or anyone who knows the answer to this. have you heard of that amusement park on the island of alameda (my home) it was called neptune park and closed during the great depression or WW2 i forget but what i want to know is does anybody know the name of the coaster that was there?
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are you ready to go vertical... v2... SFMW... 2001
Yah, I've heard of Neptune Park at Alameda. It's been referred by many coaster historians as the "Coney Island of the West'. Neptune Park was the first,original amusement park that was built on the West Coast. Years later, parks like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Belmont Park tried to copy the style of Neptune Park. The name of the coaster at Neptune Park was called the Psyclone.
cool thanx. finally ii find out what it was called because whenever i eat at the Mcdonalds across the street from the former site (now its a mini mall and apartments and a beach) they have old pictures of the park. it looked like a lot of fun and me and all of my friends say how much we wish it was still there.
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are you ready to go vertical... v2... SFMW... 2001
Ruffryder, where did you get your information? You are accurate on a few things, except the name of the coaster was not Psyclone. Actually, the coaster was called the "Whoopee", and it was built and operated at Neptune Beach. I used to teach an Alameda history class at Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda when I worked for the East Bay Regional Parks District, which runs the visitor center. I am an Alameda native. The area where the park used to stand was filled with bath houses and gardens. The amusement park opened in 1917, and closed in 1939 due to the effects of the Great Depression. Too bad too, because if it had stayed open one more year, the coming war would've brought a lot of business to the park. There were large salt water swimming pools that used to filter in water from the bay. They also had a boxing ring where they would hold prize fights. Croll's building near the McDonalds used to house a gym and training facility where a few famous fighters from the era used to train, including Max Baer. If you go to the visitor center, there are great photos of the area, including the coaster. If you ask one of the student aides or one of the naturalists, they might even let you see some of the photos they have stored in the back. Also, the Alameda Museum has some photos of the area, but not as many as Crab Cove. Peace. :)
