J's Amusements Park

[speedracer]

Like alot of folks around here I also have a facination with abandoned parks, so I figured I'd post a few pics of CA's very own abandonded park. Was up in Guernville last weekend for Thanksgiving weekend, was surprised to see anything left of J's Amusements Park, been almost 3yrs ago now since the park ceased operating.

 

The park itself was pretty ghetto, but had a really stunning setting nestled among mountains and California redwoods:

 

Few rides still left around:

 

 

Probably time to update the open sign:

 

Mad Mouse was definitely the star attraction:

 

Never understood the point of abandoned parks, seems like the rides would be worth more to the owner being sold off instead of just letting them rot away.

 

Few bonus shots also taken last weekend. For those that say Medusa West has no landscaping, I say !:

 

Pretty sad that she looks better from outside the park than she does from inside:

 

From the right angle, wouldn't even guess this is Medusa West!:

 

 

One last sunset shot, thanks for reading!:

[robbalvey]

Nice pics of J's....very creepy.

 

Although I do think that it's easy to get pics Medusa from outside the ride to make it look like trees are around it and the ride is landscaped, there's really no denying that once you're on the ride, it looks like total crap:

 

[yankees15]

Nice pics! I never heard of that park before. Also I really like the picture of Medusa where the supports looked blue!

[apollo210]

Wow! That place is more ghetto than Yorks ! I don't get the point of abandoned parks as well, they have just no point to them. Now that the park is abandoned, we can say good bye to the Mouse and it looks horrible as well. Finally, whats the point of those cars, are they abandoned as well ?!?

[Jeezus Juice]

FYI, that park has looked like that for the last 16 or so years I've lived in and around Guerneville. The area where the park is located is right in the middle of the Speed-Freak Meth-Woods.

 

I've seen that park flooded by the nearby Russian river at least a half dozen times. Those rides are just lumped up in a pile on the street with all of the trailers people drag out of the woods until the water subsides.

 

As for the coaster itself I don't believe it has ever been maintained. The block brakes were just strips of rotted wood last time I saw it running. Monica needed the credit so I just stood back and watched.

 

I'd ridden the thing in 6th grade (14 years ago) and it was a POS back then.

 

The rest of the park consisted of a very creaky round-up, a go-kart track, a tilt-o-whirl, and one of the worst water slides I've ever been on. You know, the kind you have to stand up and walk out halfway down. The park in total is only about an acre and a half.

 

The best part of the park for us was the arcade. Basically a halfdozen videogames and a moldy pool table inside of a moldy plywood shack. Still, it was the only place around with Street Fighter II and a Mortal Kombat II machine.

 

Hey J's, F U! Good riddence to this piece of crap park.

 

-Don

slightly bitter about having to live in moldy meth-woods, thanks a lot parents.

[Shavethewhales]

Heh, Awsome, I too love abandoned parks.

Call me crazy, but I feel slightly dismayed at seeing even a crappy coaster rot away. Who's cars were those? What has been happening with the park lately?

 

I'd probably be nicking a few things if I were around there.

[deano]

Hey J's, F U! Good riddence to this piece of crap park.

 

Something tells me you dont really like this place.

 

The shot of Medusa in the sunset is awesome, can someone please tell me what the track is in the background of this shot? The track seems to finish (or start) 70 feet in the air.

[Guest]

It's V2's modified spike. It had to be rebuilt do to height restrictions.

 

 

Nice photo TR, I like abandoned parks like that a lot.

[coasterdude5]

Nice shots, abandoned parks always get to me...

 

Also, that last shot of Medusa was perfect.

[deano]

It's V2's modified spike. It had to be rebuilt do to height restrictions.

 

Thanks for that.

 

Would the wild Mouse at J's still count as a credit if someone was whore enough to actually ride it in its current state?

[Calvin]

Nice pics of J's....very creepy.

 

Although I do think that it's easy to get pics Medusa from outside the ride to make it look like trees are around it and the ride is landscaped, there's really no denying that once you're on the ride, it looks like total crap:

 

 

Oh, yes, that's very true. I remember riding it and thinking, multiple times, "Parking lot!" Twirling through that Sea Serpent was like being in a well-lit concrete blender.

[Ryan King]

Whats kinda funny is that Scream, at SFMM, is also a parking lot coaster. (For those of you that DONT know!)

 

And Jahan and I were discussing that they should demolish Flashback..and spread its track ALL around Scream! Along with smashed cars etc..and name it Junkyard coaster or something!

 

-Ryan "Just a Thought" King

[deano]

^ Maybe they could use the cars and track of the Wild Mouse from J's to add to 'Junkyard Coaster' at least it would be in use even if its only theming.

[crispy]

Great pics of an abandoned park

 

I really like those pics, and makes you wonder why they couldn't sell off those rides, maybe they were so poorly maintaned, they are just not worth anything anymore

 

Thanks for posting the pics

[speedracer]

Thanks for the great comments guys, really appreciate it! I think the cars parked around are for the campground next door, not anything to do with reopening the park or anything.

 

Hey J's, F U! Good riddence to this piece of crap park.

 

-Don

slightly bitter about having to live in moldy meth-woods, thanks a lot parents.

 

Yikes! Glad my friends house is on the other side of Guernville, I personally just love being up in the redwoods, the sights and smells of the giant trees is intoxicating! Really cool for a city guy like me who's stuck in nothing but concrete 24/7 to visit such a beautiful place.

 

For me Mad Mouse was the only reason to visit, hands down the best mouse on the West Coast and one of the most frightening coasters period. Flying around all that rusted beat up track, watching the ENTIRE support structure lift and tilt off the ground as the buckets rolled around the course, truly frightening! And the wild ejector air on those last 3 bunny hills/drops was a great finale, personally sad that this little rippin' coaster will most certainly be scrapped.

[Jew]

I hope everyone realizes the reason this park was shut down was due to failing OSHA inspections...so it's not a suprise the rides aren't sold.

[speedracer]

^ Then why not just sell the rides as is or for spare parts or something. Regardless of why any abandoned park closes, just don't comprehend the point of letting any ride rot away when they could easily be relocated or utilized somehow. Throw a few of those loose Tilt-A-Whirl cars on Ebay, I'd bet the owner would make a fortune!

 

Those abandoned parks in Japan and elsewhere with big coasters and such really puzzle me the most, not every ride in every abandonded park is condemed and couldn't be given a new life in a new home.

[verticalzero]

Great Sunset Shot of Medusa, lovely colour of red's

 

I like closed Parks as well, My fav is Chippa Lake

 

I would love to go there and borrow a wheel off one of the "Big Dipper" trains or have the wood brake lever.