MyrtleBeachOnline.com: Hard Rock Park

Judge accepts auction of Hard Rock Park

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:21 EST

Get your checkbooks ready.

A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved Hard Rock Park's proposal to auction itself off to the highest bidder.

The park, which called itself the world's first rock 'n' roll theme park when it opened in April, ended its ride in September when it closed and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Hard Rock Park sets floor at $35 million

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:38 EST

Got $3.5 million?

That's enough for a minimum down payment on the $400 million Hard Rock Park, which will go up for auction on Dec. 15, according to court documents filed this week.

The 55-acre park, which opened in April and closed in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, is looking to sell its assets - either in whole or part by part - and is accepting bids until Dec. 12.

Hard Rock Park sets minimum price for auction

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:54 EST

Got $3.5 million?

That's enough for a minimum down payment on the $400 million Hard Rock Park, which will go up for auction on Dec. 15, according to court documents filed this week.

The 55-acre park, which opened in April and closed in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, is looking to sell off its assets - either in whole or part by part - and is accepting bids up until Dec. 12.

Hard Rock ride ends

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:22 EDT

Hard Rock Park is for sale.

The 55-acre, $400 million theme park, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, wants to sell itself by the end of 2008, according to court papers filed this week.

It also has asked a judge to allow it to make severance payments of a total of almost a quarter of a million dollars to nine of its top executives, according to court papers filed this week.

Hard Rock Park files bankruptcy

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:49 EDT

The owner of Hard Rock Park filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday and the park will be closed for the rest of the season, a company spokesman said.

The 55-acre, $400 million park plans to re-open in 2009, said Jim Olecki, a park spokesman. He would not go into detail when asked about the plans to emerge from bankruptcy protection. Court documents show the park owes between $100 million and $500 million, while holding assets of between $100 million and $500 million.

Olecki said the park, which opened in April, never had enough money for promotion to begin with, and the credit crisis that unfolded across the country over the summer made it impossible to get more, he said.

Pa. fugitive arrested at Hard Rock Park

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:08 EDT

Horry County Police arrested an escapee from a Bucks County, Pa., jail this afternoon at Hard Rock Park.

The Horry Police Criminal Investigations Division received information from Bucks County, Pa., at about 1:37 p.m. that Sydney E. Decker, Jr., 35, was in the area according to an anonymous tip, Lt. Jamie DeBari said.

Decker, who lives in the Myrtle Beach section of Horry County, has been charged with escape and is in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center awaiting an extradition hearing.

Hard Rock Park lays off employees

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:10 EDT

Hard Rock Park laid off 25 to 30 employees earlier this week, the first time the park has resorted to layoffs, a park spokesman said.

Both full- and part-time employees in various areas of the business were laid off, said Jim Olecki, a spokesman with New York-based PR firm Weber Shandwick, which works for the park.

This is the first time the park has laid people off, he said, and described the number laid off as "minuscule." Last week, park executives told The Sun News that the park had only hired 2,000 employees at its peak, instead of the 3,000 they had projected at the beginning of the summer.

Show to film at Hard Rock Park

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:45 EDT

Good Morning America will broadcast live from Hard Rock Park on Sunday.

The wake-up show will air from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on ABC stations.

The park will let the first 100 people who show up into the 55-acre theme park for free that day. Admission typically is $50 a person.

Kicks! takes a walk in The (Hard Rock) Park

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:40 EDT

A common sight these days is the long strings of earbuds trailing from the ears of everyone from teens to seniors, as they listen to their favorite tunes. Whether they’re at the gym, the supermarket or out with friends, it seems like everyone’s tuning in.

But at the Hard Rock Park off U.S. 501 in Myrtle Beach, there are no earbuds required. Throughout the grounds, there’s music _ Everlast as you stroll through the British Invasion, the Doors as you watch the nesting swans below Led Zeppelin _ The Ride. The rides themselves either play what the park is playing or are set to certain songs. Rock is definitely on the menu at this place.

We checked out the park on a Thursday evening. The first thing visitors need to know is that parking is not free. It starts at $10 and goes up if you want a better spot. Then you pay the ticket fee to enter the park. Through May 8, the park is still featuring its “Sound Check” admission price _ $40, which also includes a $10 food voucher. The vendors won’t give change for the vouchers, though, so make them count. A soft drink and an entree should just about hit the $10.

Hard Rock Park duo recruits array of entertainment

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:05 EDT

If the thought of riding a roller coaster makes you want to find the nearest wastebasket, there are two people who are working hard to make sure you can have a blast at Hard Rock Park anyway.

Kristin Andre and Chad Johnson are in charge of finding and managing the entertainment at Hard Rock Park, including big-name bands, daily themed shows and street performers.

