cathyJ

Recently at an used book store I purchased a book about those old drive-in movie theatres. Seems like back in the 60s and 70s, such places were all the rage...in Alaska. Even in the winter !! With that being said I am surprised that a city as big as Anchorage never had an amusement park to call its own. If that city had one, I couldn't find anything about it online. Does this make Anchorage the largest American city to never had a park to call its own? I know Hawaii doesn't have any amusement parks but for some reason I remember hearing that Honolulu had a small kiddie park back in the 60s.

I have feeling we may see another story similar to this with Denver's Elitch Gardens. After all Elitches is right next door to the Pepsi Center Arena and this August that place will be the home of the 2008 Democratic Convention.

I seem to recall Autoworld only had one or two rides and one of them was a small ferris wheel. Back in the 80s, Six Flags also had the Powerplant in downtown Baltimore along the Inner Harbor. We went there in December 1986 while killing time waiting for the Bon Jovi concert at the nearby Baltimore Arena ( now I am showing my age LOL ). A member of our group saw the "Six Flags" name and said " COOL..we can ride the rides !!". Being from Atlanta he believed this place would be an indoor version of Six Flags Over Georgia. Ah the Powerplant didnt have any rides. As I recall Baltimore's Six Flags Powerplant only had a few gift shops, snack bars, some shows and other mild stuff. I would like to say they had a fun house but I am not even sure about that one. Other than the name of the side of building and the appearance of the Looney Tune characters in costume, one would not have known Six Flags was behind this flop. Needless to say, this concept did not last very long. I believe it was long closed the next time I was in downtown Baltimore in 1992 to see WCW wrestling.

I know that the original Coney Island in Cincinatti closed in 1971. The Shooting Star was their main roller coaster though they had the Wildcat that was torn down in 1964. Anybody ever get a chance to ride those? Also was Coney Island really a big park? I have the book about this palce in my collection, didn't really look all that big to me. Also how long was the Shooting Star standing after Coney Island closed when Kings Island opened up.

Funny how it works LOL People from far away sometimes know what is happening in your backyard better than you do. My husband is from Warren, Ohio not too far from the old Idora Park in nearby Youngstown. Of course he remembers the big fire they had in 1984 that sealed its fate. But he had no idea their two coasters ( well one and a half ) were still standing until he watched a Discovery Channel special on roller coasters in the late 90's.

My husband heard recently that Charles Jacques has since died. I Hope thats not true. I always loved his books. Does anybody remember that TV show from the 1970's that was taped on location from Hersheypark? The show was seen in many markets up and down the east coast, even on stations as far south as Virginia. I think it was called "Al's Showcase" or something like that I remember one show they did where the host was on the sky ride and they filmed the entire journey. If tapes exist of this show it should be very interesting to see what the park look like back then. On a similar note over the years I have heard that Pittsburgh's WTAE-TV 4 has in their vaults tapes of a show they did on location at Kennywood the day they opened Thunderbolt back in 1968. I wonder if WPXI channel 11 has tapes of the wrestling shows they did at West View Park back in the 1960s in their vaults?

There is a debate as to the number of those members. Ranging to just a handful of family members to several thousand around the country. Old Testament? I always throught they were into some new kind of religion where ONLY homosexuality is a sin and nothing else. Shriley Phelps I heard not only lives with her boyfriend but has had several kids out of wedlock but she doesn't consider that lifestyle of sin. Which of course it is. But going back to the orginal topic, Liberty University's coaster. If they do get one, wonder if they will run it on Sundays? Sounds silly but I can still remember a time when most retail stores, restaurants, theatres and so forth were closed on Sundays because of that "day of rest" rule. Until four years ago in a county next to mine they had a similar rule where carnival rides could not on Sundays. Even though the law was dropped some churches tried their best to keep that rule into effect. Colorado's Focus on the Family, I seem to recall they wanted to get into the amusement park business at one time. I would like to say they wanted to get their hands on that Santa's Workshop amusement park not far from Colorado Springs but I am not totally sure. I know Focus on the Family offers games and attractions at their complex in Colorado Springs, but no rides.

I don't recall Jerry Falwell, the man himself ever saying that he "hated gays". However the group he launched in the late 70's The Moral Majority, yes I do remember some of their members actually saying that. Actually there was a woman who has since died that used to live down the road from us and she was a "proud" member of that group and every month like clockwork she would write letters to editior saying how much she hated people who were gay. She even went as far as trying to get people who she felt were gay fired from their jobs, kicked out of their homes and so forth. At one point she tried to get our local county school system to bar boys from jumping rope becuase she really believed that would turn boys into future gay men. To me what she did was nothing but hatred. In her mind, two guys sitting beside each other in the movie theatre are gay. I guess she would consider two guys sitting beside each other on a roller coaster as homosexuality. Anyway needless to say when she died a few years back, not many went to her funeral. That infamous Westboro Baptist Church, actually that isn't a church at all. All it is is people who will do anything to get themselves in front of the TV camera and have people talk about them in the media and online. And sadly it works, everytime they show up at a funeral or whatever, the TV people flock to them like bees on honey.

