Boy did this bring back memories for me. My parents took my sister and I to Disney Land California in 1971. I was ten years old. Watching this was triggering memories and causing smiles as remembered by a 10 year old. 30 years later, 2001, Mom took my wife, me and our two kids back to Disney Land. Lovely memories. I have been so fortunate in my life.
This is probably the most comprehensive park history video I've ever seen. Riverside has such a fascinating history. I wish I could have visited during the Carroll era when it still had its traditional park charm, as I honestly prefer traditional amusement parks to modern theme parks.
Was there during Riverside days as a kid until its current 6 Flags times bringing my own kid now. Great memories and FANTASTIC Documentary. This video needs more eyes on it.
This is amazing. I was born in the late 80's and frequented Riverside Park throughout the 90's, as well as working at Six Flags New England for about 5 years in the late 00's-10's. Riverside was always a talking point in the family, and I loved to hear my father and grandparents talk about what it used to be like. This documentary is very well done, informative, and a pleasure to watch. Great job!
Thank you for the nice comment! It's great you got to experience both Riverside thru the memories, like you mentioned, and working at the park so many years back when it was Six Flags. Seeing what's left of the old Riverside park, which is not much, and how Six Flags transformed it into their brand is quite fascinating to see and experience!
What an incredible documentary that I'm so glad YT put on my recommended. I live in RI and we went to Riverside pretty regularly in the summer growing up. My dad raced there a couple times. I haven't been there since it's been Six Flags but the memories of Riverside run deep. Thank you for this great nostalgic video. The Thunderbolt was my favorite!!
Thank you for your comment! Glad you enjoyed the video, and glad to hear it brought back some nostalgic memories of such a great park! The race track was definitely unique to the park when it was there. It must of been great for your Dad to have had the opportunity to race on that track! My goal was to document the Riverside era that so many loved, and to further show how the park transformed into what is today known as Six Flags, and all the work that they put into making the park what it is today!
Great job! Looks like we've spent the last few years stalking the same research material. In the early 90s the Pirate's Cove ride, which was a Bill Tracy install, was redone into the "Haunted Lagoon", which I rode exactly once and have been searching for a video of ever since. Alas, the sands of time.
This is really incredible. Grew up in Agawam and am learning a lot! David Cecchi has really done a lot to preserve the town's history too! I lived a mile or 2 down the road from Riverside and you could hear the car races at night during the summer.
@@toshibavoodoo Absolutely! Yes, a bit lengthy! Originally was going to be a 2 part Documentary, however, I chaptered it out to make it more convenient to watch in sections if needed! Thanks again for your vomment!!
I wanted to thank you!!! So much for making this Video. I stumbled upon your channel today, while looking up some other things on history. This definitely made me feel super nostalgic! This will always be Riverside!! 🥰❤️❤️❤️
Absolutely! You're welcome! Glad you liked the video! Yes, For many it will always be Riverside. There is, like you mention, so much nostalgia, and so many memories for so many, that the History of this park as Riverside is beloved by all who have had the opportunity to experience it thru out the various decades! Thanks again for your comment!!
The amount of research you must have had to do for this is amazing! Fantastic job! It brought back so many great memories for me and I learned a lot that I didn't know, thank you!
Thank you! Appreciate your comment!! Yes, it took some time to research everything, and glad to hear that the documentary allowed you to learn a bit more too!! Thanks for watching!!
Absolutely amazing piece - thorough, well presented, and satisfying. Doesnt hurt to cover a park that is, and will hopefully remail, a family tradition and favorite.
I've been fascinated with Riverside for quite some time now. I was going throughout the 90s as a kid with my family, so many memories! And there was no real history on it, before this video. Only from my memories/photos/small videos, etc. But this really put it all together! I'm still upset by some of the changes that have taken place over the years. Specifically, the racetrack (superman is great.. but wish they put it in a diff location).. antique cars (diff theme now?).. black widow.. shipwreck falls.. red river rapids.. the monorail.. the skyway.. the huge ferris wheel! Unless you were there, you really don't understand the nostalgic aspect of it. But trust me.. it was AMAZING!
@@13ranzz well said! Thank you for watching, and for your commentt! To your comment, My plan was to take the time to put a very comprehensive documentary together.. I too share those same memories of the park, and I'm glad I could share a bit of nostalgic history with everyone who also share these nostalgic memories, and to those who may never have known about the park, I hope this can give an in depth look to what the park was, past and present!!
