Poll: Bring back the park
kirk_ri...@yahoo.com
would it be and why?
BaSSiStiSt
<kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Americana, so I can finally ride the stupid Screechin' Eagle!
Doug Miller
so great to ride Wildcat again. But I think if I had to pick just one,
it would be West View. My first big coasters were at West View as a kid,
and I recall the that Kennywoodies, while fun, were anticlimactic a year
later.
Doug Miller
Keith Hopkins
And I would love to ride Mr. Twister again.
Part of the reason is that it's a nostalgia thing for me. It was my
first park, and Mr. Twister was my first ever full-sized coaster. I
had a breathtaking time there, and would love to revisit it.
--
Keith Hopkins
suss...@sssssssssgmail.ssssssssscom
[clear up the hissing to email]
"Excuse me, sir, but you appear to be sitting
on my gown. Would you be so kind as to move?"
Mark McKenzie
mamoosh
<kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Just one? Yikes.... (think, think, think, think, think)...Riverview.
CanobieFan
it was... and still IS the best park in South Carolina. I'd also like
to go back to Williams Grove but really only to ride Cyclone again.
Most of the parks I've been to that have closed weren't so great
anyways.
The only non-FFC/FEC ones I can think of right now would be
Libertyland, Whalom, Pavilion, Cypress Gardens, Pirates Fun Park (ma),
Celebration City, Geauga Lake/SFWoA, Williams Grove, Astro/Coney and
like.. Southport, kinda.
Mike R
<kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Luna Park - Coney Island. From looking at the pictures of this park
and hearing about it from my Father, I don't think there has been
anything like it since it burned down. I think I would include all of
Coney Island including Steeplechase park. In my visits with my Dad to
Coney Island he never saw the run down Boardwalk and vine covered
Thunderbolt but would relive the Coney Island of his youth. It must
of been amazing.
I hack as good as I give birth
<kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
I'd have to say, Silver Beach in St Joseph, MI I was there as a young
child of about 7 years old, it was my first encounter with a wooden
roller coaster, but was too small to ride.. I vividly recall the
boardwalk where it sat, and the semi-circular loading area somewhat
like the way hershey's comet used to load.
ri...@aol.com
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Long Beach Pike with the Cyclone Racer. I missed it by a few years.
Rik
Jerry
<kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
So many to choose from, but I'll stay local. Playland at the Beach.
Think it would be so cool to see it still there along Ocean Beach at
the edge of Golden Gate Park. Much better than condos. (You hear me
Coney Island developers?)
Andrew Brawley
"mamoosh" <msul...@ntmllc.com> wrote in message
news:6a038d1f-6d48-4f17...@w37g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
---------------------------------------------------
I gotta agree with Moosh on this one. Especially since it would be less
than five miles from where I live.
Bill Steele
<e079b55e-4584-4743...@x5g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
Jerry <whiz...@aol.com> wrote:
I'll cast another vote for Playland, primarily because it was easily
accessible to anyone in the city by public transport, and was open
year-round. I know it was a business, but it felt like part of the city.
My biggest gripe about today's parks is that they're not parks, they're
"attractions," or "destinations." Kids can't just hop on a bus and go.
Neither can we, for that matter.
In fact I'd change the headline to "Bring back the local park."
Oship
> > <kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> > > would it be and why?
Easy. Crystal Beach, my hometown park as a kid. I still live in
Buffalo and would be there every week during the summer if it came
back or had never left. Although I'd like for it to have the carpet
ending to the Magic Carpet funshouse come back too.
Tyler Eaves
Probably have to go with Riverview, just on sheer quantity.
David Sandborg
"Andrew Brawley" <dj_...@coasterboys.com> wrote:
Riverview for me too. It was in my home town, had a large number of
wood coasters, and I just have a feeling it would have felt like
Blackpool.
--
Dave Sandborg
Remove Spam-away to respond via e-mail.
Josh Wozny
of going there as a kid with my parents, especially the barrel in the
fun house... Buuutttt, I also have fond memories of moving to Ohio and
going to Geauga Lake so many years ago.
I'm going to have to say Geauga Lake, in the days of the Corkscrew,
Rampage Slides, The Wave, Rotor, and Flying Scooters.
Josh
mamoosh
> I'm going to have to say Geauga Lake, in the days of the Corkscrew,
> Rampage Slides, The Wave, Rotor, and Flying Scooters.
Nice choice, sweet cheeks! : - )
Derek Gee
news:83c7e404-2728-4184...@p33g2000vbn.googlegroups.com...
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Easy... Riverview Park, Chicago! The world's best classic coasters, along
with a genuine Pair-O-Chute drop and a walk-through funhouse called
Aladdin's Castle. There's even a freak show for those so inclined. You
can't go wrong with that pick!
Derek
Wolf
> would it be and why?
Cedar Point, circa 1994.
--
|\-/|
<0 0>
=(o)=
-Wolf
Dave Althoff, Jr.
