For me, the saddest part was when all the people were cheering when the building came down... Thank you for making this! I live close(ish) to flint, and never heard of autoworld. Its really interesting to see what could have been, but hey, at least they tried lmao
Growing up in southeast Michigan in the 80's you are correct, nobody is going to go out of their way to visit Flint. I'm just now learning about Autoworld today 40 years later.
Lot of the footage of Autoworld is from Michael Moore Roger and me, Bilions was spent between autowold, Hyatt, and the small rounded mall, all the developers made millions, a big investigation from the FBI and people went to prison. I lived in a flint from 1982-1994 and then I moved to California. Where I’m still at today, I do miss the fudgery before water street Pavilion closed,
I live in michigan and its great to see really well made videos about the area--so many michigan cities are overlooked or get bad reps, so seeing bits of history surrounding them like this, though a bit saddening, is really interesting and nice. I'm excited to see what else you cover next!
I remember wanting to go there as a kid, and then at some point shortly after it opened, my dad's company was having a meeting there, and I was so excited, and it turned out that Autoworld was closed and they were just using the space. It seemed like it had just opened. I thought maybe it was just that weird time dilation that comes with childhood. It turns out it wasn't. I also loved the Water Street Pavilion mall but it was so weird because it was basically a dead mall shortly after it opened. I bought my favorite pair of earrings there.
It wasn't purchased by the University. It was donated, (the University didn't really have any use for it). While it stood it was a huge tax liability for a fairly small community college. Given the location it would also require full-time security patrols or risk being a gathering place for homeless people, gangs etc. The American legion of Flint had built an "eternal flame" nearby to honor US veterans from the area and I remember it making national news when it was discovered homeless people were using it to grill hotdogs. The University's insurance provider would also insist on large premiums because there would be constant risk of break-ins by urban explorers, teenagers etc. and a massive building complex like that left unheated and unmaintained in Michigan weather would rapidly deteriorate to the point of losing structural integrity. Basically it was nothing but a liability to the University but the land it was on was ideal for an extension of the parking facilities.
Michael Moore (himself a native of Flint, MI) said it best in his 1985 documentary "Roger & Me". "Autoworld failed for the same reason Exxonworld would have failed in Valdez, AK. People just don't want to be reminded of human failure while on vacation."
Great video! I find indoor theme parks to be a fascinating niche and it's fun to search and track the progress of the concept, from Walt Disney's proposed St. Louis park, to Old Chicago, to Autoworld, to today with the concept finally finding success with places such as the Mall of America. While an amusement park in Flint could have worked, the decision to make Autoworld an indoor park, and the way they did it, really doomed it from the start. The park building was designed too small to begin with so there was no room for major rides or coasters, and expansion was impossible due to having little land to work with plus having to pay extra to extend the building itself. They could have saved millions of dollars just by making it a more modest outdoor amusement park - perhaps with a bit more land they could have still kept the Autoworld concept while putting those extra funds towards actual thrill rides. Autoworld would've had to been on the scale of Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World in order to succeed, which is ironically an indoor park with the exact same concept, but much better executed.
Remember going there as a kid. You nailed it when you said it was one of those places neat to go to once, but yo never really felt the need to go back. Ceder Point it was not!
I remember going shortly after its opening. As a kid, it was fun, but I remember distinctly not really longing to go back. I never did. And then, it was gone.
Hey um... little update, but almost exactly 40 years to the date after the opening of Autoworld in Flint, Michigan now has another Six Flags Park. On July 1. 2024 Michigan's Adventure, as well as all of the other parks in Cedar Fair's portfolio, merged into the Six Flags corporation, now meaning Michigan's Adventure is a Six Flags Park.
Just like to add that Michigan's Adventure was seeing a major push in the late 80s and early 90s prior to its merge into the Cedar Fair company in 2001. A large wooden coaster by the name of Wolverine Wildcat opened in 88, a kiddie wooden coaster called Zach's Zoomer in 1994, the fourth longest wooden roller coaster in the world in 1998, and a wild mouse coaster in 1999. The park also had larger ambitions with a water park opening in 1990 and plans for a 200+ foot tall roller coaster around the turn of the millennium. Even within the state of Michigan Autoworld had major competition. However, both Michigan's Adventure and Autoworld are distant cousins now that MI Adventure is under the Six Flags umbrella.
