The Failed Fantasy of Atlanta’s Sid and Marty Krofft Theme Park

TV Superstars, Aspiring Theme Park Owners

Children’s television in the 1970s was a trip.

Before the days of countless TV channels and streaming services to browse, many American households in the ‘70s had access to only a few stations. For kids, the options were slim, but what they had was a kaleidoscope of media ranging from educational to experimental.

Meet Sid and Marty Krofft. These brothers were superstars in the world of children’s programming, and for six short months in 1976, their world was more than a psychedelic fantasy on TV: It was a real place only a few hundred thousand guests got to visit. The duo opened a first-of-its-kind attraction in Atlanta, Georgia, but for the Kroffts, it would be their only.

This is the story of the whimsical and woeful World of Sid and Marty Krofft theme park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Watch on YouTube

This article is available in video form with added visuals. Click here to watch it.

The Rise of the Krofft Brothers

Cydus and Moshopopoulos Yolas—better known as Sid and Marty Krofft—were fifth-generation Greek puppeteers. The 200-year-old family tradition dated back to the 18^th century in Athens, Greece.

At least, that’s the story they went with for decades. Yes, the Canadian brothers were of Mediterranean descent and born under the Yolas family name, but the rest was made up by a publicist to make them seem more interesting. Though, the Kroffts were plenty interesting in reality with their entertaining shows of fiction.

Sid Krofft was the creative half who puppeteered; Marty was the business-minded half who pulled the strings. There wouldn’t be Sid without Marty, nor Marty without Sid. Together, they were the Kroffts: brothers turned business partners.

“All my life, I’ve been dreaming, and I have an incredible brother who gets my dreams done.”
Sid Krofft, The Atlanta Constitution, 1976

Sid got an early start, performing in the city and eventually as a teenage puppeteer for the Ringling Bros. Circus in the 1940s. In the following decades, the younger Marty worked as a car salesman; when Sid got a touring gig supporting Judy Garland of The Wizard of Oz fame, the business-minded Marty joined the unusual artistry of his older brother.

Behind the scenes, the two brothers didn’t always agree, but their collaboration was too special to pass up.

“Marty and I were oil and vinegar. We worked in different ways, but if you shook us up, we were a great dressing.”
Sid Krofft, The Los Angeles Times, 2023

Between Sid’s creativity and Marty’s entrepreneurship, the two produced their own puppet show: Les Poupees De Paris. The salacious production as well as their other live shows toured across the U.S. in front of millions of people throughout the ‘60s.

Sid and Marty also produced more wholesome acts, like the Kaleidoscope puppet show at Texas’ HemisFair 68. The dragon-and-witch production was somewhat of a precursor to their future work—more on that soon. This show in San Antonio caught the attention of the decision-makers at Six Flags Over Texas, which led the Kroffts to explore an amusing industry.

The Kroffts’ Early Theme Park Work

The Kroffts collaborated as creative consultants with the up-and-coming Six Flags theme park chain. The storytellers produced puppet shows, character costumes, and other experiences for the company’s early parks. Most notably, the Kroffts reimagined the Tales of the Okefenokee dark ride at Six Flags Over Georgia and created the dark ride for Six Flags Over Mid-America.

During this partnership, the Kroffts built an “entertainment factory” in North Hollywood to fabricate elements for their theme park work. This added another feather to their cap and allowed the brothers scale up their productions. Krofft Productions, Inc. co-owned the space with Six Flags until the brothers bought it in full at the end of their theme park contract.

The Krofft facility grew into a “show business factory” that they used for clients, creating everything and anything in the entertainment field. The show business factory was essentially the Kroffts’ headquarters where dreams were made reality—and the Kroffts had a lot of dreams.