Ghost Town Maggie Valley was designed and constructed by Russell Pearson in 1960 for approximately $1 million. Construction of Ghost Town began on September 1, 1960. Three bulldozers made their way to the top of the mountain to shave 45 feet of dirt and rock off the top. This area would soon become the Old West town, and home to the famous gun fights.
At the time of Ghost Town’s grand opening, there were only two ways up to the top, The Incline Railway, and shuttle bus. The shuttle bus was only available to people with specials needs, and staff.
Construction of Ghost Town in the Sky, as it was formally named, was completed in May of 1961. The park officially opened in June 1961. Ghost Town in the Sky very quickly became one of the most popular attractions in Western North Carolina. On some days, the park had more than 10,000 people in attendance
During the early 1970s, Ghost Town’s peak would be over 400,000 visitors annually, which declined significantly by 2008. The decline in attendance was two fold Mechanical issues with rides, causing frequent ride closures, and American interest in the Wild West declined through the 70s, to almost zero interest in the eighties and beyond. In 1973, the park was sold under a stock swap to the National Forest. R.B. Coburn bought it back in 1986, and added the Red Devil Roller Coaster. This coaster became a signature ride, and can still be seen today on the mountain side. Unfortunately, many of the park’s signature rides during this time were constantly breaking down, and not available to visitors for extended periods of time. The closed rides caused visitors to not return, resulting in the gradual decline in attendance. Both the chairlift and Incline Railway to the top also had numerous problems, causing Coburn to spend thousands of dollars keeping them running.
One infamous day in July 2002, the chairlift malfunctioned and left riders stranded in mid-air for two hours on a hot day, in the rain. Following this incident, the park closed in 2003, after successfully running for 41 years