Thanks for showing, what is your opinion of: "Roger and I" documentary? Some think it mocked Flint citizens, however personally, I found them brave and struggling with an impossible situation.
The new library just opened, and it looks incredible, and the flint crepe company has been open for ten years now! Things are definitely getting better, if not slowly.
@@SnellbyKay I went to high school with the owners of Blackstone's. That seems to be doing OK as well. It would be nice to see downtown turn around for good. Tough ask though.
Going to look up the timeline...because from the video it seems that the park opened July 4, 1984 and “essentially” closed in January, 1985...that can’t be right. I was a kid/young teen and wanted to go to this park...hoping that there would be decent rides there...well I didn’t miss anything. BUT...I remember that there was I guess the largest engine on display there...like 6 stories tall if I remember right...was hoping to see that...will now go and look up some more information on this theme park.
@@metatron448 …indoor amusement park that should be opened year round & especially promote itself as something to do during winter…opened only during 🙄summer🙄. It was basically a government works project…and shutdown before anyone’s real $$$ needed to be used.
I took my wife to see Uriah Heep at the Capitol Theater shown @.45 into the video some time in the early 1980s ,i then took her to see Body Count at the same theater around 2002 .
The building you see being emploded was the old I.M.A SPORTS ARENA ,, HOME OF THE FLINT GENERALS HOCKEY TEAM ,,, USED TO HAVE THE SHRINE CIRCUS THERE ALSO ,,, I GROW UP by CLIO RD. and PERSON RD. in the 70's .. AS A KID ,, USED TO RIDE MY BIKE and go down to MOTT LAKE or KEARSLEY LAKE and catch carp and perch and give them to the local restaurants for , $1.00 a piece for the ------ CATCH OF THE DAY LUNCH SPECIALS ,,, take my money and ride back up to corner of DORT HWY and STEWART AVE , go and get some CHOCLATE POP AT TOWNE CLUB ... NOW I LIVE OFF OF BRAY RD. MINUTES NORTH OF CROSSROADS VILLAGE ...... I MIGHT SOMEDAY LEAVE FLINT BUT FLINT WILL NEVER LEAVE ME !!!!!!!!
Wrong wrong wrong, IMA Sports Arena still there at Lapeer and Averill….Autoworld was downtown,..if you really lived in area, like you say, you would know that. 🤦🏻♂️
I came to work for 6 flags in 1985 (At the now defunct AstroWorld) AutoWorld & Power Plant 1985) were 6 flags hat tossed in the ring for new indoor attractions and were included on a giant map of the US on the Astro Needle stage. One of two things may have saved AW. Flint was actually a poor choice in location. Detroit may have been better. I know the Mott foundation had a lot to do with its location. They could have had some thrill rides including roller coasters. The same held true of PP. There were NO rides. Even the park planners had great suggestions of what to put in. An Intamin free fall with the car coming up out of the smoke stack. When THAT park failed, they tried to sue the designers. Imagine that!!! LOL Wild 6 flags made some bold, daring moves, they also made some "bone head" decisions. 6 flags"stick to what made U famous" POP (pay one price) great rides& shows in a fun family place.
I was born and raised in Flint and this thing was a screwball idea from the git - kinda half theme park (with almost no rides from what I understand) and half museum the thing just had very little appeal. Some really rich, out-of-touch idiots pushed this thing with the idea that this would supplant - to some degree - General Motors, which was in the process of closing up it's facilities in Flint. Flint was going to be a "tourist destination" - it never made a shred of sense except in the minds of a few delusional rich folks who pushed the whole idea. I always laughed at this thing, never visited the damned place, and knew it wouldn't last very long. Everyone I knew who ever went was underwhelmed in a big way. Funny - I went to college with the guy (1:28) who's playing a service station attendant (from "Roger and Me"). And I worked as a piano player at The Hyatt. Flint is literally a hellhole at this point - like a third world country. It always blows me away when people point to the area known as "The College and Cultural Area" (which is nice - and small) and try to paint Flint as "not all that bad". There are miles and miles of abandoned and burned out buildings for miles, in every direction, if you're not in that small area. Crime and poverty are off the flippin' charts. Are you kidding? There is "old money" in the area in the hands of people who got rich during the GM years - mostly, there's a lot of depravity and suffering. I lived on the east side until 10 years ago - they burned down the houses on two sides of me, I saw people get their heads blown off while sitting on my porch, etc. I need to make a video - the end of this thing is very, very misleading.
