Action Park was lawless, run by wild teenagers, and spending the day there was like playing a game of Russian roulette.
One of the first things people saw when they entered New Jersey's Action Park, which operated in New Jersey from 1978 – 1996, was a tube-shaped water slide with a loop in it. Yes, that right — the slide would take people straight down and then completely upside down, around the loop. This slide, which often left kids with injuries and lacerations (due to knocked-out teeth that became lodged into the padding of the slide), was just one of the many treacherous attractions that drew people to this park.
A documentary streaming on HBOMax called Class Action Park gives a detailed look into how this theme park came into existence, what happened during its heyday, and why it finally had to shut down for good.
From the documentary's website:
During its 1980s and 1990s heyday, New Jersey's Action Park earned a reputation as the most insane — and possibly the most dangerous — amusement park that ever existed.
It was known as a lawless land, ruled by drunk teenage employees and frequented by even drunker teenage guests. The rides were experimental and illogical, and seemed to ignore even the most basic notions of physics or common sense—not to mention safety.
Let's put it this way: There was an enclosed tube waterslide that went in a complete loop—and that wasn't even close to the most dangerous ride at the park.
Lying somewhere between Lord of the Flies and a Saw movie, Action Park is remembered as a place so insane and treacherous that, decades later, anybody who ever stepped foot in it is left wondering whether their memories could possibly be true. It became a nearly perfect breeding ground for urban legends and myths.
Watch the trailer:
