VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — New adventures are in the works a South Georgia amusement park. Leaders in Lowndes County said they are excited to see what potential boost in tourism this could bring. New additions at Wild Adventures could have benefits beyond the theme park’s borders.
“I could not be more excited about it,” said Adam Floyd, Director of Sales and Marketing for Wild Adventures. “It’s kind of a transformation of an under-utilized portion of the park. It’s one of our largest expansions in the past 10 years.”
It’s called Oasis Outpost. The multi-million dollar addition will include a new ride where kids get to step behind the wheel and go on an expedition and travel into the world of tortoises. The three-acre expansion will also include new food options for the park.
“I think it’s awesome,” said Susan Mullis. She owns the Flower Gallery in downtown Valdosta just a few miles away from the park. She said people visiting Wild Adventures will often venture downtown and check out locally-owned shops like hers.
“It’s really good, because COVID really took a hit on everybody,” she explained. “Everybody in our area now is doing really good.”
“It’s a huge asset to our tourism parcel that we have,” added Bill Slaughter, chair of the Lowndes County Commission. He said the park's popularity is driving new projects between Valdosta and the county. “Those are some of the improvements to the infrastructure that we’re talking about. We’re going to widen (Old Clyattville Road) to make it easier to access.”
That project will make it easier for visitors to travel between the park’s attractions and all the downtown area has to offer. That’s good news for business owners like Mullis.
“We’ve seen a lot of change. It’s growing. It’s doing great,” Mullis said.
“We are super lucky to be in the community that we’re in,” Floyd added. “We’re in a great region in South Georgia and North Florida. We love when we see visitors come from all over the country to visit this area.”
The park’s addition is expected to be complete in March of 2023. Slaughter said the widening of Old Clyattville Road is set to get started late next year. Leaders hope to have it finished within the next four to five years.
