Defunct places...

Are there any amusement parks that have made an impact on your life that no longer exist, yet you have trouble remembering them?

Not really, but I know what you mean. i.e., when I first rode Steel Phantom, that was one of the best experiences of my life at the time, but I barely remember what that was like now. All my memories come from the pictures I took.

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He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking; can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

Yeah, Opryland. Only because I hardly ever went after working there in '87.

I think mine would be Playland at Ocean City, MD. I can find no information on it yet I believe that is where I went on my first coaster at the age of 3, the Allan Herschell Mad Mouse. This was before the 'wild mouse' type rides had all of the problems. I am not sure if this Playland place got absorbed by Trimper's or the Pier rides but I would really like to know. Sure, it may seem insignificant but being somewhat of an old amusement park enthusiast, it appeals to me.

Okay, here we go... really streatching the memory here...

There was a park in Ocean City MD, just on the north side of the Rt.90 bridge (pretty far "up town" comparred to Trimpers). I remember vaguely a few things about it... a dark ride (which I didn't ride) and a wooden coaster (looked to be a big one to me, but I was only a little kid at the time so for all I know it could have been a Jr... I didn't ride it). I thought this was called Playland... not the area where the old wild mouse was (where Trimper's rides is located, near inlet... close to where the Rt.50 bridge is located)... however there could have been an old mouse at this other location as well.

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

Was there ever a wild mouse at Trimper's? If so, that might be what I am thinking of. However, there are no records of a wild mouse ever being at Trimper's. I searched the web and rcdb.com but came up empty. Playland was the only place I could find that had a wild mouse but that was it. There is no other info on it.

There was a Wild Mouse at Trimpers. It sat along the back street (Baltimore Street?)... the station was on the north side. I believe the color was red... at least the supports were red. The cars were not like the wild mice of today... you sort of sat bobsled style... more like Lakemont's Mad Mouse or Flitzer model coasters.

I checked RCDB and it does show a wild mouse for Trimpers. It says it operated in the 1970's and early 1980's (this is the time frame I remember). It says it was located where the Tidal Wave (boomerang) now sits. Not sure of the location of the Tidal Wave as I haven't been to OC in quite some time... actually the Wild Mouse was still at Trimpers when I was there... but judging from the pic on RCDB, it looks like it is in the same location that I remember.

I also did a search on RCDB for "Playland" in Ocean City MD but found nothing. However, there is a Wild Mouse at Ocean City in NJ. I looked at the pics for that... an odd looking structure... but not the same type as the old one at OC MD (though the surrounding neighborhood looks similar). The cars are similar (bobsled style seating) but from what I remember the Wild Mouse as OC MD was a much more compact design.

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

Well, I miss the old Elitch's, I only got to visit it a couple times and I was only about 6, so didn't get to ride any coasters. But from what I do remember it was awsome. I don't think it has made a impact on my life though.

Dandelion Park in Muskego, WI. Unfortunately I was quite young when they closed it but I did get to ride the whip there! I would have loved to have riden the roller coaster that everyone always said felt like it was falling apart!

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"

*** This post was edited by Kick The Sky on 7/31/2002. ***

West View Park in Pittsburgh, on the opposite side of the city from Kennywood. It was only about the same size as present day Holiday World, but it had one really great out and back wooden coaster.

Enchanted Forest in Chesterton, IN. I remember bits and pieces, but after seeing some vintage photos recently there was a lot I didn't remember - - Lusse Autoskooters and a Herschel Twister. My main memory is of the Herschel Mad Mouse (now at Little A-Merrick-A).

Also, Elitch's - I have very little memory of the park as I was about 12, but Twister and Wildcat really made wood coasters my favorite.

Jim 'jimvid' McDonnell

Whalom Park in MA. I actually never went to the park when open, mainly due to the fact Canobie Lake Park and Riverside (now SFNE) were in the area and bigger than Whalom. I do wish I went when I had the chance. I remember like it was yesterday hearing the radio ads for Whalom every summer growing up: "Whalom Park, for a Whale of a time..." Anyhow, I think it is safe to call it defunct.

Palisades Amusement Park in NJ. Closed in 1971 when I was 14 years old. They had a coaster called Cyclone, a Harry Traver design, that scared the pants off me!

In response to the OC, MD posts...