I went to Autoworld, it was great. Unfortunately, Flint and it's residents rejected Autoworld without ever experiencing it. It's really too bad they chose not to give their city a chance, Autoworld would have been a great start. By the way, should Robbie the Robot survive...the answer is Yes. 😘
General Motors still in business. They dumped Flint and moved away. I blame GM, they built the town, used it, and left. I always wanted to point out that if all the jobs went to Mexico, why do people say the Mexicans come to take our jobs? You can't have it both ways.
Ha! That's right! Flint used to have a _Hyatt Regency_ LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Well, at least there's still that one in Dearborn, that worked out better...
yo why am i crying in the club abt an abandoned theme park
I loved Autoworld. There was an indoor Ferris wheel that was so much fun. I was so sad when it closed.
I lived across the street from Auto World as a child and went multiple times during its brief stint. I loved it. Thanks for this.
For me, the saddest part was when all the people were cheering when the building came down...
Thank you for making this! I live close(ish) to flint, and never heard of autoworld. Its really interesting to see what could have been, but hey, at least they tried lmao
Well, building fall down go boom. What do you expect.
I won several Science Fairs there, saw the circus, the Globetrotters and met Alice Cooper in the IMA.
I just found this channel, and these videos are so well made! I love learning about obscure bits of history, and you talk about it very well
Just watched Roger & Me and went looking for more information on Autoworld. Great videos!
I became aware of "AutoWorld" from the documentary "Roger & Me" as well.
Growing up in southeast Michigan in the 80's you are correct, nobody is going to go out of their way to visit Flint. I'm just now learning about Autoworld today 40 years later.
These videos fit into the niche of UA-cam videos that I REALLY enjoy watching. They’re very fascinating, very interesting.
Lot of the footage of Autoworld is from Michael Moore Roger and me, Bilions was spent between autowold, Hyatt, and the small rounded mall, all the developers made millions, a big investigation from the FBI and people went to prison. I lived in a flint from 1982-1994 and then I moved to California. Where I’m still at today, I do miss the fudgery before water street Pavilion closed,
I live in michigan and its great to see really well made videos about the area--so many michigan cities are overlooked or get bad reps, so seeing bits of history surrounding them like this, though a bit saddening, is really interesting and nice. I'm excited to see what else you cover next!
I remember wanting to go there as a kid, and then at some point shortly after it opened, my dad's company was having a meeting there, and I was so excited, and it turned out that Autoworld was closed and they were just using the space. It seemed like it had just opened. I thought maybe it was just that weird time dilation that comes with childhood. It turns out it wasn't. I also loved the Water Street Pavilion mall but it was so weird because it was basically a dead mall shortly after it opened. I bought my favorite pair of earrings there.
I don't understand why the city had to implode the Autoworld building. It looked pretty cool inside. Why did they destroy it?
It wasn't purchased by the University. It was donated, (the University didn't really have any use for it). While it stood it was a huge tax liability for a fairly small community college. Given the location it would also require full-time security patrols or risk being a gathering place for homeless people, gangs etc.
The American legion of Flint had built an "eternal flame" nearby to honor US veterans from the area and I remember it making national news when it was discovered homeless people were using it to grill hotdogs.
The University's insurance provider would also insist on large premiums because there would be constant risk of break-ins by urban explorers, teenagers etc. and a massive building complex like that left unheated and unmaintained in Michigan weather would rapidly deteriorate to the point of losing structural integrity.
Basically it was nothing but a liability to the University but the land it was on was ideal for an extension of the parking facilities.
Nice work Brenda. I remember it well.
Went to a few flint generals games at the old IMA and some GM car shows with concept cars and other cool stuff back in the 70's
Michael Moore (himself a native of Flint, MI) said it best in his 1985 documentary "Roger & Me". "Autoworld failed for the same reason Exxonworld would have failed in Valdez, AK. People just don't want to be reminded of human failure while on vacation."
Great video!
I find indoor theme parks to be a fascinating niche and it's fun to search and track the progress of the concept,
from Walt Disney's proposed St. Louis park, to Old Chicago, to Autoworld, to today with the concept finally finding success with places such as the Mall of America.
While an amusement park in Flint could have worked, the decision to make Autoworld an indoor park, and the way they did it, really doomed it from the start.
