Back in town, rounding out this wholesome trilogy of family-fun centers, rests the granddaddy of the old-timers – Asheville's ONLY (as it is billed) amusement park. The 70-year-old Recreation Park, adjacent to the WNC Nature Center on Gashes Creek Road, is truly a thing out of time. Like a fly caught in amber, this permanent county fair serves as a sweet memory of a slower-paced society.

"Coming to the park is a homecoming for a lot of families," says Linda Smith, owner of the amusement-ride company TNS Enterprises.

"People that came here as children now bring their children and grandchildren. We have free park admission, free picnic grounds, free parking. You only pay for the [individual] rides or to swim in the Olympic-sized pool."

A merry-go-round with horses, a hard-working Ferris wheel and a just-like-you-remember-it Tilt-a-Whirl all take you tripping (or rather, spinning and jerking) down memory lane. And a gaming arcade, sans special effects, completes the old-fashioned merriment.

But ironically, this treasured Asheville institution may soon become a memory itself.

"Interest died when the county stopped promoting our business this year," complained Smith on a WLOS news segment last week.

The reason? It seems that the Nature Center has been secretly eyeing Rec Park's perfectly terraced real estate in anticipation of its own ever-expanding programs.

So enjoy the park while you can, because the sweet tinkling of carousel melodies may soon give way to the old Joni Mitchell refrain, "They paved paradise / And put up a parking lot."



A Roller Coaster 'Review' Lists a 'Twist and Shout' Coaster (Kiddie Coaster) at Nature Center Theme Park which is the same Nature Center mentioned above. The Nature Center is still alive and there is no mention of anything involving amusement rides on their website. In the 'review' it gives 2000-2002 era and 'park now defunct'. I am not listing the Nature Theme? Park because I think there are errors somewhere.


2005...its seems Recreation Park is open still but it is only a County Park with a swimming pool..picnicking,etc.---and the 'County' owns the Nature Center.....