From memory: Roller coasters: The Flash, had enclosed cars. Fireball, went 70mph. Italian Bobs, trackless coaster. Wild Mouse. (Surprised the cars didn't fall off that track, lol...) There were a couple more. Don't remember the names.... Rides: Chute-the-Chutes Bumper cars Flying teacups (or a clone of the ride) Aladdin's Castle (Horror, fun house) The Whip Parachute ride (uh, uh, not me) A helicopter/dumbo type ride And other's I can't remember because I've killed a lot of brain cells, lol. They had 3 or 4 SkeeBall buildings, and you got into the ticket reward score, you called a guy over and he'd give you the appropriate number of tickets. I became an excellent skeeball player, lol... Mom wouldn't take us if there was even a chance of rain ('cause the park would pretty much shut down in the rain), and there was no reliable hour-by-hour forecasting like we get today. No cell phones either. We may have had a party line...
My dad used to visit Riverview as a kid and has told us stories of how rough and dangerous The Bob's was. A little torn you mentioned Adventureland in Addison and not Kiddieland!
Great video and your content is awesome! Any video on the long demolished Ogden Ave overpass that went over goose Island would be amazing. Thank you again!
As the completion of the repairs, repainting, and refitting of the USS Texas, Battleship Texas, BB-35 draws closer, is there anything your channel can do to spotlight this excellent legendary warship?
Hi , My name is Mark and I do remember Riverview. Not much about it but, I do remember it. I have a somewhat unique memory of it in that I lived less than a quarter mile from the park. I lived 1 block west of the river on a street called Washtinaw. If you knew where Bally Corp was as well as a Church on the Southeast corner of Belmont and Wastinaw, that's where we lived. From my bedroom window I could see the Pair-O-Chutes tower both during the daytime and at night when the Parachutes were lit up. I was fascinated by the way they functioned. I could see the lifts slowly carrying the passengers up to the top release and then slowly descend back down to bring up new riders. I do recall at times the Pair-O-Chutes would stop on the way up for a few seconds, then climb up to the top to complete the cycle. I can recall hearing people screaming, not necessarily on that particular ride, but I do remember the screams. I recall a few times when there were fireworks lighting up the sky behind the Bally Corp building. There were two times I can recall actually going to the park. My mom would get the Season Passes that came through the mail and she would load up our buggy with my two little sisters and we would walk to the park via Belmont Ave. We had to cross the Belmont ave bridge at the river. I remember we were stopped by the ringing of bells and the lowering of gates, and all the traffic would stop on either side of the bridge because it was about to be raised up to allow a sailboat to pass underneath. It was amazing to see this giant structure moan and squeak and grind away to open up just to let a small craft pass underneath. It then did the same thing as it closed back down and we could then cross the river. I was rewarded with a wave from the bridge operator as we passed by the control tower. From that point on I was fixated on the Pair-O-Chute tower as we got closer and closer. I can't tell you how we got into the park. I don't remember the grand Entrance, the coasters or much else about the park. I remember riding the Caterpillar and having that musty canvas cover over you as well as a ride called Spooktown. But the Giant Tower fascinated me to no end. My mom sat us down by some benches almost directly underneath the tower. She needed a rest after pushing that buggy for a while, so she let me watch the ride operate. I was disappointed that only two of the chutes were operating. It was a weekday and I'm sure the crowds were thin. As one of the parachutes reached the top and I hear a loud "CLACK" as it was released and opened up, I asked my mom if we could go on the ride. She looked up at the ascending chute and told me quite frankly: "There is now way in Hell I'm ever going on that thing again!" Realizing she was talking to her 4 year old son, and seeing the disappointment on my face for not being able to go on the ride that I could see from my bedroom window, she looked down at me and corrected herself by saying: "But when you get old enough you can go on it as many times as you want." I asked When would that be? she told me " Probably when you turn about 10." That sealed the deal for me! My mom promised I could go on it when I got older. I now had something to really look forward to. I couldn't wait to go on that ride. This was in the summer of 1967. Little did anyone realize that this would be the last summer the park would be opened. The next time I saw the Pair-o-Chutes tower was when it was in the newspaper tipping over to it's demise. The first thing I thought of was my mom's promise to me and that now I'll never get to go on that ride. I was so much in denial that When I got home I ran to my bedroom to see if it was really true and when I got there..... No Tower. I was devastated. I still miss that tower and I am making plans to build a six foot working replica of this once iconic symbol in my life. Work should begin on it some time, this summer. I'm still doing some research as to how certain parts were constructed. I hope to display it somewhere where people would appreciate seeing this wonderful relic. Well, that's my brief history of Riverview Park. I do miss it like so many others. Thanks for allowing comments. Mark
My dad grew up in Evanston. Back in the 70s, when I was obsessed with Old Chicago and Great America, I asked him what his favorite roller coaster was. He said, “The Bobs.”
Great episode Ryan! My family has ties to Riverview Park. I'm your era as well, Great America in Gurnee as a teen and before that I grew up at Kiddieland in Melrose Park. My father was a boatman on the Chutes in the early-mid 60s before getting drafted in the Army and then came home to a vacant lot in '68. He's retrieved artifacts from the Chutes on that land probably a decade or so ago. Metal lamp tubes that lined the boat slide and even some rotten wooded boat pieces. Part of the 'flume' I believe is still in the ground over there filled with overgrowth and random debris. His love for the ride made him create a detailed H.O. scale model of the Chutes with working components which he took to various reunions over the years and was featured on Chicago Fox 32 for the 50th anniversary of the park's closing. He would've loved to contribute more memories of this experience in Chicago at that time if he were still with us!
I went to Riverview until the year it was closed. There was never any danger and my father never felt it was dangerous to take us there. I think the motive for closing is that the land became much more valuable to sell than to keep the park open.
Having lived and bartended in the neighborhood for the last decade, I've heard that the Police station was the reason that it finally shut down. The park was on the decline and the city wanted to build a new station... do the math.
It is interesting to know what happened to the Carousel. My mom and dad frequented Riverview during the 50's. To now know , through your awesome work, that we (the Kids) and the grandkids rode the very Carousel while we lived in Atlanta and would go to Six Flags. Fantastic.
The Cajun Cliffhanger at Great America! I also rode that many times. We would ride White Water Rampage first and then ride Cajun Cliffhanger to “spin dry”. 😂
There's a lady that does regular presentations on kiddieland similar to this one. She's really knowledgeable. Can't remember her name, saw it on Facebook. It's on RUclips.
My dad was a mechanic there. Riverview was a lot less dangerous than some other parks. Lloyds of London and US Fidelity covered them for personal injuries, workman's comp and liability and the premium at the end was only about $1000,000 a year. Only 6 people died in 64 years of operation and only 2 were the park's fault. The cables broke on the Strat-o-stat and two people drowned when the plane flew into the river. The trains that collided in 1937 were on the Pippen, which later became the Silver Streak.
