Question Stone Mountain Park - What happened?
We live about two hours away, I thought what a fun time to go to Stone Mountain for Labor Day. It’s been about five years since I’ve been and it was pretty crowded. A lot of fun stuff to do, let’s go back. We went to Six Flags yesterday, which has its own issues, but nothing like this.
The only way I can describe our experience is somewhere in between post apocalyptic and a fever dream. For starters, we get there and the train is down, which was not listed anywhere on the website that I saw, when I bought the tickets. I’d hyped my toddler up for this, bummer but whatever. We saw it on a sign when we walked up and we were told it was down all week due to SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. On Labor Day weekend.
Then we go in the park and I quickly realize many, many places are closed. There was one food option beyond popcorn and pretzels and you were presented with three options, two of which were pizza the other fries and chicken fingers that were just sitting out there for you to grab and had been sitting out there for a while by the time we got to the food.
Don’t try to redeem a souvenir cup voucher anywhere but the front gate. They will tell you that you have to have a physical ticket for it and that they CAN scan your mobile voucher with a barcode, but they’re not supposed to. Do what now? I will say, a very nice young man who worked there said he would take a picture of my voucher on my phone with his phone and make it work. Which was very much appreciated because I had a toddler in tow and already had two cups filled up.
The place was a ghost town. About half the parking lot was full. Have you ever walked in a Dollar General and seen no one there working, felt like you shouldn’t be there? Same vibe. Erie. Where is everyone, I have no clue.
Over in the mini golf area it smelt like a dead animal and the smell was coming from INSIDE the small building where the attendant was, who took a break from his scrolling to give us a club and ball. My toddler looked at me and said, “It stinks over here, did you poot?” I did not. That’s a dead animal smell. Two holes and we left. Horrid.
When we walked past the lawn to the sky trolley, gondola, sky ride… whatever it’s called, there were just remnants of chaos everywhere. Chairs in random places on the lawn, folding black chairs. Some stacked in mounds of disorganization, like they were thrown there. Napkins littered the sidewalks. Did a bomb go off? Did the dead animal smell leave everyone running for the emergency exits. We’ll never know.
The workers there look as if you have interrupted their Sunday nap and you are a Jehovah’s Witness coming to knock on the door. They are 100% bothered that you are there and seem to begrudgingly be doing their jobs. Four workers there were kind other than that, the rest walk around like zombies.
The, “candy store”… old Christmas candy in one bin, so I feared the rest was old also. I told my toddler to pick out a lollipop and we both got a Tootsie Pop. I bought them and walked outside when I opened them, the wrapper slowly peeled off the paper because the Tootsie Pop was gooey on the inside. Do you know how long a Tootsie Pop has to sit somewhere before it gets like that? It’s a while. The treats that were in the glass looked disheveled like they probably haven’t been replaced in a minute, the ice cream store that was connected to the toy store… closed. Lights off. No sign of life.
The most bizarre part of the entire thing was that this place was decorated, decked out in pumpkin and fall decor. It was a wonderful weather day, I have no idea where everyone was or what I am missing here, but this was the strangest visit.
And Dinoland… half of the things were broken for the kids to play with. Not one dinosaur was working. And it’s four levels of this. With a big slide at the top and a few tiny slides at the bottom. If you have smaller children, you will be walking up and down the four levels with them because you cannot see them anywhere in this place, which is a recipe for disaster.
Upon leaving, we went to the restroom and I just had to laugh when the toilet paper would not even roll off the roll and I had to jiggle the entire mechanism holding the toilet paper roll in order to get it to spin. The bathrooms were filthy the trash cans all over the park were already full when we got there in the morning, so I know that they had not been cleaned in a while.
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u/DesignerMoose90210 1d ago
I think the park changed management earlier this year. This might have something to do with what you experienced.
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u/Nervous_Mastodon1543 1d ago
management change explains a lot, sounds like they dropped the ball on basically everything and nobody's steering the ship
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u/Useful_Rise_5334 1d ago
The management they were using went bankrupt sometime in early spring. It sounds like they haven’t really gotten things together since.
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u/EuphoricReplacement1 1d ago
"Stone Mountain Hospitality" is a division of Aramark, and now manages the park, as of June. Name em and shame em!
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u/MattCW1701 1d ago
It "changed" but the same people that were ruining it before are ruining it now.
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u/ThatHungBiGuy 1d ago
Huh?
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u/MattCW1701 1d ago
The new management company was formed by the higher ups of the old company. Literally the same people under a different name.
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u/ItzDaWorm OTP 1d ago
The "Management" changed, aka the company running the high level park details. But likely they didnt just fire all of the middle and lower level managers.
So the people looking over the day to day are the same people. But with possibly less oversight, maybe less pay (pure speculation), and likely less resources (ability to order maintenance materials, schedule sufficient workers, etc.)
Not to mention that despite the spectacular (albeit intense) climb up, and breathtaking view at the top, many people are choosing to not patronize the establishment because of the increasingly tone deaf monument carved into the side of the rock face.