: On Nov 9, 9:28�am, "kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com"
Actually, in all honesty, Americana really wasn't much of a park by the
end. But the Screechin' Eagle, now that's a ride that really deserves
preservation. Given a choice between saving either the Screechin' Eagle or
the Big Dipper, I'd rather have the Screechin' Eagle back.
I wish we had a way to get them to move that to the Columbus Zoo...
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
/XXXXX\ /XXX\ /XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
the body of your message for a quicker response.
Shawn Mamros
>If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
>would it be and why?
If I could surgically remove all hometown bias, Riverview would be
the clear winner. But the kid in me still wants another shot at
West View Park, to ride those two big coasters I saw but never rode.
-s
CoasterFanatic
I have always wanted to ride the coaster (Shooting Star) that scarred
my dad for a lifetime.
// He hasn't been on one since.
- Ted
Bill Steele
"Derek Gee" <dgeeSP...@twmi.INVALID.rr.com> wrote:
Do you know of, or could you provide, a detailed description of
Aladdin's Castle? The one day in my life I got to Riverview it was
closed. Off-list if necessary.
David Sandborg
Bill Steele <ws...@cornell.edu> wrote:
Unless there's some specific reason not to, I'd say post it here. It's
certainly on-topic and I for one would be very interested. Given the
number of people who have mentioned Riverview in this thread, I doubt
I'd be the only one.
Mike Kallay
> On Nov 9, 8:28 am, "kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com"
>
> <kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> > would it be and why?
>
> Luna Park - Coney Island.
I'll second this. Just to be able to see those amazing lights at night
in person!
/m
Olympic Park Fan
There are so many. I would like to have visited Coney Island in the
30's with all of the coasters and neat attractions. I am happy that I
did ride the Bobsled, Tornado Steeplechase Coaster and Thunderbolt.
There is a possibility that I rode the Virginia Reel but my memories
of that are fuzzy. I did ride the Whirl-O next to it (similar to a
Calypso ride in action).
My park to relive would have been Olympic Park in NJ since I saw but
never got to ride The Jet wood coaster. Riots at the park scared my
folks away the last year of operation.
George
Tim Melago
<kirk_ritche...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
West View Park because I'm from Pittsburgh and I never made it there.
Aside from being a local park it was the kind of traditional park that
I tend to like. Plus it had two great looking Vettel coasters.
If I had to pick a defunct park that I actually visited, it would be
Whalom Park. What a great collection of classic rides that park had.
Runner up would be Pleasureland Southport which had the dark
attractions.
--Tim Melago
Jonathan Wilson
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
one day get the chance to ride the wood coasters they had.
That or Luna Park in Sydney before the NIMBYers forced a shutdown and
changes related to noise.
Oship
They (the lighting) likely wouldn't be as amazing to us today as they
were to people at the turn-of-the-last-century. With the lighting and
lighting effects we have now and the stuff we see at casinos, in NYC,
Vegas, etc., a bunch of pure white lights outlining a buiilding would
likely pale in comparision.
You have to remember that many people at that time had NEVER seen
electric lighting before. It was relatively new and many buildings
and homes were still being lit by gas jet lighting. To those people,
Luna Park was like some kind of fairyland....something you only
dreamed aboout.
Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
>If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
>would it be and why?
*** I research amusement parks that no longer exist in Canada and have
over 100 of them written up:
http://www.CEC.chebucto.org/ClosPark/
Canadian Parks from which I would choose:
Belmont Park
Crystal Beach
Dominion Park
Findlay's Pleasure Grounds
Hanlan's Point
Happyland (Vancouver)
Winnipeg beach
If I had to pick just one, I would like to travel back to Hanlan's
Point just before the 1909 fire. It had numerous coasters, other rides,
and attractions of the era. I would want to get there by taking a nice
ferry ride on the historic "Trillium"(*) from the city to Toronto Island
where the park was located.
Richard Bonner
Managing Director:
The Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
www.CEC.chebucto.org
(*) "Trillium" was rescued from the scrap heap and restored in the 1970s.
It continues to ply the route between Toronto and Toronto Island today.
R.
Joe Schwartz
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Bertrand Island, to relive my childhood memories and see what the
Wildcat was really like.
Coastin Steve
was the park I lived by and it's glorious history (12 wooden coasters
<not all at once tho> and spectacular attendances for it's time)....
I have to agree w/ Moosh and others, Riverview would have to be it
Coastin Steve
http://community.webtv.net/Coastin_Steve/FlyingTurnsFotosbyCS
AlRx60
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
The old Venice Pier (CA) of the late 1920's. The Giant Dipper, Bobs &
Somekick coasters look mighty mean among the numerous flat rides.
KenR
Derek Gee
news:ws21-3CE3BC.1...@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu...
Well, never having been in it myself, I've had to rely on the memories of
others. You first ascended the stairway, which had airjets all along the
stairs to molest the girls who were wearing skirts. There was even a jet on
the porch where the ladies thought they'd be safe after running from the
previous airjets, but weren't.
