- Clementon Amusement Park
-
Clementon Park & Splash World Location Clementon, New Jersey, U.S. Website http://www.clementonpark.com Owner Adrenaline Family Entertainment General Manager David Dorman Opened 1907 Operating season Memorial Day through Labor Day Rides 24 total
- 1 roller coasters
- 1 water rides
Clementon Park and Splash World is a small amusement park located in Clementon, New Jersey in Camden County, New Jersey, United States right on Clementon Lake and close to the Pine Valley Golf Club. Also known as Clementon Lake Park, it is one of the world's oldest operating amusement parks. It is owned by Adrenaline Family Entertainment which also operates Alabama Adventure in Bessemer, Alabama.
Of its 24 rides, its most popular ride is the log flume, King Neptune's Revenge, although the new roller coaster, Hell Cat, is also very popular. Clementon Park & Splash World Waterpark is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Contents
- 1 Current attractions
- 2 Eariler attractions of the past
- 3 History
- 4 References
- 5 External links
Current attractions
Thrill rides
Ring of Fire
New for 2010. Ring of Fire is a brilliant and towering 60-foot (18 m) loop thriller that takes twenty brave riders to the brink of breathlessness with every heart-pounding loop. Zipping up and over, backwards and forwards, even coming to a standstill upside down six stories up, this dazzling new attraction takes its daring participants on an exhilarating and unique ride-in-the-round. Some said some people lost a shoe on the ride.
Thunder Drop
New for 2010. Thunder Drop replaces the Thunder Bolt. Thunder Drop is a 90 ft (27 m). Drop tower that raises 12 riders at a time slowly to the top before suddenly and without warning releasing them and letting them fall freely toward the platform.
Hell Cat
Main article: Hell CatTake a flight of fury on Hellcat, Clementon Park's wooden roller coaster! Half of the roller coaster is over Clementon Lake. With a stomach-swirling helix, spine-chilling G-forces and amazing twists and turns, this ride is fun for everyone
King Neptune's Revenge
Built entirely over Clementon Lake, riders meander a watery course before reaching the final climb that propels them over the top and into an exhilarating drop and splash.
Sea Dragon
Swing back and forth ever higher on this action-packed thrill ride. The more it swings, the higher the Sea Dragon flies! It's a blast for the whole family.
Flying Pharoah
What could be better than soaring in circles across a clear blue sky? You’ll feel the freedom and exhilaration of flight as you’re suspended high above the park.
Family rides
Vintage Carousel
No visit to Clementon Park would be complete without a ride on our classic antique carousel. Adorned with ornately carved horses and chariots, children and adults alike will thrill to the magic of a gentle ride on this traditional favorite.
Victorian Railway
Sit back and enjoy the view on a miniature replica of a classic steam engine. It’s a perfect way to take in the colorful sights and festive sounds of Clementon Park.
Giant Wheel
For a whole new perspective on the park, the beautiful lake and the awesome Splash World expansion, be sure and ride the Giant Ferris Wheel as it rises majestically to a height of 90 feet (27 m).
Samba Tower
Take a sky-high spin on the Samba Tower, a family-style ride featuring eight balloon baskets and a spectacular 360-degree view of our exciting and colorful midway.
Kite Flyer
Set sail into the wind as you get horizontal on this fun-for-all, two-passenger experience that offers the sensation of free flight with a wave-like oscillating motion.
Paddle Boats
Enjoy the view of the rides and slides from the calm waters of Clementon Lake. Rental fees apply.
Kiddie rides of Clementon Park
Castle Bounce
A Medieval structure that invites young Lords and Ladies to turn it loose as they storm the castle for a bouncing good time.
Formula 3000
A colorful assortment of cars, fire engines and trucks with realistic lights and sirens—it’s the perfect formula for young imaginations.
Flying Elephants
Put the kids in the pilot seat, as riders control the altitude of their flying elephant. Adults can ride with their children.
Safari Train
All aboard our mini train for a unique discovery of the mystery and magic of Africa.
Playport
Interesting nooks and inviting crannies await discovery as Kids explore this interactive, multi-level maze.
Combo Umbrella Ride & Space Age
Climb aboard miniature automobiles, helicopters, and space shuttles that are just the ticket for young drivers & astronauts.
Splash World
Torpedo Rush
Torpedo Rush stands a skyscraping 60 feet tall and offers two identically designed and simultaneously launched free-fall drops of joy. Guests climb into a clear, fully enclosed launch capsule and begin the countdown to the most thrilling moment in water slide fun today. Riders will squirm with anticipation waiting for the bottom to rip out from under them beginning a sizzling-fast six-story journey through an enclosed, see-through flume to an explosive splashdown below
Laguna Kahuna
Cool off with over 400 lbs of splashing, sliding, drenching, beat-the-heat fun. This Polynesian-themed adventure includes 8 slides, 10 different play platforms and more than 125 sprays, jets, bubbles, streams, squirts, wheels and waterfalls. And high atop the 50 ft tall structure sits the big Kahuna himself, with a giant head full of water that dumps more than 422 gallons of water on the unsuspecting islanders below.