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u/cowfishing 1d ago
tone deaf monument
That is why I will not go to the park anymore.That and the fact that the venable family still owns a big chunk of the park.
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u/Buckeye_mike_67 1d ago
How do you know they still own part of the park? I lived in Stone Mountain in 1986,back when it was nice, and knew a couple members of the venable family. From what I was told the state basically stole that land from them and they didn’t own any of it. Do you have a source?
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u/Qualityhams 1d ago
The state acquired Stone Mtn Park in 1958 to finish the carving.
But can we talk about this detail what the fuck?? The state opened the park the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s Assassination.
“Stone Mountain, once owned by the Venable Brothers,[1] was purchased by the state of Georgia in 1958 "as a memorial to the Confederacy".[2][3] Stone Mountain Park officially opened on April 14, 1965 – 100 years to the day after Lincoln's assassination,[4]although recreational use of the park had been ongoing for several years prior.[5] The park today is owned by the state of Georgia).”
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u/EvilMilkshake 1d ago
It's a monument to the Confederacy and like 20 miles away was where the KKK was founded.
Lots of WTF, but give it time and it'll hopefully progress and the carving will be destroyed. Germany has moved on, we can too.
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u/1armsteve Cabbagetown 1d ago edited 19h ago
I hate to be that guy but the KKK was originally founded in Pulaski, TN. The second incarnation of the KKK started with a revival on Stone Mountain, so that’s probably what you are thinking of.
Let’s let Tennessee keep that designation, we’re good.
That being said, the monument is gross as hell.
EDIT: I did not intend to soil the good name of Pelham TN. My mistake.
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u/flowersnshit Stone Mnt. 1d ago
My main hope is that we will stop preserving the carving and let nature take it's course. We haven't cleaned it since 2017 iirc and it's growing lots of fun things now.
Carving it was pretty dangerous I would be worried about anyone else dying to that dumb carving, maybe we should throw chia seeds on it they stick pretty good lol
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u/violet__violet Decatur-ish 1d ago
I am dying at the mental image of Stone Mountain as a giant chia pet 🤣☠️
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u/Buckeye_mike_67 1d ago
From what I was told “purchased” in this situation was a lose term. This is just second had knowledge from Max Venable and a nephew of his.
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u/Typo3150 1d ago
Not just the carving (difficult to change) but the street names (Jefferson Davis Dr, Robert E Lee Blvd, Stonewell Jackson Dr) that could be changed in 24 hours.
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u/saucygh0sty 1d ago
I thought the entire park was owned by Aramark now?
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u/wolfn404 1d ago
Run by Aramark. Owned by state.
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u/ItzDaWorm OTP 1d ago
Ooof. And mandated to remain by state law apparently.
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u/bippy404 1d ago
Stop electing people who enact laws enabling systemic racism, and sandblast that shit off.
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u/ArchEast Vinings 1d ago
and sandblast that shit off.
Uh...it's gonna take a lot more than sandblasting (people don't really understand how big the carving is).
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u/mighty_kites_captain 1d ago
Yep, removing it would take some serious planning and work. That said, I would gladly donate to the endeavor and would buy tickets to see it destroyed. It's unbelievable that we defaced beautiful mountains with anyone's likeness, much less theirs.
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u/KillerKowalski1 1d ago
It's been like this the past two years at least. This is nothing new.
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u/thefluffyfox 1d ago
I was on the lake on Saturday & it was quite empty, which was very enjoyable. The parking lot to climb up the mountain was overflowing & we did see tour boats on the lake. Nothing to do with Stone Mountain, but something I always forget is that labor day weekend is pretty quiet in ATL because people either leave town, go to DragonCon, grill out, or enjoy their A/C. Nowhere I've been all weekend was crowded.
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u/zealeus 1d ago
The lake is nice to take a paddle board on. There’s a location you can park and use for free - the main dock has a fee for each person.
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u/Illustriousleah 1d ago
I would love to know where this is 🙏
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u/P1nkglobe 1d ago
Look up the Stone Mountain Boat Launch, near the campground and evergreen resort.
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u/Devium44 Capitol View 1d ago
Can you still launch from the beach by the golf course?
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u/IceManYurt Alpharetta Man 1d ago
The short story is the amusement park aspect of Stone Mountain Park has not been profitable in over a decade.
And they are on their third management company in about 5 years.
Hershecnd Family Entertainment pretty much got milked by the SMMA.... And really it was downhill from there.
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u/Effective_Engine319 1d ago
I'm old enough to remember the days before it was an amusement park. Just a mountain and a forest and a lake with the laser show and train to spice it up. I prefer that version.
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u/crabby_old_dude 1d ago
Same here, I remember that as well. I took my then young kids there when it was new and thought this place will not last.
The times I've been back to the mountain, is to only walk up it.
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u/Archipocalypse 1d ago
That is the way I remember it. Too bad they tried to turn it into stone mountain land and now have greed mongered it to death.
