'Gateway to Grand Canyon' Aims to Take Tourists for a Ride
March 30, 2015 3:21 PM
Williams, Ariz., the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon," is developing plans for a theme park that could cost $400 million and help the town of 3,023 capture more revenue from the more than 4 million visitors to the canyon each year. Williams is the home of the Grand Canyon Railway, a 65-mile excursion train to the canyon's south rim. A $25 million Arizona State Railroad Museum would adjoin the amusement park, whose theme is yet to be determined. The theme park, which has been discussed for more than a decade, would be funded by a new tax district authorized by the state legislature to issue up to $1 billion of bonds. Image: Grand Canyon Railway.Related Story: Grand Canyon Gateway Mulls Bond-Funded Theme Park
Located in Northern Arizona's Coconino County, Williams, Ariz., sometimes gets snow, despite its desert surroundings. Thus, the proposed theme park would be open nine months out of the year, according to planners. The region is currently coping with severe drought.
Williams boasts one of the best preserved sections of historic Route 66, the original two-lane highway that ran more than 2,300 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif. Williams became the last Route 66 community to be by-passed by the new Interstate 40 on October 13, 1984. Image: Experience Williams
Walt Disney and Santa Fe Railroad chairman Fred Gurley open a ride through a diorama of the Grand Canyon at Disneyland on March 31, 1958. The $400 million theme park in Williams, Ariz., is planned on a property three times the size of the Disneyland Resort in California. Image: Davelandweb.com
Hard Rock Park had hard luck opening in the tumultuous year of 2008 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. After failing to make it through its first season, the $400 million theme park filed for bankruptcy. Another operator bought it out of bankruptcy for $25 million but had to shut down in 2009.
Grand Canyon visitors looking for close-up views of wildlife can detour through Bearizona, an accredited 150-acre drive-through park. Many of the animals' habitats are created from recycled materials. The park has added solar panels and a water reclamation system to reduce its impact on the environment.
On the kitschier side of town, Bedrock City, a campground with a theme based on the 1960s "Flintstones" cartoon show, entertains visitors to Williams, Ariz., en route to the Grand Canyon. City officials say they are looking for something considerably more upscale in a new theme park that could cost about $400 million. Image: Jeff Hensley
Williams, Ariz., Mayor John Moore poses in the courtyard of the Wild West Junction, a themed attraction he owns in downtown Williams. Moore urges development of a major theme park in the small town, saying it will provide badly needed revenue. Moore worked with the council to bring Bearizona to Williams, and is now concerned about the search for new sources of water. Image: Ryan Williams/WGCN
The Santa Fe Reservoir that provides water to Williams, Ariz., has fallen sharply amid severe drought. The city issued the most severe water restrictions in 2014 and began the process of developing more groundwater. A major amusement would require a major new source of water. Image: Laurel Morales/Fronteras
The 297-room Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, Ariz., serves tourists who take the train to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The hotel is designed to resemble the century-old train depot that housed the original Fray Marcos Hotel. Denver industrialist Philip Anschutz's Xanterra Corp. now owns the hotel and the railroad that was revived in 1989 with a $15 million investment by Max and Thelma Biegert. Max Biegert owns the land that would become the site of a proposed theme park in Williams.
The Grand Canyon Railway has used restored vintage trains since the excursion railroad was revived in 1989 after a 21-year hiatus. The railway's 1901 launch was a key factor in transforming the Grand Canyon into a major tourist destination. Once operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, the railway's passengers included presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Franklin Roosevelt, and John Muir. Image: Xanterra Corp.
Visitors to the Grand Canyon are rewarded with one of the most spectacular views on earth from the South Rim. About 4.6 million people visit the national park each year. Officials in Williams, Ariz. believe they can increase revenues by encouraging more of those visitors to stay in town a little longer.
