Amusement Parks - Rollercoasters, Theme Parks & Rides

Opened in 1978, it was one of the first dedicated water parks in the United States. It quickly became for its array of thrilling, yet dangerous, rides and attractions. Multiple injuries to patrons and several subsequent lawsuits forced the park to close in 1996....

Americana opened in Middletown as LeSourdsville Lake??in 1922. One of the park's founder's, Edgar Streifthau, opened Fantasy Farm, geared toward young children, right next door in 1963. In 1977, LeSourdsville Lake became Americana. It closed in 1999, reopened in 2002, only to close again...

Australia's Wonderland opened on December 7, 1985, as the sixth member of the Kings Entertainment amusement park family. At 219 acres, it was the largest amusement park in the Southern Hemisphere. The park's design was based mostly on Canada's Wonderland. It was also a...

The Bat opened in 1981 as the world's first suspended roller coaster. However, frequent mechanical problems forced it to close after the 1983 season. Learning from The Bat's shortcomings, the ride's manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics, was able to develop a much more successful second generation...

Beverly Park operated from 1945 to 1974 at the corner of Beverly Blvd. and La Cienega, the present home of the Beverly Center Mall. The Park was apparently inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland.??

Boomerang Bay was the former name of four different water parks in the U.S. Operated in conjunction with the Paramount's amusement parks, the name was derived from one of the company's movie properties. They were later rebranded after Paramount sold its amusement park division,...

Australia???s Wonderland opened on December 7, 1985, as the sixth member of the Kings Entertainment amusement park family. The park???s design was based mostly on Canada???s Wonderland. Indeed, it's signature coaster The Bush Beast was a replica of Canada's Wild Beast. Both rides were...

Chippewa Lake Park was an amusement park in Medina County near the junction of US 224 and I-71. Named for the lake by which it was built, the park was open from 1875 to 1978. Many of the old rides still sit abandoned at...

Cincinnati had it's own Splat City from 1995 to 2000. Located in what was still called Hanna-Barbera Land for a time, it was the place to cool down on a hot day. When that part of the park became fully Nick themed, there were...

Cypress Gardens was a botanical garden and theme park located in Winter Haven, Florida. It opened in 1936 and claimed to be the state's first commercial theme park. It closed in 2009 and was replaced by Legoland Florida. The old botanical gardens were saved...

The Screamin Demon (later just the Demon) was a looping shuttle coaster (one that does not make a complete a circuit) that opened in 1977 at Kings Island just north of Cincinnati. It moved to Camden Park in New Jersey in 1988 and closed...

Edgewater Park was a 20-acre amusement park at Grand River and Seven Mile Rd on Detroit's West Side that opened in 1927. For over 50 years its visitors enjoyed such attractions as the Wild Beast roller coaster, the 110-foot Ferris wheel, and the Hall...

Originally opened as Avalanche Run, this indoor roller coaster opened at Cedar Point in 1985. In 1990, it was renovated and renamed Disaster Transport, featuring a futuristic space theme. Over time, though, the theming deteriorated and was never repaired. It gave it's last ride...

Electric Park was the name used for two amusement parks in Kansas City. The first opened in 1899 while the second, larger version began welcoming visitors in 1907 and lasted until 1925 when it was destroyed by a late night fire. Young Walt Disney...

The Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City opened on August 15, 1955, just one month after Walt Disney opened his theme park in Anaheim, California. The park closed in 1995 with many of its rides and other elements being moved to a nearby farm for...

The Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City opened on August 15, 1955, just one month after Walt Disney opened his theme park in Anaheim, California. The park closed in 1995 with many of its rides and other elements being moved to a nearby farm for...

Enchanted Voyage was the most expensive ride built for Kings Island when the park opened in 1972. Shaped like a giant television, it took riders??through several rooms featuring animatronic versions of new and old Hanna-Barbera characters. In 1984, it was totally redesigned and became...

Euclid Beach Park opened in 1895 on Lake Shore Boulevard and served as the area's primary amusement park for over 70 years. Financial problems, along with competition from the newly expanded Geauga Lake, spelled the end of Euclid Beach Park after the 1969 season.

Firehawk opened as X-Flight on May 6, 2001 at??Geauga Lake??south of Cleveland. In 2006, the ride was relocated to Kings island. Rebranded Firehawk, it opened on May 26, 2007. It has since been removed with it's footprint now occupied by Orion.??

A holdover from the 1962 World's Fair, Fun Forest ??was the place to go for thrill rides. It closed forever on January 2, 2011.

On November 23, 1973,??The Brady Bunch??episode "The Cincinnati Kid" first aired on ABC-TV. The episode was filmed in August of that year at Kings Island in Mason and remains a favorite of Tristate TV fans.

Geauga Lake is a former theme park in Aurora, Ohio that was established in 1887 in what had been a local recreation area adjacent to the lake of the same name. The first amusement ride was added in 1889, and the park's first roller...

The Big Dipper was the classic coaster at Geauga Lake amusement park. Built in 1925 as the Sky Rocket, it was designed by famous coaster designer John A. Miller. It became the Clipper in 1947 with the name changed to the Big Dipper in...

The Ghoster Coaster, officially Scooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster, was the world's first suspended coaster for kids. Unlike conventional coasters, riders, placed in tandem on a motorcycle-like car, were lifted elevator-style to the top of the ride and released. Opened in 1998 at Kings Island, it...

Greezed Lightnin' was a steel coaster at AstroWorld in Houston, Texas that opened in 1978. It closed with the rest of the park at the end of the 2005 operating season. At a height of 137.8 feet, it reached a top speed of 60...

Holiday Hill amusement park opened in 1955 on Lambert Road, just east of St. Louis Lambert International Airport. It featured a roller coaster, kiddie land, miniature golf course, swimming pool, and arcade. Increased competition, limited space, and other, unforeseen, circumstances, led to the park's...

Did you ever take a drive on your local amusement park's antique cars?

Idora Park began welcoming visitors in 1899 and was a beloved destination for folks in the Youngstown/Warren area for generations. However, a devastating fire in 1984 destroyed the park's signature ride, the Wildcat roller coaster. The park soldiered on for one more season before...

Kiddieland Amusement Park in??Melrose Park, Illinois was home to several classic rides including the??Little Dipper??roller coaster. The park opened in 1929 but closed on September 27, 2009, however the sign for the amusement park can still be seen at the Melrose Park Public Library.

King Cobra was the first coaster to be designed and built specifically as a stand-up coaster. The ride opened in 1984. The original manufacturer, TOGO, went out of business in 2001 making parts difficult to find causing the ride to close after the 2002...