Park Hoppin’

Known around the world for its wooden coasters, Great Coasters International announced the next product in its legacy, Titan Track, during the 2019 IAAPA Expo, which coincided with its 25th anniversary party at Fun Spot Orlando. The…
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While visiting the Senator John Heinz History Center in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I reconnected with an old friend. It was an original car shown here from the Kennywood Racer, which I first rode in 1980 or ‘81, I forget exactly…
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Last year during the coronavirus pandemic I visited Santa's Land Fun Park & Zoo in Cherokee, North Carolina. While there I visited Santa himself, who has been played at the park for years by Clayton Smith, pictured below. The park…
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Dinosaur Kingdom II is a throwback to the old roadside attractions of the mid-20th century, when Americans explored the country in their automobiles. Businesses tried to entice them off the road and to spend a few dollars. A little rain…
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Not sure why, but when I heard that I could get up close to a sloth at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, I just had to visit. Sloths are those adorable and lethargic animals that live in treetops of Central and South…
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In an industry that’s always evolving I’m always looking for something I haven’t seen before. During a recent trip visiting parks in the Southeastern U.S. I found several that caught my attention. If your park is looking for something…
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Park visitors can enjoy an amazing variety of unusual roller coasters these days, but it wasn’t always this way. I was reminded of how far roller coaster technology has progressed during a recent tour of Pennsylvania parks, especially…
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If you’ve ever visited a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium (BION) you may have wondered where all these strange, shocking, and beautiful exhibits come from. I did, but now I’ve found out. Believe it or not, they come from Orlando,…
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Last March, when I was told to stay home and avoid people I thought to myself, “Are they serious? Those are my life’s goals.” But what initially sounded good to me wasn’t good for business. For the outdoor amusement industry, this season…
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Palisades Amusement Park was a 38-acre park located atop the New Jersey Palisades in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City. It operated from 1898 until 1971, and was one of the most visited amusement parks…
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