Hard Rock Theme Park Preview Center Review
Posted: April 19, 2007
By Raymond Elling

Welcome back my friends, to the show never ends. I'm so glad I could attend. Come inside. Come inside. These are similar words echoed by legends of rock, Led Zeppelin. It's a fitting beginning for the grand opening of the Hard Rock Theme Park Preview Center which debuted to the public yesterday.

Doors opened at 8am and visitors were treated to a first look at all the rides and attractions the Hard Rock Theme Park will have when the gates first open in the spring of 2008.

The backstage tour begins with Rock 'n Roll Heaven, an area of the park which will explore the feelings and emotions "behind the music". On hand in first part of the center are amazing pieces of rock memorabilia including an outfit by Ozzy Osborne and the only guitar signed by the original surviving members of the group Led Zeppelin. A piece you can't miss is the giant stained glass mural with images of Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and James Brown. If you pay close attention to James' right leg, you with notice the Godfather of Soul's signature. This is a piece Hard Rock acquired just two days before Brown's death.

Over in the next preview room, Cool Country is an area expressing a istinctively American form of music from the south. Featured in this zone, no one can miss the Midnight Rider coaster display complete with a ghostly menace. Check in the opposite corner for a video display featuring a country show on ice. Over the course of the day a couple of ice guitar sculptures added to the ambience. Lining the wall you note many more concert art pieces and memorabilia.

If you remember being in the time of the next area, you weren't really there. Checking out Lost in the 70's, you be greeted by the robot from Forbidden Plant and walk across psychedelic purple and yellow shag carpet. Also, you can sit and play Pong on a B&W television. The TV, by the way, was actually a very hard piece to acquire according to one rep. "We just couldn't find a black and white television."

We sat with Rusty Rustad, Preview Center Project Manager as he played Pong with his wife, Nancy. Rustad has been working on the project since September of last year and was thrill at the grand opening and is ready to move on to the next stage of development. Rusty shameless beat his wife.

Moving on to the next part of the 70's a black-light room features a spinning vortex which is guaranteed to make you stumble and possible feel sick. But hey, it's the 70's.

Over in British invasion, a full size Abbey Road photo wall is set up for you to recreate the famous photo from the Beatles. In the center of the room you can check out the sports car decked out in the British flag. Meanwhile, a roadie stunt woman hangs from the ceiling. She along with concept art details the Roadies Stunt Show which will be a great addition to the park.

Moving on to Born in the USA, you can act like a rock superstar at your own open mic session and peak through the window at a recording session currently in progress. As with all areas, the walls are covered with memorabilia and park concept art.

The final room features a projected fish tank on the floor, that when stepped on, causes the water to ripple. A very cool feature, but the main piece in this room is the scale model of the entire park showing the Hard Rock Theme Park in all its glory.

Guests can tour the preview center for free and pick up Hard Rock Theme Park merchandise at the entrance. We couldn't help but pick up a few trinkets ourselves including a couple of Hard Rock Theme Park pins commemorating the opening with the year 2007 on them.

While the morning hours were light, scores of people were checking out the center by late afternoon and stayed for the concert featuring Sister Hazel.

Marketing director Becky Senkerik, who hopped off the tour bus at 7:45 in the morning, told us that park is on schedule and she is happy to have wrapped up the tour which hit New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Memphis, and other stops. All in all it was a great start to the most anticipated project to hit Myrtle Beach and we look forward to the Grand opening in 2008.