This isn't the first time Liberty University was connected to a roller coaster. When nearby Roanoke ( Salem, VA actually ) had their own amusement park Lakeside Park, before it closed in 1986 I believe Liberty actually rented that place out a few times. For a number of years ( late 60s-early 70s ) I believe Lakeside's Shooting Star was the largest coaster in America. Sadly a Lakeside employee was killed on the ride in 1986. To this day I really believe had that not have happened, Lakeside would still be around today. Its not like they had competiton anyway since Dollywood, Carowinds, even Kings Dominion and Camden Park are hours and hours and more hours away.

Last night at work several of my co-workers were telling me they how they think it would be a good idea for places, even Six Flags and Kings Dominon to sit aside time for families to enjoy the park and to have have them adopt a rule similar to Jeepers to "keep out the perverts". Of course by doing such a practice doesn't always mean 100 percent molestor free in other words the single unmarried male=child molestor is pretty much a myth since many of those sickos who do such horrible crimes are married with kids themselves. Last year not far from me for example a young girl was abused by a man at a carnival. However his wife and 4 small kids were at the other side of the carnival when the crime took place. Sadly it hapens.

At the time Elitches did this ( May 1989 and it was a Friday BTW), they did not have a website. But I do remember KMGH channel 7 and KOA/KRFX The Fox radio stations were there at the park so I imagine this special event was advertised on there. Since at the time even though I was staying in Denver I never watched their local TV or listen to their radio so thats my bad.

I would feel a bit odd going to Sesame Place as well and I a little surprised they dont have a policy barring adults without kids to enter, but then again Sesame Street ( the older episodes ) I have heard DO have a large adult following. Kinda like The Electric Company and ZOOM. I guess there is some camp value of them. If a family fun center offers strictly kiddie rides and a snack bar for birthday parties, playgrounds, and other things that appeal to children only then I can see the restrictions. But when such places start adding things like the arcades, batting gages, go-carts, lazer tag and so forth, things that can be enjoyed by both adults and kids alike, I don't see the logic in telling two 20somethings they cant enter because they don't have a child with them. Back in 2001 my husband and I visited Martins Fantasy Island near Buffalo. Despite the fact that the park had recently spent big bucks on building the Silver Comet, while we were there we heard a rumor that Martins was seriously considering closing the park for everyone ( both the rides and waterpark ) at either 5 or 6pm and then allow only families to remain til the regular closing time. Never heard about those plans ever since so I don't know if this was a crazy rumor or not, but if they were looking at doing that I wonder how they would enforce that? Make everyone leave at once or have their employees go around the park and ask if they are "with child"? Either way it sounds crazy to me.

Starbucks Coffee were the ones that made a BIG issue on that one family fun center near me to drop their policy on banning those older folks without kids to enter. At the time the only Starbucks in the entire region was in that place and I believe Starbucks had some sort of rule that their place must be open to all. Starbucks pretty much gave the place a choice, either create a seperate entrance for them ( if they did that the entrance would have been in the back of the shopping center along the loading dock that was shared with a supermarket that was next door ) or just open the place for all. They did the latter only because it was cheaper.

Back in 1989 when I was in Denver, I stopped by Elitch Gardens. Of course back then they were still at their original location. When I saw the parking lot and noticed the many of empty spaces available I was like "..hey this cool...no problem with waiting to get on the rides !!" Ah..when I went to the front gate I found out why Elitches was only half-full that day. The park was having "Colorado Day". Part of some promotion with a local television station. For that one day only those who actually live in the state of Colorado were allowed to enter that day and since I had a Maryland drivers license at the time I could not get in. I know many of those so-called Indoor Family Fun Parks like Jeepers have some rule that adults aren't allowed to enter unless they have a child with them. Years ago we had a similar place like that in a town a few miles away from me and they too had a similar policy ( they claimed it was to keep out teenages and possible "perverts" ), but once they managed to get a Starbucks to open up inside their place, they had to change that policy to allow anyone in regardless of age. But even places like Jeepers and the like, I have heard over the years they do make exception to ACE members to come in and ride the coaster for credit, though I do know the one Jeepers in Norfolk, Virginia did not allow that. I myself saw them chase two ACE members away who wanted to get in. Stricker's Grove in Ohio I know is a private picnic park, but like Jeepers I have been told over the years, they too will allow ACE members to come in even on days when they are not open to the public. I also have been told they don't. Since I have never been there myself I can't say one or the other. Sesame Place, I wonder if they have a Jeepers policy since that park caters to kids? Last time I checked their site it didn't say so I assume they allow anyone in. Are there any other parks who for whatever reason have restrictions on who they allow to enter? And if they do, do they bend the rules for those who just want to walk in long enough to ride the coasters and check out the other rides and leave?

There's a site with photo's you may be interested in: Abandoned but not forgotten Thanks !!! www.defunctparks.com has a chapter on Chippewa as well. I wish Joel who runs defunctparks would update his site soon. Its has been years since he did. Then again I heard elsewhere that he pretty much lost interest in amusement parks but his site continues.