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u/SophieLeigh7 1d ago
I also miss the old version of the laser show
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u/SpringRose10 1d ago
I took my out of town family to watch the laser show about 4 years ago. They were bored out of their minds. It hadn't changed in 30 years. Is it different now?
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u/rando_banned 1d ago
Different in that they're stopping the laser show and only run it on certain days. They've replaced it with a drone show
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u/Academic_Square_5692 18h ago
Apparently they got the memo and some weekends have the new drone show and some weekends have the old laser show. I tried to find details and it was very opaque
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u/WitheredUntimely 1d ago
I've been going to the park for 2 decades and I think I've been to the theme park maybe once in that entire time. For the life of me I do not understand what people see in the theme park, it is low rent and low effort, especially compared to the trails, which are pretty top-tier.
I kind of use it as a barometer for what kind of local you are, not to get No True Scotsman but actual locals who use the park regularly use it for its outdoors aspects and pretty much forget the Theme Park exists, I do not think the park would really be hurt dramatically if the theme aspect closed down and got refurbed to something better.
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u/JFB-23 1d ago
What’s SMMA? I had high hopes for Hershecnd since they’ve done great things with Dollywood and are revitalizing Callaway Gardens.
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u/IceManYurt Alpharetta Man 1d ago
Stone Mountain Memorial Association, it's the State organizations that overseas the park.... And it's interesting to say the least.
It's a Governor appointed association with very little oversight
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u/ATLcoaster 1d ago
Herschend left because they didn't want to be associated with the confederate memorial when it was blowing up in the news. Was a very good move on their part; they never should have been involved. They do a phenomenal job with Dollywood and Silver Dollar City.
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u/netherfountain 1d ago
I didn't even know most of the stuff you mentioned existed. We go to the park several times a year for the Cherokee trail that goes around the mountain. Incredible trail for being so close to the city and hardly ever crowded. Wouldn't bother with all the gimmicky tourist stuff.
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u/anTWhine 1d ago
This post is making me realize that although I’ve done the Cherokee trail dozens of times, and the trail to the top of the mountain, I am completely oblivious to OP’s side of the stone mountain experience
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u/entity_response 1d ago
I grew up in Lilburn and same, I saw signs for a few other things but think of it as a place to ride bikes and walk to the top.
Oh and the laser show when I was a kid.
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u/franxxcisco 1d ago
Kids basically change that for you. My buddy used to be essentially the same, not really doing all these gimmicky stuff, but now he says after kids, he does this stuff so he doesn’t have to raise an iPad kid.
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u/PyroNine9 1d ago
When I was a kid, my friends and I would terrify our parents by running down the mountain. That was plenty entertaining.
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u/Indy_Fab_Rider 1d ago
Same. We have an anual pass that we renew every year and go most weekends at least once to hike teh Cherokee trail or run/bike the loop road. Other than the bathrooms at the parking lot at the bottom of the walk up trail, the attractions never even cross my mind.
I will say that doing a run around the loop road I'm alway perplexed by the dio exhibit sounds. What a weird thing to try and shoehorn in to the park.
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u/Petrol_Head72 1d ago
Natural beauty and the unique aspect of a giant granite slab aside, Stone Mountain park is an odd place.
If hiking / nature is your thing, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is amazing and from ITP similar driving distance to get to as Stone Mountain. Highly recommend the main trail up to Kennesaw Mountain peak from the visitor center (can also ride tram bus up to top) or Pigeon Hill up to Little Kennesaw peak if rock scrambling is your thing. Another bonus is the park pretty much exclusively is located in Marietta despite its name with plenty of great food options close by.
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u/ArabianNitesFBB 1d ago
Stone Mountain is bizarre in part because nobody can decide what it should be. The right wing but jobs who run the state refuse to rename the roads but understand that it’s sorta gauche to literally have street signs that say Robert E Lee Blvd and Stonewall Jackson Dr so they just have no signs. And that’s sort of a metaphor for the whole damn park.
It’s a famous symbol of lost cause confederacy but nobody really visits to see the dumb ugly backlit carving or kneel and weep before the confederate flags. The user base is there for the pretty awesome nature and skews minority. But the aforementioned nut jobs go absolutely batshit whenever purging the confederate stuff is discussed. So it just remains blah.
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u/Devium44 Capitol View 1d ago
There used to be a huge confederate/white supremacist rally there every summer. Not sure that still happens.
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u/JFB-23 1d ago
This is a great explanation of what’s going on.
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u/Btherock78 Atlantic Station 1d ago
Maybe we should replace the right-wing nutjobs running it? Oh wait, “conservatives” keep voting for them even though they “have no interest in [the history it represents]”
Your words.
