Theme Parks you visited that no longer exist

[siouxi31]

None of the Chicago people have mentioned PlayLand. Do you remember this place? It was located next to Sterling Estates Mobile home park in Justice. I used to love going on the boats where you could ding the bell while they travelled in a circle. It was like a permanent carnival.
I do remember Old Chicago. Too bad it didn't last. I saw Willie Ames in concert there when I was about 14.

 

[siouxi31]

This thread just prompted me to look up some information on Playland. For all of you Chicagoans:

Address: Justice, IL 60458 USA
Status: Operated from 1950s to 1979

Notes: Playland Park operated it was in Willow Springs which at that time was unincorporated and the area is considered Justice, IL today. The park was located where the Sterling Estates Mobile Home Park at 9300 W 79th Street is today. Only a maintenance building remains today which continues to be a maintenance and storage building for Sterling Estates.

The park was a kiddie park operated primarily by the Rocco family. The Rocco's are perhaps best know for being the developers/manufacturers of the Flying Scooters ride. This park was a small showcase for Bisch-Rocco's kiddie and adult rides. There were also a number of ride concessionaires in the later years, some who moved here when Riverview closed. This included one person affiliated with the former Adventureland in Addison, Illinois.

The park itself was somewhat boomerang-shaped and looked more like a fair than an amusement park with dirt and gravel walkways, and no landscaping. The front and original section had mostly kiddie rides while the back was expanded into mainly in the 1960's. They was a great set of Lusse bumper cars and a chilling Pretzel Dark Ride. Also, this is where the last Bisch-Rocco Flying Saucer ran (a tilted, rotating platform with two additional platforms that rotated in the same direction, thus providing a whip sensation). Overall there were 30-40 rides in the park.

The park closed quietly in 1979 with pressure from IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) expanding roadways, Sterling Estates desire to buy the property and competition from Chicago's newest parks -- Marriott's Great America and Old Chicago.

 

[eeyore0062]

Wow, Ocean View Amusement Park in Norfolk, Va, Seaside Amusement Park and The Loop at Virginia Beach, VA, Playland in Ocean City, MD, I don't remember the name, but there was an amusement park on a hilltop in Maggie Valley, NC, too.

This is so funny, because I was reading all about older amusement parks on a website about Defunct parks just today!

 

[eeyore0062]

My neighbor who has family in McMinnville said the Wabash Cannonball is at a little theme park somewhere near that area. Anyone know which one she is talking about? I can't remember the name of it for the life of me!

According to a website I was on today honoring the memory of Opryland, the Wabash Cannonball could not be used at any of the Six Flags parks, and was dismantled and sold for parts.

OOPS, just read it went to Memphis.

Why did they sell Opryland? I always thought that park was popular and made decent money. I can't believe they would sell such a beautiful place to put up a stupid mall and parking lot.... WHAT A WASTE!!!!

 

[LuvN~Travel]

The Miracle Strip in Panama City. They're trying to take away all of the hotels and replace them with condos, now no amusement park!
Kim

 

[jimmalru80]

Jungle Habitat and Action Park, both in NJ.

 

[Nancy]

Crystal Beach, although I only remember it in weird bits and pieces since I was young when it closed

Crystal Beach, Ontario...boy I loved that place! Rode the Comet all the time!

I grew up in CHeektowaga and we used to go on "Cheektowaga Day" every year. They would bus you up there and you got really cheap admission and discounted ride tickets. Fried dough...yum, yum!

 

[grinningghost]

Crystal Beach, Ontario...boy I loved that place! Rode the Comet all the time!

I grew up in CHeektowaga and we used to go on "Cheektowaga Day" every year. They would bus you up there and you got really cheap admission and discounted ride tickets. Fried dough...yum, yum!

Those town days were awesome, weren't they? I did the West Seneca Day every year. I actually love the smell of diesel fuel to this day because it smells like the "Laff in the Dark".

 

[Nancy]

Memories of the fun house and getting buffeted by those tackling dummies (that's what they remind me of) and getting buzzed by the air blasts! The only ride I didn't like when I was younger was the Wild Mouse, I always thought the car was going to fall off tghe tracks.

Daxx...I live in Kenmore now...small world.

 

[grinningghost]

The only ride I didn't like when I was younger was the Wild Mouse, I always thought the car was going to fall off tghe tracks.

And judging by the employees that worked there, it was always in the realm of possibility.

I also used to be afraid of the skyway ride that went over the lake. That was a LONG ride over the water!

 

[mickilee]

i miss Boblo Island. Lasalle ont canada~ had to take a boat there.. my first roller coaster ride was there...

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I'm another one that grew up going to the Enchanted Forest in Maryland.

We also went to Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore.

 

[Talking Hands]

Glen Echo in Maryland
Circus World in Orlando

 

[browneyes]

Opryland. I really miss Opryland.

 

[ahutton]

Enchanted Forest in Chesterton, IN (has turned into water park and is now in Porter IN - gotta love government and boundry changes)

I went there many summers in the late 70s and early 80s. My aunt still lives near there. My cousin said he saw the big indian at the entrance to a mobile home park not too far away!

The boat ride to Boblo was really fun, but the coasters were too big for me at the time of my last trip. I was probably in 1st or 2nd grade... I also remember a martian ride that was like a ride through fun house - that could be my brain playing a trick on me though.

I also loved Circus World. I know my kids would too, if only it were still there.

 

[CindyBeth]

Another one here missing Boblo! Use to love the boat ride to get there and back, they would have music and dancing, so much fun!!!

 

[indigoxtreme]

Six Gun Territory in Florida. My parents took me there in the 70's and I saw a guest gunfighter, "Jerry Matthers". Also here in Atlanta in the 60's was a place called FUN TOWN. All kinds of rides, a birthday house, putt putt, pre Six Flags over GA. When 6 flags opened it killed this park and of course the area chagned for the worse. As a very young child we had so much fun there.

 

[Eric95403]

Frontier Village: San Jose (closed mid-70's??)
Boardwalk and Baseball: Orlando area

I've also heard plenty of stories of Crystal Beach, as my parents grew up in Buffalo. I might have gone there too, just too young to remember. I do remember going to an amusement park when I was a young'in back in Buffalo.

 

[sweetheart2576]

Crystal beach
sea world ohio

 

[browneyes]

What's the name of that flume/rollercoaster ride that you could see from the parking lot?

I think it was just called the Log Flume. That's what we always called it. It was the first ride we always scrambled to get on. By the time we got off the ride and walked around and was almost dried, we were in line for The Cannonball.