'Flintstones'-Themed Amusement Park Bedrock City Closes After 50 Years of Operation

It's the end of an era for the Flintstones-themed Bedrock City. The Arizona theme park has closed down after nearly 50 years of operation.

Reported by KJZZ, the roadside attraction, which was located on Arizona State Route 64 about half an hour from the Grand Canyon's South Rim, closed down for good over the weekend. The park, which sat on 30-acres, had been up for sale for a number of years. A new owner will take over the land on Friday.

According to a spokesperson for Bedrock City, a new attraction will be built on the site when the new owners take over, though they declined to elaborate on what exactly the new attraction will entail.

Arizona's Bedrock City was actually a second, Flintstones-themed park. Purchased by Linda Speckels and her husband Francis in 1972, the park was the sister property to one in Custer, South Dakota. Francis Speckels had worked as a government contractor and partner in the original Bedrock City before creating the Arizona one. The South Dakota Bedrock City, which was operated by a relative of Linda Speckels, was sold to Custer Hospitality LLC for $1.5 million and closed in 2015.

Arizona's Bedrock City featured the iconic characters from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon such as Fred Flintstone, Wilma Flintstone, Barney Rubble and Wilma Rubble, Dino, the Flintstone's pet dinosaur, and more. Visitors could enjoy such attractions as a train ride through the park's volcano as well as take a slide down the tail of a large brontosaurus dinosaur, just like Fred did every day going to work.

Bedrock City also featured a gift shop, a diner, and also had a campground where visitors could stay with access to a grocery store (Barney's Grocery), showers, a laundry facility, and more.

Debuting in 1960, The Flintstones aired on ABC for six seasons. The series was the first animated series to air in a prime time television slot, paving the way for The Simpsons three decades later. In 2013, TV Guide even declared The Flintstones the second greatest TV cartoon of all time -- second only to The Simpsons.

Did you visit Bedrock City before it closed? Let us know your memories of the park in the comments below.