Waldameer Park

Infobox Amusement park
name = Waldameer Park


caption =
location = Erie, Pennsylvania
opening_date = 1896
closing_date =
previous_names =
season = May to September
area =
rides = 75
coasters = 4
water_rides = 18
general_manager= Steve Gorman
owner = Paul Nelson
slogan = You're Gonna Love It!
homepage = [http://www.waldameer.com Waldameer.com]

Waldameer Park and Water World is an amusement park in Erie, Pennsylvania located at the base of Presque Isle. Waldameer is the fourth oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania, and the tenth oldest in the United States. [cite web|author=National Scenic Byways Program|title=Waldameer Park and WaterWorld|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|url=http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2488/places/59531] The park is admission-free, with a busy midway, well appointed grounds, and covered picnic facilities. The roller coasters and other major rides require the display of a paid wristband. The water park operates an assortment of water slides and raft rides and is admission by fee only. The name "Waldameer" can be translated literally as "Woods by the Sea" in German. [cite book|last=Futrell|first=Jim|title=Amusemant Parks of Pennsylvania|pages= [http://books.google.com/books?id=tEXZb9dKUpIC&printsec=frontcover#PPA104,M1 104] |isbn=0811726711]

History

The park began as a picnic area called Hoffman's Grove. The Erie Electric Motor Company leased the park in 1896 and renamed it "Waldameer." The trolley car company extended service to its new park, making Hoffman's Grove picnic area a terminus on the line in the hopes of increasing passenger traffic. [cite book|last=Walling|first=Emory A|title=Memoirs of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Bench and Bar|year=1928|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fgris/memoirs.html]

Waldameer sold its classic carousel at auction in 1988 for more than $1 million, using the proceeds to replace the carousel and purchase new equipment. A new carousel with sixty operating horses was obtained from Chance Manufacturing. The owner intended to construct a new restaurant called The Carousel next to the Rainbow Gardens banquet hall. A 10-foot giraffe and a jumping horse from the classic carousel were reserved from the auction to be used in the new restaurant. Part of the auction proceeds was used to erect four additional water slides -- a speed slide, free fall slide, one-man and two-man raft sides -- all built by Molded Fiberglass Company of Union City. [cite news|title=Sale of Waldameer Carousel Brings More Than $1 Million to Fund New Water Park and New Restaurant|publisher=Erie Daily Times|date=12 December 1988]

The park operates two classic dark attractions: the Whacky Shack, a two-story ride, and the Pirates Cove, a walk-through funhouse. Both were designed and built by the dark ride master Bill Tracy and his company, Amusement Display Associates of Cape May, New Jersey.

For the 2007 season, Waldameer opened X-Scream, a new 140-foot-tall drop tower ride. In 2008, the highly-anticipated Ravine Flyer II wooden coaster opened. There are plans to expand the water park in the future.

Roller Coasters

* Comet (an ACE Coaster Classic [ [http://www.aceonline.org/CoasterAwards/?type=1 ACE Coaster Classic Awards] ] )
* Ravine Flyer 3
* Steel Dragon
* Ravine Flyer II

Other Rides

* X-Scream
* Thunder River
* Ali Baba
* Wipeout
* Sea Dragon
* Giant Gondola Wheel
* Whacky Shack
* Scrambler
* Tilt-A-Whirl
* Dodgems
* Paratrooper
* L-Ruth Express Train
* Giant Carousel
* Pirate’s Cove Fun House
* Spider
* Train Ride

Water Attractions

* Presque Isle Plunge
* Lake Erie Dip
* Midnight Plunge
* Awesome Twosome
* Wild River
* Raging River
* Endless River
* Bermuda Triangle (3 slides)
* Free Fall Slide
* Speed Slide
* Giant Hot Tub
* Tad Pool play area (3 wading pools and 5 slides)

References

External links

* [http://www.waldameer.com Waldameer's Web Site]
* [http://rcdb.com/pd118.htm RCDB's Listing]