Nov. 15. At the center of the Carowinds  50th anniversary celebration in 2023 will be Aeronautica Landing, a tribute to the Carolinas’ spirit of invention, exploration and aviation.

Guests will be able to immerse themselves in the history and future of flight.

Construction is under way in the Crossroads areas of the park, which will be completely renovated and renamed as Aeronautica Landing.

Five new themed attractions will open in 2023, as well as a re-theming of an existing ride, for a total of six rides.

Opening in the spring of 2023, Aeronautica Landing is the fourth re-themed area to be introduced at Carowinds since County Fair in 2017, and recently, Blue Ridge Junction in 2019.

Carowinds’ 50th Anniversary

On March 31, 1973, Carowinds officially opened to 6,000 guests amid great fanfare. The grand opening marked the culmination of years of formulation, planning and development by founder E. Pat Hall, a Charlotte businessman. Built at an estimated cost of $70 million, Carowinds was named for a combination of the surrounding Carolinas and the winds that blew across the two states. The park included original attractions such as Carolina Skytower, Snoopy’s Junction and Carolina Goldrusher – still in operation today.