Yes! I've been asking for this for some time. Was there a whole bunch of times when I was a kid. You'd get a Hero's sub sandwich over at the place at Addison and Western, and you could walk to the entrance of the park. You could always get discount coupons at Walgreens. Got pretty grungy at the end of it's life, but it was always a fun place!
I went to Riverview in 1964 when i was 7. I went with my older brother and his girlfriend. I don't have real clear memories except for riding the Bobs. That ride scared me away from roller coasters the rest of my life. I remember a shooting range and other games. Someone won me a stuffed dog that I still have. It's a good memory.
My grandfather, born: 1900, was about 6 years old, watching his mom do the family laundry. She had a "modern" wringer which consisted of 2 rollers, a hand-crank, and several mechanical gears right out in the open for a child to stick his finger in, which he did, resulting in the loss of a finger. His mom did the best she could and called the local doctor, but Grandpa remembers them both saying, "to never do that again." There were NO lawsuits. Great-grandma continued to use the wringer. And grandpa grew up wiser, minus one finger. --Tough generation.
Riverview was my Mom's favorite place to go in the 40's and (probably) 50's. And yeah, even if it hadn't closed in 1967, it would have been long closed by today. It's much lesser known, and only lasted 5 years, but maybe do a video about *Old Chicago* one day?
What really intrigued me was the water feature at the corner of Diversey and Pulaski in Chicago built at the old Olson Rug plant. Wonder why that closed down. 🤔🤔🤔
Wow. Intrigued, I looked that up. A three-story waterfall! Olson Rug magnate (remember their commercials?) wanted to bring a bit of greenery from his Wisconsin vacation home to Chicago so he built a park there. It was American Indian themed, probably problematic today. Marshall Field's bought the plant for storage, eventually tearing down the entire park -- which is now a parking lot, apparently. That waterfall must have been captivating!
MAGIKIST LIPS‼️I have no idea why this Shytown girl had the need to reply to your carpet reference with my favorite neon humongous sign from my childhood 👄 thanks!
i remember that, and around halloween time, they would have a big autumn display with Indian Tee Pees and corn stalks. one could walk up and over the waterfall in a bridge / path. thanks for reminding me.
I'm 71. My grandfather, actually my mom's stepfather, always took me to Riverview. He loved the rollercoasters and would drag me on them. I was afraid of heights, so it was no fun for me. We would always go to the beer garden. He would have Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and I would have root beer. To this day, I still love root beer. Once he passed away in 1959, my grandmother took me to Riverview until a few years before it closed. She liked the Wild Mouse, so she'd take me on that. That ride was a bit more my speed. I still didn't like the fact that it went back and forth across the river. It was a long way down. My grandmother & I still went to the beer garden, but we both had root beer. Thanks for doing this video. It brought back a lot of memories. Very sad what happened to the park.
When they tore down Riverview our neighborhood was over run by rats. I was a kid whose family lived in a second floor apartment across the river (on Melrose and Washtenaw butting up to Grebe shipyard) and could easily see the parachute ride from the back porch. Once the rat infestation occurred it would be several years before the city got it under control. I was terrified to walk past the garbage cans to alley to walk our dog due to rats…🐀
My mom used to tell me about Riverview, she said a boy was decapitated on a rollercoaster, not sure how true that is. I was always going to Kiddie Land and Santas Village, and eventually Great America, great memories. Sad Kiddie Land is gone as well. Thank you for the peek into the past.
Walt Disnesys father worked at the 1983 world fair... LOL Wow he lived for over 100 years. He even outlived his son. I would have gone to the 1983 world's fair but I was too young. 🤣🤣🤣😂😂
The Rotor was not bought by Great America. That is a common misconception. It was a common flat ride in the 1950s through the 1970s. Great America their own new one. The Rotor was scrapped with the rest of Riverview.
@@mdf3530 Closest station is Paulina (because of the way the tracks zig-zag there), and it's still over 1/2 mile. I suppose it's walking distance, but the 49 Western bus will stop right at Riverview's doorstep. I remember we'd take the B train (now the red like) to Addison, and the Addison bus to Western. From there it was a couple blocks walk...
I was there on one of the last days, late Aug. 1967. I remember because when we pulled our car out of the lot, one of the parking attendants struck up a conversation with us, telling us it was closing. The reason it closed was it had just become too "shabby" ! Not kept up well, rides not open, workers untrained & uninterested, & so people had stopped coming... This wasn't helped by the "reputation" it had gained of being unsafe, & no longer "family friendly".
A video on "Euclid Beach Park" and/or "Geauga Lake", both just east of Cleveland would make good subjects to continue the theme of old & much loved parks that are no longer with us.
In the early 90s the Harold Washington library hosted a display of models of the Riverview rides. Impressive stuff. There was local news coverage of it … interviewed one of the model makers.
the thing thats really sad to me is the fact these places are massive achievements of human engineering and creation for enjoyment that lasted 60 years just to be destroyed and replaced with crap,
My grandfather took my sister and I there several times as kids. She went only once and hated it, but I returned many times. We took the streetcars down North Avenue from Oak Park to Western and then got off at Belmont. That alone was an adventure. I was too young to ride the parachutes, but strangely, allowed to shoot the 22's at the shooting gallery. I can still smell the gun powder. The funhouse spinning floor discs and horizontal barrels were always challenging. When I think back at all that was allowed to do and experience, I can only think that just about everything fun there would be outlawed long ago. The memories of the place are indelible.
I was young but, I remember going to RIverview. I have no specific memories other than a couple of fuzzy photos. There was another park called Playland just off the Tri_State near Bridgeview. I think it closed inthe late 70's or early 80's. Great video. Thank you Ryan.
I remember going to River View and riding many of those rides🤩. Thanks for bringing back those memories. I was born in the early 1950’s the memory of the park are still strong. Thanks again.
I grew up going to the Great America in California, it is very interesting how 2 people nowhere near each other could grow up going to the same park and have the same experiences -- The trains from Riverviews Jet Stream coaster went to Carrowinds in North Carolina in 1976 for the Thunder Road roller coaster but were retired in 1980 because they were custom built by Riverview for Jet Stream and were much heavier than trains typically were and were causing excessive wear and tear - Riverview truly was the first coaster capitol of the world, a distinction that ironically would eventually go to a park that struggled to get by and nearly closed several times while in the shadow of Riverview, and only started to achieve succuss after Riverview closed, eventually becoming one of the most well known parks in the world , Cedar Point - And if you want to get an idea of what a ride on the Bobs was like there is a roller coaster in Santa Cruz Ca that opened the same year as the Bobs and is considered by many to be a smaller version of the Bobs
The park closed when George Schmidt got an offer for Six million dollars for the land……tens of millions in today’s dollars. It never lost money …..and in fact invested in a brand new rollercoaster just two years before the owner sold out
My grandparents met at Riverview. My Grandfather was a musician in one of the bands.As a kid my Aunt and Uncle lived in Hanover Park and we would drive down Lake St. through Addison and see Adventureland. My parents never wanted to take us there because by that time Six Flags had opened and the reputaton for Adventureland had become that it had gang problems and was poorly maintained. It closed shortly there after
There’s some curious history surrounding Lincoln Park esp the zoo. 😉 the now torn down willowbrook ball room. Water tower mall. The story of soldier fields “corner stone”. Thats 4 Chicago legends that come to mind I’d like to hear about in 2024. Or a whole series on lost rt 66 buildings or attractions. Pretty sure most states have a half dozen or more towns that were once bastions of industry that are now all but dead. Gary IN, Rockford IL, Ypsilanti Mi, The Quad Cities, Green Bay Wi, so many beautiful places in out country that lay in ruin now.. because why?? Globalism and Bureaucratic rot is a lot of it.
