Joyland Park, Wichita, Kan., hasn't opened yet this year. It usually
opens about on the Easter holiday. There hasn't been any word as to
when, or if, they will open this year.
Most people probably won't miss Joyland, since a new park has just
opened. A western-themed park is to open in the near future also.
We old-timers will miss the great Wurlitzer Mammoth band organ music
though. It's a sad situation. I wonder what will happen to that great
old organ if Joyland someday closes for good?
All is not lost for me at least: the Wurlitzer at Joyland helped inspire
me to build a 105 Wurlitzer. It won't be as big as the Mammoth, but at
least when I get it finished, I can still enjoy some good old band organ
music.
Marvin Zeigler
[ The Nelson family, getting on in years, sought to turn the operation
[ of Joyland Amusement Park over to someone new, with the idea of
[ mentoring him until he could buy the park and run it alone. That
[ didn't work out, and the park went into foreclosure, with Stanley
[ Nelson buying it back to save his investment.
[
[ I have quite a lot of music recorded from Joyland Louie, the name by
[ which the Wurlitzer Mammoth is fondly known because of the animated
[ clown who "plays" the organ "keyboard," courtesy of one of Joyland
[ Louie's admirers, Wichita resident Nancy Strattan.
[
[ --Editor
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