Links
[With websites ever-changing URL's there are bound to be some broken links. If you come across one here please e-mail me]
The American Experience- Coney Island: The official PBS site of the wonderful documentary on the island. One of the best timelines I have found of Coney.
This is Astroland Amusement Park's Homepage. Astroland is the current amusement park of Coney Island, and where the world-famous Cyclone lives.
Capturing Mermaids with a Holga: This article, from the New York Institute of Photography, talks about different photography techniques to try at the Island with a Holga camera.
This comprehensive site will
tell you everything you need to know about modern-day Coney
Island. It also talks about a great Coney Island museum
which features historical artifacts and one of the last homes of ballyhoo- Sideshows by the Seashore.
Coney Island Tourist Information: A pop-up F.A.Q. with all you need to know about the island.
David Kane: David has a great collection of altered Coney photos that depict various landmarks on the Island.
Deno's Wonder Wheel Park: The home of the famous Wonder Wheel and many other rides, including a wonderful dark ride.
Luna Park, Coney Island: A nice little site about Thompson & Dundy's spectacular park.
The Mermaid Parade Homepage: Find out about this yearly Coney tradition.
ACT NOW! Preserve Child's Restaurant - Help save one of Coney's most famous landmarks from the first golden era!
Sensations Magazine: The largest collection of archival Coney Island photography ever put into print is in this 112-photo issue, still available for purchase. Includes Sea Lion Park, Luna Park, Steeplechase, Dreamland, and Astroland.
Thunderbolt Roller Coaster.Org: This is the website for the art exhibit that celebrates the artwork of the Thunderbolt. If you are going to be in the New York area I highly advise stopping by.
Amusement Park Nostalgia: A great look at some of the over one-hundred (yes, that many!) parks which once made up Pennsylvania, and some neat New Jersey parks.
Asbury Park: A great page dedicated to the preservation of Asbury Park and sharing memories of the place with a whole new generation.
Bertand Island: A nice site that tells about a museum dedicated to the area which has exhibits on this defunct park.
Bits of the Beach: This great site has information on all the aspects of Blackpool Pleasure Beach you could possibly be interested in. Don't forget to check out their sister site, The Magic Eye.
Carousels.com- This is a great website that lists all of the functioning carousels in the US, a great resource to look at before you head out on a trip.
The Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada Page on Closed Canadian Parks: A nice collection on the parks which Canada has lost. This is one of the few detailed sources one can find on Canada's amusement park heritage, be sure to check it out.
Conneaut Lake Park Preservation Society: A group dedicated to keeping this wonderful park around for future generations. They have helped organize "The Blue Streak Challenge" and "Painting the Blue Streak" to help keep the coaster running in tip-top shape. Visit to find out more about this great traditional park.
Dark Ride and Funhouse Enthusiasts: A club dedicated to classic dark rides and funhouses, many of which have been lost with time.
Defunct Amusement Parks: One of the largest databases on amusement parks that are no longer with us. It is a valuable resource, as is Joel Styer's other site, Ridezone.com. You can spend hours at each.
Euclid Beach Park Nuts: A group working to preserve the memories of Euclid Beach and restore the park's grand carousel.
Five Cent Ride: A nice collection of historic amusement park paintings, images and other items from parks and carnivals.
FPhDoug at the Highlands: This site works to share the memory of a park that seems to have been forgotten by many: The Forest Park Highlands in St. Louis.
Freedomland, U.S.A.: Although it never has been a park that was loved by amusement park historians (myself included), Freedomland did carve a niche in the hearts of many New Yorkers. Stop by here to find out most anything about the park.
Frontier Village: A look back at this memorable California family park.
Glen Echo Park: Visit the website of this defunct park that served thousands in the Washington D.C. area for decades.
The Herschell Spillman Carousel Museum: One of the few places in the country that have done a great job detailing our amusement park heritage. Here, one can find out about this former production center for some of America's best carousels.
Idora Park Museum Committee: This group has gotten together a major milestone in amusement park history, they used their resources to create a museum (located at Conneaut Lake Park) dedicated to Idora, which was only a few hours away.
Idora Park- Past & Present: A nice collage of all things Idora, from memories to pictures to a message board.
Ken's Classic Coaster Postcards: Although it does feature coaster cards, I put this site under history because it is a great collection of photos that take you back in time. My personal favorite on the page is the Million Dollar Coaster- I have always loved the name!
Mike's Historic Amusement Parks: This site has a humbling collection of photos and postcards. A very fun trip back in time.