This is a amazing video going over the history of riverside park. I leaned so much about the park from this video. I would like to thank you for taking the time to make this video and doing all the research you did on this park. Its very rare for me to watch a 3 hour long youtube video but I gladly enjoyed watching this video!
Thank you so much for your amazing comment! Much appreciated! It was originally going to be an hour long, and getting everything from over a hundred + years was going to be a challenge to get within an hour time frame. I agree, a 3 hour documentary these days is for sure a little bit long! I was glad to be able to divide it up by Chapters, such a great feature! Thank you again for taking the time to watch it, and glad to hear you learned a bit more on this historic park, as it was my goal to put a very comprehensive historic timeline of this park into a documentary, highlighting it's long past!
Great job and thanks for a lot of 70s 80s flashbacks! Couple of things to add. Frankenstein's Castle was just a re theme of the Fun House you can see in south end near the Matterhorn on the old map. It was a classic fun house with moving stairs and walkways, tilted rooms, and spinning tunnels. Was a lot of fun. Around '84 ish they made it Frankenstein's Castle and just repainted everything scary and made the music from goofy to scary. There were not really scary staff on there but dark hooded staff would take groups of people through it and just say in scary voices to "hurry up" if they slowed down. I was told this was a way to cut down on vandalism, people smoking weed and messing around. So it was more of a crowd control thing. Also the clock just after the entrance was a round up ride at one point. There was an accident on it in the early 80s (not fatal as far as I can remember but it made the local news) and next season it was a clock.
As a kid, we visited Opryland in Nashville every summer. Opryland closed in late 1997, and right around the same time, Riverside went through a MAJOR expansion, and I believe that they had some of Opryland's old rides. JMO. But VERY coincidental.
Thank you for watching! That's some great information that you mention about the rides from Opryland possibly being sent up for the expansion. You are correct about the timing, and they did have new rides as they expanded, especially right before they publicly announced it to be a Six Flags park!
16:27 - Remember that "diving pad" in the parking lot and the "depth" sign. I always assumed it was build that way so people couldn't crash into it and knock the lamp post, and the "depth" referred to the depth of the electrical wire. Never knew there was a man-made lake there.
One of the biggest "wonders" of Riverside Park held over for many years. It still fascinates me that it stood for so many years, into the 80's (as seen in the pictures), and beyond!! Thanks for watching!
I used to go here all the time. I loved it. Six Flags New England is ok but it just doesn't have that charm anymore that Riverside had. The "Wicked Cyclone" at 6FNE is the best ride they got incorporating the old "Cyclone" into the new design.
Yes, The Wicked Cyclone and added themeing is definitely a nice touch to the classic Riverside Cyclone, agreed. Speaking of the old Riverside days, I sure wish they kept the Monorail, however it was most likely falling into disrepair at the point Six Flags took over, so perhaps they didn't want to overhaul and update it. It was a signature focal point at the entrance for so long and how great it would of been if it made it into SFNE!
I did the scenes in the pirate ride in 91 (I think it was). It was a wreck in there and I had 10 days to gather up all the elements and build the scenes. Most of it was pretty hokey, but, hey, what do you expect for 10 days and materials I could scrounge up. And the only access was on the boat which, but the way, was a rusty barge - nothing like the fanciful pirate ship. I also did the graveyard outside the entrance.
Thank you for your comment, and for sharing your time working on the ride! That is amazing you got to work on the ride! I remember it quite well, rode it all the time as a kid. You are correct, nothing like the pirate ship that I only I put that in for dramatic effect. In the early days in the 1980s, the barge like boat wasn't as bad of shape, but yeah, it was still showing it's age even then a bit.. The Jungle Cruise ride that predated Pirates Cove at Riverside, may have used the same boats, except they were drastically changed, no steam stack or canopy like it once had, but the big square section in the middle of the boat on the Pirates Cove ride, appears to be where the steam stack use to reside, and the riders would be seated around it, just like on the Pirates Cove ride, so if that is the case, the boats were really showing their age when you were working and designing the scenes on the ride back in and around 91! Thanks again for your comment! Appreciate the insight!!
My uncle use to race there in the 1980's and i'm trying to gather information he apparently won a lot of races as i remember his room had a ton of trophies
Yes, a lot of fans of the Riverside Speedway really have fond memories of it, as it was such a huge part of Riverside. Great to hear your Unicle was a Race Car driver in its heyday! It really mint a lot to a lot of people! Thanks for the comment!!
fantastic documentary. I had just been trying to look up some of the park history. particularly trying to find info on the riverboats along the river. how long were they in use?
