15 replies to this topic

[Giraffe]

This is an actual bumper sticker from Seven Seas, a now-defunct amusement park in Arlington, TX. A friend found this while cleaning his garage a few years ago; it still has the adhesive backing on it! I'm tempted to put it on my car bumper and drive around Arlington just to see some heads turn.

The entire sticker is too long to fit in my scanner, so I had to compromise.

I *think* I attended Seven Seas with my family, once, when I was very young. This would have been in the early 1970s, but I remember very little of the experience. The park was located on the site where the hotel next to the Ballpark in Arlington is now, and in fact that hotel still uses an outdoor pavilion left over from Seven Seas. I think there's an old concrete-block pumphouse behind the hotel, too. The Arlington Convention Center is right next to this hotel (Sheraton?). They had dolphin shows and seals and whatnot; this was a place where people went to see aquatic animals, not to go swimming themselves.

Seven Seas lasted only for a few years. It opened in the early 1970s but didn't make it much past 1976... I could be wrong about exactly when it closed. Even though it was right next to Six Flags, people just didn't go to see animal shows.

http://s609.photobuc...mpersticker.jpg

[Mark S]

I think you're about right as to the years of operation. I know we went there at least once, but as you said, I don't remember much about it. What I do remember is the adjacent restaurant, which served up some pretty good seafood as I recall. The restaurant's entrance was just to the right of the park entrance, and it remained for some time after the park itself had closed. There's a surprising amount of Seven Seas stuff floating around. I work at the Montgomery Street Antique Mall, and in recent months I've seen several postcards and a souvenir plate... but no bumper stickers!

[malibu65]

According to a post opened spring 1972. Closed 1975.
I bought a ceramic yellow penguin with seven seas logo on it at the weatherford flea market a few years after it closed for a $1.00. Still have it. Thought at the time it might be worth something in the future.

[801hme]

According to a post opened spring 1972. Closed 1975.
I bought a ceramic yellow penguin with seven seas logo on it at the weatherford flea market a few years after it closed for a $1.00. Still have it. Thought at the time it might be worth something in the future.

That penguin is probably a souvenir from the ONLY ride they had. It was an indoor, arctic themed gondola type ride, kinda like the old "Spelunker Cave" at SF. The AC was freezing cold in there and it felt GREAT when it was 110° outside.
I think the lack of rides helped doom the park. Kids found it kinda boring. The above mentioned hotel's pool is also from the park.

[Eric_T]

The Jack White collection has two pics from the Seven Seas theme park:


http://www.fortworth.../sevenseas1.jpg

http://www.fortworth.../sevenseas2.jpg


I missed out on going to the Seven Seas park even though I still went to Six Flags back then. And in '75 I got my own seven seas adventure courtesy of Uncle Sam so there's that.

/carrying out the plan of the day

[Stormrunner77]

My family didn't move out to Texas until July 1985, but for some reason I remember there seeing a ship next to the hotel for a long time from the old ballpark. Can anyone confirm for me if the ship from Seven Seas was kept around for any time period after if closed in '75?

[801hme]

My family didn't move out to Texas until July 1985, but for some reason I remember there seeing a ship next to the hotel for a long time from the old ballpark. Can anyone confirm for me if the ship from Seven Seas was kept around for any time period after if closed in '75?

Yes, the ship remained in the pool at the hotel for years after the park closed. It burned sometime in the mid 90's if I remember correctly. I remember wondering how a ship in the middle of a swimming pool catches on fire. The Startle-gram ran a big article on it when it happened.

[JBB]

Here's an archive.org mirror of a Seven Seas tribute web site. The author posts on another forum that I read occasionally and he had to let the site go when he was out of commission because of health problems.

Seven Seas web site

[Stormrunner77]

801 - Thanks for confirming that I wasn't just imaging a pirate ship in the middle of north Texas. JBB - Thanks for that link, seems like it would a been quite a unique place. To think there was a killer whale in Texas (before Sea World went to San Antonio)

[Lori]

I seem to remember seeing a pirate ship of some kind in Grand Prairie, just past the Palace of Wax (I think it is a car dealership now)...not the same place, right? So were there TWO theme parks with ships in that part of town, or was the one in Grand Prairie something altogether different? I never saw it when it was open, I didn't move to this area until 1996.

[JBB]

That was White Water/Boardwalk near the current location of Lone Star Park.

[Willy1]

These pictures remind me of a site I saw not too long ago of Neverland Ranch after MJ abandoned it. The rides were crumbling and nature was taking the ranch back... It was sad and haunting... There is something sort of haunting about abandoned or defunct amusement parks... I would love to wander around Neverland Ranch.

[bailey]

That was White Water/Boardwalk near the current location of Lone Star Park.

This water park was in competition with Wet and Wild in Arlington from what I remember. Wet and Wild bought the park, closed it, and filled all the drains with concrete so it could never reopen. It set there vacant for many years. I believe Grand Prairie Ford is now on the site.

[Mark S]

Lookie what I found! Now if I can just track down my Aquarena Springs plate...

[mbdalton1]

Oh my gosh! This totally brought back a hidden memory for me!

I remember going here at least once with my grandmother when I was a child! I completely remember the large ship and the font of the Seven Seas logo. Of course, I had no clue as to where this was located or how I got there....I just remember being there!

Wow....what a trip down memory lane!

Thanks for sharing!

Mary Bess

[Ghost Writer in Disguise]

Never went there but now I've got their damn jingle running through my head.

Deep-voiced male chorus, each verse ending with "come to Seven Seas."
Last line was "learn the secrets of the de-ep/ come to Seven Seas."

For some reason I remember that they were supposed to have a marching band attired as pirates.
Kind of glad I never saw that.