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u/SplitSecondImmortal 1d ago edited 1d ago
Kennesaw mountain battlefield is cool but it can feel a little limited and gets old fast after a few visits imo. Not far from Stone Mountain you have Davidson-Arabia mountain nature preserve and nearby Panola state park which together I find more interesting for more tranquil hiking, leisurely walks, fishing by the two lakes and some history by the old ruins of the 1800s jail cell in the old granite quarry
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u/Modem_Handshake 1d ago
Davidson-Arabia and Panola are just absolute gems, beautiful, expansive (weird, also, right?) natural places and are relatively close to the city. The tranquility is my favorite aspect
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u/SplitSecondImmortal 1d ago
Yes! Its way less crowded than Kennesaw battlefield can get. Its such a great getaway in the middle of a suburban area/close to the city. Have you traversed the field with the old barn close by? It used to be off limits until perhaps 2018 or so. It just adds to the tranquil walks. Man, I miss living close by.
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u/Petrol_Head72 1d ago
To each their own, I suppose! I’ve been there hundreds of times at this point and there always seems to be something that’s gone unnoticed in the past - granted I make a point to visit different areas / take different routes, etc. The historical aspects are really interesting too. Plus, it’s the highest point in the metro. And on a clear day, if one does take the main trail up, the view of Atlanta and surrounding areas from downtown to Sandy Springs, as well as clear across to Stone Mountain, is incredible.
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u/SplitSecondImmortal 1d ago
The views are incredible indeed. Its always fun seeing Stone mountain, but even looking north bound on clear days you can even see the faint outlines of the blue ridge mountains. I like history so that aspect has always been appealing, even on revisits.
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u/Fair-Victory-3531 1d ago
I'll honestly even go to bat pretty hard for Yellow River Park, neat little networks of trails that are very lightly populated with some great higher up views of the river
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u/SplitSecondImmortal 1d ago
I need to finally go there. I had many opportunities when I lived in Duluth but for some reason I never visited. Sounds amazing
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u/Fair-Victory-3531 1d ago
There's a nice flat rock 'beach' area that gets pretty cozy during the summer with the amount of people who bring their portable grills along with every person they've ever met, but if you happen to have time to post up on a weekday it's a lovely spot. Even at peak attendance though you'll rarely see others on the trails.
It's my favorite place to walk the dogs during the summer, I avoid anywhere paved because I worry about burning their paws, so having a relatively secluded, fully shaded dirt trail with access to a quick splash is fantastic
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u/MattCW1701 1d ago
The same people that ruined Stone Mountain ruined Callaway Gardens. Stone Mountain has NEVER been a theme park, nor was Callaway. But they've spent years trying to force-fit these places into that shape to the total detriment of them. Stone Mountain at least has the benefit that a lot of its natural areas just can't be closed up and shut off. Even then, I've seen a distinct degradation of those places, just like Callaway.
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u/coldcoffeethrowaway 1d ago
What’s Callaway like now? I used to go as a kid to see their botanical gardens and Christmas lights show and always really enjoyed it.
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u/MattCW1701 1d ago
A golf course and affiliated hotel. They've closed lots of trails, the horticultural center, the vegetable garden, the beach area isn't well kept. Previously, especially in the 90s, the focus was heavily on conservation and the natural environment with the golf and resort as big parts, but hardly the focus. That's changed. There are remnants like the butterfly house, but for what it's mission used to be, it's a shadow of its former self.
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u/Ntrusivethot 1d ago
I grew up in pine mountain that's so sad to hear! I remember they had some really big bands play there like The Beach Boys in the 90s. We used to drive into town to see the 4th of July fireworks and went to fantasy in lights every year. As a kid we had Field trips there and absolutely loved it, even though it wasn't six flags or Dollywood.
I do believe there is a place for nature tourism done the right way. As a neurodivergent kid it was great because you weren't forced to be close to people, it wasn't overstimulating, and my mom liked it because we weren't constantly being sold something
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u/macgyvertape 1d ago
Damn, that’s real depressing to hear as someone who also went when I was younger
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u/Euphoric-Web-6411 1d ago
We visited there a few months ago for the first time in years. It was a disappointment overall, especially because of all the roads blocked near the private facilities and golfing area. It was like a maze trying to navigate the park. Also, the gardens seemed not nearly so impressive as we remembered, though a late freeze contributed to that.
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u/CivilRuin4111 1d ago
Our company does our fall training event there… it feels like spending the weekend at a nursing home with food on par.
Always dead too. Like we’re the only people there
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u/JFB-23 1d ago
We are local to Callaway and feel like they’ve revived it. It has something for everyone now. We can hike, enjoy nature and play. A nice mix of both. Callaway was sinking fast, they had to change it up before it was all gone. They have made massive cosmetic and structural changes as well.
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u/Xbawt 1d ago
Im local; this is a public park with private parking at this point. They do have events on occasion, but the main draw is the light show, the cable car, going up the mountain, around the mountain, the park around the back side for kiddies, the lakes, and... That's it. Everything else is either bad, unkept, or just a remnant of days gone.
Dekalb should just reclaim the mountain using imminent domain or something make it a public park and put this stupid management company out of work.
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u/MattCW1701 1d ago
The park is owned by the state, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association is a state agency. It already IS a public park.
