Old-Timey Amusement Rides

[RedAngie]

When the giant slide was installed in Ocean City, NJ, the owner bought the chain link fencing surrounding it from my father’s company.

I suppose the owner got a great price because we received about 25 free passes to the slide. One night my cousin and I rode it over and over and over again.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Then there’s this one. Officially the Looper, but many people call it the hamster wheel. I’ve never been on it, too dizzying for me.

*This* thing is the only amusement park ride to ever defeat me. I will literally ride anything and love it, except that I got on the Looper with a ten-year-old who made that cage spin around like you wouldn't believe. I thought my soul left my body and floated heavenwards at least twice. When it finally stopped and I was able to get off I had to sit on a bench for at least fifteen minutes because I was so sick to my stomach and dizzy. Never again.

 

[Sweettears]

I know of the book and musical, have not read or seen. I am a product of the Catholic schools, grammar school and high school in the 50's and 60's, class of '62. I do think they reflected a little, if you concentrated.

I never did ride the Pair-O-Chutes or the Bobs, too scared. But I did hear that the ride operators would sometimes make the 'ride vehicle' (for lack of a better term), 'get stuck' on the way up for some couples. And the Tunnel of Love boat ride was also a favorite of couples. But the rumor then was that the tunnels were infested with rats,.

Lol.Probably so. But as a young kid coming from the suburbs never having experienced anything like it before, it made a lifelong impression.

I asked earlier but did you ever experience Adventureland? It was in Medinah. The land is still vacant with a few long lost remnants still there

 

[Dan Murphy]

Lol.Probably so. But as a young kid coming from the suburbs never having experienced anything like it before, it made a lifelong impression.

I asked earlier but did you ever experience Adventureland? It was in Medinah. The land is still vacant with a few long lost remnants still there

I missed your earlier post, Sweettears.

I can imagine, a youthful impression.

I myself did not experience Adventureland, but I'm pretty sure my wife did with our two, now in their 40's did. The name sure is familiar. North Avenue maybe? Would that be about right, 35-40 years ago?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The Zipper.



The Hammer

 

[Sweettears]

I missed your earlier post, Sweettears.

I can imagine, a youthful impression.

I myself did not experience Adventureland, but I'm pretty sure my wife did with our two, now in their 40's did. The name sure is familiar. North Avenue maybe? Would that be about right, 35-40 years ago?

Close. Lake Street just west of what is now the 355 highway

 

[Dan Murphy]

Close. Lake Street just west of what is now the 355 highway

Ah yes, Lake Street.

Ever visit Playland or Adventureland back in the day?

Yes, I did miss this earlier. As I said above, I knew where Adventureland was, I myself did not go there. My favorite was Kiddieland in Melrose Park. That just closed about 11 years ago. I took my one grandson there. Now it's a Costco.

 

[Sweettears]

Someone bought some of the rides and moved them to another park. I don’t recall where but I’m sure google would know.

Also Santa’s Village. We were blessed with parks. A major influence in my love for Disney

 

[Dan Murphy]

Also Santa’s Village.

That one's still around

 

[Dan Murphy]

Someone bought some of the rides and moved them to another park. I don’t recall where but I’m sure google would know.

Here are some, various buyers

 

[Sweettears]

Thanks for that Dan. I actually had Frank Zygmunt as a customer (banking). Nice guy

Santas Village does indeed still exist. My daughter brought our grandsons there last year. However they had started to sell off some of the rides before someone came in and saved the park.

Regardless good memories

 

[PollyannaMom]

There's more than one Santa's Village, too. This one is in New Hampshire, and is where we took DS when he was about 3.

 

[Sweettears]

There's more than one Santa's Village, too. This one is in New Hampshire, and is where we took DS when he was about 3.