Thank you very much! Appreciate your comment!! As far as the riverboats along the river, most of them were in use in the late 1800's, and sort of faded away when automobiles started to emerge. The park was at the end of the trolley line as well, which also lent to more options for transportation. The riverboat's passenger capacities were also upgraded at various points thru out the years while they were in use, as more guests started to enjoy the park in those early years! Thanks for watching!
1:01:58 - The Cyclone… is why i never go on wooden roller coasters. I think i could have been an inch taller and avoided lifetime back pain from being jostled around like a ragdoll in this unholy thing. …then i learned you were supposed to sit in the front of coasters if you really wanted to enjoy it, not in the back. Oh well 🤷🏻♂️ And yet, i continued to ride this rickety bucket of bolts… what does that say about me?
@@brainmuffins6052 thank you for watching and for your comment! Many riders felt the same about the rough ride it provided, yet they too continued to ride over and over again!! 😃
I remember the paper bonus badges being stapled onto clothing as a child. I was born in 1960 so it must have been before 1970 and I believe it was $2.50 to ride all the rides as a child under 10 years old. You stated the one price admission began much later.
Yes, the one price admission really took the park to the next level, however, those early days really were something with the admission being what it was. Remembering the amusement parks and even carnivals from way back, when you could just pay for whatever ride you wanted to go on. The great thing of one price admission allowed everyone to ride their favorite rides multiple times without having to repay each time and wait in those long ticket booth lines that were always there on the weekends! Thanks for watching!
Great video. My one critique is you have the Balloon Race install incorrect. Balloon Race replaced the Swings in 1998, not 1989. This can be seen with the 1997 aerial pics clearly showing the classic Wave Swinger roof, and the 2001 aerial showing the open top Balloon Race .
It wasnt so much the walk up the stairs as standing in line behind a hundred others and moving one step at a time, the whole time. All for a 45 second ride. It was fun at the time tho. Went there in the early 80s and remember the foot race to the line for the Cyclone wooden roller coaster as they staggered the opening time.
@@almartinelli5054 exactly! Well said, the walk up, although long, wasn't the issue as much as it was waiting in extreme heat sometimes, and the line moving one step at a time! Thank you for watching!!
I remember the remains of that diving platform and it’s so true, we never knew what it was and I really never noticed the depth markings!? (Idk if the markings were still there in the 80’s and possibly 90’s, when I’m remembering)
Here's what I was thinking, pertaining to those depth markings. I believe the picture of the dive platform (with the Wildcat coaster in the background) was from around 1982-83, and at that point in time it looks as if the depth markings appear to be there, pretty much faded, however a bit visible still. Good observation you make, as I thought the same thing about the platform markings. The platform was there in some shape or form since around 1917, and around 1982-83, in that picture, that would make it around 65 years at that point, and would be quite amazing that those markings would still exist, be it, faded greatly, perhaps they were repainted at some point before Lake Take - A - Dip was filled in to make way for the installation of the parking lot prior to Mr. Ed Carroll Sr. purchasing the park somewhere in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It would at that point be about a 40 year span timeframe, and could explain the markings still being a bit visible, and the fact that the paint of the markings where somewhat shielded from the outside elements from the above platform, that acted as an overhang to protect it all those years. That's just my observation and theory though!
@@briadventures Makes complete sense!! I spent so much of my life at Riverside, and then Six Flags. First, as a child/teen and then as an adult. Stopped going sometime around 2003/4 due to health problems. Even after spending so much of my life there, I really don’t have pictures or videos at all, so this means so much to me. So again, thank you so very much!!
@@Lexx1192 Your very welcome! Glad this documentary with all of it's historic picture/videos and such can provide you with some great memories of the park, how it was, and how it currently is in present day! Thank you for watching!!
It's funny, when I was young I always wanted to go to a "proper" theme park like Disney World. Now that Six Flags has bought up or driven out of business all the local amusement parks I really wish I could take my "nieces and nephews" to see the kind of park I expereinced as a kid.
Yes, the parks of yesteryear were great, and had a flair of their own, agreed. Six Flags definitely did a great job with the facades on Main Street, The Wharf area, etc, and bringing in some great things, however, I think if things like classic Riverside Monorail stayed around and was overhauled, it could of kept some of that Riverside charm going within SFNE!
