Action Park: The Crazy Story of America's Deadliest Attraction Action Park was reportedly one of America's deadliest amusement parks. Action Park opened its gates in 1978 with a single ride. The interviewees in Class Action Park describe The Tarzan Swing as one of the most popular rides in the park. Perhaps more than any other theme park in existence, Action Park, located in Vernon New Jersey from 1978-1996, did just that. 23 Most Dangerous Rides From 'Class Action Park' Doc on HBO Max Not only was the park home to poorly-designed rides, rowdy clientele, and a whole lot of booze, but it was just objectively unsafeand that led to numerous injuries and even deaths to patrons who dared to ride the rides. Located in the town of Tannersville, Pennsylvania, it had a Waterworld section with slides and tube rides, and a Motorworld section featuring many of the same racing-themed attractionsincluding Lola race cars and go-kartsas the Vernon park. The Alpine Slide was the most notorious attraction at Action Park, causing injuries daily. The fall from both slides had the potential for very serious injury. Rides were only one-way (no round trips) and one park employee wrote that it was where the very lazy and very drunk guests often spent time (and frequently would cause trouble and not play by the rules). A popular list of "You Know You're from New Jersey When " that circulates in email begins with, "You've been seriously injured at Action Park."[75]. Because after the first person dies in a wavepool, close the fucking wave pool!". [2] Those who rode the Cannonball Loop have said that more safety measures were taken than was otherwise common at the park. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! July 19, 1987: 18-year-old Gregory Grandchamps drowned in the Tidal Wave Pool. The plan was to do it on a track with PVC pipe as its outer rails, and one was built alongside a ski trail. A Brief History of New Jersey's Deadly Action Park - Intelligencer Sling Shot was a bungee cord ride that was open from 1993-1995 at Action Park. [76][77][78] The film was released under the title Action Point by Paramount Pictures on June 1, 2018. Originally this area was a polder. The host, Riki Rachtman, interviewed and went on the rides with the band Alice in Chains. I consider it a true shame that future generations will never know the terror of proving their grit at New Jersey's most dangerous amusement park.[39]. In theory, each rider was in charge of their own speed, but the devices were almost always broken. The ride closed immediately after this incident. These were sometimes smaller, safer versions of the park's main attractions. The chutes were torn out afterward, but the route can still be seen from the gondola that replaced the chairlift. The Rise and Fall of Action Park, New Jersey's Most - History The Tarzan Swing and the Cannonball ride in this area were operated by spring water. Waterworld was the home of the majority of the park's attractions, and was the waterpark section of Action Park. It featured two waterslides and a go-kart track along with the Alpine slide. He envisioned a theme park with slightly more thrills, one where the riders "controlled" the action. You can treat yourself to a getaway at a campground right on the water at places like Dog Creek, but there's more to do in the area than just camping. The attraction was operated by Aerodium Inc., which acted as a concessionaire for the park through 1997. Blood Sport: Revisiting Traction Er, Action, Park - Weird NJ Action Park's popularity went hand-in-hand with a reputation for poorly designed rides, undertrained and underaged staff,[2] intoxicated guests and staff, and a consequently poor safety record. The movie also features rare footage from inside the Cannonball Loop. August 27, 1984: Donald DePass, a 20-year-old from Brooklyn, drowned in the Tidal Wave Pool. The 8 Most Horrifying Amusement Park Deaths In History The Colorado River Ride, which still exists, is a two-person raft ride that winds its way down a heavily wooded area on the side of the park, with numerous forks allowing riders to take different routes. . 'People Were Bleeding All Over': America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park One of the parks most notable attractions was the Tidal Wave Pool, one of the first to open in the United States, which quickly became one of the most dangerous rides at the park. Two diving cliffs, one 23-feet and another 18-feet, were set above a 16-foot-deep swimming grotto. Class Action Park also reported that the park's restaurants often indulged in corner-cutting practices common in that industry, such as steaming hot dog buns stale enough to have hardened and dried so they would moisten and soften enough to appear fresh. There's delicious dining opportunities, parks and hiking, unique places of business, and so much more. Action Park New Jersey: America's Most Dangerous Theme Park - Allegiant The ride was only officially open for about a month in 1985, before the Advisory Board on Carnival Amusement Ride Safety shut it down. 1984 (Date Unknown): A fatal heart attack suffered by one visitor was unofficially believed to have been triggered by the shock of the cold water in the pool beneath the Tarzan Swing. Gas up the car and prepare for adventure, because fun awaits at this incredible Kentucky park. [40][41] Had state inspectors looked at the site, employees said years later, they would have seen that rocks there, which they had told the park to remove on an earlier visit, remained. In 2012, Mountain Creek introduced an alpine coaster, which combines elements of an alpine slide and a roller coaster. Gene's dream had only just begun to be realized. But the most infamous of the rides at Action Park was the Cannonball Loopan enclosed waterslide with a complete vertical loop. The Alpine Slide at Kentucky Action Park is an exhilarating way to spend the day in Kentucky's playground. Waterworld was Action Park's primary waterpark area. It survived the Mountain Creek redesign. [5] The park received a massive overhaul, which included extensively renovating and repairing attractions, especially those deemed either outright unsafe or inappropriate relative to Intrawest's vision of the park, with some being removed entirely. This part of the park closed when Action Park closed in 1996 and never reopened. Most rides were still operating, and the park's dangerous reputation had not yet developed. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Bumper Boats was a supposedly safer ride than the Super Speedboats, but the engines often leaked gasoline, at least once requiring medical attention for one rider who got too much of it on his skin. The park saw its first fatality on the Alpine Slide, when a 19-year-old rode off the track and hit his head. A version of this still exists today, the Canyon Cliff Jump at Mountain Creek Waterpark. Versions of this slide, and the same splash pool at the bottom, still exist at Mountain Creek today. [10]:24:15, Most were underaged,[10]:25:35 undertrained, often under the influence of alcohol, and generally cared little for enforcing park rules and safety requirements. One story in Class Action Park describes a situation where one speedboat launched on top of another, and the lifeguard thought the bottom boat's driver had been decapitated. Bowls were separated by pavement, which in many cases did not meet the edges smoothly. Kentucky Action Park - CLOSED. Participants would ride a ski lift up to the top of a hill, grab a cart, and hope for the . It evolved into a major destination with 75 rides (35 motorized, self-controlled rides and 40 water slides). Tall riders also often were unable to fit their legs into the small-sized boats, resulting in them hanging off of the sides of the boats and being fractured during collisions. This was a standard whitewater rafting ride, and one that the park (when legally forced to) reported a number of injuries. Action Park's alpine slide descended the mountain roughly below one of the ski area's chairlifts, resulting in much verbal harassment and sometimes spitting from passengers going up for their turn, who would often be entertained by the accidents they witnessed while at the same time hoping to avoid similar fates. If riders distributed their weight incorrectly, they would often go head first when leaving the slide, injuring themselves. Some employees who texted the ride told Weird NJ that if you went in feet first, you'd come out head first, and vice versa. Some even credit the park for making them learn some difficult lessons. On one occasion, a guest who felt the gladiator he contended against had been too rough, striking him frequently on the head with the padded end of his pugil stick, returned to the attraction with some of his friends in an effort to exact retribution. Today, Mulvihills son admits that they never quite perfected that one. But, he remains proud of his father for taking a risk with the ride in the first place, My father, if he could find a guy with a crazy idea for a ride, hed hire the guy, even if he never built it before..