Buchanan Theatre to Install Carnival Ride on Roof
Standing Room Only, Inc., the non-profit organization that owns the Buchanan Theatre, is dedicated to two things: maintaining the century-old historical building, and providing affordable, family-friendly entertainment to Buchanan and Botetourt County. As part of the renovation, the Buchanan Theatre is installing a carnival-style amusement ride on its roof.
Adam McBryde, Chairman of Standing Room Only Inc., spoke with The Botetourt Bee about the decision to add the amusement ride to the roof:
“Rooftop entertainment is coming to downtown Buchanan later this summer. The Buchanan Theatre is over 100 years old, and it’s time to add a secondary attraction. We saw our neighbors in the big city thinking about doing something like this, and we wanted to do the same, but on a smaller scale. It should lead to more town tourism, help support other Buchanan businesses, and generate some extra tax revenue. And we won’t have to spend hundreds of thousands on a feasibility study.”
McBryde continued, “We named the ride ‘The Film-Reel’. It’s going to have a 20-foot billboard. You should be able to see it from 81 on the other side of the [James] River. It will be a big change to Buchanan’s main street, and we think people are ready for it. I know some folks will be worried about the updates to the historical building, but don’t worry, we aren’t changing the marquee at all. We also wanted to make sure this ride was a good fit for our family-oriented style of entertainment. We don’t show R-rated movies at the Buchanan Theatre, so we made sure kids over three feet tall could ride with an adult.”
McBryde spoke about the theatre’s past struggles, “We made it through two renovations, the 1985 election day floods, a decade and a half of non-operational dormancy, and even the most devastating blow to the movie industry in history, 2022’s ‘Morbius’. This renovation is barely an inconvenience, and the project should be completed by early 2027.”
- Architectural Conceptual Rendering
The Film Reel is not technically a Tilt-A-Whirl, as those have spinning seat capsules. This coming attraction thrill ride is a Trabant. It features a platform, turntable gondola, lifting device, and forward and backward-facing seating. The most famous Trabant ride is the “Wheel of Fortune”, styled as a roulette wheel. Other notable versions of the ride include Wipeout, Twister, Razzle-Dazzle, and El Sombrerero.
The Film Reel will seat up to 40, with a height requirement of 48 inches. Riders between 36 and 48 inches tall must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets will be less than a small bag of popcorn at the concession stand, coming in at $1.50 per ride. The ride may feel familiar to carnival goers, as the music played on the ride will include the 1958 classic “Tequila” by The Champs, “Slow Ride” by Foghat, and “Chantilly Lace” by The Big Bopper.
We were able to confirm that the hydraulic transmission system has been rebuilt on the refurbished ride, so put away those rusty-bolt worries and enjoy the Film Reel.
For more architectural conceptual renderings, CLICK HERE.
