The lights on the iconic red and blue entrance sign for the pioneering Wet ‘n Wild Orlando waterpark might have gone out for the first time in 39 years, but the sign is on the way to a new home – the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA).
Wet ‘n Wild closed its doors on December 31, as the park’s operator, Universal, puts the finishing touches to a new facility, Volcano Bay, which is due to open in Orlando later this year.
In an effort to preserve the waterpark’s rich history, the NRCMA worked with the Wet ‘n Wild team to select a treasure trove of artefacts, including the 3D circular sign for the Black Hole slide complex, a control panel to the park’s Bomb Bay Free Fall and, of course, the main waterpark sign.
A total of 12 signs and banners will now be displayed at the new Mark Moore memorial expansion at the NRCMA’s main archive facility in Plainview, Texas.
“The team at Wet ‘n Wild have been so welcoming to our efforts to preserve the history of the park,” said NRCMA chairman, Gary Slade. “The park was founded by George Millay and it represents the start of the modern waterpark.”