@@briadventures Yeah, the last time I went and saw that they had removed the Colossus I was heartbroken. I definitely remember riding that several times while my older siblings stood in line for the Cyclone the first few years that was in the park and had really long lines.And the scrambler just isn't the same since they removed the dome.
Yes the Colossus, you would get perhaps one spin fully around, as they let more riders on and off during your accent to the top. And the scrambler definitely had a different feel to it in the dome. As it is outside, it feels more like any other scrambler in any park. Riverside definitely had some unique ideas back in its hey day, and with a limited budget they did quite a good job!
The Grayhound Rollercoaster and Mine Train railroad are both featured in the documentary. The Grayhound is towards the beginning, right after the Giant Dip Coaster is mentioned, and the Mine Train is featured in the Riverside Era of the video. Thanks for watching, and for your comment!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Boy did this bring back memories for me. My parents took my sister and I to Disney Land California in 1971. I was ten years old. Watching this was triggering memories and causing smiles as remembered by a 10 year old. 30 years later, 2001, Mom took my wife, me and our two kids back to Disney Land. Lovely memories. I have been so fortunate in my life.
Yes, love the nostalgic memories of yesteryear when it comes to Theme Parks! Glad it could take you back down memory lane! Thanks for watching!!
I have many great times in the park
Absolutely the best From start to finish. Great job
With much appreciation, thank you!
This is probably the most comprehensive park history video I've ever seen. Riverside has such a fascinating history. I wish I could have visited during the Carroll era when it still had its traditional park charm, as I honestly prefer traditional amusement parks to modern theme parks.
Thank you! Yes, the Carroll era had a tremendous amount of charm! Thanks for watching!
That was my childhood park and there missing some historical facts about the park😊
Was there during Riverside days as a kid until its current 6 Flags times bringing my own kid now. Great memories and FANTASTIC Documentary. This video needs more eyes on it.
@@jettesides420 Thank you for your comment, appreciate it! Thank you for watching!
This is amazing. I was born in the late 80's and frequented Riverside Park throughout the 90's, as well as working at Six Flags New England for about 5 years in the late 00's-10's. Riverside was always a talking point in the family, and I loved to hear my father and grandparents talk about what it used to be like. This documentary is very well done, informative, and a pleasure to watch. Great job!
Thank you for the nice comment! It's great you got to experience both Riverside thru the memories, like you mentioned, and working at the park so many years back when it was Six Flags. Seeing what's left of the old Riverside park, which is not much, and how Six Flags transformed it into their brand is quite fascinating to see and experience!
What an incredible documentary that I'm so glad YT put on my recommended. I live in RI and we went to Riverside pretty regularly in the summer growing up. My dad raced there a couple times. I haven't been there since it's been Six Flags but the memories of Riverside run deep. Thank you for this great nostalgic video. The Thunderbolt was my favorite!!
Thank you for your comment! Glad you enjoyed the video, and glad to hear it brought back some nostalgic memories of such a great park! The race track was definitely unique to the park when it was there. It must of been great for your Dad to have had the opportunity to race on that track! My goal was to document the Riverside era that so many loved, and to further show how the park transformed into what is today known as Six Flags, and all the work that they put into making the park what it is today!
Great job! Looks like we've spent the last few years stalking the same research material. In the early 90s the Pirate's Cove ride, which was a Bill Tracy install, was redone into the "Haunted Lagoon", which I rode exactly once and have been searching for a video of ever since. Alas, the sands of time.
Thank you for watching, and thank you for your great comment!! Pirates Cove was such a great ride! Glad you found this video!
This is really incredible. Grew up in Agawam and am learning a lot! David Cecchi has really done a lot to preserve the town's history too! I lived a mile or 2 down the road from Riverside and you could hear the car races at night during the summer.
Pretty Cool! Thank you for watching!!
Will watch later, 3 hours is a commitment. Excited to learn something completely new.
@@toshibavoodoo Absolutely! Yes, a bit lengthy! Originally was going to be a 2 part Documentary, however, I chaptered it out to make it more convenient to watch in sections if needed! Thanks again for your vomment!!
