Part 11: Sky Ride: Raw bacon and another billion moving parts to carry 900 people 250 yards per hour
A mainstay of 1970’s amusement park boom was the ubiquitous Skyride (also known as Skylift and Sky Gondola). They took many shapes and...
Part 10: Kings Dominion’s Haunted River: stop having sex in your boat, please
As written in part 1 of this series, in 1978 Kings Dominion stuck its neck out on a major 4-ride attraction called “The Lost World” that...
Part 9: You need to know an awful lot About Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carroussels in Virginia
In 1903, the Philadelphia Toboggan Company was founded in Germantown, Pennsylvania with the philosophy of building the best and finest...
Part 8: Busch Gardens-Williamsburg discovers Why Celebrities are a Bad Idea at Ride Inaugurals
Dana Carvey: "Nuthink to zee here!" On April 4, 1992, Williamsburg’s Busch Gardens attempted to repeat the success of the Loch Ness...
Part 7: Live Fast, Die Hard -- Richmond’s Idlewood Amusement Park
May 30, 1906 was the grand opening of what then was called “The finest amusement park south of Philadelphia” -- Richmond, Virginia's own...
Part 6: Old Reliables - 2 Rides that Refuse to Break Down
With the enormous engineering and maintenance costs associated with amusement rides’ modern technology, especially as it ages, it is...