IN 1967 I DON'T THINK THE AREA WAS DANGEROUS AND DISHEVELED ,HOWEVER ONE THING YOU MISSED WAS THE HEAVY TRAFIC PEOPLE IN TH AREA DIDN'T LIKE ,I LIVED BETWEEN WRIGLEY AND RIVERVIEW SO I KNOW THE AREA I WAS 14 WHEN IT CLOSED I ALMOST FELL OUT OF THE FLASH , I HAD MANY RELITAVES WHO WORKED THERE ,MY GRANDFATHER WAS WORKING ON THE FIREBALL WHEN A MAN WAS KILLED ,BUT IT WAS A FUN FAMILY PLACE ANDTO ME IT WAS BETTER THAN GREAT AMERICA ,maybe because it's a childhood memory ,thankyou for your reporting,and try to laugh your troubles away .
African Americans faced discrimination at urban amusement parks in other cities. In Louisville the amusement park was closed a couple years after it was integrated.
I'm 65. My grandmothers house was right across the river Melrose St. and Washtenaw Ave. I remember watching Riverview 4th of July massive Fireworks from her back porch at night. It was a ritual I will never forget. My family a long time ago sold the house for maybe $25,000. Newly rehabbed I just found out it is on the market in 2024 for $570,000. And on a side note I graduated from DeVry across the street from the current Police Station in 1983. The DeVry building which was Ultra Modern is now also gone. Everything changes over time.
Me & my brother were fortunate to have visited Riverview Park back in 1966, a year before its eventual closing. To this very day, a canopied seat from the old Paratrooper ride was preserved & stands in front of the Belmont CPD station.
I have had the pleasure of riding the carousel at Six Flags over Georgia and it is a wonderful machine and well maintained. It is one of the few amusement rides that has such a rich history. It is even said to have been Al Capon’s favorite ride.
Um, aahhh, Editor notes...... "Walt Disney's father was a construction worker at Chicago's World's Fair in 1983" ??? 1983??? I think you mean, 1893, the World's Fair, the Columbian Exposition. The 1982, World's Fair was in Knoxville TN. Parts of the Knoxville Fair were still open in 1983. In 1983, the senior Mr Disney, would have been, older than 110+ years old. He also would have long outlived his sons?
As a child living in a western suburb one of the things I and my siblings most awaited was the annual trip to Riverview which for us was a source of fun and fantasy. I became a roller coaster addict there and except for the trek through Alladin's Castle I only went on the roller coasters there, of which at that there were six, if my memory serves me right., The king of the coasters was the Bobs and since one had to purchase tickets for each ride and then hand them to a ticket taker to get an immediate second or third ride, I expended the grand sum of $ 3.50 and rode the Bobs 14 times straight. It's one of my most cherished childhood memories.
Nice presentation. For some really good in depth Riveriview history, including its reasons for closing, there is an excellent book titled "Laugh Your Troubles Away-the Complete History of Riverview Park", by Riverview employee Ralph Lopez and the late Derek Gee, an expert on Riverview's History.
I vaguely remember Riverview and going there a few times as a child. I heard rumors about why they closed it but some others has already spoke about it in code. I loved going to Adventureland as a kid and even Great America & Old Chicago when I was in high school.
My dad took me to Riverview Park in 1956. It was the first and last time that I saw a sideshow. There was a man with no arms who shuffled cards with his toes. I think there was a bearded lady. All of the show people there looked sad. I felt uncomfortable being there.
I grew up in the suburbs and only went to Riverview twice, the second time being August 1966, just before I went off to college. I remember insisting to my date that we ride ALL the roller coasters at least once; in that one evening, we managed all of them, and the Bobs twice. A year later, of course, it was gone.
Great video Ryan! This one really hit me in the feels. Growing up in the Chicago area, I was born just a bit too late to take in Riverview, but I did visit Marriott's Great America (now Six Flags) many times and rode the Hometown Fun Machine, which is the Rotor ride you mentioned from Riverview, and I never realized that ride's history. These days, Iive too far from Great America to visit it that much, however, I'm pretty close to Cedar Point and go there a few times a year. I'd like to see a video about Cedar Point, as it is now one of the oldest continuously operating parks and has some tremendous history behind it - I've many great, wonderful and nostalgic memories from Sandusky too and I think that there is a ton of source material too to make an engaging video about that.
Thanks for the memories. My brother 💞 and sister sometimes remind me of putting one of them on the handlebars and the other on the seat of my Schwinn and riding down there from Evanston. It's nice to be young, and maybe not so bright but full of fun
The south branch of the chicago river has the potential for an amusement park . Land is cheap and there are areas near major avenues. Wish some of our $ businessmen pull their dreams and create a New Riverview Park on the south side
Hey, I was there lot of times, even wrote to chuck & got his book, I got the video later. Cool photos. Stupid scared politicians ruin it all for chicago, especially that greedy lawyer who rather have a mall built. Look at all the big malls today, are they still around?
Not Chicago, but Cleveland, Ohio. Euclid Beach was a contempory of River View and follow the same path. Opening in 1895 as a dance hall destintion and by 1901 being managed by the Humphrey family. Following the same path as RV it became a beloved destination for Clevelander's well up into the 1950's. By the 1960's it suffered the same racial changes as RV with whites choosing to go to other amusement parks like Cedar Point. With the decline in business and age of the rides Euclid Beach closed in 1969. Just like RV some of it's ride were sold to other parks and the rest demo'd.
I was only seven when Riverview closed, but my father had grown up going there so he took me a couple of times every summer from the time I was about four. I remember only a few things, primarily Aladdin's Castle (how can you forget that face?) and the shoot the chutes water ride (my favorite). In my baby book I still have a picture taken of me sitting on a crescent moon that was done at Riverview. I wasn't aware that the drop ride (which I think was renamed Tom's Twister?) was at Gurnee...I might have ridden that once, but having someone get off of it and barf on one does not encourage repeat riding!
