Aside from a few piles and markers sticking out of the ground, the remnants of some grandstand seating from a water ski show that used to be at the site, and a row of buildings that once housed an outlet mall, there was virtually nothing to see. The good news: My tour guide, Hard Rock Park CEO Steven Goodwin, had the lowdown on the park's layout and its attractions. The bad news: His lips were sealed tighter than the Go-Gos'. That left me as clueless as Huey Lewis and the News looking for the heart of the rock and roll park.
Goodwin and his team are keeping a firm lid on the details until the Hard Rock Park's preview center opens to the public later this year. The nondescript white building, which was undoubtedly filled with information about the fun that's planned, beckoned at the far end of the property, but I wasn't allowed access. While it wasn't much, here's what I was able to pry from my tight-lipped host:
- The preview center will be less a static display of what's in store for the Hard Rock Park and more an interactive exhibit that will give a sense of the experience guests can expect when the park opens. There will be no charge to tour the preview center, which is scheduled to open in April 2007.
- One of the centerpieces of the Hard Rock Park will be a 12,000-person amphitheater that will present live musical performances. Goodwin says that he is not planning to hold separate-ticket concerts, and that all shows will be included in the general admission fee. The amphitheater will sit in a corner of the park at the far end of the old outlet mall buildings and across from the main gate.
- The park will likely be open 10 months each year. Plans are to open daily in the spring and summer, weekends in the fall and early spring shoulder seasons, and close completely in January and February. Goodwin expects a 270-day operating season, but says that "if people come, we may rethink our plans and open additional days."
- While I've yet to see a celebrity chowing down a burger at a Hard Rock Cafe--even a where-are-they-now geezer--Goodwin says that he expects artists to frequent the park and ride the coasters. "Many musicians have kids," he says. "They'll want to bring their families to the park." Case in point: KISS tongue impresser Gene Simmons visited the executive offices to learn more about the park. A photo of him playing the drums (alas, not in costume) hangs on the wall. (The offices include a small stage with musical gear; Hard Rock Park staffers and guests often participate in impromptu jam sessions.)
- The park will modify and make use of the grandstand seating from the old water ski show for a new performance venue. The park will also retrofit the outlet mall buildings that line one side of the property.
- While it will not open when the park opens in spring 2008, there are plans to build a Hard Rock Hotel and transform the property into a destination resort. The hotel will likely open about a year after the park opens and will be located adjacent to the park overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.
- Despite its obvious connection to the famous restaurant chain, there will be dining venues, but no Hard Rock Cafe at the park. There is already a Myrtle Beach Hard Rock Cafe, in a distinctive pyramid building, a few miles away at the Broadway at the Beach dining-shopping-entertainment complex.
- The focus at the park will be on music, although not necessarily "hard rock" music. While rock and roll once defined a generation, embodied rebellion, and was seen as counter-culture, today it's an important part of the mainstream culture. Rock music bridges generations, and provides a cultural reference point that offers rich themeing possibilities for attractions. "We're big believers in shared experiences," Goodwin says, hinting at the coasters, dark rides, and shows that will await guests when the park opens in 2008. He adds that the music will help make each visit to the park different.