N.A.P.H.A.: The
National Amusement Park Historical Association is a group that
works to preserve our amusement park heritage.
Old Fashioned Fun: A great site dedicated to traditional amusement parks, especially those in Pennsylvania.
Old Orchard Beach: A nice site that looks at one of Maine's few seaside amusement areas.
The Olympic Park Museum: A site which looks at a park which has been forgotten by many, Olympic Park in N.J., and has a great photo collection.
Palisades Amusement Park Historical Society:
A group that celebrates the history of a park that used to sit
across the river from New York City on the bluffs of the Hudson.
The Paragon Carousel: This ride has had a rocky life, but is slowly making a strong comeback. An important ride to support...hard to believe it is the last amusement device within Boston!
Pleasure Island: This site pays tribute to the short-lived "Disneyland of the North" which ran for a few seasons outside of Boston. It is complete with pictures, newspaper articles and many unique pieces of history.
Remembering Mountain Park: A great website full of rare pictures of this long-gone traditional park.
Riverview Park (Sharpshooter Productions): Derek Gee & Ralph Lopez have put together the definitive book on Riverview Park (Chicago). Their site also has loads of information on "the Kingdom of Magic."
Riverview Park (Riverview Park Publications): Chuck Wlodarczyk's site offering lots of interesting information and products for sale about Riverview Park.
Rocky Point Amusement Park: A site that has a wonderful collection of pictures about this park's history. From its earliest days to the sad sale by Norton to the present day, the park's history is presented here in photos and postcards.
Roller Coaster & Other Ride Patents: Victor Canfield has put together an amazing site chock full of detail on coaster & park history. This is not light reading, but it is what the internet was designed to do, create detailed information for all to see.
St. Louis Carousel: This carousel was saved from the now-defunct Forest Park Highlands and has been lovingly restored for future generations. A great example of how people care about their traditional parks.
San Francisco's Playland-at-the-Beach: Some nice pictures of the long-gone California park.
- Help save a vital piece of Americana. Act now to save
this great American amusement park.
Save the Whalom Park Carousel: A nice site that is working to reassemble the Whalom Park carousel, which was sold at auction.
Save Tillie: The group working to save Asbury Park and the character everyone loves, Tillie.
Skew Article Number Ten: was authored by Brandon Kwiatek, one of the dark ride's greatest experts. One of the few in-depth looks we get at this classic form of amusement.
Stinson Band Organs: This is the company that has carried on the torch of the classic American band organ. Their new versions use an encoded Cd to run the music instead of paper rolls, but they still sound amazing.
Theme
Park Brochures: A nice site that is a unique trip through the pasts
of many parks. From a great 1964 Disneyland brochure to many newer ones,
lots of different images give visitors links to the past.
Badnitrus Productions: These guys have created the best coaster animations to be found anywhere on the 'net. You can ride rides that are not open yet, as-well-as coasters like the Crystal Beach Cyclone which are not longer with us.
Bobcoaster's Coaster Pages: Bob Hooley's page is full of information and pictures of long-gone roller coasters, including special sections on the coasters of Prior & Church and a dedication to the Mr. Twister (R.I.P.).
Coasterbuzz.com: A unique "member-driven" website that utilizes the knowledge of its many members. The discussion is not as good as URC in my opinion, but the daily news updates make it worthwhile.
Coastergallery.com: This site has an amazing collection of coasters from across the world. Joel & Jeff have really put together an amazing array of images, many of which are not found on the 'net. Be forewarned, you will spend hours at this great site.
Dave Althoff, Jr.'s Roller Coaster Car Mechanics Page: One of the nice things about the internet is that it allows sharing concepts and ideas that cannot be found in books. If you want to know more about the basic physics of wooden roller coasters and the varying styles of rolling stock check out Dave Althoff, Jr.'s great page.
John A. Miller website: Jim Barrick has created a fitting tribute to the man who helped make the roller coaster a device which could be both safe and thrilling.
Joyrides.com:
If you are into roller coasters at all and still have not heard of this site, I
would love to see the cave you live in. Joe Schwartz has done a great job
of showing how coasters are art in motion and his photography is stunning.
Negative 'g: Paul Drabek runs a nice site with many photos, including several of the defunct Old Chicago park.
Roller Coaster Talk: If you want to join one of the nets longest-running roller coaster email discussion groups sign up here!
Roller Coaster World: This fun site has a collection of different coaster-related items and a column I visit on a regular basis, Coaster 3:16's View From the Back.
Schwarzkopf.coaster.net: One of my favorite websites! You can spend hours here finding out everything you wanted to know about Anton Schwarzkopf, one of the world's best designers (and my favorite steel coaster designer).