I grew up in Cleveland and “my” park was Euclid Beach Park. To me, Chicago was a larger version of Cleveland. In fact, you could look at the weather in Chicago, and expect it the next day in Cleveland. I had a neighbor who grew up in Chicago and she spoke often of Riverview. So, I’m already a subscriber to your channel. Keep up the outstanding posts!
We know why it changed just afraid to say it. Glen Echo Park in Maryland where my dad would take the trolley in the 40s to suffered the same fate. The rides weren't what made a visit unsafe.
My uncle took us to Riverview several years in a row, from about the time I was 7 until I was 10. Seeing the photo of Aladdin's Castle still gives the creepy feeling that that big face gave me when we went. It scared me but I went in. I remember the slanted floors and the mirrors that distorted your appearance. Love the Chutes but only went on the Bobs once because I was terrified. Loved the Comet because I liked a roller coaster with a roof. Wonderful memories.
That was a fascinating history. I attended Lane Tech High School from 1961 - 1965 which was, as you mentioned, right next to Riverview. When the park opened every spring, we could hear and see the roller coasters from the school windows. I remember attending only a few times, though, as our family didn't have money for such amusements. My favorite ride was The Chutes (it was great to get splashed on a hot summer day when the boat hit the water), and I never did gather up the courage to go on the parachutes.
Interesting bit of history but I feel the need to correct one point. When talking about Walt Disney's father, you said he worked on the 1983 worlds fair. I don't think that is possible. I'm sure you meant 1893. As I said, interesting bit of history!
And what does a city the size of Chicago have now for an amusement park? Absolutely nothing other than the city is the largest outdoor shooting range in America. BAM!
Thanks! You’ve given me a great conversation starter for my 88-year-old mom. I was born in Chicago in 1956 but we moved away a year later. By the time we moved back in 1969, Riverview was history. Thanks for bringing it to life.
My family loved Riverview. 1950's to the end in 1967. Many great memories. My sisters and I would save money and take two buses to get there. Once, one of my Uncles brought us. He thought he was taking us on a train ride, but it was a roller coaster. He was more terrified than we were. Still can see his eyes shut as he gripped my little sister. lol Thanks for this video.
Luv the story of Riverview. My parents went there long before my life began. I do remember seeing alot of memories posted in a second hand thrift store in that area in my personal adventures. So many happy faces. If you can would you consider doing a video on THe Oid Chicago indoor amusement park? Thanks.
My grandma has a painting of riverview in her basement that has been there since I can remember, I never thought to ask her what it was so i finally asked her last week and it has led me down a rabbit hole. I live super close by, just off of Belmont and it’s wild that I’m just now discovering this
I'm already a subscriber, but I'd love to see a story about Adventureland (it had a different name before that, but I don't remember what it was, and some of the rides and building were from that park. The Whales, and the Burning building put out by riders on a fire truck. I grew up at this park, like many grew up at Great America.
I always remember an Adventureland, I think there was more than one. Another park was Santa's Village. I think there was a third, but I can't remember the name....
The name was Storybookland or Storybook Park, cant remember which, then it was bought by Durrell Everding who expanded the rides there and at Santas Village which he also owned.
I fondly remember going to Riverview when I was growing up in Chicago. It was one of the highlights of the Summer. I don't remember much about the park except one ride, a roller coaster that was trackless. If I remember correctly, it was like riding in a tube or chute. I wish I could remember it's name.
I was too small to ride the Bobs at 6, but loved the trip on the Armitage and Western bus to the park w/ my 5 siblings. No wonder I grew up w/ a love of coasters, The Flash and Wild Mouse being my first. My brother 10 years my sr., made the rides all the more terrifying. I still have a pair of won prizes, plastic dice, blue and maroon... about 2" diameter and one unused ticket dated 1964 I believe. When mom passed, we found 6 remaining unused tickets because the park had closed. Great America was a blast in the 70s and 80s :)
I attended Lane Tech but Riverview was long gone. My father and grandfather took me to Kiddeland in Lincolnwood and River Grove. The one in Lincolnwood closed first but the one in River Grove lasted into the 80s. My elementary school organized a trip to Marriott’s Great America on a Saturday the year it opened. I did ride the Cajun Cliffhanger a number of times over the years and didn’t find out until years later why it was removed. I never made it to Old Chicago before it closed.
Kiddieland in Melrose Park lasted until 2009 surprisingly. I attended the last open weekend. Now it's a Costco sadly. I was at Old Chicago as a toddler and don't remember it.
Hey Ryan, another fantastic video! I am a life-long Chicago-area resident, and I worked at Great America for two seasons in the 1980's. I was only 5 years old when they closed Riverview, and I feel like I missed out on something great. Oh, and a small correction...you said that Walt Disney's father worked at the World's Fair of 1983...I'm pretty sure that was in 1893! Keep the great videos coming!!!
I Iast attended this park in 1966, one year before it closed. Fun, Fun, Fun..............I laughed my troubles away, just as Two-Ton Baker used to say!!!
Another nice job! You know you are getting up there when you've been to at least 6 old school amusement parks that are just memories now. Ocean View was smallest but was in 2 movies, 4 of them passed close to when River View did. Miss them all. No ride requirements and minimal restraints made rides exciting when you wanted to ride and terrifying when you HAD to ride the shooting star or wild mouse, hang on!
Crossover trivia: Directly across the river was Williams pinball manufacturing. Thus Comet and Cyclone. Bally was also nearby hence Fireball and Aladdin’s Castle.
in the late 1940s and early 50s Riverview was special family summer event as a kid growing up in Bucktown. In the late 50's we moved to Glenview and one fine day, while still in grade school, a friend and I walked a few miles, caught the bus on Milwaukee Ave at the end of the line, and made our way to Riverview' then with transfers and a bit more walking to spend the day at Riverview. It is now hard to believe that we had that kind of safe, unsupervised freedom to explore. My favorite was Aladdin's Castle, with is hall of mirrors, flip flopping wooden floors, tilted perspective bending room and padded rollers to ride back to the ground level. I only rode the parachutes once, and it scared the crap out of me. I was certain that although it had been safe for years, mine would be the time the chute would fail to open. One could see the parachute tower for what seemed at the time for like miles/probably blocks away. .
My grandparents actually visited this park a couple of times and kept a portrait of all of the park's ride tickers. I currently have it hanging up on my wall.