I wanted to thank you!!! So much for making this Video. I stumbled upon your channel today, while looking up some other things on history. This definitely made me feel super nostalgic! This will always be Riverside!! 🥰❤️❤️❤️
Absolutely! You're welcome! Glad you liked the video! Yes, For many it will always be Riverside. There is, like you mention, so much nostalgia, and so many memories for so many, that the History of this park as Riverside is beloved by all who have had the opportunity to experience it thru out the various decades! Thanks again for your comment!!
Your very welcome! Hope to see more amazing videos.
@@VoNewEngland83 Definitely! More on the way soon, theme park wise!
The amount of research you must have had to do for this is amazing! Fantastic job! It brought back so many great memories for me and I learned a lot that I didn't know, thank you!
Thank you! Appreciate your comment!! Yes, it took some time to research everything, and glad to hear that the documentary allowed you to learn a bit more too!! Thanks for watching!!
Absolutely amazing piece - thorough, well presented, and satisfying. Doesnt hurt to cover a park that is, and will hopefully remail, a family tradition and favorite.
@@thormod1248 Thank you for that amazing comment, and for taking the time to watch thru it! Much appreciated!!
Love this documentary of Riverdide Park. Thank you.
Absolutely! You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed the video, and thank you for your comment!!
I've been fascinated with Riverside for quite some time now. I was going throughout the 90s as a kid with my family, so many memories! And there was no real history on it, before this video. Only from my memories/photos/small videos, etc.
But this really put it all together!
I'm still upset by some of the changes that have taken place over the years.
Specifically, the racetrack (superman is great.. but wish they put it in a diff location).. antique cars (diff theme now?).. black widow.. shipwreck falls.. red river rapids.. the monorail.. the skyway.. the huge ferris wheel!
Unless you were there, you really don't understand the nostalgic aspect of it. But trust me.. it was AMAZING!
@@13ranzz well said! Thank you for watching, and for your commentt! To your comment, My plan was to take the time to put a very comprehensive documentary together.. I too share those same memories of the park, and I'm glad I could share a bit of nostalgic history with everyone who also share these nostalgic memories, and to those who may never have known about the park, I hope this can give an in depth look to what the park was, past and present!!
This is a amazing video going over the history of riverside park. I leaned so much about the park from this video. I would like to thank you for taking the time to make this video and doing all the research you did on this park. Its very rare for me to watch a 3 hour long youtube video but I gladly enjoyed watching this video!
Thank you so much for your amazing comment! Much appreciated! It was originally going to be an hour long, and getting everything from over a hundred + years was going to be a challenge to get within an hour time frame. I agree, a 3 hour documentary these days is for sure a little bit long! I was glad to be able to divide it up by Chapters, such a great feature! Thank you again for taking the time to watch it, and glad to hear you learned a bit more on this historic park, as it was my goal to put a very comprehensive historic timeline of this park into a documentary, highlighting it's long past!
Well done mate! Your the Ken Burns of amusement park history!
Haha, Thank you so much!!
Great job and thanks for a lot of 70s 80s flashbacks!
Couple of things to add. Frankenstein's Castle was just a re theme of the Fun House you can see in south end near the Matterhorn on the old map. It was a classic fun house with moving stairs and walkways, tilted rooms, and spinning tunnels. Was a lot of fun. Around '84 ish they made it Frankenstein's Castle and just repainted everything scary and made the music from goofy to scary. There were not really scary staff on there but dark hooded staff would take groups of people through it and just say in scary voices to "hurry up" if they slowed down. I was told this was a way to cut down on vandalism, people smoking weed and messing around. So it was more of a crowd control thing.
Also the clock just after the entrance was a round up ride at one point. There was an accident on it in the early 80s (not fatal as far as I can remember but it made the local news) and next season it was a clock.
Thank you for the added bits of information! Great details you provided here, Thank you for watching!
This is fantastic! And I’m only halfway through!
Thank you!! Glad you are enjoying it Hopefully the various Chapters helped you pick up from where you left off!
Was such a great place. Lived walking distance away. Roller skating, candle pin bowling. Would sleep outside and watch fireworks on the 4th
Agreed! Thank you for watching!!
Ci sono stata ben 44 anni fa. Ero appena adolescente ed il loop coaster fu un'emozione unica!!!
I stg I was JUST looking to see if you did this video yet!! Thank you so much for it!!
You're welcome!
I greatly appreciate your video this was my home park as a child
Thank you for watching, and appreciate your comment!
As a kid, we visited Opryland in Nashville every summer. Opryland closed in late 1997, and right around the same time, Riverside went through a MAJOR expansion, and I believe that they had some of Opryland's old rides. JMO. But VERY coincidental.