Ultimate Roller
Coaster.com: Voted one of the best sites on the internet,
this site has a great message board, constant & detailed news
updates and the best combination of coaster facts around.
1964 World's Fair: This great site has a collection of images and text about the '64 Worlds Fair in New York. In addition, there is a lot of information about the carousel and its colorful history.
About.com's Theme Park Section: A wide variety of links to be found here, plus a lot of news stories focusing on the business side of things.
Absolutely Reliable News & Rumors: This great satire site lampoons the excesses of enthusiasts wonderfully. If you are tired of ACE'ers demanding ERT or people waxing rhapsodically about the "good old days" of Harry Traver be sure to check it out.
The American Midway: A wonderful site that has a gigantic collection of quality pictures and trip reports.
Amusement Link One Source: A gigantic collection of amusement park & roller coaster links.
Amusement Rides.de: This is an amazing collection of images that will sate any flat ride fanatic. There are many videos of rides and an astounding collection of them in operation and racked. Be forewarned- you will want to hop a flight to Germany's fairgrounds!
Amusement Ride Extravaganza: David Burton put together this wonderful flat ride site that has many images of the famed Turbo. If you want in-depth information about flat rides then this is the place to go.
Casa Flamingo.Com: Tim O'Brien's new book, The Amusement Park Guide, 5th Edition, can be found here. I was fortunate enough to help write this piece of literature, called by many the best guide to North American theme parks ever written.
The Flat Joint: Our sister site has loads of information about carnivals, fairs and flat rides. Go for a spin!
Gunther Hall, Ltd.: If you want to purchase books, videos or anything else about amusement parks, this is the place to go. Forget Amazon and all those other corporate places, give Nancy a ring. The prices are good and the service cannot be beat.
Kirmesplatz.com: A great site with lots of information on German fairs and carnival rides. [German Text]
Matt's Carnival Warehouse: No it is not directly park-related, but this is the best carnival site out there. It has a wonderful collection of carnival rides, both operating and racked, and a good message board.
Playride.com: Robert Ulrich's site has a little bit of everything you need to know for coastin' down South. His Six Flags over Georgia site is the best on the web.
"Surf Dance" Chris' Amusement Rides Website: Chris has a great collection of flat ride & coaster information, including an entire page dedicated to one of his favorites, Reithoffer Shows' Soriani & Moser Flip 'N' Out.
The Trip Report: Mark McKenzie's site was one of the sites which inspired me the most. His writing is great and this is the first spot I go right after my trip plans are finalized to look over what I have in store.
Tim Melago's Amusement Park & Roller Coaster Links: One of the most comprehensive links sites on the internet. Well-maintained...there is hardly ever a broken link.
Vergnuegungsbetriebe.com: One of the few sites I have seen that has on-ride videos of flat rides. Another great collection of photos & videos that makes everyone on this side of the Atlantic hop a plane for Germany's great flat ride & coaster collection. [German Text]
The Disneyland Source: If you need to know the history of Disneyland or how to plan your day this is the site to visit. Be sure to check out the great video and audio clips of the various rides (some of which were removed).
Doombuggies.com: Many consider the Haunted Mansion the ultimate haunted house. This site lovingly documents the attraction's history, special effects and many of the 999 happy haunts.
Refurb.Disneyland.com: Unlike most parks Disneyland is open year-round and as a result has to take down various rides for refurbishment. If you need to know what rides will be down during your next visit, or how they have changed since your last, check the site out.
Yesterland: Few theme parks have the history Disneyland does. While Walt said he wanted his park to be ever-changing the old attractions found in it have found thier way into the hearts of visitors. Yesterland documents the many attractions that used to be a part of the Disney experience.
Adventureland (IA): A nice park in Iowa with many rides, one of CCI's earlier coasters and a fun Bill Cobb out and back called the Tornado.
Adventureland (NY): This fun park features a great variety of rides, including a rare Surf Dance and an exciting Huss Ranger.
Bell's Amusement Park (OK): They have been waiting to add an expansion for quite some time, and when it happens this park will be in a class by itself in the region. The John Allen-designed Zingo! is still a fun ride.
Belmont Park (CA): Belmont Park is a nice little park and the example of how coaster enthusiasts care. They worked to preserve this rare Prior & Church coaster (one of two standing) and the park is now doing great.
Bushkill Park (PA): A great place to spend a day, Bushkill Park has one of the best funhouses, oldest dark rides (The Pretzel) and a classic Mangels Whip. There is no excuse not to visit...if you are near Dorney Park or Hersheypark you are only a short drive from Bushkill.