Finally, a new entry on Riverview Park.I grew up going to Riverview Park since I was about five years of age ,since the 50's. My dad was a WW11 vet & got free passes every summer. At a young age I knew when it was time for Riverview to open.. For I would get super excited about finally being able to go, my parents could not contain my excitement.. The park to my young mind was magical ..I loved most of the rides that I could ride on most of the kiddy rides..But even as a young child the Bobs held the most fascination for me .Their was a area that you could stand &see the Bobs roar by .it shuck the ground as it .made it's way around one of the deep bends .It put terror in many, for it became a living Beast..The Bobs was a rite of passage for many thousands of pre-teens..& teenagers.. When I got 11 years of age my Mom said she would take me on the Bobs for my Dad was terrified of the Bobs & only rode it once in his life in the 40's ,when courting my Mom in which she said, he tore up his brand new straw hat..lol For me Riverview park was a living entity esp the Bobs.. Being African America I had heard about the racial incidents & fights.. Next door to me was a couple of older teenagers who said they had been in a couple of fights due to racial name calling. Chicago was & still is the most racially divided large city in America. I grew up doing the Civil Rights movement of the 50's & 60's.& knew about Riverview racist history. But Riverview for me remind a Magical place ..I left Chicago for the West coast a year before it closed & was torn down.. When I heard by my brother it had closed ,I could not believe it..!!! Your video for me explains more than any other video or writings about some of the main reasons for it's closing ..Thank You ! Gone But Not Forgotten..!!
Though I'm not from the Chicago area, it is unfortunate that Riverview Park closed for good after the end of the 1967 season. The situation in the surrounding neighborhood was deteriorating and there was probably no choice but to close the park permanently. Riverview Park is a piece of history that will hopefully live on in memory for many more years as it was a great amusement park in its day. It certainly had a good run.
Safety shmafty! The 'Eye-full Tower' that we called the parachute jump, pulled you to the top of the ride which was blocked from view by the canvas. So you didn't know when it would hit. But when it did, you were in FREE FALL because you were sitting on a wooden bench, with ONLY a flimsy canvas strap across your lap. Ha! Kids today with the safety harnesses holding them in are wooses!!! BTW, I'm 77 now. Would I do it again? Hell yes!
I have some vague memories of Riverview as I was only 6 the last year I visited. And torn down for what? Another ubiquitous shopping center. Maybe that's why to this day, (I'm 63) I STILL HATE SHOPPING.
I'm from Shorewood, IL, born in 1962, and I never went to Riverview. However, my family took my oldest brother, maybe in the late 40s, but more likely in the early 50s. (He was born in 1945.) The story is, he wanted to go on the parachute, and none of the adults were willing to go with him, so my mother finally gave in. She was only in her 20s then (she's 96 now).
Very interesting Ryan, I never heard of Riverview.. I've been up there to 6 flags Great America in Gurnee, a few times... Never heard of Adventure land as well... Well except for in Des Moine, Iowa... Maybe I'll get to see that Carousel someday... My favorite carousel I think is. The steampowered carousel... I believe it's the only one ever built, That's in Millennium Park Mt. Pleasant, Iowa,
Jesus is coming soon. If you have not repented. Please repent. Ask Him into your life. Cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness. Make Him your Lord & your Savior. One day, YOU will go to Heaven.
I had no idea Great America's 'Cajun Cliffhanger' was originally a Riverview ride. I, too, rode that thing at least 100 times, including one trip on a slow weekday night when I rode it 32 times in a row. I was hoping to break a record (not having any clue what that record actually was), but unfortunately the park's closing time cut that effort off. I forgot about the injury that brought it's closure, but I could imagine that was a pretty gruesome scene.
My family and I went to Riverview the last year. It was open. I was 9 years old at the time. It was a fantastic day of fun on the rides. Got to ride the flying turns and the wild mouse, but my mother would not let me go on the Bob's because she didn't think I would like it. Was literally shocked when I heard that October afternoon on the news that they were closing the park and tearing it down. I had been there one other time but was too young to remember much about it. I hate that it was a great Park and wish I could have experienced it more.
Hey everyone, this episode was a long time coming, and I'd love to hear your stories about the park! Also, let me know what you'd like to see next!
From memory:
Roller coasters:
The Flash, had enclosed cars.
Fireball, went 70mph.
Italian Bobs, trackless coaster.
Wild Mouse. (Surprised the cars didn't fall off that track, lol...)
There were a couple more. Don't remember the names....
Rides:
Chute-the-Chutes
Bumper cars
Flying teacups (or a clone of the ride)
Aladdin's Castle (Horror, fun house)
The Whip
Parachute ride (uh, uh, not me)
A helicopter/dumbo type ride
And other's I can't remember because I've killed a lot of brain cells, lol.
They had 3 or 4 SkeeBall buildings, and you got into the ticket reward score, you called a guy over and he'd give you the appropriate number of tickets. I became an excellent skeeball player, lol...
Mom wouldn't take us if there was even a chance of rain ('cause the park would pretty much shut down in the rain), and there was no reliable hour-by-hour forecasting like we get today. No cell phones either. We may have had a party line...
My dad used to visit Riverview as a kid and has told us stories of how rough and dangerous The Bob's was. A little torn you mentioned Adventureland in Addison and not Kiddieland!
Great video and your content is awesome! Any video on the long demolished Ogden Ave overpass that went over goose Island would be amazing. Thank you again!
As the completion of the repairs, repainting, and refitting of the USS Texas, Battleship Texas, BB-35 draws closer, is there anything your channel can do to spotlight this excellent legendary warship?
Hi , My name is Mark and I do remember Riverview. Not much about it but, I do remember it. I have a somewhat unique memory of it in that I lived less than a quarter mile from the park. I lived 1 block west of the river on a street called Washtinaw. If you knew where Bally Corp was as well as a Church on the Southeast corner of Belmont and Wastinaw, that's where we lived. From my bedroom window I could see the Pair-O-Chutes tower both during the daytime and at night when the Parachutes were lit up. I was fascinated by the way they functioned. I could see the lifts slowly carrying the passengers up to the top release and then slowly descend back down to bring up new riders. I do recall at times the Pair-O-Chutes would stop on the way up for a few seconds, then climb up to the top to complete the cycle. I can recall hearing people screaming, not necessarily on that particular ride, but I do remember the screams. I recall a few times when there were fireworks lighting up the sky behind the Bally Corp building. There were two times I can recall actually going to the park. My mom would get the Season Passes that came through the mail and she would load up our buggy with my two little sisters and we would walk to the park via Belmont Ave. We had to cross the Belmont ave bridge at the river. I remember we were stopped by the ringing of bells and the lowering of gates, and all the traffic would stop on either side of the bridge because it was about to be raised up to allow a sailboat to pass underneath. It was amazing to see this giant structure moan and squeak and grind away to open up just to let a small craft pass underneath. It then did the same thing as it closed back down and we could then cross the river. I was rewarded with a wave from the bridge operator as we passed by the control tower. From that point on I was fixated on the Pair-O-Chute tower as we got closer and closer. I can't tell you how we got into the park. I don't remember the grand Entrance, the coasters or much else about the park. I remember riding the Caterpillar and having that musty canvas cover over you as well as a ride called Spooktown. But the Giant Tower fascinated me to no end. My mom sat us down by some benches almost directly underneath the tower. She needed a rest after pushing that buggy for a while, so she let me watch the ride operate. I was disappointed that only two of the chutes were operating. It was a weekday and I'm sure the crowds were thin. As one of the parachutes reached the top and I hear a loud "CLACK" as it was released and opened up, I asked my mom if we could go on the ride. She looked up at the ascending chute and told me quite frankly: "There is now way in Hell I'm ever going on that thing again!" Realizing she was talking to her 4 year old son, and seeing the disappointment on my face for not being able to go on the ride that I could see from my bedroom window, she looked down at me and corrected herself by saying: "But when you get old enough you can go on it as many times as you want." I asked When would that be? she told me " Probably when you turn about 10." That sealed the deal for me! My mom promised I could go on it when I got older. I now had something to really look forward to. I couldn't wait to go on that ride. This was in the summer of 1967. Little did anyone realize that this would be the last summer the park would be opened. The next time I saw the Pair-o-Chutes tower was when it was in the newspaper tipping over to it's demise. The first thing I thought of was my mom's promise to me and that now I'll never get to go on that ride. I was so much in denial that When I got home I ran to my bedroom to see if it was really true and when I got there..... No Tower. I was devastated. I still miss that tower and I am making plans to build a six foot working replica of this once iconic symbol in my life. Work should begin on it some time, this summer. I'm still doing some research as to how certain parts were constructed. I hope to display it somewhere where people would appreciate seeing this wonderful relic. Well, that's my brief history of Riverview Park. I do miss it like so many others. Thanks for allowing comments.