It was both cool and sad to see what has become of the Big Dipper at Chippewa Lake Park but I am curious to know what became of the other rides that were there? Some of the sites I have seen pics of a Ferris Wheel almost wipped out by trees, actually one pic I saw was that of a large tree that grew within that structure. The flying cages, wild mouse, tumble bug ( with cars still on the track ) and I think there were a few other rides left behind. Wonder if they are still there? I would imagine they are still there. Looking at these pics, kinda reminds me of a small fire house that is located near Keyser, WV. For YEARS behind the fire house they had a Ferris Wheel, Scambler, Tilt-A-Whrill, Swings and I believe 2 kiddie rides. All just sitting there rusting away. After passing this place several times over the years, one day ( this was in 1990 ) I stopped by that Fire House and asked them why the rides. They told me they haven't ran since the 1968 when the fire house used to have their own carnivals. They kept them over the years hoping they would have another carnival in the future. I guess the insurance cost was too much for them. I can kick myself for not taking pics of these rides as the next year ( 1991 ) driving by that place I noticed all of the rides were gone. I stopped by that Fire House and asked them what became of them. The people there didn't know. But be idle for such a long time, I doubt they would have run and chances are they are pieces of metal by now.

I doubt the downturn will affect the parks all that much other than slightly lower attendance figures. Of course one can't predict exactly when a recession is going to occur but this downturn, I believe to most people it isn't a surprise. Heck, way back in 2005 when many banks like Wachovia, Bank of America and Chase were raising minimum payments on credit cards ( part of the so-called President Bush's Pay off America's debt program..Wachovia Bank told me this )and when many people saw gas at $3.00 a gallon for the first time, many people believed and predicted a downturn would happen in a few years. They were right. Even the mortgage problems aren't a surprise. I can remember just a few years ago when some of those Las Vegas and Phoenix area mortgage companies were advertising on television here in Virginia bragging how ANYONE can buy a house there even if he/she didn't have a job. My neighbor's 26 year old son who had never held a full-time job in his lifeand his girl friend who had not worked in years, even they were able to buy a house in Las Vegas. No wonder the mortgage industry has problems. But going back to theme parks...I am pretty sure Six Flags/Cedar Fair and the other companies knew a downturn would happen sooner or later and with all those signs over the years spelling DOWNTURN, I am sure they planned for it.

I am surprised these pics exist. A few years back I was reading someplace an interview with two girls who went to Neverland. They were saying no sooner as they got there they had to give their cell phones, cameras and and other personal items to security before they were allowed to enter. They would get them all back as they would leave Neverland. Also in the same story, only mothers were allowed to enter to place. Fathers weren't.

I heard on the radio here in Virginia that Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is on the verge of being auctioned off including the rides he had on his land. I know Jackson had a very large ferris wheel, a Sea Dragon, bumper cars, a Zipper and a merry-go-round. Someone one told me he even had a Scrambler and a roller coaster but I have never seen those. What other rides did Jackson actually have? Better yet who actually ran those rides? His housekeeper? Jackson himself? I wonder if any of his rides would somehow end up at some park somewhere?

I remember the TV-movie The Death of Ocean View Park. Actually for a TV movie I didn't think it was that bad but not all that great either. Oddly the last time I saw this movie was at my cousin's house on a local station in Virginia Beach back in the 1987. Just down the road pretty much from Ocean View. My cousin who lived in Norfolk at the time they made both Rollercoaster and Death of Ocean View Park, I remember her telling me the park was already on its last legs at the time of Rollercoaster ( Kennywood I believe was the movie peoples first choice but that park turn them down ). By the time Death of Ocean View Park was filmed, she was telling me the park was actually already closed and Playboy ( yes Playboy magazine made this movie for ABC ) actually had to bring in a few rides so they could re-open the park. That explains why there aren't any shots of the rides being destroyed other than the roller coaster and I believe an old parachute tower. Back in the 70s I used to go to Norfolk's Ocean View quite often. Even in its run down state it was still better than what Virginia Beach had at the time. Seaside Park. That park didn't have a coaster but it did have pretty much everything else but Seaside had one problem. They HATED kids !! Buckroe Beach across the water from Norfolk in Hampton at the time, they had a coaster but my parents refused to take us there saying it was in a "bad area" which is kinda of silly considering Ocean View wasn't exactly in the nicest part of town either. By the time I had my license and went to Buckroe ( 1986 ) only the coaster was standing and that was on the verge of being torn down. That coaster was actually smaller than Ocean View's. But going back to Ocean View Park, that park was doomed anyway. The neighborhood ( and most of Norfolk at the time for that matter ) was going down the tubes. Plus I remember my cousin telling me that during the last few years of when Ocean View was in business, many people stopped going to the park because the feared the rides ( and the neighborhood ) were no longer safe. Sometimes I wonder if the people who owned the park regretted having their star attraction being featured in Rollercoaster? Plus I remember at the time hearing about some violent episodes that took place on the beaches near Ocean View too. Add those nearby seedy no-tell motels that existed at the time ( the 1970s ), none of which helped Ocean View Park. At least the park went out with a bang and many people, even those who have no interest in roller coasters, well they still remember Ocean View Park thanks to that movie. unlike so many great parks of the past that have been totally forgotten by so many.