Your LOCAL Amusement Parks in the 70's?

[Airdave817]

I grew up not too far away from Great America in Gurneee. Started by Marriot than turned over to Six Flags.

I never made it to this one it wasn't open very long. Maybe the worst idea for an amusement park -
Old Chicago in Bollingbrook

[ZICA]

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

The Hanna Barbera boat ride you're talking about was The Enchanted Voyage and it was my favorite ride in the park as a kid. It was later changed to a Smurf theme, then to Phantom Theater, and now it's Scooby Doo's Haunted Castle.

I remember Americana and it was there I had my picture taken with Spider-man. There was also a smaller park called Fantasy Farm.

[ZICA]

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.

I don't remember the canoe ride but I did see it on the Brady Bunch episode. I do remember the Rotar One ride I hated to see go was The Bat. Everything about that ride was awesome! Too bad they were always having mechanical problems with it and had to tear it down. The Vortex is a nice replacement though

[Wee67]

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.

The Great Adventure fire didn't really shut them down as much as make them a little harder to have. The Great Adventure one was a bunch of trailers soddily put together. It was tragically proven to be a fire trap.

[Mikey]

Any of you local boys remember Jungle Habitat ?

I went there MANY times --- and it was featured in Weird NJ (the magazine) a few times after it closed ......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_Habitat

m

[Wee67]

Nah. From Philly we'd hit Jackson, Allentown (Dorney) and maybe gp west to Hershey Park.

[ZICA]

This was the entrance to The Happy Land Of Hanna-Barbera which has since been converted to a Nickelodeon theme.

Here's the front of The Enchanted Voyage which is now Scooby Doo's Haunted Castle.

[Spyweb007]

I used to go to Rocky Point at least once every summer here in Rhode Island, it was a fun place to spend an afternoon.

[z3zep]

Any of you local boys remember Jungle Habitat ?

I went there MANY times --- and it was featured in Weird NJ (the magazine) a few times after it closed ......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_Habitat

m

I am local gal ;-)

I remember Jungle Habitat -- but just from commercials, we never went there. My parents didn't want wild animals on the car <wonder why?> lol

Another place, I wanted to go but never went because too many kids got hurt there -- was Vernon Valley - Action Park. The cool Alpine slide -- kids came home with scraps, bruises, broken limbs and head injuries. I still wanted to go and drive the super go-karts

Weird NJ Stories, Action Park

[YoungOnce]

Love those old Kings Island pics...

[megomaniac]

Like mitchedwards, I got to go to Opryland every summer. That was a blast. I still find it a completely stupid idea to knock down a theme park to build a shopping mall. I'm still to this day bitter over that one.

[jds1911a1]

Kennywood in Pittsburgh, PA

that was mine too still need to take my kids there