Mark
My dad grew up in Evanston. Back in the 70s, when I was obsessed with Old Chicago and Great America, I asked him what his favorite roller coaster was. He said, “The Bobs.”
@@stevehead8392 Bobs was the best.
'Ride again 5¢'
Great episode Ryan! My family has ties to Riverview Park. I'm your era as well, Great America in Gurnee as a teen and before that I grew up at Kiddieland in Melrose Park. My father was a boatman on the Chutes in the early-mid 60s before getting drafted in the Army and then came home to a vacant lot in '68. He's retrieved artifacts from the Chutes on that land probably a decade or so ago. Metal lamp tubes that lined the boat slide and even some rotten wooded boat pieces. Part of the 'flume' I believe is still in the ground over there filled with overgrowth and random debris. His love for the ride made him create a detailed H.O. scale model of the Chutes with working components which he took to various reunions over the years and was featured on Chicago Fox 32 for the 50th anniversary of the park's closing. He would've loved to contribute more memories of this experience in Chicago at that time if he were still with us!
I went to Riverview until the year it was closed. There was never any danger and my father never felt it was dangerous to take us there. I think the motive for closing is that the land became much more valuable to sell than to keep the park open.
Amazing. People where really having a good time
It was just a certain type of persons ruined it for the rest
Having lived and bartended in the neighborhood for the last decade, I've heard that the Police station was the reason that it finally shut down. The park was on the decline and the city wanted to build a new station... do the math.
It is interesting to know what happened to the Carousel. My mom and dad frequented Riverview during the 50's. To now know , through your awesome work, that we (the Kids) and the grandkids rode the very Carousel while we lived in Atlanta and would go to Six Flags. Fantastic.
The Cajun Cliffhanger at Great America! I also rode that many times. We would ride White Water Rampage first and then ride Cajun Cliffhanger to “spin dry”. 😂
What about “Kidde Land” in Melrose Park?
There's a lady that does regular presentations on kiddieland similar to this one. She's really knowledgeable. Can't remember her name, saw it on Facebook. It's on RUclips.
Or the other kiddie land at Kimble and Lincoln in Chicago
My dad was a mechanic there. Riverview was a lot less dangerous than some other parks. Lloyds of London and US Fidelity covered them for personal injuries, workman's comp and liability and the premium at the end was only about $1000,000 a year. Only 6 people died in 64 years of operation and only 2 were the park's fault. The cables broke on the Strat-o-stat and two people drowned when the plane flew into the river. The trains that collided in 1937 were on the Pippen, which later became the Silver Streak.
When the 60s rolled around, groups of colorful youths roamed the park, robbing patrons. That was the blow that killed Riverview.
After Riverview closed down, those 'colorful' youths made their way to Adventureland.
Yes! I've been asking for this for some time.
Was there a whole bunch of times when I was a kid. You'd get a Hero's sub sandwich over at the place at Addison and Western, and you could walk to the entrance of the park. You could always get discount coupons at Walgreens.
Got pretty grungy at the end of it's life, but it was always a fun place!
I went to Riverview in 1964 when i was 7. I went with my older brother and his girlfriend. I don't have real clear memories except for riding the Bobs. That ride scared me away from roller coasters the rest of my life. I remember a shooting range and other games. Someone won me a stuffed dog that I still have. It's a good memory.
My parents were regular attendees at Riverview. They are 83 and still alive. They managed to survive the "dangerous" rides just fine.
My grandfather, born: 1900, was about 6 years old, watching his mom do the family laundry. She had a "modern" wringer which consisted of 2 rollers, a hand-crank, and several mechanical gears right out in the open for a child to stick his finger in, which he did, resulting in the loss of a finger.
His mom did the best she could and called the local doctor, but Grandpa remembers them both saying, "to never do that again."
There were NO lawsuits. Great-grandma continued to use the wringer. And grandpa grew up wiser, minus one finger. --Tough generation.
My grandfather actually worked at Riverview. He's dead now unfortunately but my grandmother is still alive
I mean survivorship bias. The people that died at the park aren't exactly around to tell stories to their children.
Riverview was my Mom's favorite place to go in the 40's and (probably) 50's. And yeah, even if it hadn't closed in 1967, it would have been long closed by today.
It's much lesser known, and only lasted 5 years, but maybe do a video about *Old Chicago* one day?
Old Chicago. Oh my! I worked there for a year.
@@davidwatts4517 We got to go there all of once. I'm not sure of the year, but somewhere in 75-79.
What really intrigued me was the water feature at the corner of Diversey and Pulaski in Chicago built at the old Olson Rug plant. Wonder why that closed down. 🤔🤔🤔
Wow. Intrigued, I looked that up. A three-story waterfall! Olson Rug magnate (remember their commercials?) wanted to bring a bit of greenery from his Wisconsin vacation home to Chicago so he built a park there. It was American Indian themed, probably problematic today. Marshall Field's bought the plant for storage, eventually tearing down the entire park -- which is now a parking lot, apparently. That waterfall must have been captivating!
MAGIKIST LIPS‼️I have no idea why this Shytown girl had the need to reply to your carpet reference with my favorite neon humongous sign from my childhood 👄 thanks!
Oh my gosh I had forgotten about Olson rug and big lips
How many years have those been gone now I wanted to think I remember them from the 90s
i remember that, and around halloween time, they would have a big autumn display with Indian Tee Pees and corn stalks. one could walk up and over the waterfall in a bridge / path. thanks for reminding me.
We grew up with Marriot's Great America, not 6 Flags.