The $400 million attraction bills itself as the world's first rock 'n' roll theme park and is banking on the music to set it apart as a mecca where anybody's inner rock star can shine.

Live! at hard Rock Park

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:10 EDT

The opening of the new Hard Rock Park is mere months away and its introduction will feature an extensive lineup of bands to satisfy fans of every musical genre. With country sounds, hard rock riffs and funky grooves, the current concert schedule features some classic bands, as well as some newer musicians on the scene. For most shows, the price of a ticket is included in the price of park admission, but check www.hardrockpark.com for further details. Exceptions are noted. Here’s a peek at who’s coming to town:

The Eagles Helping to kick off the opening of Hard Rock Park, the Eagles will perform June 2 at the grand opening event. Special tickets are required for the event and more information is available at www.hardrockpark.com. Since the 1970s, the band, currently consisting of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh, has been known for its lyricism and hit-making sound. The band has had five No. 1 singles and six No. 1 albums. Several members have also had successful solo careers. The band has also won five Grammy awards. Noted albums include “Desperado,” “Eagles,” “On the Border,” “One of These Nights” “Hotel California” and the recently released “Long Road Out of Eden.”

The Moody Blues This British band formed in the 1960s, fusing progressive rock with classical undertones. The album “Days of Future Passed” is a noted record featuring the band’s signature sound and the hit song “Nights in White Satin.” In the ‘80s, the band scored a moderate hit “In Your Wildest Dreams.” The current lineup is Norda Mullen, Graeme Edge, John Lodge andJustin Hayward. The band will perform at Hard Rock Park’s opening event June 3. Special tickets are required, see www.hardrockpark.com for details.

Hard Rock announces concert line-up

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:34 EDT

Hard Rock Park has announced its line-up of spring concerts. The shows, which are open to the park's daily visitors and season pass-holders, are:

May 13 Kid Rock with special appearance by Rev Run

May 16 Volunteer Jam (The Charlie Daniels Band, .38 Special and Shooter Jennings)

Hard Rock Park unveils new ride

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:41 EDT

When the Eagles come to Myrtle Beach, they'll be able to ride their own roller coaster.

Hard Rock Park officials on Monday announced a roller coaster in the park would run to the Eagles' 1976 hit "Life in the Fast Lane."

The public will be able to experience the two-minute ride on the park's longest coaster starting April 15, the first day of the park's "soft opening." Officials say the park will be fully operational May 9.

Hard Rock Park to make announcement

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:34 EDT

Hard Rock Park will make an announcement Monday concerning one of the park's major rides.

Be sure to check out myrtlebeachonline.com Monday for further details

Harley bike rally moves to theme park

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:05 EDT

Hard Rock Park will roar into its first Myrtle Beach bike week.

Harley-Davidson will hold its events during this year's spring bike rally in the theme park's parking lot - instead of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The city is working on replacing the popular bike event with other motorcycle-related vendors.

Harley and county officials say they have only briefly - if at all - discussed the event's potential effect on traffic on U.S. 501, a main road to the beach that is usually already congested by late spring traffic.

Eagles to rock Myrtle Beach

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:51 EST

The Eagles and The Moody Blues will perform in June at a two-day celebration of the opening of Hard Rock Park, and the park will sponsor a celebrity golf tournament featuring LPGA star Paula Creamer, The Moody Blues musicians and other golf pros, the park announced today.

A ticket package for the two-day event will be $250 and will go on sale at 11 a.m. on March 17 at the park's entrance off of U.S. 501 and online at hardrockpark.com. The package includes tickets to the concerts, park admission for both days, admission to the golf tournament and other food, beverages and souvenirs, park spokeswoman Megan Winnett said.

The Eagles will play June 2, and The Moody Blues will play June 3 after christening a ride set to the band's hit song "Nights in White Satin." Both bands are set to go on stage at the park's amphitheater at 9 p.m., Winnett said.

Roller coaster given first whirl

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:51 EST

Visiting the Led Zeppelin roller coaster at the new Hard Rock theme park has been a ritual for Steve Ammons over the past few months, even though the park and the ride are still several months from opening.

"I'm a big fan of the manufacturer of this roller coaster and a big fan of Led Zeppelin," said Ammons, an Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., resident who came to watch the first public test run of the roller coaster from the street Sunday afternoon. "I've been watching the construction on the Web site and we try to stop by every month just to see how it's coming along."

Steve Ammons' wife, Carrie, and 5-year-old son, Garrett, also watched from the fence surrounding the park on George Bishop Parkway.

Hard Rock slow to turn heads outside Strand

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:01 EDT

Hard Rock Park might be the biggest thing happening in Myrtle Beach, but beyond the Grand Strand, it's hardly a blip on the radar.

