popular tourist attractions. It showcased a double incline railway to bring park visitors to the top of Buck Mountain, a journey of more than 3,300 feet. The park added a two seat chair lift, which at the time was the longest in North Carolina and the second longest in the USA. In the early 1960s, the park hosted several stars of TV Westerns, such as Laramie and Wagon Trail. Hourly staged gun fights on the main street were a big draw as well. 1960s-1986 At one point, 620,000 people visited Ghost Town each year. It averaged about 500,000 per year, with the chairlift moving 1,200 people per hour. The park became a major economic driver for the town The park was sold in 1973 to National Services for a stock swap. One source stated that the park suffered under this ownership as the small park was not a major concern for the company. In 1982, performers from the park performed at the World's Fair in Knoxville. TN. In 1983, country music stars including Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire and the Statler Brothers performed at the park. In 1984, a roller coaster was planned, sponsored by Coors Beer at a cost of one million dollars. The name of the coaster was a nod to the sponsor. The area was cleared for the coaster. In 1986, Coburn bought it back and constructed the park's famous Red Devil roller coaster. Decline In its later years under Coburn's ownership, the park suffered from mismanagement and a lack of maintenance. The Red Devil, Goldrusher, Sea Dragon, Monster, Mountain Town Swings, Undertaker, Dream Catcher, Casino, Round Up, Lil Devil and Silver Bullet rides were regularly breaking down and rarely opened, causing many visitors to tell others not to go. The chairlift and incline railway also required constant maintenance and repair. Coburn spent thousands of dollars maintaining them. The attendance number declined to 340,000 by 2008. Closure On July 16, 2002, the chairlift stopped, stranding passengers for over two hours. With fewer people visiting Ghost Town because of the bad condition of the park, Coburn closed Ghost Town a few days after the chairlift failure and put the park up for sale. The park remained closed and unmaintained for the next four years, leading many to believe that nobody would buy the park because of the bad condition of the rides. Re-opening 2007 Ghost Town was sold in