Old-Timey Amusement Rides

[fly girl]

My favorite when I was a kid was the big slide. So simple, yet so fun!



Dd and I still enjoy these at Kings Island every year ...

Pirate Ship


Log Ride (they made it where you get drenched now so it is not as fun as it used to be)


And her favorite, the Antique Cars. We will ride this at least 3 times per visit.

 

[OKW8297]

I was going to post about the wooden coaster at Paragon Park. Spent many, many wonderful days and nights there. Well, except for the one day when I broke my nose on that coaster.

Another great Massachusetts amusement park that closed is Lincoln Park in Dartmouth.

Lincoln Park’s coaster was my first!

 

[fly girl]

And here is a question for all the Michiganders ... who remembers Boblo Island? That was an old timey park!



A few years back we were at Cedar Point with my sister and brother in law (both native Michiganders) and I mentioned Boblo Island. They had no clue what I was talking about. Seriously! I told my sister how could you not remember, our school district took field trips there. I went in the 6th grade. They thought I was nuts. So I turned to Facebook to confirm I wasn't a wackadoodle. Took 3 minutes for my cousins to yell at my sister how could she not remember Boblo Island.

 

[RedAngie]

Everyone posting in this thread would love Knoebel's. They take old rides from other places and refurbish them. Their whip ride dates to 1915. The took the old Golden Nugget ride from the Wildwood boardwalk where it was to be demolished and sold for scrap. It's now called the Black Diamond. Knoebel's is a great place, always a lot of fun.

p.s. Nobody could make a Tilt-A-Whirl spin like my Mom. She would yell "Left!" or "Right!" and we'd all quickly lean that way, and around the car would go.

https://www.knoebels.com/

The Golden Nugget was Wildwood’s ultimate themed ride in the late 60s thru the 80s. I haven’t been to Knoebels since they rescued it.





Hunt’s Pier even themed their Tilt-a-Whirl, with the rounded backs of the cars shaped and painted like sea shells.

Their Scrambler had a perhaps non-PC Mexican theme, El Scrambler, with a giant sombrero on top and decorated cars.




The walk-thru Pirate Ship was also awesome for its time.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Hunt's Pier was our *favorite* pier. Before we were old enough to go to the boardwalk by ourselves, my Mom would make us pick two piers to ride rides or else we would've been there all night. We *always* picked Hunt's as one of them because they had the Flyer-it was a smallish wooden coaster, but we loved it. When they tore it down it was a sad day. I remember some years ago I saw a movie that I can't recall the name of, but some scenes were shot in Wildwood in the early 80s. One of these scenes had the Flyer going in the background and I actually sat and cried like a loon.

Their Scrambler had a perhaps non-PC Mexican theme, El Scrambler, with a giant sombrero on top and decorated cars.

View attachment 657779

Ohhh...the El Scrambler! Yes, the theming is unfortunate to today's eyes, isn't it? My sister and I LOVED this ride. I have two clear memories of riding this. They used to play all the 70s hits during the ride, and I remember one balmy day riding the El Scrambler with my sister, singing loudly along to the theme from Laverne & Shirley while the wind whipped our hair. Another time, there used to be a haunted castle dark ride across from the El Scrambler and they were throwing rubber rats to the crowd and one sailed over and landed in my lap.

 

[RedAngie]

We always “saved” Hunt’s Pier for the last night of our vacation. It was by far the best at the time. We didn’t go to the Boardwalk every night, but we’d start at Fun Pier one night, then Marine, then Sportland (which was like the black sheep cousin of amusement piers), then finally Hunt’s.

Morey’s didn’t become a major player until the late 70s.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

We always “saved” Hunt’s Pier for the last night of our vacation. It was by far the best at the time. We didn’t go to the Boardwalk every night, but we’d start at Fun Pier one night, then Marine, then Sportland (which was like the black sheep cousin of amusement piers), then finally Hunt’s.

Morey’s didn’t become a major player until the late 70s.