Thank you for watching! That's some great information that you mention about the rides from Opryland possibly being sent up for the expansion. You are correct about the timing, and they did have new rides as they expanded, especially right before they publicly announced it to be a Six Flags park!
16:27 - Remember that "diving pad" in the parking lot and the "depth" sign. I always assumed it was build that way so people couldn't crash into it and knock the lamp post, and the "depth" referred to the depth of the electrical wire. Never knew there was a man-made lake there.
One of the biggest "wonders" of Riverside Park held over for many years. It still fascinates me that it stood for so many years, into the 80's (as seen in the pictures), and beyond!! Thanks for watching!
I used to go here all the time. I loved it. Six Flags New England is ok but it just doesn't have that charm anymore that Riverside had. The "Wicked Cyclone" at 6FNE is the best ride they got incorporating the old "Cyclone" into the new design.
Yes, The Wicked Cyclone and added themeing is definitely a nice touch to the classic Riverside Cyclone, agreed. Speaking of the old Riverside days, I sure wish they kept the Monorail, however it was most likely falling into disrepair at the point Six Flags took over, so perhaps they didn't want to overhaul and update it. It was a signature focal point at the entrance for so long and how great it would of been if it made it into SFNE!
I did the scenes in the pirate ride in 91 (I think it was). It was a wreck in there and I had 10 days to gather up all the elements and build the scenes. Most of it was pretty hokey, but, hey, what do you expect for 10 days and materials I could scrounge up. And the only access was on the boat which, but the way, was a rusty barge - nothing like the fanciful pirate ship. I also did the graveyard outside the entrance.
Thank you for your comment, and for sharing your time working on the ride! That is amazing you got to work on the ride! I remember it quite well, rode it all the time as a kid. You are correct, nothing like the pirate ship that I only I put that in for dramatic effect. In the early days in the 1980s, the barge like boat wasn't as bad of shape, but yeah, it was still showing it's age even then a bit.. The Jungle Cruise ride that predated Pirates Cove at Riverside, may have used the same boats, except they were drastically changed, no steam stack or canopy like it once had, but the big square section in the middle of the boat on the Pirates Cove ride, appears to be where the steam stack use to reside, and the riders would be seated around it, just like on the Pirates Cove ride, so if that is the case, the boats were really showing their age when you were working and designing the scenes on the ride back in and around 91! Thanks again for your comment! Appreciate the insight!!
Live 20 min away. Been going for years. I mean 6 flags is good but riverside had a more homey feel
My uncle use to race there in the 1980's and i'm trying to gather information he apparently won a lot of races as i remember his room had a ton of trophies
Yes, a lot of fans of the Riverside Speedway really have fond memories of it, as it was such a huge part of Riverside. Great to hear your Unicle was a Race Car driver in its heyday! It really mint a lot to a lot of people! Thanks for the comment!!
fantastic documentary. I had just been trying to look up some of the park history. particularly trying to find info on the riverboats along the river. how long were they in use?
Thank you very much! Appreciate your comment!! As far as the riverboats along the river, most of them were in use in the late 1800's, and sort of faded away when automobiles started to emerge. The park was at the end of the trolley line as well, which also lent to more options for transportation. The riverboat's passenger capacities were also upgraded at various points thru out the years while they were in use, as more guests started to enjoy the park in those early years! Thanks for watching!
1:01:58 - The Cyclone… is why i never go on wooden roller coasters. I think i could have been an inch taller and avoided lifetime back pain from being jostled around like a ragdoll in this unholy thing.
…then i learned you were supposed to sit in the front of coasters if you really wanted to enjoy it, not in the back. Oh well 🤷🏻♂️
And yet, i continued to ride this rickety bucket of bolts… what does that say about me?
@@brainmuffins6052 thank you for watching and for your comment! Many riders felt the same about the rough ride it provided, yet they too continued to ride over and over again!! 😃
I remember the paper bonus badges being stapled onto clothing as a child. I was born in 1960 so it must have been before 1970 and I believe it was $2.50 to ride all the rides as a child under 10 years old. You stated the one price admission began much later.
Yes, the one price admission really took the park to the next level, however, those early days really were something with the admission being what it was. Remembering the amusement parks and even carnivals from way back, when you could just pay for whatever ride you wanted to go on. The great thing of one price admission allowed everyone to ride their favorite rides multiple times without having to repay each time and wait in those long ticket booth lines that were always there on the weekends! Thanks for watching!