I'm 71. My grandfather, actually my mom's stepfather, always took me to Riverview. He loved the rollercoasters and would drag me on them. I was afraid of heights, so it was no fun for me. We would always go to the beer garden. He would have Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and I would have root beer. To this day, I still love root beer. Once he passed away in 1959, my grandmother took me to Riverview until a few years before it closed. She liked the Wild Mouse, so she'd take me on that. That ride was a bit more my speed. I still didn't like the fact that it went back and forth across the river. It was a long way down. My grandmother & I still went to the beer garden, but we both had root beer. Thanks for doing this video. It brought back a lot of memories. Very sad what happened to the park.
When they tore down Riverview our neighborhood was over run by rats. I was a kid whose family lived in a second floor apartment across the river (on Melrose and Washtenaw butting up to Grebe shipyard) and could easily see the parachute ride from the back porch. Once the rat infestation occurred it would be several years before the city got it under control. I was terrified to walk past the garbage cans to alley to walk our dog due to rats…🐀
My mom used to tell me about Riverview, she said a boy was decapitated on a rollercoaster, not sure how true that is. I was always going to Kiddie Land and Santas Village, and eventually Great America, great memories. Sad Kiddie Land is gone as well. Thank you for the peek into the past.
I am that boy. It was more like a scalping.
Walt Disnesys father worked at the 1983 world fair... LOL Wow he lived for over 100 years. He even outlived his son. I would have gone to the 1983 world's fair but I was too young. 🤣🤣🤣😂😂
In 1983, the only world's fair that was going on was in Epcot!
Hey, what's a century between friends, lol...
He meant 1893
The Rotor was not bought by Great America. That is a common misconception. It was a common flat ride in the 1950s through the 1970s. Great America their own new one. The Rotor was scrapped with the rest of Riverview.
Nor is the park really within walking distance of an L stop.
@@Backroad_Junkie the Brown Line would have been pretty close
@@mdf3530 Closest station is Paulina (because of the way the tracks zig-zag there), and it's still over 1/2 mile. I suppose it's walking distance, but the 49 Western bus will stop right at Riverview's doorstep.
I remember we'd take the B train (now the red like) to Addison, and the Addison bus to Western. From there it was a couple blocks walk...
I was there on one of the last days, late Aug. 1967. I remember because when we pulled our car out of the lot, one of the parking attendants struck up a conversation with us, telling us it was closing. The reason it closed was it had just become too "shabby" ! Not kept up well, rides not open, workers untrained & uninterested, & so people had stopped coming... This wasn't helped by the "reputation" it had gained of being unsafe, & no longer "family friendly".
Was “Two Ton Baker” the radio spokesperson for this amusement park? I seem to remember him.
Yes He was and He did TV commercials as well.
A video on "Euclid Beach Park" and/or "Geauga Lake", both just east of Cleveland would make good subjects to continue the theme of old & much loved parks that are no longer with us.
Sounds good!
In the early 90s the Harold Washington library hosted a display of models of the Riverview rides. Impressive stuff. There was local news coverage of it … interviewed one of the model makers.
The display also had framed tickets, season passes, pennants, books and videos.
My father may have had his Chutes model there. He was interviewed by CBS I believe if this was the same event.
@@mjkasper76is your dad name chuck w.
@@karlsmith2451 his name is Jerry
the thing thats really sad to me is the fact these places are massive achievements of human engineering and creation for enjoyment that lasted 60 years just to be destroyed and replaced with crap,
I appreciate the videos on Chicago history. Requesting video on Addison's Adventureland.
My grandfather took my sister and I there several times as kids. She went only once and hated it, but I returned many times. We took the streetcars down North Avenue from Oak Park to Western and then got off at Belmont. That alone was an adventure. I was too young to ride the parachutes, but strangely, allowed to shoot the 22's at the shooting gallery. I can still smell the gun powder. The funhouse spinning floor discs and horizontal barrels were always challenging. When I think back at all that was allowed to do and experience, I can only think that just about everything fun there would be outlawed long ago. The memories of the place are indelible.
The world's fair in Chicago didn't happen in 1983. It happened in 1893.
I was young but, I remember going to RIverview. I have no specific memories other than a couple of fuzzy photos. There was another park called Playland just off the Tri_State near Bridgeview. I think it closed inthe late 70's or early 80's. Great video. Thank you Ryan.
I remember going to River View and riding many of those rides🤩. Thanks for bringing back those memories. I was born in the early 1950’s the memory of the park are still strong. Thanks again.
So cool!
I grew up going to the Great America in California, it is very interesting how 2 people nowhere near each other could grow up going to the same park and have the same experiences -- The trains from Riverviews Jet Stream coaster went to Carrowinds in North Carolina in 1976 for the Thunder Road roller coaster but were retired in 1980 because they were custom built by Riverview for Jet Stream and were much heavier than trains typically were and were causing excessive wear and tear - Riverview truly was the first coaster capitol of the world, a distinction that ironically would eventually go to a park that struggled to get by and nearly closed several times while in the shadow of Riverview, and only started to achieve succuss after Riverview closed, eventually becoming one of the most well known parks in the world , Cedar Point - And if you want to get an idea of what a ride on the Bobs was like there is a roller coaster in Santa Cruz Ca that opened the same year as the Bobs and is considered by many to be a smaller version of the Bobs
The great video brings to mind Euclid Beach Park, Cleveland, Ohio. Very much the same time and problems. Thanks, Ryan.
Kiddie land was sweet
So fun. Went so many times as a kid. Cheap enough.. lol
Yeah, but definitely was for kids.
The park closed when George Schmidt got an offer for Six million dollars for the land……tens of millions in today’s dollars. It never lost money …..and in fact invested in a brand new rollercoaster just two years before the owner sold out
My grandparents met at Riverview. My Grandfather was a musician in one of the bands.As a kid my Aunt and Uncle lived in Hanover Park and we would drive down Lake St. through Addison and see Adventureland. My parents never wanted to take us there because by that time Six Flags had opened and the reputaton for Adventureland had become that it had gang problems and was poorly maintained. It closed shortly there after
That neighborhood wasn't dangerous in the 80s and 90s either.
My parents and grandparents told me about Riverview Amusement Park.
They also told me about an amusement park called FunTown on the south side.
There’s some curious history surrounding Lincoln Park esp the zoo. 😉 the now torn down willowbrook ball room. Water tower mall. The story of soldier fields “corner stone”. Thats 4 Chicago legends that come to mind I’d like to hear about in 2024.
Or a whole series on lost rt 66 buildings or attractions.
Pretty sure most states have a half dozen or more towns that were once bastions of industry that are now all but dead. Gary IN, Rockford IL, Ypsilanti Mi, The Quad Cities, Green Bay Wi, so many beautiful places in out country that lay in ruin now.. because why?? Globalism and Bureaucratic rot is a lot of it.
Imagine going to a High School that’s next to a massive amusement park.
