Your LOCAL Amusement Parks in the 70's?

[z3zep]

As a youngster we went to Palisades Amusement Park, until it closed.

Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ -- Rolling Thunder!!!

Anyone from NJ, NY or PA remember the Haunted Mansion in Long Branch, NJ? On the boardwalk? That was awesome!

[Vortigern99]

Astroworld -- Houston, TX. I still cannot BELIEVE they closed it. Last time I drove by it was an enormous cleared field!!!! It's like closing Disney Land or something.

[Mikey]

As a youngster we went to Palisades Amusement Park, until it closed.

Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ -- Rolling Thunder!!!

Anyone from NJ, NY or PA remember the Haunted Mansion in Long Branch, NJ? On the boardwalk? That was awesome!

Yep, didn't they have a rival ?

Brigantine Castle, I think

I remember both their TV commercials well.

[Adam West]

I should have said Hershey Park not Hersheyland. I've only been there a couple of times (never as a kid)...nice park but gets super crowded.

[Adam West]

I grew up in California. Disneyland. Magic Mountain. Knott's Berry Farm. Marriott's Great America. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

I have an aunt who lives in Long Beach. The most extravagant vacation I ever took as a kid was flying out with my family to visit her. She was always a world traveler and welcomed us into her home.

She gave my mom her car to use the entire week we were there and it seemed like we did everything....Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, trips to Hollywood and Chinatown, my aunt even arranged to give us tickets to the Rose Bowl parade and I remember Jimmy Stewart was the grand marshall. My mom was in awe to see him in person....I remember asking "Who is Jimmy Stewart" and my mom replied "One day you'll know"

My aunt came along and we drove down to San Diego and spent a day at Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Then we drove into Tijuana, Mexico...first time I had ever left the United States and went into complete culture shock to see how other people lived and how good we really have it in the U.S.

[Wee67]

Yep, didn't they have a rival ?

Brigantine Castle, I think

I remember both their TV commercials well.

I absolutely remember those ads.

BTW, I was a Great Adventure (Six Flags) and Dorney Park kid, too.

[EmergencyIan]

Santa Claus Land in Santa Claus Indiana!











And me at Santa Claus Land in the mid 70s:



It's now known as Holiday World and famous for it's wooden roller coasters. However, it no longer has the same charm that it once did.


- Ian

[wayne foundation 07]

Idora Park was in Youngstown,it was a fun old park,closed in the mid '80's.Best thing about it was the wooden roller coasters.Sea World was about an hour away,we went there several times,it too closed a couple years sgo,now its just a water park.Bummer

[z3zep]

Yep, didn't they have a rival ?

Brigantine Castle, I think

I remember both their TV commercials well.

Yes that was it, I think they were related. The had similar set-ups. I never made it out to the castle but I went several times to the one in Long Branch. That place scared the hell out of me, but I kept going back. It was so dark in there, especially after going in from a day on the beach. The actors would chase you and stuff would hit you in the face/legs.

Wasn't it the Great Adventure (NJ) Haunted House fire fire, that basically shut down the walk-thru, dark, haunted houses? btw the Great Adventure one was nothing compared the one in Long Branch.

[theantiquetiger]

Fun Fair Park here in Baton Rouge, Ponchatrain Beach in New Orleans, and Astro World in Houston. All three are closed, but fun fair park did re-open under a new name as Dixie Landing at the local water park, Blue Bayou.

[BENDY]

Legend City

The Only Thing We Had In Arizona Was Legend City. It Closed In 1983.

[starsky]

in the bay area, marine world in belmont/san carlos but they moved to vallejo , great america in santa clara and the beach boardwalk in santa cruz. all are still in business.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

We had (still do) Great America in Gurnee, IL, which eventually became Six Flags Great America.

There were places like Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom and Santa's Village. On the South Side here we had FunTown (95th and Stony Island avenue).

[Earth 2 Chris]

Kings Island, which is close to Cincinnati, OH. I several fond memories of this place and still enjoy taking my son there. It's changed a lot over the years and I was really sorry to see the Happy Land of Hanna Barbera get converted into a Nickelodeon theme but I understand that the park has to change with the times.

Same here. Went to Kings Island several times. Loved the animitronic HB boat ride and that blue Huckleberry Hound/Smurf ice cream! I haven't been back since it went all Nick.

Anyone remember Americana? It was north of Kings Island in Ohio I believe. Went there twice. They had less attractions, but it had a more laid-back charm. They had a giant roulette wheel. It looked like a death-trap on a JLA cover!

Chris

[YoungOnce]

Hey Speed Racer and Earth to Chris,
I take my girls to Kings Island every year, like my parents took us kids.

Been goin' since the 70's... do either of you remember the canoe ride... had a little dock and you paddled a boat around a little island... had a tour guide on the boat with you. It was in the episode of the Brady Bunch when they visited Kings Island... it's where Jan left her dad's blueprints!

I remember the "Rotar"... onr of those carnival rides where you stand against a cylinder wall, it spins, the floor drops down and you're stuck to the wall.

Best part to me... walking down the right side of the main street and smelling the Larosa's pizza from th pizza shop.