The park building was designed too small to begin with so there was no room for major rides or coasters, and expansion was impossible due to having little land to work with plus having to pay extra to extend the building itself.
They could have saved millions of dollars just by making it a more modest outdoor amusement park - perhaps with a bit more land they could have still kept the Autoworld concept while putting those extra funds towards actual thrill rides.
Autoworld would've had to been on the scale of Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World in order to succeed, which is ironically an indoor park with the exact same concept, but much better executed.
@4:00 Cross Roads Village isn't very far from downtown Flint. Like 11 minute drive. I wouldn't say it's pulling anything from Flint.
Good little documentary, the pacing and editing is great
Remember going there as a kid. You nailed it when you said it was one of those places neat to go to once, but yo never really felt the need to go back. Ceder Point it was not!
Wow, the closing music has such as quiet, sad yet nostalgic quality that really tied up this episode. :)
I loved AutoWorld as a kid!
Straight Up
I am a Flint, Michigan resident and I had no idea this place even existed until today (6-17-24)
I remember going shortly after its opening. As a kid, it was fun, but I remember distinctly not really longing to go back. I never did. And then, it was gone.
Hey um... little update, but almost exactly 40 years to the date after the opening of Autoworld in Flint, Michigan now has another Six Flags Park. On July 1. 2024 Michigan's Adventure, as well as all of the other parks in Cedar Fair's portfolio, merged into the Six Flags corporation, now meaning Michigan's Adventure is a Six Flags Park.
Hi your voice is awsome and your videos are intriguing and fun too watch also educational.I hope you create more content !
Amazing video 🎉
These are great
It NEVER failed! It was the BEST thing Michigan had!
It was doomed from the very beginning. Former Flint, Michigan Resident 1979-1994
Just like to add that Michigan's Adventure was seeing a major push in the late 80s and early 90s prior to its merge into the Cedar Fair company in 2001. A large wooden coaster by the name of Wolverine Wildcat opened in 88, a kiddie wooden coaster called Zach's Zoomer in 1994, the fourth longest wooden roller coaster in the world in 1998, and a wild mouse coaster in 1999. The park also had larger ambitions with a water park opening in 1990 and plans for a 200+ foot tall roller coaster around the turn of the millennium. Even within the state of Michigan Autoworld had major competition. However, both Michigan's Adventure and Autoworld are distant cousins now that MI Adventure is under the Six Flags umbrella.
Thanks for the memories
This is awesome. We like these videos
Thanks for showing, what is your opinion of: "Roger and I" documentary? Some think it mocked Flint citizens, however personally, I found them brave and struggling with an impossible situation.
I lived in Flint from 1980 til the mid 90s. I agree it’s pretty unrecognizable now, some good and some bad.
The new library just opened, and it looks incredible, and the flint crepe company has been open for ten years now! Things are definitely getting better, if not slowly.
@@SnellbyKay I went to high school with the owners of Blackstone's. That seems to be doing OK as well. It would be nice to see downtown turn around for good. Tough ask though.
Going to look up the timeline...because from the video it seems that the park opened July 4, 1984 and “essentially” closed in January, 1985...that can’t be right. I was a kid/young teen and wanted to go to this park...hoping that there would be decent rides there...well I didn’t miss anything. BUT...I remember that there was I guess the largest engine on display there...like 6 stories tall if I remember right...was hoping to see that...will now go and look up some more information on this theme park.
It would open up annually for a very short time each summer, each year featuring less and with a shorter season.
@@metatron448 …indoor amusement park that should be opened year round & especially promote itself as something to do during winter…opened only during 🙄summer🙄. It was basically a government works project…and shutdown before anyone’s real $$$ needed to be used.
You forgot the giant clear motor.
I took my wife to see Uriah Heep at the Capitol Theater shown @.45 into the video some time in the early 1980s ,i then took her to see Body Count at the same theater around 2002 .
Anyone remember the underground Children's Museum in downtown Flint? Like damn close to the AutoWorld location. Had that Cinderella carriage in it.
The building you see being emploded was the old I.M.A SPORTS ARENA ,,
HOME OF THE FLINT GENERALS HOCKEY TEAM ,,,
USED TO HAVE THE SHRINE CIRCUS THERE ALSO ,,,
I GROW UP by CLIO RD. and PERSON RD. in the 70's ..
