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It's an interesting concept, although I don't know much about the financial or legal aspect of how this would work. Either way, do tell more.
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It would require a financial study to see if the enterprise could be self supporting and what facilities and activities would be required and what should be built first. Could it work as a theme park for public visitors to help support it for example. Once you
have some idea that it could work as a business then you can sell stock or try to obtain financing. The guys in Legio VI in California
are more familiar with the possibilities in the industry and some of them could give some insight for something like this.
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I'd imagine you could also use it to display private collections of Artefacts and coins.
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Use it for weekend corporate getaways, with ancient foods and clothing, and in the off season, a bed and breakfast. The insurance bill would be formidable, no matter what.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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Can't be more dangerous than a ski resort for example for insurance purposes. Unless you offering chariot races and wild animals at the games! The corporate retreat is a good suggestion and even retreats for religious groups from A-Z could be accommodated according to their desires. My ideal would be a provincial city center with temples an arena a hippodrome and a theater baths inns, an couple of outlining villas, a Legionary Fortress with Vicus, connected by watchtowers with a Frontier fort, a marching camp, a bridge and small navel base/port area and a Celtic hill fort and village capable of filming just about any Roman movie ever made. Yes it is a whole lot to do on the order of a theme park with hundreds of employees. IT would have to be a multipurpose establishment since just reenactments and the occasionally movie industry use couldn't support it. Whether there is
enough interest in Ancient history (other than biblical) in North America to support it is a matter for study and evaluation. Now if it were about Vikings you could easily support a Viking historical theme park!
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It is possible to get a history based facility built in the US. There was once a history based theme park in the US in the 1960's it was called Freedomland https://www.facebook.com/pages/Freedomla...9775358072 It folded after a few years mostly I think because they did not own the property and the owners found more profitable uses for it.
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Quote:What I think would be a good idea is if a group got together and formed a company that would build a reenactment center that would help support itself by hiring out as a set for the entertainment industry. It would need to have a variety of different terrain nearby and be close enough to Hollywood to be appealing to the industry.
A French company has gone bankrupt trying to build a second Guedelon in the Ozarks. The article which I read said that the key problem was French investors unfamiliar with US business culture trying to run the project from overseas . See the New York Times and the official site. It would be a useful business case study for anyone seriously thinking about such a project!
Nullis in verba
I have not checked this forum frequently since 2013, but I hope that these old posts have some value. I now have a blog on books, swords, and the curious things humans do with them.
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Sad that it failed. 
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
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It seem their revenue model did not include Reenactors. Judging from the popularly of SCA events Renaissance Festivals and Vikings they probably should have first built a Medieval village and fair grounds to host events and provide the revenue to build the castle. They underestimated the interest in just Castle building in Arkansas. This raises the question of what would be the best thing to build first to raise revenue for a Roman theme park? Probably the arena I would guess followed by a street of shops leading to the Arena area. Today's public is much the same as it was in ancient Rome they want to see games! Roman reenactors would first be accommodated by marching camp. Following a Roman inn with concealed modern utilities to support both the general public and the reenactors less hardy camp followers. It would be possible for a small group of reenactors some of whom are also in the necessary real world fields to put together a good solid business plan at a cost they could afford. I am thinking the most expensive aspect of preparing such a plan would be the necessary market research to support a prospectus. I believe given the right business plan and economic situation it would be possible. A recent example is that even with the current economy a group has managed to raise 13 million of the 24 million million to build an Ark theme park in Kentucky (no pro or anti religious comments please).
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They might build one in Italy but rather than an immersion type experience it look more like a Disnyland version: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/wor...6335583522
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Most interesting. However, a project of this size, and with the attention to detail that ought to be applied in construction, could take decades to do. I believe that the gentlemen who are building Castra Lafe in Arkansas have worked on it for nearly a decade or so? However, I do hope that something like this will happen some day.
Tyler
Undergrad student majoring in Social Studies Education with a specialty in world history.
"conare levissimus videri, hostes enimfortasse instrumentis indigeant"
(Try to look unimportant-the enemy might be low on ammunition).
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Castra Lafe has been built on a shoestring budget largely with the funds and labor of the property owner and some donated funds
and labor. It is a labor of love of reenacting and not a business. There are no paying customers to help fund it in fact no public spectators at all only Roman era participants whose event fees barely cover event expenses. But on the other hand there is no danger of investors demanding a roller coaster chariot ride or dunk the Caesar booth being installed either.
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Quote:It is possible to get a history based facility built in the US. There was once a history based theme park in the US in the 1960's it was called Freedomland.
Don't forget those other three historical themeparks from the 70s, Westworld, Romanworld and Medievalworld ... They got closed down, though, I can't remember why.....
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Gentlemen;
This is a fantastic idea!
I have been to Saalburg Roman Fortress in Germany when I was with the US Army in 2002.
The Empire Ranch here in Arizona was used by John Ford a Western Movie Director that did John Wayne Films
Many such ranches have come on the market from Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson, Phoenix, Tucson, Benson, Douglas and the eastern
piney region near the White Mountains next door to New Mexico.
Depending on what location and elivation you pick in Arizona you can have several different climate zones and scenery possibilities.
Please look up on Tucson MLS (Multiple Listing Systems) or Zillow or Trulia to look up potential properties.
During the so called patent wars of over one hundred years ago many films including the Great Train Robbery the first feature
length silent film (1903) was filmed here in Arizona most of the movie makers were fleeing Tomas Edison's hired Pinkerton agents Arizona had the most consistent weather of any state in the south west and was adjacent to Mexico convenient for evading Edison's hired patent cops.
The old studio system of Hollywood ran schools for actors and extras to learn about their part in the movie
this would be great to have also along with a small museum.
Could you build a (hospital) just like they had in Roman Times also some of the best surgical techniques
were developed by the Romans.
I can drive a heavy truck and am wiling to learn anything needed to do the job.
I can teach also.
I am not however a realtor.
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