Funtown Mountain appears to be abandoned

CAVE CITY, Ky. — The future of a new theme park in south central Kentucky is in limbo as its new owner has had repeated run-ins with police.

The Daily News in Bowling Green reports the Funtown Mountain park overlooking Interstate 65 appears to have been abandoned.

Will Russell of Louisville bought the former Guntown Mountain earlier this year and reopened it in June under the new name. Russell is best known as co-founder of the Lebowski Fest in Louisville, a quirky annual celebration of the 1998 film, “The Big Lebowski.”

But now at Funtown Mountain, two entrances are cordoned off with yellow police tape, and the parking lot and the front of the store are in disarray, with the handles of the double doors held together with police tape.

Russell received a $250,000 loan from the Kentucky Tourism Development Loan Program and raised $26,323 through a Kickstarter campaign to redevelop the park.

But he has had two run-ins with police this summer. He was arrested on Aug. 29 during a traffic stop in Cave City and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and drug charges. He also was arrested in July in Louisville and was accused of smoking marijuana outside a bowling alley where Lebowski Fest is held.

In a message detailing his August arrest that was posted on Facebook the following day, Russell wrote: “So I may be a target, but I refuse to be (a) victim. And cave city, that’s enough. I’ve had it.” Russell also indicated he was having debt problems.

Russell did not respond to questions from the newspaper that were emailed to him.