What was your home park like when you were born?
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Excuse Me!! I am eating here.
I was born in N. Carolina, so I guess Paramount Carowinds.
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Life is like a coaster---
You go up, down, turn-around, and upside-down...and then there's all that pressure on your head, too...
Nonexistant...SFGAm opened in 1976...Seven years after I made my premiere...
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"It's Deja Vu all over again." - Yogi Berra
I was born Charlotte NC but I don't know how long Carowinds has been open. I was there once in 1977 back when Thunder Road was new. It was a pretty cool coaster then, but I would love to go back and ride it now that the trains forward and backward. Also, I don't think Paramount owned it back then.
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TITAN RULES!
*** This post was edited by DAN-EL on 5/2/2001. ***
Kennywood, for all 16 years of my life.
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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com
Johannesburg, South Africa - Gold Reef City. And to think they now have a Giovanola Inverted & getting a 'Oblivion' style coaster next year!
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Gold Reef City, surely the most dangerous park in the world - what with all the violence in South Africa which is why my family moved to peaceful Aussie.
*** This post was edited by CoasterGod on 5/3/2001. ***
I grew up in Morristown NJ before moving to the Jersey Shore many years ago. My home parks (because I lived half way between two) were Olympic Park and Bertrand Island. They were both excellent parks for their time - both had great woodies and OP had a Wild Mouse. They had many other excellent rides, games and attractions too. I adore my present home park - SFGAdv, but I miss these two long-gone parks and the kinder, gentler way of being experienced there then.
Columbian Park, Lafayette, Indiana
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www.geocities.com/coasting_ohio for Real/Defunct/mini coasters and parks
Of course I don't remember any of this first hand (I was awfully young then), so I will have to base this on what I read and what I remember from my first few visits to Hersheypark.
The now "ancient" Comet was only 19 years old then. It was also Hershey's only coaster at that time. The "Lost River" ride (formerly "Old Mill Chute") still existed. The Carousell was still in its old building near the creek. The Bug (Tumble Bug ride) located near the entrance to Comet. The Twin Turnpike was still in operation (only remains today is a "tunnel" along the west side of the creek where a foot path goes through). The original Whip ride was also down near the comet. The Cuddle Up ride was up on the hill section (this later was themed as the Coal Shaker when that area became Mine Town... it has since been removed). Up on the west side of the creek, on the hill, was a ride through dark ride that (in the early 1970's) was the "Gold Nugget" ride (I believe the bumper cars now use some of this structure).
In my first visit there in around 1970 the entrance to the park was on the east side of Hersheypark Arena, not where it now is (between the Arena and Chocolate World). In my first visit you could either pay a small fee to enter and then pay to ride or buy a "ride all day" wrist band. I am not sure what it was like in 1965. At one time, like so many parks, there was no fence around the park and people could come and go as they pleased.
In the 1960's many traditional parks were in the middle of rough times. Hershey was no exception. I remember reading that there was a point when they had to make a decision... either start a massive rebuilding campaign and get the park moving into the direction of a more modern theme park (taking Disney as an example), or eventually close the park.
Of course you all know what decision was made with the "rebuilding" beginning in the early 1970's, lagging a bit in the 1980's, and then exploding in the 1990's.
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I promise I won't go off on a rant about those @#$%^&*! Toboggan's again.
Grew up in Succasunna, NJ within' spitting distance of Betrand Island. Have you checked out the Bertrand Island video sgonda?
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everything's better with a banjo
Millrace - Yes, thanks, my mom gave it to me for a surprise present...it's great!
My current home park (SFGAm) wasn't there. But my home park at the time was Riverview in Chicago which I visited many a time as a youth.
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"I'm going off the rails on a crazy train." - Ozzie Osbourne
My home park was West View Park, one of the many trolley parks the dotted the suburban Pittsburgh region. I lived a little over a mile from the park. I can still remember my grandmother walking us kids to the park during the summer when she babysat us. It had 2 big coasters (The Dips and Racing Whippet) and one kiddie coaster (The Kiddie Dips). Sadly, this parked closed in 1977 and was replaced by the West View Park shopping center.