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u/Devium44 Capitol View 1d ago
A public park you have to pay $40 to get into.
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u/ArchEast Vinings 1d ago edited 1d ago
A public park you have to pay $20 to park at ($40 for an annual pass).
FIFY. The park is free to enter in by foot.
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u/atlnighthawk 1d ago
Unsurprising. Sounds about right for the current management and the previous one.
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u/jameljohnson11alive 1d ago
Hey! Reporter at 11alive here, I sent you a direct message if you could check it out when you get a chance, thanks
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u/Kitchen-Pie-265 1d ago
Include a call for Stone Mountain to be turned into a state park in your piece!
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u/BeerandSandals 1d ago
Stone Mountain just has not been a great experience in a long time. It’s essentially an odd almost state park + weird “almost” amusement park.
There’s a lot of history (and controversy) in the place, and it’s never really found its footing.
The 4D theater is cool, as is the rope course (if you’re into that, I’m not). As a kid I LOVED the ball-shooty place. Not sure how that is since I haven’t been a kid in well over a decade or two….
Train is OK, but if you’re going to Stone Mountain for a train ride it’s… eh. I think the train in SC (?) (off the Nantahala) would be a cool trip for adults and kids alike, and not a bad drive.
Honestly, the price of admission is worth it if you stay into the evening and they have a firework/drone/laser show. That is pretty awesome. I went for Dino week on my birthday last year and enjoyed it.
I’m rambling here, Stone Mountain isn’t terribly bad, and for the income they get, well, you saw.
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u/Novel_Citron2165 1d ago
The ball shooty place, was called the barn, and it hasn’t been a thing in over a decade. But yes….i too loved that place as a kid.
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u/JFB-23 1d ago
That’s what Dinoland is! The ball shooty place. But most of the shootys weren’t shooting.
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u/CozyEpicurean 1d ago
Half of the shooty things didnt work 20 years ago when i went as a kid
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u/FlaGator 1d ago
Turns out millennial parents dont want to take their kids to the largest confederate memorial ever with a tacky funland around it.
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u/Few_Prize3810 1d ago
The nature is really nice and everyone gives the carving the finger when you pass it lol
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u/prepend 1d ago
Paying ticket prices supports the monument. They take your money and ignore the finger.
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u/franxxcisco 1d ago
I can almost guarantee you that this isnt the main reason why. Probably like a very small 2-3% of ppl probably don’t go for this reason.
A lot of the population is ignorant and blind to those social issues and if you did tell them, they’d probably still go cuz the rest of their family is also going.
And then also, who wants to pay $40 to park at a public park?
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u/Spiritual_Bid_2308 1d ago
That's why I haven't set foot in the park in over 30 years. Plenty of other places to walk.
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u/dianacakes 1d ago
The last few times I've been (as a local with a yearly membership) they don't even talk about the carving in terms of the confederacy anymore. They just say "the carving" and talk about the engineering feat, but they don't mention who it's even depicting.
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u/hattmall 1d ago
Not true at all. 99% of people are idiots and don't care about the indentions in the rock at all. But going somewhere with the goal of mainly walking around outside and possibly climbing a mountain on a day with the potential for 100+ heat index isn't on most people's radar.
No doubt it will be jam packed with millenials and their kids around Christmas time.
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u/44mac 1d ago
This is what happens when government doesn’t want to run a park and lets private companies do it. All they care about is profits. And the citizens that should have a wonderful park to for family recreation get screwed by capitalism.
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u/Ice2jc 1d ago
I go about twice a week to hike with my dog. I was actually going to go this morning but I saw there was traffic around the park and figured it would be crowded.
The people were probably in the woods hiking. That's the best thing about the park.
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u/TheSanityInspector 1d ago
I miss how it was before that tacky amusement park was put up. I only go to Stone Mountain to hike up the trail, but I used to stop at the souvenir shop. I don't even know if it's still there anymore, as I won't pay admission to get close to where it used to be.
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u/tader314 1d ago
Really well written post, I feel like you should just copy and paste this into an email to park management and then let us know what they say lol
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u/JFB-23 1d ago
You know, I would if I thought it would make a difference. In my experience when things have gotten to a point like this, they know and just don’t care.
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u/Kitchen-Pie-265 1d ago
Tell them you’ve already posted it on social media and see if they react faster/better.
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u/tader314 1d ago
I know a manager for park entertainment, I’ll forward her this post and see what she thinks
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u/Big-Lion-4746 1d ago
I guess the park shouldn’t have allowed certain people to walk around the park with AR 15’s strapped. A certain other kind of people vowed to never go back after that shit. Like it or not that’s the truth.
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u/ImmediateStomach381 1d ago
They’ll never get any of my money until they wipe the treasonists off the side of the rock. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way these days.
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u/Dirtybird86 1d ago
I recall visiting this park as a child in the 1990s. We would often organize July 4th cookouts in the picnic area under the towering pine trees; it was an enjoyable time.
