinds had a lot of Disney-like features.

A monorail, skyway, steamboat and train.

And just like Disney, the park had themed sections.

There was Plantation Square, Queen's Colony, Country Crossroads, Pirate Island, Frontier Outpost, and Contemporary Carolinas.

- March 31st, 1973 his dream came true.

(upbeat marching band music) - [Announcer] Welcome to the grand opening of Carowinds.

(upbeat marching band music) - [Jason] The original Carowinds mascots Ringo Raccoon, Pamela Pig, and the Caro Lion.

Total cost of the park for Hall and other local investors, an estimated $70 million dollars which equates to nearly $500 million today.

- But the park started out very small, and the original slogan was the entertainment capitol of the Carolinas.

- The tickets were $5.75 for adults and $4.50 for kids.

- [Jason] Jim Henderson remembers opening day quite vividly.

He was there, one of only about 6,000 people to come out that day.

- I remember waking up and it was raining, and I was bummed out about that.

- [Jason] Just 11 years old at the time, Jim was lucky enough to be Carowind's very first ticket holder.

- For some reason I took it on myself to write the letter to Pat Hall saying, "May I buy the first ticket?"

I got a letter in December, 1972 from him saying that we appreciate your interest, and your request to have first ticket.

And since I was the first request, we're gonna give you the very first ticket.

- [Jason] With the park's 50th anniversary upon us, Jim has been asked by a few people recently what motivated him to write that letter.

- At that time, there wasn't a whole lot for kids to do other than ride their Schwinn Stingray bikes around and read the newspaper.

- [Jason] He officially opened Carowinds to the public doing the honors of dropping the velvet rope.

- It crossed the state line, which was painted gold at that time.

Miss North Carolina was on the North Carolina side with an umbrella, and Miss South Carolina was on the South Carolina side, and they unattached it, and I held up sort of ceremoniously, and the park was officially opened, and the band turned around and marched into the park, and I followed them and then we just sort of dispersed and rode the rides.

- I didn't really believe him.

I was like, you're just making stuff up, but then I saw the pictures.

I was really surprised and thought it was really cool.

- When he told me about it, I like didn't believe him.

I was like, why are you special?

Like why would you have the first ticket.

- [Jason] Not long after his opening day visit, Jim started creating a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings, bumper stickers, the original park map, even a napkin.

- These are dollar off coupons.

They're not dated, so they're still valid.

- [Jason] And of course, the prize possession in the scrapbook, the original letter he received from the man himself, Pat Hall, granting Jim's wish and issuing him the very first ticket.

He even has the envelope it came in.

I'm not a scrapbooker now, but my mom was at the time, so I guess she had some spare paper.

- [Jason] Over the years, Jim would bring his three daughters to Carowinds, but it wasn't until he was invited back for the park's 40th anniversary a decade ago that his girls started to realize their dad was something of a celebrity.

- When the 40th anniversary happened 10 years ago, and we actually went, it's like, oh, he's kind of important actually.

I didn't know that at the time.

- It was a thing 10 years ago, and now it's been a think for the 50th thing.

Maybe it'll be a thing for the 100th, but I'm not sure I'll be here.

- [Jason] Earlier this year, daughters Catherine and Marlowe accompanied their father as they were all invited back to celebrate the park's 50th anniversary.

- It's been really fun going with him to these anniversary celebrations.

We got to cut the ribbon with him at the opening of Aeronautical Landing two months ago.

- And like all my friends were jealous cause it's like oh, she's like Carowinds royalty or whatever, but yeah.

- It is sort of special but in a really goofy way.

I mean because all this started when I was 11 years old and I put some letter in a mail box, and now 50 years later, I'm sitting here talking about it, which is just sort of weird, I think.

- [Announcer] On March 31st, 1973, the magic date that Carowinds came to life.

(train whistle blowing) - [Jason] Carowinds welcomed over 1.2 million guests its first season.

Original park plans included a full resort with hotels and golf courses, football stadium, even a heliport.

- It was a small park.

There was one roller coaster.

- [Jason] Publicly Pat Hall always claimed he wanted to build the park for the community, never expecting it to break even for many years.

And unfortunately, he was right.

- Good evening.

The Middle East War produced developments all over the world today.

The oil producing countries of the Arab world decided to use their oil as a political weapon.

- [Jason] The 1973 oil crisis hit just as the park opened.

After a disappointing second season with sagging attendance, mounting financial pressures from construction and operating costs and rising inflation, plans for the proposed resort were shelved.

There were questions about the park's survival.

And by the end of the '74 season, Hall reluctantly put all he created on the state line up for sale.

- I'm looking at articles about financial troubles.

This was the last thing, in 1975.

I guess the loan came due.

- [Jason] Hall sold the park for just $16 million, well less than what he invested, and just three years later in 1978, he died from a heart attack at just 57 years old, never knowing what Carowinds would eventually become.

- Taft Broadcasting and Kroger came in.

They added the Paladium which went on for years, and the kids' area, then they followed it up with Thunder Road.

(riders screaming) - [Jason] Thunder Road, the $1.6 million dollar wooden roller coaster that started in South Carolina, went into North Carolina, and back into South Carolina, was a game changer for Carowinds.

- And after that we never went back.

- [Jason] The following year White Lightening opened, giving the park thunder and lightening.

And from there, the momentum kept building.

- In 1980, we had this great opportunity, and we bought an Aero roller coaster which we named The Cyclone.

It was the country's first double loop, double corkscrew roller coaster.

We were very proud of it.

- [Jason] In 1981, Rip Roaring Rapids debuted.

The following year the water park, which first began as Ocean Island opened.

- [Slider] Whoa!

- [Jason] Since then it's undergone multiple expansions and name changes, from Rip Tide Reef to Water Works, Boomerang Bay, and now Carolina Harbor.

(dramatic music) Another major change came in the early 90s as the park was once again sold.

- Paramount came along in '92.

- So they had all the things that eight-year old Catherine liked.

They had Sponge Bob, Scooby-Doo Haunted House.

- They had "Days of Thunder."

- [Announcer] I want you to have a safe race.

We'll see you in Victory Lane.

- Which we spent $10 million dollars on.

It was a NASCAR theme with motion simulator.

- [Jason] Paramount's Carowinds naturally had a Hollywood theme, opening Wayne's World, which featured the new Hurler wooden roller coaster and Top Gun, which replicated the feeling of flying in a military jet.

(machine whirring) (rider screaming) - Over the years as the park has changed, it's still one of my favorites.

It's one of the highlights of the park, and again, it was another piece in the puzzle as the park transitioned.

- [Jason] In 2006, the park was sold yet again, this time to Cedar Fair, an Ohio-based group that owns 11 amusement parks.

The Paramount branding was gone, but rides like Top Gun remained, now known as After Burn.

- I still refer to it as Top Gun because that's how I grew up knowing it, and that's my favorite ride, Top Gun.

- [Jason] One thing Cedar Fair Parks had always been known for was their roller coasters, and in 2010, The Intimidator burst onto the scene.

(riders laughing and talking) The original plans for the NASCAR-themed coaster had it in the back of the park, but it was moved to the front to run parallel to the main parking lot, also making it visible to drivers along I-77.

- What it did was it changed the image.

Not only did we have the big coaster for marketing, we had a visual spectacular which we'd been working years to try to get the skyline where people could understand we were a big deal.

And we finally were.

- [Jason] If there was any doubt Carowinds had grown into a full-fledged roller coaster park, Fury 325 solidified its status.

(riders laughing and screaming) - It is the crown jewel of the park.

- [Jason] Debuting in 2015 and featuring a mammoth 325-foot drop and speeds reaching 95 miles per hour, Fury was designed to mimic an angry hornet chasing its prey.

- And I kid people, I say don't be afraid and don't worry about it because you'll be back before you leave.

- [Jason] Fury currently ranks as the 8th fastest, 5th longest and 4th tallest roller coaster in the world.

It's been voted best steel roller coaster six times by the Golden Ticket Awards and a fan favorite since the day it opened.

- For our premiere, we had people come from all over the world.

- Favorite ride is probably the After Burn or Fury.

- Fury.

- The Fury.

- I like the Fury and The Intimidator.

- Fury, you can't beat that.

- [Interviewer] How do you ever top something like this?

- I don't know, but I can't wait.

(dramatic music) - [Announcer] Jordan Davis, big body in the middle with the Bulldogs.

It is hard to move that mountain of a man out of the middle.

- [Jason] The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for Jordan Davis, experiencing things most athletes can only dream of.

- [Football Announcer] Won the Bednarik Award and the Outland Trophy last year, great success story.

