The imminent closing of Marriott's Great America (sorry, that's what it was originally called) is really personal because it had just opened a few months before our Senior All Nighter in 1976. So that means Gwen and I will be invited to our 50th high school reunion next summer (although we have no real interest in flying across the country to be ignored by the same kids who ignored us 50 years ago).
Before Great America, the best amusement park in San Jose was Frontier Village ("The fastest fun in the West!"). Basically all the typical fair rides but with a western theme. Before moving to Vallejo, Marine World was in San Rafael. Again, the land was more valuable than the stuff on it. Never had the opportunity to go to Playland at the Beach in San Francisco.
Just like my experience with auto racing tracks, I think I've got a longer list of defunct amusement parks than active ones. Sort of comes with the territory once you start receiving Social Security.
For any kid from Detroit, the mere mention of taking the Bob-Lo boat to Bob-Lo Island conjures up a wonderful day of food and fun. Just getting there on the ferry and the anticipation was vastly superior to the actual experience. However, my mother remembers live bands and dances on the Bob-Lo boat back in its heyday.
There are a ton of Florida parks that are buried underneath condos or tract houses. Marineland was mentioned earlier. Cypress Gardens morphed into Legoland, I believe. McKee's Jungle Gardens was in Vero Beach. Obviously, there was Circus World, Ocean World, Boardwalk and Baseball, Gatorland, Monkey Jungle, Parrot Jungle, Africa USA in Boca Raton before it moved to West Palm, and Pirates World in Dania. I've been on a lot of rollercoasters but the most scared I've ever been was on the Steeplechase at Pirates World, held on a plastic saddle by a narrow band of leather. I was expecting certain death at the tender age of 12 before the damn thing finally stopped.
That's not counting all the water parks. There was a small one in Pompano Beach. Six Flags Atlantis in Hollywood. Disney's River Country. Wild Waters near Ocala. I'm certain there are at least a dozen more that have dried up and gone away.
I loved a little place called Peppermint Park in Houston in the mid-60s. It wasn't far from our house and was particularly neat for small birthday parties. Never went to Astroworld.
Obviously Disney rules in Southern California (save your E tickets!) but you had Knott's Berry Farm, Sea World and Magic Mountain. I don't remember anything out near San Bernardino/Riverside back then. But the rage was sliding down a giant slide on a piece of carpet for something like 10 cents a ride!