So much missing from the late 60's to early 70's. What about the split day and night admissions? How about the games of chance ? Loved Riverside.
Great video. My one critique is you have the Balloon Race install incorrect. Balloon Race replaced the Swings in 1998, not 1989. This can be seen with the 1997 aerial pics clearly showing the classic Wave Swinger roof, and the 2001 aerial showing the open top Balloon Race .
It wasnt so much the walk up the stairs as standing in line behind a hundred others and moving one step at a time, the whole time. All for a 45 second ride. It was fun at the time tho. Went there in the early 80s and remember the foot race to the line for the Cyclone wooden roller coaster as they staggered the opening time.
@@almartinelli5054 exactly! Well said, the walk up, although long, wasn't the issue as much as it was waiting in extreme heat sometimes, and the line moving one step at a time! Thank you for watching!!
I remember the remains of that diving platform and it’s so true, we never knew what it was and I really never noticed the depth markings!? (Idk if the markings were still there in the 80’s and possibly 90’s, when I’m remembering)
Here's what I was thinking, pertaining to those depth markings. I believe the picture of the dive platform (with the Wildcat coaster in the background) was from around 1982-83, and at that point in time it looks as if the depth markings appear to be there, pretty much faded, however a bit visible still.
Good observation you make, as I thought the same thing about the platform markings. The platform was there in some shape or form since around 1917, and around 1982-83, in that picture, that would make it around 65 years at that point, and would be quite amazing that those markings would still exist, be it, faded greatly, perhaps they were repainted at some point before Lake Take - A - Dip was filled in to make way for the installation of the parking lot prior to Mr. Ed Carroll Sr. purchasing the park somewhere in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It would at that point be about a 40 year span timeframe, and could explain the markings still being a bit visible, and the fact that the paint of the markings where somewhat shielded from the outside elements from the above platform, that acted as an overhang to protect it all those years. That's just my observation and theory though!
@@briadventures Makes complete sense!! I spent so much of my life at Riverside, and then Six Flags. First, as a child/teen and then as an adult. Stopped going sometime around 2003/4 due to health problems. Even after spending so much of my life there, I really don’t have pictures or videos at all, so this means so much to me. So again, thank you so very much!!
@@Lexx1192 Your very welcome! Glad this documentary with all of it's historic picture/videos and such can provide you with some great memories of the park, how it was, and how it currently is in present day! Thank you for watching!!
@@briadventures It really did!! 🙏🏼
It's funny, when I was young I always wanted to go to a "proper" theme park like Disney World. Now that Six Flags has bought up or driven out of business all the local amusement parks I really wish I could take my "nieces and nephews" to see the kind of park I expereinced as a kid.
Yes, the parks of yesteryear were great, and had a flair of their own, agreed. Six Flags definitely did a great job with the facades on Main Street, The Wharf area, etc, and bringing in some great things, however, I think if things like classic Riverside Monorail stayed around and was overhauled, it could of kept some of that Riverside charm going within SFNE!
@@briadventures Yeah, the last time I went and saw that they had removed the Colossus I was heartbroken. I definitely remember riding that several times while my older siblings stood in line for the Cyclone the first few years that was in the park and had really long lines.And the scrambler just isn't the same since they removed the dome.
Yes the Colossus, you would get perhaps one spin fully around, as they let more riders on and off during your accent to the top. And the scrambler definitely had a different feel to it in the dome. As it is outside, it feels more like any other scrambler in any park. Riverside definitely had some unique ideas back in its hey day, and with a limited budget they did quite a good job!
Awesome video!
AGAWAM SKYLINE WON'T YOU BE MINE ?❤😊
Thank You!
I liked it better as Riverside!!
AWESOME VIDEO 😊
AGAWAM SKYLINE WON'T YOU BE MINE ?😊
Anybody else wake up to this at 3am?
Great area to go metal detecting. The background music is annoying.
You forgot the rocket ride and the mine train and the grayhound
The Grayhound Rollercoaster and Mine Train railroad are both featured in the documentary. The Grayhound is towards the beginning, right after the Giant Dip Coaster is mentioned, and the Mine Train is featured in the Riverside Era of the video. Thanks for watching, and for your comment!
Best fun house ever
There missing some facts
Has Six Flags become a monopoly?