AS A KID ,, USED TO RIDE MY BIKE and go down to MOTT LAKE or KEARSLEY LAKE and catch carp and perch and give them to the local restaurants for , $1.00 a piece for the ------ CATCH OF THE DAY LUNCH SPECIALS ,,, take my money and ride back up to corner of DORT HWY and STEWART AVE , go and get some
CHOCLATE POP AT TOWNE CLUB ...
NOW I LIVE OFF OF BRAY RD. MINUTES NORTH OF CROSSROADS VILLAGE ......
I MIGHT SOMEDAY LEAVE FLINT BUT FLINT WILL NEVER LEAVE ME !!!!!!!!
Wrong wrong wrong, IMA Sports Arena still there at Lapeer and Averill….Autoworld was downtown,..if you really lived in area, like you say, you would know that. 🤦🏻♂️
@@larryelliott4917 Actually this person is right....the old was torn down for either the flop autoworld or for U OF M Flint parking lot.
Built and opened at the wrong time.
Wrong city and state as well
I came to work for 6 flags in 1985 (At the now defunct AstroWorld) AutoWorld & Power Plant 1985) were 6 flags hat tossed in the ring for new indoor attractions and were included on a giant map of the US on the Astro Needle stage. One of two things may have saved AW. Flint was actually a poor choice in location. Detroit may have been better. I know the Mott foundation had a lot to do with its location. They could have had some thrill rides including roller coasters. The same held true of PP. There were NO rides. Even the park planners had great suggestions of what to put in. An Intamin free fall with the car coming up out of the smoke stack. When THAT park failed, they tried to sue the designers. Imagine that!!! LOL Wild 6 flags made some bold, daring moves, they also made some "bone head" decisions. 6 flags"stick to what made U famous" POP (pay one price) great rides& shows in a fun family place.
I was born and raised in Flint and this thing was a screwball idea from the git - kinda half theme park (with almost no rides from what I understand) and half museum the thing just had very little appeal. Some really rich, out-of-touch idiots pushed this thing with the idea that this would supplant - to some degree - General Motors, which was in the process of closing up it's facilities in Flint. Flint was going to be a "tourist destination" - it never made a shred of sense except in the minds of a few delusional rich folks who pushed the whole idea. I always laughed at this thing, never visited the damned place, and knew it wouldn't last very long. Everyone I knew who ever went was underwhelmed in a big way. Funny - I went to college with the guy (1:28) who's playing a service station attendant (from "Roger and Me"). And I worked as a piano player at The Hyatt. Flint is literally a hellhole at this point - like a third world country. It always blows me away when people point to the area known as "The College and Cultural Area" (which is nice - and small) and try to paint Flint as "not all that bad". There are miles and miles of abandoned and burned out buildings for miles, in every direction, if you're not in that small area. Crime and poverty are off the flippin' charts. Are you kidding? There is "old money" in the area in the hands of people who got rich during the GM years - mostly, there's a lot of depravity and suffering. I lived on the east side until 10 years ago - they burned down the houses on two sides of me, I saw people get their heads blown off while sitting on my porch, etc. I need to make a video - the end of this thing is very, very misleading.
Would’ve been better as an outdoor theme park tbh
I went to Autoworld, it was great. Unfortunately, Flint and it's residents rejected Autoworld without ever experiencing it. It's really too bad they chose not to give their city a chance, Autoworld would have been a great start.
By the way, should Robbie the Robot survive...the answer is Yes. 😘
In a way, the failure of Autoworld reflects the decline of Flint itself.
Autoworld was... okay. I don't know if I'd say it was integral; more of a sideshow. I'd rather have gone to Pennywhistle Place.
A big waste of money at the time in city of flint no one show up because of its location
.....Sigh, Let's hear it for Michigan.....
Lmao "Saginaw Street????" is that like sesame street but you get mugged?
General Motors still in business. They dumped Flint and moved away. I blame GM, they built the town, used it, and left.
I always wanted to point out that if all the jobs went to Mexico, why do people say the Mexicans come to take our jobs? You can't have it both ways.
Just discovered your channel, and I subbed! Go us ladies!💪🏼I feel it’s hard to find females talking about amusement parks! Lol
Ha! That's right! Flint used to have a _Hyatt Regency_ LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Well, at least there's still that one in Dearborn, that worked out better...
I stayed there once when I was about 12!
An attempt was made.
When you think of Six Flags rollercoaster and other types of rides come to mind not autoworld. This was the downfall of this dumbass attraction.