Ghost Horses Traditional Cache
Geocaching HQ Admin: This cache is being archived because the owner is no longer active.
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Once Upon a Time... There was a place called Shireland. Nestled 60
miles northwest of Chicago, this theme park wasn't there long and
its philosophies clashed dramatically with your typical theme park.
But even though it didn't last long, a lot of people still remember
it. Just as much as Shireland owns a special place in the hearts of
many people, it is a place fraught with trials, tribulations and
enigma. From its unique persona to its unusual owner, to the fact
that most of the buildings still stand today (even though its doors
have been closed since 1991), people still wonder who owns it, why
it was built and why it is still there. Please visit
http://shireland.tripod.com for more info, photos and to learn lots
more about the creator himself who is a very interesting human !
Shireland was a theme park created by inventor Thomas Smrt, the man
who invented the upside down aerosol can that is used to paint
stripes on parking lots. Smrt took a fancy to shire horses (a kind
of plow horse, similar to the Clydesdale horses that pull the
Budweiser wagon).
When there were less than 50 shire horses in the world, Smrt
shipped some to the United States and began breeding them. Smrt has
a farm where he raises and sells shire horses. He is also known for
donating over 40 Shire horses to the Caisson Unit of the United
States Army. Shireland, the theme park, opened on May 28, 1988.
Sitting on 111 acres of land on Dietrich Road and Lake Street in
Hampshire, the theme park mission seemed to be to turn these plow
horses into super-heroes. When Shireland was in its prime, it
included a circus tent larger than 4 football fields (68,000 square
feet), as well as four smaller (10,000 square foot), exhibit tents.
Smrt maintained that Shireland was a "completely original family
adventure that (will) include a zoo, a circus and a county fair all
wrapped into one". He went on to say that Shireland never attempted
to compete with Great America, with its "high speed,
gravity-defying rides". Instead, it was supposed to deliver a
message of good conquering evil. He is quoted as saying "Some
children today aren't allowed to enjoy their childhood without
violence, drugs and other 'dragons' infringing on their dreams".
With its musical show "Of Dragons and Dreams", Shireland attempted
to deliver a positive message to kids. His desire to make the world
a more "child-user-friendly" place was not enough to keep the doors
open.
Shireland closed at the end of the 1988 season and stayed closed
for two years. In 1991, the park opened again. Whether the park
stayed open during the entire season 1991 is at question, but it
has been closed ever since. Kane County is in the midst’s of
ordering the new owner to tear down the buildings, largely because
the park has become a hangout for gangs and, recently a photo-shoot
background for an adult film star.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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