In Longjing, China, more than 40 people were reportedly injured at the Yulong Shuiyun Water Amusement Park when an electronics failure at their "tsunami pool" generated unexpectedly massive waves. Read the rest
Ian Curtis experiences the, er, known pleasures of a thrill ride with much more restraint than Billy Corgan.
During a test ride of the GaleForce rollercoaster at Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City, New Jersey, two dummies flew out of their seats and crash-landed on the roof of a nearby hotel. Read the rest
Opened in Vernon, New Jersey's in 1978, Action Park's biggest claim to fame was the number of injuries experienced by visitors to the amusement and water park. Apparently during Action Park's heyday, between 5 and 10 guests ended up in the emergency room every weekend. It was nicknamed "Traction Park," "Accident Park," and, my favorite, "Class Action Park." Lawsuits finally shut down Action Park in 1996.
Learn more at Action Park's extensive Wikipedia page.
York's Wild Kingdom Zoo & Fun Park in York, Maine is up for sale. For just $14.2 million, you could be the proprietor of this beachside attraction complete with the likes of lions, monkeys, lemurs, camels, pigs, deer, kangaroos, a butterfly kingdom, paddle boats, miniature golf, bumper cars, and a haunted house. No lowball offers though.
According to owner Joe Barberi, a realtor called and “asked if we would consider selling the park. Not getting any younger and everything having to do with its price, I told him he was free to pursue the idea.he could find someone who would like to buy it and would be willing to pay the price without any negotiations then, fine, it’s a deal,” he said.
Barberi's a patient man.
“For now, it’s business as usual,” he said last week. “71 days until opening.”
Michael Hearst, composer of the classic "Songs for Ice Cream Trucks" and author of the excellent Unusual Creatures, shares this delightful video of seemingly quite dangerous rides at Coney Island in the 1930s and 1940s.
These sanctioned affronts to safety remind me of the fun I had rolling around with my brothers in our station wagon's cargo area on long road trips.
In the market for a Ferris Wheel? Carousel? Scrambler? Go-kart Fleet? How about just a Chili Cheese Dispenser? The entire contents of the Heritage Square Amusement Park in Golden Colorado will be up for auction on October 25. It's cash-and-carry (certified or cashier’s check accepted) but "buyers of large pieces will have additional time for removal." Whew. I've got my eye on that Space Shuttle Ride from 1980 and maybe the 1963 Tilt A Whirl.
Heritage Square Amusument Park Auction Brochure PDF (via Atlas Obscura)
Jeb Corliss held a GoPro Fusion 360 camera on the Goliath rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Then he stabilized the footage. Enjoy the trip. And it is a trip. Read the rest
Christian ministry Answers In Genesis report that their massive Noah's Ark attraction will open next July in Williamstown, Kentucky. This is the same organization behind the infamous Creation Museum where cavemen frolic with dinosaurs. The 510-foot-long, $90 million wooden Ark will be the centerpiece of a Christian theme park. The state of Kentucky had originally given Answers In Genesis an $18 million tax break on the project but changed their mind "over concerns of 'religious indoctrination,'" according to the Associated Press. Answers In Genesis has filed a federal lawsuit to try to get the tax incentive reinstated.
I just hope the ark has room for the dragons and unicorns.
(Thanks, Bob Pescovitz!) Read the rest
“Wheeee.” Read the rest
Here's some fun: "Place hand in dog's cage and hold it there for as long as you dare. Dog pants, dribbles warm saliva and other disgusting things." It's a coin-operated amusement built by Tim Hunkin, and you can see a customer trying it out in this video.
Tim Hunkin is a brilliant cartoonist, inventor, and TV show host. He wrote some great articles for me at Make magazine and I'm always happy to learn about anything he creates. In this video, we get to see Test Your Nerve and some of the other one-of-a-kind coin-operated machines Tim has built for his new-ish mechanical amusement arcade in London.
Some of the machine's at Tim's arcade:
MONEY LAUNDERING: Pick up cash from the gutter and deposit it in the city without the regulators spotting MICROBREAK: Sit in the chair and travel on holiday, moved by the magic carpet. ALIEN PROBE: Investigate the captive alien BUT try not to annoy it. DIVORCE: Race to separate, then see the results. PET OR MEAT: Spin the arrow and see where it lands. Then view what happens to the lamb in detail. AUTOFRISK: Stand in position and let the rubber gloves give you a thorough frisk. MY-NUKE: Use the remote manipulator arm to open the fuel box and load the fuel pellets into the reactor. INSTANT WEIGHTLOSS: Watch weightfree nutrients prepared especially for you and then watch yourself lose weight in the mirror. EXPRESSIVE PHOTOBOOTH: Sit inside and the booth activates mechanisms to provoke a wide range of expressions while taking the photos. Read the rest
