Fun Spot America Closes Atlanta-Area Amusement Park After Nearly Four Decades
Key Takeaways
- •Fun Spot America permanently closed its Fayetteville, Georgia amusement park on August 2, 2026, concluding 36 years of continuous operation under various owners and names.
- •The park's signature attraction, ArieForce One, was the largest zero-G stall roller coaster in the United States, featuring a 146-foot drop and a top speed of 64 mph.
- •CEO John Arie Jr. cited continued difficulties in recovering attendance after the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary reason for the closure, despite the addition of ArieForce One.
- •The company is actively seeking a buyer for ArieForce One because the coaster is too large to relocate to Fun Spot's Florida parks, though the secondary market for such rides is limited.
- •Fun Spot America will continue operating its Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida locations and will honor all existing season passes and gift cards from the closed Georgia park.
Fun Spot America's Atlanta-area amusement park in Fayetteville, Georgia, closed permanently on August 2, 2026, ending 36 years of continuous operation. The closure adds to a string of post-pandemic shutdowns at independent and regional parks across the United States, a segment that has generally faced tighter margins and slower attendance recovery than large destination resorts.
The closure plan was first announced in late June 2026. The park originally opened in 1990 as Dixieland Fun Park under different ownership and was later renamed Fun Junction USA before being acquired by Fun Spot in 2017.
The Fayetteville location was best known for ArieForce One, which held the distinction of being the largest zero-G stall roller coaster in the United States. According to Fun Spot America, the ride features a 146-foot first drop at an 83-degree angle and reaches a top speed of 64 mph. The coaster has a height requirement of 48 inches and a duration of approximately 100 seconds. Its maximum vertical G-force is 3.75, with a minimum vertical G of minus 1 and a maximum lateral G of plus or minus 1.25.
Fun Spot America Theme Parks owner and CEO John Arie, Jr. told USA Today that the Fayetteville location struggled to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic, even with the addition of ArieForce One, which was named in honor of his father.
Arie noted that the roller coaster is too large to relocate to either of the company's Florida theme parks, so the company intends to seek a buyer for the ride. Large custom coasters of this scale are difficult to resell because installation requires extensive site engineering, and the secondary market for such rides is limited.
Regarding the park's employees, Arie said the company is assisting them with resumes, recommendations, and potential job opportunities at Fun Spot's Central Florida locations. He also expressed gratitude to patrons and encouraged them to visit the company's other properties.
"From my family to yours, we thank everybody that's come to this Fayetteville location, and we hope that we've earned your business to visit us in Florida if you ever come down to Central Florida, and we'll always do our best to have your family have the best experience on our properties," Arie told USA Today.
Fun Spot America is a family-owned chain that opened its first theme park in Orlando, Florida, in 1979. The company also operates a park in Kissimmee, Florida. Both locations will remain open and will continue to honor existing season passes and gift cards.
