The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was in a dangerous part of town

With all it had going for it, why did the park fail? One of the contributing causes was the location. It’s pretty nice now, but in the 1970s the Omni International complex was in what was described as “a transitional inner city area,” as it was close to major housing projects. There was a lot of crime at night. The city promised to clean the area up, but that never happened, or at least not to the extent that it needed to be cleaned up. The Krofft family even admitted that location was a hurdle for them because downtown Atlanta was experiencing urban decay and wasn’t a hospitable place for families. Marty Kroffft said at one point:

“The illusion was that it was dangerous to go downtown so people didn't want to bring their kids down there. The park was the eighth wonder of the world, but we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people.”

While forcing guests to spend time in the sweltering heat, Six Flags Over Georgia was at least in a safe area, giving it a strong advantage over its competitor.

The World of Sid and Marty Krofft didn’t have enough to do

Many theme park fans complain about how Disney’s Animal Kingdom is only a half-day park. The World of Sid and Marty Krofft couldn’t even claim to be that. Multiple sources reported that it took only about two hours to experience basically the whole park. That was due to a lack of events and attractions, and also because the layout essentially forced you to go through the theme park in a specific way. Once you reached the end, chances are you’d taken in most of what you wanted to, so there was no reason to return.

The lack of time it killed was a problem for parents and families. The World of Sid and Marty Krofft wasn’t worth a drive of any significant length to Atlanta if it would only keep the kids entertained for a couple hours. A professor of Urban Studies at a university in Atlanta named Dr. Dana White explained, "People were thinking of it as a full-day, family experience but it only took a couple hours. It wasn’t worth the money or the drive."

The insufficient amount of entertainment also made the park feel overpriced. It was a little less expensive than its biggest competitor, Six Flags Over Georgia, at $5.75 for adults and $4.75 for kids, but the local Six Flags was much larger and with a lot more to do. Those two advantages overcame both the slightly higher costs and the respite from the heat that The World of Sid and Marty Krofft offered as an indoor amusement park.

Money problems began almost immediately

The World of Sid and Marty Krofft cost about $16 million to build, a hefty amount at the time and about $60 million once it’s adjusted for inflation. The projection was a much lower $14 million. It was made to hold up to 6000 guests at one time, but in the six months it was open it only attracted a paltry 300,000 visitors, which meant their revenue was well short of projections and the numbers they needed to continue running. Ride repairs also cost more than expected at about $24 million during its short run, contributing to the small amount of time the park was able to stay open.

It fell apart fast

Described as a “short-lived phenomenon,” The World of Sid and Marty Krofft closed after just five months of business. It was called one of the worst real estate disasters in history by Business Week. That might be overstating it, but the endeavor was definitely a disappointing one.

It was replaced by… CNN?

In an unexpected turn of events, the Omni complex where The World of Sid and Marty Krofft was housed would go on to be the home of the headquarters of CNN, which is based in Atlanta. The space previously taken up by the park was said to be perfect for television studios and newsrooms with very large rooms and hallways. CNN moved in 1987, and owner Ted Turner would go on to buy the whole building. While the headquarters of a cable news channel might not sound as exciting to many of us as an ambitious theme park, the location has probably received a lot more visitors thanks to CNN.

The Kroffts' enduring legacy

While it is absolutely fascinating, The World of Sid and Marty Krofft is ultimately just a small part of the brothers’ impressive history in the entertainment industry. The programs they created, both the variety programs and children’s shows, are fondly remembered by many of the people who grew up with them. The properties are even still being utilized, thanks to the tendency of Hollywood to look to reuse established ideas and concepts. Sid and Marty Krofft even have a show currently airing on Nickelodeon. Though their theme park was a bit of a disaster, Sid and Marty Krofft have still left quite a mark on the world at large.