If my memory serves me correct, the indoor area of the current Trimpers was called Playland at one point...I remember as a kid seeing the word Playland on the front of the building. The old Playland building is now owned by Trimpers and has a plethora of rides for kids, including a rather nice looking carousel. I must admit that I don't remember anything about Playland other than seeing the building.

The Tidal Wave currently sits behind the old Playland building in the outdoor portion of the park that sits along Philadelphia Ave (or whatever street name that is). But there are many other rides built in and around the Tidal Wave structure. Also at the current Trimpers is a neat little Toboggan coaster...I haven't been on it in awhile, but I much prefer that coaster over the Tidal Wave.

I definitely don't have any recollection of a park located by the Rt. 90 bridge. That's not to say it didn't exist...I just don't remember it.

That's my two-cents from deep in the recesses of my mind.

Happy Coastering!

Sean

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Oops, forgot to mention my defunct park memory. As a little kid, I remember going to Bensons Animal Farm in NH. While mainly a zoo, it did contain some rides. I had a blast going there as a kid....my parents still have some pictures of us with the animals, but unfortunately no pictures of the rides.

Happy Coastering!

Sean

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"Have fun stormin' the castle!"

I also remember the Enchanted Forest in MD. I only went there once a long time ago. I think it suffered a fire or something a few years after.

FreakyLick:

The "Playland" (at least that is what I thought the name was) that was located around 60-something street (just north of Rt.90 bridge) was there in the early 1970's... but not sure exactly when. I was there only 1 time as a kid... and the details are vague.

There are only 3 things I can definately remember... the haunted house ride through (which I didn't ride), a roller coaster of sometype (which I didn't ride), and a scrambler (which I did ride). There were other things too, but those are all that I definatly remember. From what I remember, it also seemed run down.

By the late 1970's it was gone. I have vague memories of seeing ruins of it being removed... but I don't remember when.

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

My first park was Mountain Park in Holyoke Mass. The Mountain Flyer out and back coaster was my favorite there. As I remember it the park had a good feeling to it. The food was good and the prices were reasonable.

I used to go to Paragon Park in Hull Mass. The Giant Coaster (now the Wild One at SFA) was a great ride back then. It's a shame the park was closed to make room for condos.

I mentioned above the mystery of "Playland" (60 something street, OC MD).

I also remember Fantasy Land in Gettysburg PA. One of those "enchanted forrest" type attractions that popped up in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Life sized displays of Fairy Tale figures... Mothergoose, old woman in the shoe, etc etc etc. I can remember a rope bridge that I crawled across... the Winter Wonderland dark ride... the skyride (where yoru feet dangled and hit tree tops)... and the paddle boats in the little "lake". The park closed in the late 1970's or early 1980's with many rides / attractions being sold to "a park in Ohio" (at least that is what the local papers said). As a follow up, the park again made the news sometime in the 1980's when the daughter of the owner of the old park appeared in Playboy (There are all kinds of jokes I could make here... but I won't)... big local story here. Today the land is owned by the National Park Service and the old parking lot serves as an over flow lot for the Visitor Center and Cyclorama Center at Gettysburg National Military Park (i.e. Battlefield). A few buildings remain in the woods and are used for something (you can see them in the woods in the winter time when the leaves are off the trees).

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 7/31/2002. ***

I too have ridden the Wild Mouse at Trimper's, as Vipper and I briefly discussed in another thread. As for the entry on RCDB.com, all the info there is what I gave Duane a few months ago, and is unfortunately all I could remember. I definitely remember the bobsled-style seating the cars featured, and I believe the lift chain was on the left or right side of the track as opposed to the center. Also, the front wheels were positioned near the middle of each car so the front of the car would appear to be heading off the track around every turn (quite scary when you're a kid...actually, my dad was pretty freaked out as well). Up until Duane updated his site with the info I provided, I couldn't find a single bit of info on this coaster anywhere on the web.

Also, Vipper, you mentioned that there were problems that wild mouse-type rides had...what were they?

The other info I gave Duane was of the Flitzer at Ocean City Pier. I believe it was located near where the large Ferris wheel is now, along with a Larson Super Loop (which I never rode). My memories of all these are somewhat fuzzy, but it's nice to know that there are some other people out there that remember the OC parks the way they were in the 70s and early 80s.

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-Vater
Coaster Count: 104