Camden Park (WV): Camden Park is working to stay alive and it is a blast. From a classic wooden coaster to a whip to a fun Haunted House, Camden is just a hop, skip and a jump from I-64.
Canobie Lake Park (NH): One of the most beautiful parks I have ever been in, Canobie has a great collection of classic rides. From the fun Herb Schmeck-designed Yankee Cannonball to the retro-Kosmojet to the classic carousel, a day at Canobie is one well spent.
Casino Pier & Waterworks (NJ): A fun place to spend a warm summer weekend. There are lots of great rides here, but the real treasure is the Dr. Floyd L. Moreland Dentzel/Looff mixed carousel.
Clementon Lake Park (NJ): This quirky park has a great John Miller coaster and a log flume that flows over the lake.
Coney Island (OH): Although the park is not as lavish as it used to be, the owners are doing a great job building the park's ride selection back up.
Conneaut Lake Park (PA): This park has slowly been growing. Now that is under new ownership, the park's future looks bright...and fun, with rides like one of four remaining Traver Tumble Bugs and Vettel's "Blue Streak" coaster with N.A.D. trains.
DelGrosso's Amusement Park (PA): Formerly Bland's Park, this great family establishment is a fun place to spend a day and has one of the best Zyklon coasters in existence.
Family Kingdom (SC): One of John Allen's best-preserved coasters and a location near the Atlantic make this park a great summer stop.
Funtown/Splashtown U.S.A. (ME): This park has been growing under the direction of the Cormier family. Rides like the CCI-designed Excalibur coaster and a S&S Turbo Drop have helped the park gain regional status as a great stop in a beautiful state.
The Great Escape (NY): Although now run by Six Flags, this park is still beautiful and has one of the most famous wooden coasters ever built, The Comet.
Happy Hollow Park (CA): A nice little park nestled in San Jose with a few rides such as the only operating Arrow Danny the Dragon train ride.
Holiday World (IN): A favorite among coaster enthusiasts, Holiday World is known for having the friendliest employees around (they even won an award!) and two of the most intense, best maintained wooden roller coasters on the planet.
Idlewild Park (PA): Owned by Kennywood Corp., this classic park rivals Canobie for the most beautiful parks around and is clean and fun.
Indiana Beach (IN): This park has four coasters, two of which are CCI's and another is a Schwarzkopf. Add in a great boardwalk, a Double Shot, rides over the water and you have a wonderful family park.
Kennywood (PA): From a Noah's Ark to two John Miller roller coasters, a Traver Tumble Bug, a slew of modern and classic thrill rides...Kennywood has it all. Just follow the arrows and you have arguably one of the best traditional parks in the world.
Kiddieland (IL): One of Chicago's oldest parks, Kiddieland is wonderful for the little ones, and even has a P.T.C. Junior wooden coaster.
Knoebels (PA): The park that has it all. An airtime coaster in the Phoenix, lateral city with the Twister and acres of classic rides many of which (the carousel, dark ride and flying skooters to name a few) are considered to be the best in the nation.
Knott's Berry Farm (CA): Although now owned by Cedar Fair, for the most part the park is run as it has been for generations...as the traditional park with great themeing that Californians love to play at.
Lagoon (UT): From a classic 1921 John Miller coaster to two great Schwarzkopf steelies (and plenty in between), this park has become the city's playground.
Lake Compounce (CT): With the addition of Boulderdash in 2000, this park really came into its own. Owned by Kennywood Corp., the thrills tucked away in Bristol are sure to satisfy the seasoned thrillseeker and families alike.
Lake Winnepesaukah (TN): Sadly not many enthusiasts seem to get to this gem of a traditional park. Aside from the Cannonball coaster, there are rides abound. This is one of the few parks in the country which buys new versions of older rides for the park, instead of only buying a ride that feeds the latest craze. A traditional park lovers dream.
Lakemont Park (PA): This park is home to many historic coasters. The classic Morris Leap-the-Dips side friction coaster, the John Allen Skyliner moved from Roseland Park, the Mad Mouse (a wild mouse) moved from White Swan and many flat rides make Lakemont a necessary stop for any Pennsylvania traveler.
Lakeside Amusement Park (CO): This is really an art deco wonderland. Acres of neon and classic rides make you realize Lakeside is the only park of importance in Denver...those Elitch guys down the street lost any importance when they sold out to Six Flags and forgot who they were. Lakeside with its classic coaster and rides is the real deal.
