money Opryland VR: New virtual reality project brings lost theme park back to life
Without Opryland USA, Ryan Crowder probably wouldn't exist.
His parents met in the mid-'80s when they worked at the legendary, now long-gone Nashville theme park. Crowder still has the first unofficial employee badge his folks printed for him when he was just 10 months old.
"I was a company kid," he says.
Like its countless country music productions and thrill rides like the Hangman and Chaos coasters, Crowder was a fixture of Opryland — until the park closed at the end of 1997. He was 9 years old.
Opryland was torn down the following year and replaced with the Opry Mills mall, which has now sat on that ground nearly as long as the park did. But 25 years later, you still hear natives lamenting the loss of Opryland. We're not sure there's anything Old Nashville misses more (aside from the days before party buses).
It's no surprise, then, that thousands of Opryland lovers are excited about Crowder's new passion project. He's bringing the park back to life — in virtual reality.
"Opryland VR" will allow users to explore a 3D recreation of the park as it was when it opened in 1972, complete with vintage music and sound effects, and even a few operational rides. Footage shared by Crowder shows working models of the Opryland Railroad and "Tin Lizzies" cars — you can even see the view from above while riding in a "Skyride" tram.
Crowder got the idea for the project while working with similar technology in a granite shop. To make sure his Opryland was recreated to scale, he used GPS data of the site, cross-referenced with aerial photos of the park. He also tracked down a factsheet that included the height and length of every attraction.
For now, VR set owners can download a quick demonstration of Crowder's project that shows the original Opryland entrance (which is still somewhat intact today as Opry Plaza, in front of the Grand Ole Opry House).
The full experience is still a work-in-progress, but you can sign up for updates and learn more about the project at oprylandvr.com
And there's more for Opryland fans to look forward to. Crowder's VR work will also be seen in a new Opryland documentary currently being made by local filmmaker Brandon Vestal. The film will pair archival footage with new interviews with the park's former employees, guests and creative minds. You can watch the trailer at @VestalVideo on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Opryland VR: New virtual reality project brings lost theme park back