We weren't allowed to go to Sportland when we were kids, because that was the pier that had all the rides that we were too "young" for. So, of course were were dying to go there. Finally, one of my great-aunts got a job selling tickets at the front of the pier and convinced my Mom and Grandmother to let us go. We would go and get in line and she'd make it look like she was taking our money and slip us ticket books for free. Oh, that's horrible-but as kids the joy in getting away with something overrode any guilt we might have felt. We rode the Hell Hole, one of those old barrel rides where you stuck to the wall, and the UFO. The UFO was a circle of cars that went across an arch, and it was the first thing I rode that went upside down. The cable that pulled the cars over the arch snapped and it crashed sometime in the 70s and a few people were injured, so we were forbidden to ride it ever again after it reopened.

I miss the 'old' boardwalk. I miss Jilly's and Falk's where I bought tons of cheap jewelry and straw flip-flops with velvet thongs, and all the other little stores. It seems to be all head shops now, and even stores that look innocuous have bongs and pipes and crap like that when you go in to have a look.

 

[RedAngie]

And this one! My best friend and I are 50 Years old and on our way to Disney last year, we passed that Tanger Outlet that has the fair every once in a while. We both yelled, "Look! A Zipper!!" Next thing you know, we're exiting off the freeway and strapped in to a bad idea. It does not feel the same at 50 as it does at 15. Let me just tell ya. Everyone kept laughing at us and their first thought was, "So you were on your way to DISNEY, but you stopped at the fair to ride a ride?" Yes...yes we did. lolView attachment 657745

I was ALWAYS afraid of the Zipper. It’s one of very few rides I never tried.

 

[RedAngie]

We weren't allowed to go to Sportland when we were kids, because that was the pier that had all the rides that we were too "young" for. So, of course were were dying to go there. Finally, one of my great-aunts got a job selling tickets at the front of the pier and convinced my Mom and Grandmother to let us go. We would go and get in line and she'd make it look like she was taking our money and slip us ticket books for free. Oh, that's horrible-but as kids the joy in getting away with something overrode any guilt we might have felt. We rode the Hell Hole, one of those old barrel rides where you stuck to the wall, and the UFO. The UFO was a circle of cars that went across an arch, and it was the first thing I rode that went upside down. The cable that pulled the cars over the arch snapped and it crashed sometime in the 70s and a few people were injured, so we were forbidden to ride it ever again after it reopened.

I miss the 'old' boardwalk. I miss Jilly's and Falk's where I bought tons of cheap jewelry and straw flip-flops with velvet thongs, and all the other little stores. It seems to be all head shops now, and even stores that look innocuous have bongs and pipes and crap like that when you go in to have a look.

I remember that UFO ride. Once was enough.

I went on the Hell Hole a few times, but in general, Sportland wasn’t really a kid’s amusement pier. The rides were geared toward older teens and adults.

I’m not even sure if the pier has rides anymore. The last time we walked by there were a few games at the start of the pier and maybe a go-kart track, and that’s it.

Morey’s seems to use what’s left of Hunt’s Pier for storage. Plus I heard that’s where the tram cars are parked overnight.

 

[RedAngie]

[QUOT

Pair-O-Chutes Riverview

View attachment 657615

That reminds me. I first heard of Riverview sometime in the mid 70s. There was a series of books written by the same author about growing up Catholic in Chicago, probably set in the 50s and 60s. The first is about his grammar school years, the second about high school, and the third about college.

The most popular, which I’m guessing you’ve read, is the HS book, “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?”

Anyway, in the college book, he goes on a date with a “fast” young lady and they ride the Parachutes and other rides.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My favorite when I was a kid was the big slide. So simple, yet so fun!

Definitely loved that as a kid!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was going to post about the wooden coaster at Paragon Park. Spent many, many wonderful days and nights there. Well, except for the one day when I broke my nose on that coaster.

Another great Massachusetts amusement park that closed is Lincoln Park in Dartmouth.