Dozens of people at an industry convention this week shook their heads "no" when asked if they had heard of the $400 million rock 'n' roll theme park, slated to open in April.

Mostly, if they had heard of it, they were either doing business with the park or were roller coaster junkies.

Hard Rock Park introduces mascots

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:02 EDT

Move over, Paddington and Winnie. There are new bears in town, and they're ready to rock.

The Heavy Metal family of bears, custom characters designed for Hard Rock Park, took their first steps into public view on Tuesday at an industry convention.

The The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions expo, held in Orlando this week, was a chance for the industry to show off new rides, games, novelties, and equipment.

Hard Rock Park may see a rival arise in Arizona

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:03 EDT

In less than five years, Hard Rock Park could get a rock 'n' roll rival that says it wants to make Myrtle Beach and Eloy, Ariz., the Orlando and Anaheim of rock 'n' roll theme parks.

A company has formed during the past year with the goal of opening the $800 million, 120-acre Decades Music Theme Park on 300 acres of land in Eloy, which is about halfway between Tuscon and Phoenix, said Jason Rose, a spokesman for Decades.

But Hard Rock, which has touted itself as the world's first rock 'n' roll theme park, isn't interested in sharing the rock 'n' roll stage.

Moody Blues visits Hard Rock Park

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:02 EDT

To hear rocker Justin Hayward tell it, recording industry execs back in the day were a bunch of old fuddy-duddies who didn't know good music until it filled their pockets with cash.

"It's usually the other way around, now," Hayward, a member of The Moody Blues, said Wednesday at the Hard Rock Park. He was in Myrtle Beach with two bandmates to announce that a ride would be named after one of the band's most popular songs.

Now, the product comes first, and demand comes next, he said.

Coaster complete at Hard Rock Park

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:51 EST

The last section of the roller coaster's track went in about 1 p.m. after park officials signed their names to the steel.

The ride, which peaks at 155 feet, was so far ahead of schedule the crews had to stop putting up the steel because they ran out of track. Testing with a roller coaster car could start in November, said Steven Goodwin, the park's CEO.

Crews have started setup for the other four major coasters, he said.

Hard Rock Park is billionaire's next step in U.S.

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:51 EST

The billionaire behind the Hard Rock Park being built in Horry County is a tough - some might say cutthroat - businessman who was born in Russia, emigrated to Israel as a teenager and made a fortune in the diamond mines of war-torn Africa before turning his sights on the United States.

Lev Leviev, who will turn 51 years old Monday, is chairman and majority owner of Israel-based Africa Israel Investments Ltd. That company is a majority shareholder in Hard Rock Park, the $400 million rock-and-roll-themed park scheduled to open next spring near the former Waccamaw Pottery and Fantasy Harbour sites off U.S. 501. Rock and roll might seem a far cry from diamond mines, but Hard Rock Park fits perfectly with Leviev's strategy of diversifying into the American tourism and real estate sectors.

Leviev ``identifies places with a lot of upscale potential, and he believes Myrtle Beach is one of the places to develop in the near future,'' Rotem Rosen, chief executive of Africa Israel's U.S. operations, said during the theme park's groundbreaking ceremony a year ago.

Sale not expected to alter MB park plan

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:27 EDT

The sale of the global Hard Rock business to the Seminole Tribe should not affect construction of the world's first Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, the park's chief executive said.

The $400 million theme park, which is under construction in Fantasy Harbour, still will have access to Hard Rock's popular name and 70,000-piece collection of rock 'n' roll memorabilia - two crucial components to making the park work, said Steven Goodwin, Hard Rock Park's CEO.

Strand gets ready to rock

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:27 EDT

Myrtle Beach has seen its share of tour buses, but never one like this.

The Magical Mystery Tour bus - a psychedelic relic that toted the Beatles around Liverpool in the 1967 flim by the same name - has found its way to the Grand Strand.

Store owners hope park will give them a boost

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:27 EDT

Along U.S. 501 near the once-thriving Waccamaw Factory Shoppes, a row of small businesses between empty storefronts awaits a financial savior of sorts - a business so big it gives the area a burst of energy.

Many hope that will be the proposed Hard Rock theme park.

Hard Rock park ready to roll

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:27 EDT

Myrtle Beach, prepare to be rocked.

Construction will begin this spring on the world's first Hard Rock theme park after financing for the $400 million attraction was clinched, developers said March 31.

Hard Rock Park goes to market

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:27 EDT

As one Myrtle Beach amusement park faces the end, another one moves forward.

The proposed Hard Rock Park, in the works since 2003, hit the bond market this week with $255 million worth of bonds to sell under a speculative, but stable, rating from Moody's Investors Service. The park plans to open at Fantasy Harbour in April 2008.