Libertyland (TN): A nice little park tucked away in Memphis. This park has something no one else can claim, Elvis's favorite coaster.
Magic Springs (AK): A park given a second chance at life, the new owners are sprucing up the coaster and adding newer rides like a S&S Double Shot and a Zamperla Power Surge. It is set in the beautiful Ozarks and you get great views from the tops of many a ride.
Martin's Fantasy Island (NY): Set in upstate New York, this park has a CCI wooden coaster, lots of flat rides for the family and is an affordable way to spend a day.
Michigan's Adventure (MI): Three wooden coasters, ranging from a junior to one of the tallest wooden coasters in existence, make this a great place for "woodie" fans. It is hard to believe this park was a petting zoo not many years ago.
Miracle Strip Amusement Park (FL): I expected to find a dumpy little park set in the tourist area of Panama City. Instead, I found a park that is laden with palm trees, clean and has a great John Allen roller coaster. All combine to create a relaxing, enjoyable park in the bustle of Florida's tourist Gulf beaches.
Morey's Piers (NJ): A collection of several piers, Morey's has shoe-horned thrills into places never thought possible. There are seemingly endless levels of rides and even three large-scale coasters that are amazing experiences in the warm, summer nights.
Myrtle Beach Pavilion (SC): With the addition of the Hurricane coaster, the Pavilion raised the bar and showed that the traditional seaside amusement park is far from dead.
PNE Playland (British Columbia): A combination of old-style thrills with some new rides peppered throughout make Playland a special place for the few enthusiasts who are lucky enough to visit.
Playland (NY): One of my favorite traditional parks, Rye Playland has the distinction of being the first "planned" amusement park and carries on the tradition of being a unique government-owned amusement park. It has everything you need for a day at the seashore, including rare a Prior & Church Racing Derby and coaster, as-well-as a beautiful carousel, fast Whip and Old Mill.
Puyallup Fair (WA): This area only operates a few weeks per-year. But, the coaster is perfectly maintained and anyone who has made it up to the park will tell you that it is worth every penny.
Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk (CA): A perfect day on the California coast involves Santa Cruz B&B. I love this park, as it goes to great lengths to ensure that everything (including their classic Looff carousel and Looff coaster) are kept in near-perfect condition.
Santa's Village (IL): A nice family park, especially if you have small children.
Seabreeze (NY): This is a park which epitomizes persistence. The Long family has weathered hard times and still maintains this fun, family park after five generations of ownership.
Silver Dollar City (MO): Nestled in the Ozarks, Silver Dollar City has spent the last few years installing some top notch thrill rides. While going up the lift hills be sure to look around and you will realize what a gorgeous park this is and what pains the owners do to keep it in balance with the surrounding nature.
Silverwood (ID): This is an example of a new "traditional" park. This family has added two CCI wooden coasters that compliment each other perfectly. Idaho is one of the last places one might expect to find thrills, but Silverwood is a top-notch park and a great place to take the family.
Stricker's Grove (OH): Although only open two days per-year to the public, this park is worth the planning. The coasters were built in house (the kiddie wooden coaster a replica of one that ran at Coney Island & the larger one was modeled after Rocky Glen Park's Mighty Lightin' coaster) and the park has been operating since 1924. A perfect place to take a family for a day of old-fashioned fun.
Waldameer Park (PA): This park screams tradition, and you can feel it while riding classic attractions like the Junior PTC wooden coaster. Be sure to go a little out of your way and visit this fun little park.
Wild Adventures (GA): Another new traditional park. The ride-ops and staff are some of the nicest you will find and the park fills a huge gap between Atlanta and Florida.
Williams Grove (PA): A park that is in need of support, Williams Grove is a great stop is you are heading through Pennsylvania. Don't miss the Cyclone roller coaster, which uses the cars from the Palisades Park coaster of the same name.
Wyandot Lake (OH): Another small park owned by Six Flags, Wyandot is all about traditional thrills. There are no gigantic crowds or hustle and bustle, just a fun park to spend the day at.
The Busch Parks: Anheuser-Busch runs its theme parks in arguably the best manner of anyone in the world. As a rule they are spotless, beautiful and have great ride collections. Perfect for families or thrill seekers.
Disneyland: The first large-scale theme park, Disneyland is still one of the best. The operations are theming are top-notch and better than most parks could dream of.
Hersheypark (PA): Although run by a huge corporation, this park feels more like a large-scale traditional park. It has a wonderful coaster & flat ride collection, all set in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania.
Amusement Park History, Copyright 2002.