That is the park I went to most growing up! Their genius was to have a nightclub on site for parents, so they could go watch a show and have some adult refreshments while the kids went wild on the rides, lol. It is also the first place I remember that had a “hand stamp” where, for one price, you could ride everything all day. We used to go with family, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. The thing I remember most is the ‘flying cages‘ they had where you made them go round. If you could get them to go up and over, you were doing pretty well. Great memories!

 

[AppleDumpling]

Everyone posting in this thread would love Knoebel's. They take old rides from other places and refurbish them. Their whip ride dates to 1915. The took the old Golden Nugget ride from the Wildwood boardwalk where it was to be demolished and sold for scrap. It's now called the Black Diamond. Knoebel's is a great place, always a lot of fun.

I agree, Knoebels is a hidden gem. LOL, literally in the middle of nowhere, but worth it. It has a nostalgic feel and reasonable prices too. Good for all ages, everything from wooden coasters to the old carousel with brass rings, and a nice kiddie area as well. Talk about low-tech, when DS was young, he loved the hand cars, which you “pedaled” with a hand crank around a track. As a kid, I rode the same ones at Nunley’s/Jolly Roger’s on Long Island.

The best flying scooters I have tried are at Knoebels. They are the old version compared to the newer Larson model most parks have and they are so easy to snap.

Knoebels seems to be the only place where snapping the Flying Scooters is still permitted. Most other parks prohibit it.

Great ride. Usually you can snap, but it depends on the ride operator. Haven’t been in a long time; there used to be one operator, an older man, who would yell at people and sometimes slow down the ride so you couldn’t snap.

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.

 

[mamamary]

Also for the NYers. Who remembers Nellie Bly? The kiddie amusement park?

I remember! I lived not too far from there- although we mostly went to Coney Island instead.

 

[AppleDumpling]

My favorite when I was a kid was the big slide. So simple, yet so fun!

Definitely loved that as a kid!

Me too. Also loved the big swings. Unless they were VERY high.

 

[RedAngie]

. The thing I remember most is the ‘flying cages‘ they had where you made them go round. If you could get them to go up and over, you were doing pretty well. Great memories!

View attachment 657822

Those things used to be staples at some parks and on the carnival circuit. I doubt insurance regulations would permit them today. My father and I tried them a few times.

Besides, you had to “work” to get them over the top. Too much effort for contemporary fairgoers.

 

[RedAngie]

And here is a question for all the Michiganders ... who remembers Boblo Island? That was an old timey park!

View attachment 657761

A few years back we were at Cedar Point with my sister and brother in law (both native Michiganders) and I mentioned Boblo Island. They had no clue what I was talking about. Seriously! I told my sister how could you not remember, our school district took field trips there. I went in the 6th grade. They thought I was nuts. So I turned to Facebook to confirm I wasn't a wackadoodle. Took 3 minutes for my cousins to yell at my sister how could she not remember Boblo Island.

I’ve heard of Boblo but never visited. I understand it technically was on a Canadian island. But US citizens didn’t need any papers as long as they returned on the boat to Detroit.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Those things used to be staples at some parks and on the carnival circuit. I doubt insurance regulations would permit them today. My father and I tried them a few times.

Besides, you had to “work” to get them over the top. Too much effort for contemporary fairgoers.

We loved it!

 

[Dan Murphy]

[QUOT

That reminds me. I first heard of Riverview sometime in the mid 70s. There was a series of books written by the same author about growing up Catholic in Chicago, probably set in the 50s and 60s. The first is about his grammar school years, the second about high school, and the third about college.

The most popular, which I’m guessing you’ve read, is the HS book, “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?”

Anyway, in the college book, he goes on a date with a “fast” young lady and they ride the Parachutes and other rides.

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,.

 

[RedAngie]

Those giant slides were everywhere starting around 1969. But most were removed by the mid 70s. I think each of the 4 amusement piers in Wildwood, NJ had one. The massive Morey’s amusement organization started with a single slide.



They expanded and added a few rides to the slide pier, then bought that restaurant, knocked it down, and installed a King Kong themed ride and a go-kart track there.



Then gradually over the years they filled the space in between.