- [Jason] The Charlotte native was a key member of the University of Georgia's 2021 National Championship team.

And just a few months later, he was selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

- The Philadelphia Eagles select Jordan Davis, Defensive Tackle, Georgia.

- [Jason] Jordan's rookie season in Philly ended with a trip to the Super Bowl.

- It's amazing, man.

The city, they rally behind the guys, the rally behind the team, and there's no better place to play football than Philadelphia.

- [Jason] But it's Charlotte that's always been Jordan's home.

And growing up, a visit to Carowinds was always high on his list.

- It was a big thing in middle school.

You know, everybody would put on their like freshest outfits and nicest shoes and go out there and socialize and get to meet new people from across Charlotte.

It was kind of like an all day thing, like literally you could get dropped off there in the morning, get picked up there in the evening, and be there all day.

- [Jason] The socializing with friends was one thing.

The park's roller coasters another.

And Jordan couldn't get enough of them.

- Definitely, I'm a huge coaster kid.

I rode every single ride in the park.

I remember being there when The Intimidator was opened, that was like huge.

- [Jason] As then 15-year old Jordan made his way to high school at Mallard Creek, he kept growing, eating his mom Shay out of house and home.

She said to Jordan, time to get a job.

- She had to get me outta the house and, you know, just to have a little extra spending money.

So I wouldn't eat up all the food in the house.

- Right, instead of eating all my food, right.

- [Jason] So what better place for Jordan to find his first summer job than at the place he loved going to?

- I needed the job.

I needed the job, I needed to do something.

It was just kid of a perfect scenario.

A lot of my friends were working there.

- [Jason] Landing a job in the ticket office meant Jordan got to stay inside in the air conditioning on those hot summer days.

- Exactly why I chose admissions.

I was watching everybody from the ticket booth or I was scanning like season passes and tickets or stuff like that.

- [Jason] There were perks with being a Carowinds employee like the free admission, but as Jordan kept on growing, enjoying the park and the roller coasters he loved became an issue.

How did your son get to be such a large human being?

- I have no idea.

People ask me that all the time.

- [Jason] It got to the point where Jordan could no longer fit on his favorite rides.

- It was, it was actually The Intimidator.

I sat there, waited in line, it was a hot day, so it was probably like an hour, 45 minutes to an hour waiting in line and then literally you get all the way up there, you sit in the seat, you try to pull the seat down, and it just wouldn't click.

It wouldn't click the latch.

And I was like man, I was like one it was embarrassing.

- I think I was with him that time.

I was like oh, my God, I said, he can't go on a ride.

And they were like, no, he, I don't know if he was, I think he was too tall or he was too like massive to fit in the seat.

- But we tried our hardest, but I mean it's a roller coaster at the end of the day, I mean, if it doesn't click, you know, it's probably for the best.

- [Jason] His massive size may have curtailed his roller coaster riding days, but fortunately for Jordan it had the opposite effect out in the real world.

- [Football Announcer] Davis, this time he's in for the touchdown.

- [Jason] When he's back in town, Jordan will still go to Carowinds with his mom and two younger brothers and try to squeeze onto whatever ride he can.

- I still get season passes to this day, and I love it, and I add on the meal plan and everything.

It's like all inclusive.

We sit out there for hours.

It's worth it.

It's worth every penny, it is.

- [Jason] Jordan's time working at Carowinds didn't last all that long, just part of one summer.

Then again Carowinds is for the most part a seasonal employer, hiring thousands of people for the busy summer months.

- We employee over 3,000 people every year.

A lot of people come, you know, it's their first job, and they move on to other things, but if you're in the Carolinas around here, you know for a 50-mile radius, you go to the grocery store and say, hey who else worked at Carowinds?

25% of the people will raise their hand.

- [Jason] But for every kid taking a summer job, there's someone who spent months, years, even decades working where the Carolinas come together.

- I've been here almost 40 years now.

- [Jason] Director of Maintenance and Construction, Steve Jackson, started as a games technician in 1984 as a college student at UNC Charlotte.

- I'd never been to the park before as a guest, and I needed a job.

A buddy of mine worked out there in security and said hey, I've got the perfect job for you.

I came out and applied for it, and I got the job.

And off we went, and I've been here ever since.

- [Jason] Steve's nearly four decades here is quite impressive, but recently retired Vice President of Operations Jerry Helms came just shy of hitting the 50 year mark.

- To me this is sacred soil.