Sky River Rapids
Extreme rafting was never like this! The automated Sky River Rapids gives groups of five the thrilling sensation of “grabbing air” as they navigate three sets of slides and three huge splash pools. And best of all, you don't have to carry your tube up the steps on this one!
Vertical Limit Racer
Race head-to-head for the checkered flag as you experience six lanes of competitive, head-first mat racing that begins with a swift drop at the top, and ends with a breathtaking descent to the finish line.
Lazy Crazy River
Let the gentle currents of the cool water wash away your cares as you enjoy a leisurely float down the Lazy River.
Black Viper
Just think of it as a twisting, turning, fully enclosed double-headed waterslide monster that swallowed you whole! Normally people is afraid of snakes, this ride stands over Clementon, NJ and all of its glory. This is a thill ride of the century, or at least in 2011.
Shipwreck Bay
There’s a mutiny afoot! Shipwreck Bay is home to a pirate ship that is fun for the smaller pirates and swashbucklers. Escape the wreckage by sliding down one of the 6 slides and making a big splash into our 3 ft wading pool.
Eariler attractions of the past
Jack Rabbit
On August 5, 1998 three cars of the Jack Rabbit derailed and hit an office building. Six people were injured in the accident. In 2002 the Jack Rabbit was abandoned. A replacement roller coaster, The Tsunami, was renamed J2 in honor of the original Jack Rabbit. It kept this name until 2008, when it was renamed "Hell Cat". The Jack Rabbit was torn down on December 3, 2007.
Thunder Bolt
The high-energy combination of music and light takes it to the limit as blinding speed and centrifugal force swing the cars in an ever-increasing arc. Removed in June 2010 due to mechanical problems and to make way for Thunder Drop.
Clementon Belle
A boat modeled after a Mississippi steamboat that toured Clementon Lake. As of 2009, the Clementon Belle is no longer in operation.
Chaos
This ride was removed after the 2007 season due to the addition of Laguna Kahuna. The ride sat in the park's rear parking lot until May 2009 when it was sold and picked up from its buyer.
Inverter
The Inverter was dismantled (racked on its trailer) on April 1, 2010 and removed on April 2, 2010 to make way for a new 2010 season attraction.
Astroliner
A simulator rocket ship built by Wisdom Manufacturing
History
The park was founded in 1907 by New Jersey Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs (October 17, 1838 - October 27, 1909) and his sons, Edgar B. and Willard. Theodore Gibbs was a Civil War veteran who was a Corporal in Company D, Twenty-ninth New Jersey Volunteers. He held many local offices including Postmaster and Sheriff; he was also a member of the Atlantic City Railroad's Board of Directors.[1]
The amusement park was a popular destination in the early decades of the twentieth century with a trolley running from Camden, New Jersey to the park entrance. In the early twentieth century, amusement parks were built at the end of trolley lines to encourage weekend ridership.
In the 1920s, the park included a nickelodeon movie theater, a "dancing casino", a steam-driven carousel, the Jack Rabbit roller coaster and a "razzle-dazzle" ride.
On June 22, 1931 a fire almost destroyed the amusement park. According to The New York Times, "a vivid pyrotechnic display and the successive reports of exploding cartridges added to the spectacular aspect of a fire which swept through part of Clementon Park, a South Jersey pleasure resort." The fire had reached the cartridge supply of the shooting gallery setting off explosions. Firemen from six adjoining towns fought the fire which was contained to the shooting gallery and a "pretzel ride." The damages were estimated to be $2000.
Socialist Presidential Candidate Norman Thomas campaigned at Clementon Park in 1932. In a July 4 speech in front of 3,500 people, Thomas said, "It is not against foreign domination we must fight, but against a system that denies us bread, security and any assurance of peace. The men of 1776, in convention assembled at Philadelphia, found no successors in the old party conventions at Chicago in 1932."
In 1936, Philadelphia boxer Al Ettore trained at Clementon Park for the heavyweight title fight against Joe Louis to occur in Philadelphia on September 22, 1936. Thousands of fight fans visited the park to see Al Ettore train. On September 20, 1936 a 100-foot (30 m) section of grandstand collapsed under the weight of about 500 spectators. No one was seriously injured.
In 1977, the Gibbs family sold Clementon Lake Park to Abram Baker (1904–1994). Baker owned a nightclub in Miami, Florida and the Fascination Parlour in Atlantic City, New Jersey (see Fascination). From 1955 to 1968, he owned Glen Echo Park, Maryland [2]
In 1979, operation of the park was turned over to Larry Baker, Abe's son.
In 2007, the park was purchased by Adrenaline Family Entertainment for an undisclosed amount. In 2008, the New Era of Clementon Park began.
References
- ^ "Obituary: Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs". New York Times. 1909-10-28
- ^ "Obituary: Abram Baker Amusement Park Owner". page 4B Miami Herald. 1994-07-03
External links
Categories:- Amusement parks in New Jersey
- Buildings and structures in Camden County, New Jersey
- 1907 establishments in the United States
- Visitor attractions in Camden County, New Jersey
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