The Balloon Race flat ride and WhiteWater Falls, a 45 foot tall water attraction is added. The following year, White Lightnin' is removed due to continuous maintenance downtime. Vintage Jalopies is removed and the Panorama Vision theater is converted to an arcade. In 1987, Carowinds purchases Ocean Island. In 1986, County Fair is renovated and Frenzoid, a 360-degree looping Viking ship, is added to the area. Blackbeard's Revenge, a motion simulator, is added in 1985. The Flying Dutchman is removed and the Paladium is expanded. In 1984, Smurf Island opens on a 1.3 acre island surrounded by the Carolina Sternwheeler river boat. The Heritage Theater was converted into an arcade. The complex also featured other standard water park amenities including picnic and sunbathing areas, shower and changing facilities, a snack bar, game room, raft rentals and a gift shop. The water park was not owned by Carowinds, and included a 700,000-gallon, 25,500 square foot wave pool that featured waves reaching heights of five feet. In 1982, Ocean Island opens as a separately ticketed attraction between Thunder Road and the White Lightnin' roller coasters. Rip Roarin' Rapids, a water rapids ride, opens in 1981. The original themed trains were destroyed after causing damage to the tracks.

Thunder Road received new Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters trains. The Carolina Cyclone was added in 1980 as the first roller coaster in the world to feature four inversions. Additionally, a 1923 antique carousel built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company is added to The Land of Hanna-Barbera. In 1979, a $3 million expansion adds the County Fair area, which contains four new rides. The Waltzer is removed after a year of operation and Wagon Wheel is moved into its place. The Witchdoctor was relocated to Pirate Island and renamed Black Widow. White Lightnin', a Schwarzkopf launched shuttle roller coaster, opened in 1977. The trains were relocated from the defunct Jetstream roller coaster at Chicago's Riverview Park. It was the largest and most expensive ride built in Carowinds' short three years of existence, at a cost of $1.6 million. In 1976, Carowinds opened Thunder Road, a Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters racing wooden coaster designed by Curtis D. A small carousel was added to the Carolina Crossroads area. The Wagon Wheel and The Waltzer flat rides were also added to the park. Carowinds added its second roller coaster, and first wooden coaster, with the addition of Scooby-Doo in 1975. Taft Broadcasting brought new life to the park with its Hanna-Barbera characters and several rides aimed to appeal to younger guests. It was later transferred to a wholly-owned Taft subsidiary, Kings Entertainment Company. Taft originally ran the park through Family Leisure Centers, a joint venture between Taft and Top Value Enterprises. Sagging attendance and mounting debt forced Carowinds Corporation to merge with Taft Broadcasting in early 1975. The first season brought in over 1.2 million visitors, but attendance at Carowinds was curtailed by the 1973 oil crisis, and plans for the proposed resort were put on hold.

After numerous construction delays due to weather, the park eventually opened on Maunder the ownership of the Carowinds Corporation, a consortium of local investors headed by Hall. Ground was broken on May 1, 1970, with a planned opening date in April 1972. The name Carowinds was conceived from the park's original theme of the history and culture of the Carolinas, and is a portmanteau of Carolina and winds, in reference to the winds that blow across the two states. Early history Ĭarowinds was announced on October 10, 1969, and originally planned on being a large resort which would include a theme park, hotels, a shopping center, a golf course, and an NFL stadium. The original Carowinds logo was used from 1973 to 1992. The park has a Halloween event called SCarowinds and a winter event called WinterFest. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, Carowinds also features a 27-acre (11 ha) water park, Carolina Harbor, which is included with park admission. It is the result of a four-year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at a cost of $70 million. However, it has an official Charlotte address, and its business offices are located on the Charlotte side of the park. The park straddles the North Carolina- South Carolina state line, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

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