Skyway

The Skyway at Nara Dreamland opened in 1961. It was built by Von Roll, Ltd. based in Bern, Switzerland. It was the first Von Roll Type 101 aerial ropeway in Japan. Japan Dream Tourism bought the ride from Switzerland. It was a 1947 Vonroll sidechair model. In 1969, a major renovation added The Submarine Voyage, the Spaceliner, and the Matterhorn (now a Fantasyland Attraction), but when the Matterhorn was planned it was designed to be built right in the path of the Skyway. The Skyway closed in late 1967, it tallest tower of 60 feet tall was demolished and Bobsleigh was built in its spot. The attraction later reopened in 1969 with the expanded Tomorrowland Complex. During the Fantasyland renovation at Nara Dreamland in the early 1980s, the Skyway made only roundtrips from Tomorrowland. The Skyway closed along with the rest of the park on August 31, 2006. The reason for closure was attributed to metal fatigue. Stress cracks inside the Matterhorn tower battery supports, and the only way to do Maintenance was to open up the Matterhorn to do work on it. ADA had no bearing on the Skyway's closure as the ride was grandfathered into ANSI code B77.1. If that was the case then the remaining Von Roll VR 101 Ropeways would be closed. Both stations remained intact until mid-2016, when they were removed to make room for housing. The sidewalks up to the stations were simply chained off from guests, and both stations remained empty, eventually hidden from view due to overgrown trees.