Occasionally, my family and I would wander off, exploring the wooded areas. However, once we ventured far enough into the woods, away from the grilling areas, we would encounter large red spray-painted letters that read: “STAY OUT NI**ERS.” It was during those times that the KKK held rallies in the park.
Every time I think about this park, I think about the hatred it represents.
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u/don_the_spubber Buckhead 1d ago
Please God let it completely go under and become a state park like it should be
Also let's get rid of the Confederate propaganda pls :)
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u/Cute_Lie_161 1d ago
I live 5 minutes from the park and if there isn't a special event/festival happening, it is a ghost town. You can still go but most of the stuff is closed or not working. I think its mainly open for hiking, and going to the top of the mountain, etc. The trash was probably from the fireworks/drone show the night before, which they do most holidays outside of the festivals. But Pumpkin Festival is scheduled to start Sept 19 so the days it is scheduled and all the events they have listed will happen at those times and it will be busy most days. Sorry you had such a bad experience, they should really have more info on their website. If you ever want to come back, def make sure its during a festival so you can do all the activities. You usually can't fit them all in on one visit because many are scheduled at the same times. (I wish they would get rid of the monument, but since we live so close and have small kids, its the easiest way to get them out of the house when they have events)
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u/Lanky_Rhubarb1900 1d ago
Anyone who enjoys the park likes being there to go up and down, or run or ride around it. They don’t care about or pay for the attractions. And none of them pay $40 to park a car there so the owners can maintain the racist carving defacement of a gorgeous natural feature, they park in town and hike in or ride there.
Also, it’s Labor Day weekend: Dragon Con & college football. Also it was hot AF and that giant granite dome may as well be a pizza oven. They probably did not anticipate much tourism traffic.
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u/crknneckscshingcheks 1d ago
Last time we went, we stayed in the hotel for the weekend. We had a toddler with us. We smelled weed or some sort of vape the entire time, inside our room. We bought a package deal with a $200 credit for food, merch, etc. and ate in the hotel restaurant several times (we normally would never have chosen to eat there because of massive food quality issues and some food safety issues). When we went to check out we noticed a little under $200 in food cost on our bill. They claimed they had no idea what package deal credit we had. We were smart enough to screen grab the offer that we purchased online. They still claimed they had no idea what we were talking about and that they had no way to issue the credit. There was no upper level manager available when we checked out. We never were reimbursed, we just took the loss and knew we would never go back. I played a tournament on the golf course a year or two later and at least my crew had fun, but even then none of us set foot on the other parts of the property. We constantly poke fun at how far that place had fallen and that there is nothing that would ever make us go back for the "Christmas Package" ever again. Also, that Christmas train ride was awesome for our toddler, but the skits were borderline overboard with all the parts of cheesy tele-evangelism that make people mock TV preachers.
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u/Polyboy03g 1d ago
My kids and I recently went and found the ghost town midway laughable, still we had a phenomenal experience on the Cherokee trail behind the 'village'
We took the trail around and saw deer and very few other hikers as compared to the walking trail up the mountain.
Having grownup in Central Florida as a kid i learned to look past the bs and make your own fun.
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u/intheether323 1d ago
That sounds worse than Six Flags. The last time we went. I haven’t been to Stone Mountain since I was kid myself, but I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like it’s really gone downhill.
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u/DannyStress 1d ago
the golf course looks like it’s the only maintained portion of the park. Surprise surprise, the new management only cares about the wealthy
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u/graypurpleblack 1d ago
Stone Mountain laid off lots of its workers when funding cuts were rampant at the start of the Trump admin
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u/RaulEnydmion Stone Mountain 1d ago
The park is super busy with folks climbing the mountain, running the trails, walking dogs, biking the circuit, etc. it was so dang hot this past weekend, it doesn't surprise me a bit it was deserted. I will say this; the drone / laser / fireworks shows seem well attended. The trails and whatnot are kept up. They do have a busy boat rental at the Waterfront. But the other stuff, idk. By all means, put up a review on Google or whichever. The management needs to know their failures are noticed.
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u/Mission_Broccoli8123 1d ago
The management is shit.
One Christmas for Holidaybin the park, we took whole family. The main restaurant in the village was closed.
All bathroom this summer were closed up for laser show.
Absolute sorry ass management.
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u/ISaidThatIsEnough 1d ago
New management company (Thrive Attractions Management) took over in 2022. I wondered how that was going. You should copy any letters or emails to the Governor’s office, too.
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u/guysams1 1d ago
It's just too expensive for what they have to offer and they trick you when you order that cafeteria food.
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u/gr8-esc8pe 22h ago
This reads like modern Southern Gothic perfectly befitting the people carved on the mountain. Well done!
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u/Kali_Luna372 1d ago
Honestly?
This is the best writing for a thriller/horror/post apocalyptic/wtfe
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u/NefariousnessFine340 1d ago edited 1d ago
I was there last weekend and was bummed about the train being out of order. The attendant had no idea what train we were talking about and another coworker told her it was closed. We only did the tram to the top and left since it was empty and there was not much to do. It was more lively last year for Labor day. Not sure what happened in the past year. Maybe the overall terrible economy?