Awesome. How long has it been around? I could be wrong but I don‘t believe that they are connected

 

[Hiitsme]

Edaville Family Theme Park in Carver has a few of these older rides. I was a ride operator there for 2 seasons. I called the Tilt-a-Whirl
the Tilt-a-Hurl for obvious reasons.Guests could ride any ride as many times as they wanted and if there wasn't a line up they didn't even have to exit the ride before it restarted. We kept the cleaning supplies very close by. The Scrambler didn't get a lot of riders because we had to follow MA rules for height and the smaller kids weren't tall enough. They also had the Red Baron plane ride. The kids could pull the lever to make the plane go up and down as it went in a circle. Explaining this to young kids was an interesting bit of work. Watching parents yell and demonstrate the concept from the side as the ride moved was my own private show. Lol. They have "Big Eli" the Ferris Wheel too. Working at Edaville was one of the funnest jobs I ever had.

 

[Hiitsme]

There's more than one Santa's Village, too. This one is in New Hampshire, and is where we took DS when he was about 3.

I Love Santa's Village in Jefferson NH. I've even gone as an adult without kids in tow.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Awesome. How long has it been around? I could be wrong but I don‘t believe that they are connected

 

[mylilnikita]

I remember The Time Shaft being deep within a “mountain” at Kings Dominion. By that time I had started to avoid such rides, but after waiting in line not knowing what I’d discover, I decided to ride.

There was also a slow train ride within the mountain; some kind of Land of Strange Creatures, like the 7 Dwarfs or gnomes.

Plus maybe another mountain ride or two.

I remember Smurf Mountain and Land of the Dooz?
I miss Lion Country Safari

 

[AppleDumpling]

Ever visit Playland or Adventureland back in the day?

I asked earlier but did you ever experience Adventureland? It was in Medinah. The land is still vacant with a few long lost remnants still there

That’s funny, I saw your earlier post and thought you were referring to amusement parks in New York State with the same names. Both still exist and will be opening for the 2022 season.

Adventureland is in Farmingdale, NY, on Long Island. The movie Adventureland was based on this place (the writer worked there in the 80’s), although it was filmed at Kennywood in the Pittsburgh, PA area. https://adventureland.us/

And another Playland, aka Rye Playland, in Rye, NY (Westchester County), which has been around since 1928. https://www.playland.com/

Also Santa’s Village. We were blessed with parks. A major influence in my love for Disney

There's more than one Santa's Village, too. This one is in New Hampshire, and is where we took DS when he was about 3.

OK, so there’s also Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, NY, on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks, not far from Lake Placid. I went there as a kid. It’s been in operation since 1949 and claims to be one of the first “theme parks” in the US. It’s technically in the town of Wilmington, NY, but they have their own zip code and post office on site, where you can mail letters or have them sent from Santa with a North Pole postmark. https://www.northpoleny.com/

 

[RogueX]

I remember so many of these from New England. Lincoln Park was often a school field trip destination and I remember going there with my grandparents a lot.

There was Rocky Point in RI, which was one of the last parks I got to spend time with my grandfather with before he died of brain cancer. Even though he hated rides, he went on them with his granddaughters because he knew time was short. We didn't know it at the time (as kids), it was something my grandmother revealed when we were adults.

Paragon Park is one I've seen from pictures that my parents took me to when I was very young.

I remember also going to other places like Whalom Park and Benson's Wild Animal Farm, both long gone as well.

Fortunately not all things have gone from years gone by. I was able to take my daughter to Story Land and Santas Village, both I went to as a kid and she liked them a lot.

 

[Sweettears]

That’s funny, I saw your earlier post and thought you were referring to amusement parks in New York State with the same names. Both still exist and will be opening for the 2022 season.

Adventureland is in Farmingdale, NY, on Long Island. The movie Adventureland was based on this place (the writer worked there in the 80’s), although it was filmed at Kennywood in the Pittsburgh, PA area.
https://adventureland.us/

And another Playland, aka Rye Playland, in Rye, NY (Westchester County), which has been around since 1928.
https://www.playland.com/



OK, so there’s also Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, NY, on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks, not far from Lake Placid. I went there as a kid. It’s been in operation since 1949 and claims to be one of the first “theme parks” in the US. It’s technically in the town of Wilmington, NY, but they have their own zip code and post office on site, where you can mail letters or have them sent from Santa with a North Pole postmark.
https://www.northpoleny.com/

Well you can’t say that there was a whole lot of advanced marketing that went into naming these parks. Plus no internet and regional geography it’s not too surprising