Amusement Parks - Rollercoasters, Theme Parks & Rides

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...

Lakeside Park on Dayton's West Side was established in 1887 as a picnic grove. By the 1890s, the land at the corner of South Gettysburg Ave. and Lakeside Dr. had developed into an amusement park. It closed in 1967 and in 1996 the US...

Legend City opened in Phoenix in 1963. It was conceived as a Disneyland-style, old west theme park by local ad man Louis E. Crandall. Though it faced numerous financial challenges, it remained open until 1983.

Legend City opened in Phoenix in 1963. It was conceived as a Disneyland-style, old west theme park by local ad man Louis E. Crandall. Though it faced numerous financial challenges, it remained open until 1983.

Legend City Family Fun Park in Phoenix entertained a generation of visitors from 1963 to 1983.

Edgar Streifthau opened LeSourdsville Lake in 1922. Essentially a family picnic ground at first, the park featured a restaurant, dance hall, bathhouse, and cabins. It grew into a regional destination after World War II and provided lasting summer memories for several generations. In 1978,...

Lion Country Safari was an attraction that debuted at Kings Island in 1974. In 1977, it was rebranded as Wild Animal Safari as Kings Island took full control from their partners at Lion Country Safari. The attraction's most unique feature, of course, was the...

Known as "The Wonderland of the Pacific Northwest" Lotus Isle amusement park opened in the summer of 1930 on Hayden Island. After a roller coaster accident and the suicide of the park's owner, it closed in 1932.

Luna Park operated in Seattle from 1907 until 1913. It was designed by Charles I.D. Loof, who built the first carousel at Coney Island in New York City.

Designed by the Dinn Corporation of Cincinnati, Mean Streak opened on May 11, 1991 at Cedar Point. The coaster's designer, Charles Summers, was also on the design team for The Beast at Kings Island. In 2016, the ride was closed. It was redesigned for...

The KI and Miami Valley Railroad opened in 1972 along with the rest of the park. A three-foot gauge heritage railroad it runs from the main park to the water park and back.