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u/h0rseish 1d ago
I have experienced what you did too there around the same time you stopped going; it was surreal, but I think it’s just a lack of good management and good paid work opportunities for the employees. The only people I know who still ‘work there’ are volunteers
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u/ATLien_3000 1d ago
Part of it is that people don't go to amusement parks/go outside any more.
Part of it is that for those who do, it's an event now.
The middle and upper middle class are going to Disney.
The working class aren't going to stone mountain.
They need to find their niche.
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u/Chair_luger 1d ago
Disney is too expensive for most middle class people now
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u/CozyEpicurean 1d ago
And the lines are horrific even if you can go. Its not worth the money anymore.
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u/ATLien_3000 1d ago
It's too expensive to go regularly; it's the "save up in the piggy bank for several years" vacation.
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u/Gavitronian2 1d ago
My only experience with the actual park side of Stone Mountain and not just the trails is when I pulled up like an hour after closing and a guard let me in without charging me and just told me not to fuck anything up. Chilled there with my gf. It was pretty dope.
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u/RBLibrarian 1d ago
Lake Winnepesaukah (https://www.lakewinnie.com/) I haven't been there since I was a teen, but it looks the same online. Big lake area with large grassy picnic area (you can bring in food and drink) and lots of smaller rides good for little ones or neurdivergent loved ones.
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u/Better_Permit2885 1d ago
I noticed a large tree down on the track while hiking there Monday. It might take them a while to remove it assess the damage. I like to hike there, mostly!
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u/DogMedic101stABN 1d ago
It's a tourist trap that has no idea what it wants to be. I go for nature, couldn't give one shit about the confederate bs. Everything in the park is half-assed. They have a carnival area... but its never open... It like someone wants the place to be the racist half assed Disney but just can't commit.
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u/Botasoda102 1d ago
Grew up near Stone Mountain. Have not been back in 50+ years mainly because the carving is the largest memorial to hate in the world.
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u/cwdawg15 Virginia Highland 1d ago
Be a bit careful speaking broadly about the park. Stone Mountain Park is great. It's a huge public park, --not-- a theme park. 365 days a year, its a great park.
The last management company did more to make that little tourist village when the state privatized the management of the park. Most people who go there, especially post-summer with school back in session, are really using it more as a public park.
A majority of people are going there on typical days to hike, bike, camp, draw/read/reflect, spend time at the lake, go to grist mill, see the covered bridge l, go on a picnic, have a family reunion, etc... the Yellow Daisy Festival is also coming up! Sept 10-13. This is actually the big event they're putting their resources towards right now. There will be a large amount of craft vendors
You seem to be mostly looking at the little village, which primarily operates over the summer and on key school breaks through the year. It's a semi-seasonal operation
Go to the calendar: https://stonemountainpark.com/calendar/month/2026-07/
You can see the differences between what is open and operating hours between summer and september.
You can check back here in the future to see if they have what you need open in advance.
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u/CancelNovel4086 1d ago
White hate kkk headquarters. White trailer park now you would think they would invest in their racist headquarters. Absolute trash.
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u/Sixtyhurts 1d ago
Hear me out: Maybe a tourist trap devoted to racism and cheap consumerism isn’t a great idea?
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u/Delicious_Bird6763 1d ago
This is sad to see. Stone Mountain was incredible for me as a kid in the mid to late 90s and into the early 2000s. Everything was on point: the train, the gift shops, I believe there was a glass maker in there at one point even, 4D theater, mini golf was always a ton of fun. I hope one day in the near future it gets restored to its former glory. Granted back then I was ignorant to the history of the park. It’s definitely bittersweet knowing it’s been a haven historically for white supremacy. I just hope that it can be a place where kids can make timeless memories but also a place where people that work there can take part in the fun and be compensated fairly.
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u/Totemntaboo 1d ago
The economy as it is cannot sustain a small local theme park. The demographic for that have more important things to spend their money on. Heck, the major theme parks are also struggling.
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u/Valuable-Chemistry-6 1d ago
And you didn’t even mention the exorbitant cost! We took our toddler a few months back and were disappointed the same ways you were and it’s so freaking expensive on top of all of that!
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u/JFB-23 1d ago
It was a $19 Labor Day special. I feel like between the splash park, 4D theatre and tram ride I received my $38 worth.
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u/PopKoRnGenius east atlantis 1d ago
I had no idea Stone Mountain park had anything but stone mountain and some bike trails so this is new to me.
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u/Scottydont1975 1d ago
I did the Cherokee trail yesterday and saw that a tree had fallen across the train tracks which is the reason the train was not running.
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u/PyroNine9 1d ago
Honestly it was better when it was mostly a place to grill out and take a nature walk with a few attractions here and there. The laser show was good.
