John Wood

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT JOHN WOOD

For over 45 years John has led the way for Sally to design, manage and create memorable attractions for theme parks and museums globally. As a result, Sally’s dark rides (indoor themed ride attractions) and extraordinary animatronics entertain millions of guests all over the world. Sally is a turnkey provider of dark ride attractions. Our services include creative design, project management, production and installation. Sally is largely credited with the birth of the interactive dark ride, and with recent award-winning attractions such as Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and Sesame Street: Street Mission, the company has excelled in the world of mixed media attractions that enrich the gameplay experience even more. During his career, Wood has been an active participant in the industry. He has twice served as a director of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for his work in 1994 and the Lifetime Service Award in 2016. In 2013 John Wood was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame for Sally’s work in the field of dark rides. He has also been a member of the International Board of Directors of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), serving for three terms. He is a Governor of the Liseberg Applause Award, an award that recognizes excellence and inspiration in the amusement and theme park industry. In 2023 Wood was named an Icon of the industry by Park World Magazine at the Park World Excellence Awards, and in 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year by Jax Daily Record. In addition, Wood has been active in the Jacksonville community and is past Chairman of the Greater Jacksonville Fair Association, board member of the North Florida Boy Scouts of America, trustee of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and recently served on the WJCT Board of Trustees.