Much to my surprise, I visited the Isaly's in West View a few months back. The new owner of the Isaly's has the lagest collection of WVP memorabilia I've ever seen, displayed in the store! He has mostly photos and a few props from dark rides and concession stands. For anyone who has visited this park, I strongly recommend a visit to Isaly's for a walk down memory lane!
*** This post was edited by Neil on 5/3/2001. ***
I was born in Pittsburgh, and Kennywood was my park until we moved to Chicago when I was in fourth grade.
I know that I went to West View, but have no recollection of it as I was very young.
SFoT. I'm told it was a lot different in '77 when I was born. didn't have all the Warner Bros theming. of course costers have come & gone since as well. I'm sure I would't have liked it as much then as now.
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As my mom always says, "Use a coaster!"
My earliest memories of Knoebels were from the early 80's when I was about 4 or 5.
The area of the Phoenix, and Antique cars was just another parking lot. You could also drive thru the park where the Power Surge, Train and pool are. They had crossing guards to stop traffic. Before the Whirlwind they had a Jet Star in the same spot. Knoebels also had a petting zoo somewhere near the bumper boats are now. Their original ferris wheel was located where the Italian trapeeze is now. Also where the hand stamp booths are is where the Flying Gyms were located.
Basically in overall appearance Knoebels changed very little over the years. It the past 15 years is when I'd say they did the most changing in their 75 years of opperation.
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Hello, My name is Dan and I'm a coasterholic.
giant rider said:
"SFoT. I'm told it was a lot different in '77 when I was born. didn't have all the Warner Bros theming. of course costers have come & gone since as well. I'm sure I would't have liked it as much then as now.
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As my mom always says, "Use a coaster!""
My family moved from NC to Texas during the 60's when I was about 5. I went to SFoT for the first time in 1969, I can still remember when they built the Log Flume ride. Interesting you should mention 1977, it just so happens that I had a season pass that year. In fact, I've had season passes at SFoT every year dating back to 1971. I still have my first one, it's a keep sake. As for 1977, it was the last year of the old Big Bend racing coaster, they put in Shock Wave in 1978. I also remember the old Tree Slide. There was also another huge slide at the base of the Tower. The spinning Sombraro (which is still there) was in operation Then. There was a scrambler type ride in what is now the Looney Toons section as opposed to it's current location near the Mine Train where the Air Racer used to be. The Chapparal Cars were there as were the Racing Cars. Sadly, the Racers were removed but the Chap's still remain next to the Texas Giant. The Texas Chute Out (parachute) ride was the most recent addition back then until they put in the Shock Wave a year later. The Log Flume ride was still a major attraction as opposed to now. The Bumper Cars were around then as was a personal favorite of mine the Roto Disco, which was replaced by the Flashback years ago. Aside from the usual upgrades in eatery's and gameing places as well as shows (the Lone
Star Palace has been there forever) there's not much more to tell. OH yeah, the old Spindle Top made my dad puke in either 1976 or 77 I forget which year it was that he hurled after getting on that thing.
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TITAN RULES!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the Runaway Mine Train, it's been there since 1967 and id still the best of the Mine Train rides. Asid from being the first Tubular steel coaster ever built.
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TITAN RULES!
I was born and raised in Pt. Pleasant NJ, not far from Jenkinson's Boardwalk... Home Theme park was Great Adventure....(Not Six Flags in '74) My first trip there was in '75 when THE RUNAWAY TRAIN was the biggest coaster there....WoW! how things change.....
*** This post was edited by lauer on 5/3/2001. ***
Well, Frontierland in San Jose, CA was my homepark when I was born. PGA (then Marriott's) wasn't open until 1976. Frontierland was awesome. They had some cool little rides, from what I can remember. It was a long time ago when that park was open. Not THAT long, but long enough. ;) Peace. :)
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Medusa at Marine World: the best coaster in the west!