- [Jason] Jerry's Carowinds journey began just a couple months after the park opened when he came home from college in the summer of 73.

- I did not wanna work construction, so I said I'm gonna go out to Carowinds and get a job.

- [Jason] Looking for the park's offices, Jerry made a wrong turn in the parking lot.

That's when a big Lincoln Continental pulled up.

- And I, like I'm going oh, I'm in trouble, and I rolled down my window, and he rolled down his said "What are you doing here, boy?"

And I said, I think I stuttered and stammered that I was a college kid looking for a job and I was very excited about Carowinds.

And all he said was, "Follow me."

And that's when I knew that I had run into the man himself.

- [Jason] The man, of course, was Pat Hall, Carowinds' original owner.

He took Jerry to the Administration Building where he was offered a job in rides.

- How much does that pay?

And she said, "$1.65."

I said, "I'm in college.

"Is there something that pays more?"

Next thing I know I'm over in personnel with a security uniform.

- [Interviewer] What did the security job pay?

- $2.25 I think.

It was big bucks back then.

- [Jason] What was supposed to be a summer job turned into something much more for Jerry, professionally and personally.

- Good morning.

How are ya?

I got a call saying, hey, we've got a full-time position as an Assistant Security Manager, and I thought, you know, I'll just do it for a couple years and see how it works out.

Then I'll go back and finish my Masters.

Well, 48 years later, I have failed to do that.

(upbeat music) - [Jason] In its early days, balloons were a popular park item, sold by the official Carowinds Balloon Girls.

Then 16-year old Irene Waterman was one of them.

- We had to blow up our own balloons.

We had a helium pump, and then you carried 40-50 balloons out.

- This young lady would come walking through the covered bridge every morning, and I would make my rounds as a seasonal security officer.

- He'd walk around and watch me sell balloons and sometimes help me sell balloons.

(Irene laughing) - She got my attention, and I thought, man, she's way above my head.

- [Jason] A friendship ensued between Jerry and Irene that year, but it wasn't until the following summer when both returned to the park that Jerry made his move.

- Then I went away to school.

When I came back in '74, and lo and behold the first Saturday as I'm doing the security thing, she comes through the covered bridge, and by the middle of the summer, you know, I liked her a lot.

- We started dating, and the rest was history.

(Irene laughing) - [Jason] Married a few years later, Jerry and Irene had two sons, Mike and John, both of whom later got jobs, where else?

At Carowinds.

- They did when they were in high school and college, and so we've all worked there, and John married a girl that worked here for a number of years.

- [Jason] For the proof, look no further than the Helms' family fridge.

- We have on our refrigerator all of our name tags, and I do have the oldest name tag, there from the very first year.

- It's like the wall of honor.

Now they showed that I'm the dumbest one of the bunch cause I have the most cause I lost the most.

- This place was like a family, is like a family, even back in those days, it was very family-oriented.

We had very good friends that we're still friends with from way back in the 70s.

- I had two families.

I had my family here, and I had my family at home.

Sometimes trying to balance the two was tough, but it all worked out.

I've made so many friends.

- [Jason] Over his nearly half century of service at Carowinds, Jerry worked everything from security and human resources to park operations where he spent 20 years as Vice President.

Known as Uncle Jerry to those at the park, he retired in 2021.

And to pay tribute to his 48 years there, the building that houses Carowinds' first ever roller coaster, the Carolina Goldrusher, was named the J.R. Helms Mining Company in Jerry's honor.

(upbeat music) The Goldrusher, Scrambler, Sky Tower and Kiddie Train are the last of the Carowinds' originals from 1973.

Even the iconic Thunder Road which all but saved the park in the mid-70s met its demise in 2015, making way for a water park expansion.

(wood crashing) But its memory lives on.

The original Thunder Road sign proudly hangs in the park's maintenance building as does the sign to the old Carolina Sternwheeler Steamboat.

After 50 years of Carolina fun, Carowinds continues to evolve with popular seasonal events such as SCarowinds and Winter Fest, and as of this year for the first time ever, the park is now open year round.

- Just for it to still be kicking, still be operating, still giving thrills to the next generation to the next kids, and it's one of those things that's just very memorable.

- [Jason] With each new generation experiencing new things and creating new memories, all on the state line, I'm pretty sure Pat Hall would be happy with the dream he turned into reality for all to enjoy.

♪ Carowinds (upbeat music)