Inside there were dark passages with monsters that popped out at you, a
mirrored room, slanted floors, slides, and a rotating barrel to walk
through. There was also a room with a number of screen doors, most of which
leading nowhere. At the end, there was a Magic Carpet - the kind where the
metal seat collapsed out from under you. In later years this was removed,
probably due to maintenance issues.
Derek
kirk_ri...@yahoo.com
people would answer based on what they had been to...i.e. parks that
were no longer around, but had been a part of your journey to various
parks throughout your life as an enthusiast. I appreciate the
diversity and flexibility with which people have answered the poll.
All of that to say...I would place the original Elitch as my top
choice. Not only was Mister Twister a great ride, but I felt that
Wildcat was one of the better out and backs out there...especially
given the interaction between the two coasters.
A close second would be Joyland in Wichita. The first drop and the
fixed lapbars were a real treasure...perhaps we will see this one come
back to life someday.
Michael Rickert
dayton...@gmail.com
Before it was Americana, it was LeSwordsville, was a pretty
good park way back when.
But I agree, Americana pretty much sucked.
I'd drive from Dayton to Columbus to ride Screeching eagle
again.
Tambo
> Lakeside Park in Salem, VA
Idora Park, just for the Wildcat.
Bill Steele
"Derek Gee" <dgeeSP...@twmi.INVALID.rr.com> wrote:
That could almost be a description of the Magic Carpet at Crystal Beach.
This gets me to wondering how many other large, long walk-thorugh
funhouses there were. The only other one that comes to mind is the
Riverboat at Palisades Park.
Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
(Re: Description of "Aladin's Castle")
>This gets me to wondering how many other large, long walk-thorugh
>funhouses there were. The only other one that comes to mind is the
>Riverboat at Palisades Park.
*** Funhouses, some very elaborate, have been around since at least the
1800s. They seemed to really come into their own in the first few decades
of the 20th century. Some big ones are profiled at:
For a look at Canadian ones of the past, plunk "funhouse" into the
"Search" field at:
http://www.CEC.chebucto.org/ClosPark/Search.html
In particular, look at:
Belmont
Crystal Beach
Dominion
River Park
Sunnyside
Bill Steele
c...@chebucto.ns.ca (Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada) wrote:
> *** Funhouses, some very elaborate, have been around since at least the
> 1800s. They seemed to really come into their own in the first few decades
> of the 20th century. Some big ones are profiled at:
I was thinking particularly of walk-through funhouses, as opposed to the
ones with a lot of stuff in one big room. I don't think walk-throughs
appeared until around mid-20th century--mainly for economic reasons.
The old-style funhouses needed too many people to run them, and
customers who spent two hours in them weren't going on other rides and
spending money.
Is there any historical record of funhouses that were around in the
1800s?
Sim Roller Coaster Incredimail
> In article <hdv9uu$bv...@Kil-nws-1.UCIS.Dal.Ca>,
Boston area is only empty shell without Paragon Park Giant Coaster and
Revere Beach Cyclone.
buddywhite...@gmail.com
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Bill Steele
> On Monday, November 9, 2009 9:28:38 AM UTC-5, coastercrazy28 wrote:
> > If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> > would it be and why?
>
was right there in the city, accessible to anyone, any time.
TC10K
THREE classic Schwarzkopf coasters, the world's first rapids ride, a class Von Roll skyway, an Ultra Twister coaster, a good woodie, and the best splashwater falls-type ride ever. That wave would knock you down if you stood on the bridge! Oh, also the Arrow suspended with the back half of the train running backward.
surfd...@aol.com
Hard Rock Park (because it was just so cool and unique!)
And
Astroland (a kick butt Break Dance that they ran how one SHOULD run, the classic Astrotower and an above average excellent TopSpin 2. Not to mention Cyclone, but that still exists as part of Luna Park).
Those would be my first 2 choices.
rende...@gmail.com
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
Park I somehow missed during my lifetime: Pontchartrain Beach
Park from the past: Crystal Beach (way back - when it had Traver's Cyclone)
:Rendell
Shawn Mamros
>Park I visited before it was gone:
scared to ride the Dips or Racing Whippet. The Kiddie Dips there was my
very first coaster, though.
>Park I somehow missed during my lifetime:
No mystery as to why I missed them - I was a college student in the same
state as these parks, but I didn't hear about them in time and I also
would have needed a car to get to them. Probably could've found a way
if I'd only known, though.
>Park from the past:
Riverview. No explanation necessary.
-s
surfd...@aol.com
As far as parks I could've easily gone to but never did... Maybe Boardwalk and Baseball.... Or Nunleys. There really aren't many that I could've easily gone to but didn't that I can recall.
Rich B
> If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
> would it be and why?
tvdu...@gmail.com
Andrew Brawley
>
>> On Monday, November 9, 2009 9:28:38 AM UTC-5, coastercrazy28 wrote:
>> > If you could have only one park come back from the dead...which one
>> > would it be and why?