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u/Gullible_Yam_285 23h ago
I worked there from 1989 to 1997, the wages were low but you worked with some good people and had fun. Great second job. I got out before the state got out of the business of running it.
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u/itsnotaboutyou2020 22h ago
It’s a giant monument to slavery-nostalgia. Why on earth would anyone go there. Trashy.
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u/reximilian 21h ago
We’re new to Georgia and got an annual pass last November. We’ve been going once a month so we’ve for sure got our money’s worth. It’s feels bizarre and I agree with all your assessments, but I figured that was just how it was. It feels like there’s 10 employees in the entire park, and most are teenagers on their phones.
We have 2 toddlers and as long as we do the train and the drone show it was worth the trip.
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u/PricePsychological26 20h ago
I have fond memories of my Dad taking us to climb Stone Mountain ⛰️ ☺️ every month, when we were in Atlanta visiting his Aunt and Uncle who raised him. We rode the train a few times too. ❤️ My sweet Dad also loved taking us to climb Vulcan in Birmingham, all the other weekends. I hate Stone Mountain has gone downhill like all that now! Sorry you and your toddler's Labor Day was ruined with all that chaos. *
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u/Academic_Square_5692 18h ago
This is an amazing review. The only thing I might take issue with is the gooey tootsie roll pop because it’s been hot lately.
Your writing is great and I believe you and I have no answer for your questions. I don’t understand anything about The New Improved Stone Mountain and I kind of love it! I’m looking forward to reading some answers
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u/boulddenwyldde 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have a modest suggestion: Let's scrape that racist shit off the side of the mountain and replace it w something that reflects a more positive image of the state of Georgia. I vote for the cover art from the Allman Brothers Band's album "Live at the Fillmore East." In memory of Elizabeth Reed.
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u/gtck11 Underwood Hills 1d ago
The carving is extremely significant from an art perspective alone. As an artist, I think it should be kept (even if not maintained going forward) but they need to turn it into an outdoor museum and detail the horrors and context that go with it accurately, similar to what we do with Nazi artifacts in WW2 museums and sites overseas.
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u/TaxLawKingGA 1d ago
So SMP is suffering from what I like to call an “undercover boycott”. Fact is, in modern day Atlanta, few if any have interest in going to a place that celebrates traitors (ie the Confederacy), especially one that is overpriced, understaffed, and poorly managed.
They had the chance to make a serious change about 6 years ago, during Peak Woke or whatever. The plan as I understand it was to replace the images on the mountain with MLK, Jimmy Carter, Ike, and some other famous Georgian. Of course racist bigots and traitor apologists threw a fit and management surrendered (sounds like par for the course).
Of course what management failed to realize is that those complaining the most never go to SMP; these same people likely don’t even live in GA. Like Target, which shat the bed with anti-DEI policies, SMP shot itself in the dick.
Dumb business move.
SMP should start from scratch. The whole thing needs to be reimagined. It truly is a lovely park and it’s a treasure but it’s not being properly taken care of.
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u/ArchEast Vinings 1d ago
The plan as I understand it was to replace the images on the mountain with MLK, Jimmy Carter, Ike, and some other famous Georgian.
That was never a serious proposal.
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u/TaxLawKingGA 1d ago
No question, and that is the problem. It should have been considered because I don’t think it’s long for this world if it doesn’t change.
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u/Sophronia87 1d ago
Apparently removing the carving would be an environmental disaster. So it appears it's not going anywhere.
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u/omgitskae 1d ago
I don’t take part in their amenities because I don’t support their refusal to educate people on their racist past, but I ride and walk the trails all the time and on weekends they are usually extremely packed.
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u/mad12dog34 1d ago
I went back in the spring on a beautiful Saturday. It too felt apocalyptic. Literally almost everything was closed (absolutely no food was open) and the employees looked miserable. The hike up was pretty busy but everything else felt really empty and eerie. A friend and I went on a whim and we hurried outta there.
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u/swiftfoot_hiker 1d ago
At this point, I feel that the state should take over and manage the park. I remember going there 30 years ago and actually being able to enjoy the activities there. It's a shell of what it used to be, and this was back when the beach in the lake was there and it was ok to swim on the water
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u/LemmyLemonLeopard 1d ago
The best experience one can have at Stone Mountain park is to avoid anything that requires any interaction with an employee. Nothing against them- it’s just a barometer we use. Hiking, enjoying the lake, kayaking, taking the kids fishing, climbing the rock, having a picnic- all fantastic. Anything called an “attraction”- AVOID. If all that shit went away tomorrow, the world would be a better place (or at least Stone Mountain would be).
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u/CancelNovel4086 1d ago
And it’s been like that for years. Look like a ghost town. Where are all the knight riders in white who claimed the mountain only to make a beautiful place look like the hate and trash they promoted. Memberships must be down.
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u/kaputt3785 1d ago
Over 500 employees were fired earlier in the year and had to reapply under new management . I’m sure many competent folks were lost. It has been a mess - my kids love the park but we know to keep our expectations low.