IN 1967 I DON'T THINK THE AREA WAS DANGEROUS AND DISHEVELED ,HOWEVER ONE THING YOU MISSED WAS THE HEAVY TRAFIC PEOPLE IN TH AREA DIDN'T LIKE ,I LIVED BETWEEN WRIGLEY AND RIVERVIEW SO I KNOW THE AREA I WAS 14 WHEN IT CLOSED I ALMOST FELL OUT OF THE FLASH , I HAD MANY RELITAVES WHO WORKED THERE ,MY GRANDFATHER WAS WORKING ON THE FIREBALL WHEN A MAN WAS KILLED ,BUT IT WAS A FUN FAMILY PLACE ANDTO ME IT WAS BETTER THAN GREAT AMERICA ,maybe because it's a childhood memory ,thankyou for your reporting,and try to laugh your troubles away .
African Americans faced discrimination at urban amusement parks in other cities. In Louisville the amusement park was closed a couple years after it was integrated.
I'm 65. My grandmothers house was right across the river Melrose St. and Washtenaw Ave. I remember watching Riverview 4th of July massive Fireworks from her back porch at night. It was a ritual I will never forget. My family a long time ago sold the house for maybe $25,000. Newly rehabbed I just found out it is on the market in 2024 for $570,000. And on a side note I graduated from DeVry across the street from the current Police Station in 1983. The DeVry building which was Ultra Modern is now also gone. Everything changes over time.
Me & my brother were fortunate to have visited Riverview Park back in 1966, a year before its eventual closing.
To this very day, a canopied seat from the old Paratrooper ride was preserved & stands in front of the Belmont CPD station.
I have had the pleasure of riding the carousel at Six Flags over Georgia and it is a wonderful machine and well maintained. It is one of the few amusement rides that has such a rich history. It is even said to have been Al Capon’s favorite ride.
Um, aahhh, Editor notes...... "Walt Disney's father was a construction worker at Chicago's World's Fair in 1983" ??? 1983??? I think you mean, 1893, the World's Fair, the Columbian Exposition. The 1982, World's Fair was in Knoxville TN. Parts of the Knoxville Fair were still open in 1983. In 1983, the senior Mr Disney, would have been, older than 110+ years old. He also would have long outlived his sons?
As a child living in a western suburb one of the things I and my siblings most awaited was the annual trip to Riverview which for us was a source of fun and fantasy. I became a roller coaster addict there and except for the trek through Alladin's Castle I only went on the roller coasters there, of which at that there were six, if my memory serves me right., The king of the coasters was the Bobs and since one had to purchase tickets for each ride and then hand them to a ticket taker to get an immediate second or third ride, I expended the grand sum of $ 3.50 and rode the Bobs 14 times straight. It's one of my most cherished childhood memories.
Nice presentation. For some really good in depth Riveriview history, including its reasons for closing, there is an excellent book titled "Laugh Your Troubles Away-the Complete History of Riverview Park", by Riverview employee Ralph Lopez and the late Derek Gee, an expert on Riverview's History.
I’m sure that if this park remained open, then it would have suffered greatly when Great America opened
I vaguely remember Riverview and going there a few times as a child. I heard rumors about why they closed it but some others has already spoke about it in code. I loved going to Adventureland as a kid and even Great America & Old Chicago when I was in high school.
My dad took me to Riverview Park in 1956. It was the first and last time that I saw a sideshow. There was a man with no arms who shuffled cards with his toes. I think there was a bearded lady. All of the show people there looked sad. I felt uncomfortable being there.
I grew up in the suburbs and only went to Riverview twice, the second time being August 1966, just before I went off to college. I remember insisting to my date that we ride ALL the roller coasters at least once; in that one evening, we managed all of them, and the Bobs twice. A year later, of course, it was gone.
Great video Ryan! This one really hit me in the feels. Growing up in the Chicago area, I was born just a bit too late to take in Riverview, but I did visit Marriott's Great America (now Six Flags) many times and rode the Hometown Fun Machine, which is the Rotor ride you mentioned from Riverview, and I never realized that ride's history. These days, Iive too far from Great America to visit it that much, however, I'm pretty close to Cedar Point and go there a few times a year. I'd like to see a video about Cedar Point, as it is now one of the oldest continuously operating parks and has some tremendous history behind it - I've many great, wonderful and nostalgic memories from Sandusky too and I think that there is a ton of source material too to make an engaging video about that.
Thanks for the memories. My brother 💞 and sister sometimes remind me of putting one of them on the handlebars and the other on the seat of my Schwinn and riding down there from Evanston. It's nice to be young, and maybe not so bright but full of fun
The south branch of the chicago river has the potential for an amusement park . Land is cheap and there are areas near major avenues. Wish some of our $ businessmen pull their dreams and create a New Riverview Park on the south side
Whoa crazy how Walt disneys dad visited in the 1980’s!
I used to go to lane tech and this is crazyy I heard of this but finally to get a vid from the one an only Socash 💪💪
Hey, I was there lot of times, even wrote to chuck & got his book, I got the video later. Cool photos. Stupid scared politicians ruin it all for chicago, especially that greedy lawyer who rather have a mall built. Look at all the big malls today, are they still around?
Not Chicago, but Cleveland, Ohio. Euclid Beach was a contempory of River View and follow the same path. Opening in 1895 as a dance hall destintion and by 1901 being managed by the Humphrey family. Following the same path as RV it became a beloved destination for Clevelander's well up into the 1950's. By the 1960's it suffered the same racial changes as RV with whites choosing to go to other amusement parks like Cedar Point. With the decline in business and age of the rides Euclid Beach closed in 1969. Just like RV some of it's ride were sold to other parks and the rest demo'd.
I was only seven when Riverview closed, but my father had grown up going there so he took me a couple of times every summer from the time I was about four. I remember only a few things, primarily Aladdin's Castle (how can you forget that face?) and the shoot the chutes water ride (my favorite). In my baby book I still have a picture taken of me sitting on a crescent moon that was done at Riverview. I wasn't aware that the drop ride (which I think was renamed Tom's Twister?) was at Gurnee...I might have ridden that once, but having someone get off of it and barf on one does not encourage repeat riding!
wow. I have a framed picture of mom and dad sitting on that crescent moon you mention. Good times!
I grew up in Cleveland and “my” park was Euclid Beach Park. To me, Chicago was a larger version of Cleveland. In fact, you could look at the weather in Chicago, and expect it the next day in Cleveland. I had a neighbor who grew up in Chicago and she spoke often of Riverview. So, I’m already a subscriber to your channel. Keep up the outstanding posts!
We know why it changed just afraid to say it. Glen Echo Park in Maryland where my dad would take the trolley in the 40s to suffered the same fate. The rides weren't what made a visit unsafe.
As a student of Lane Tech in the late 70's I would pass the remains pf the roller coaster tracks, knowing it will never come back. Progress....
Walt disneys father was a construction worker at the 1983s world fair? 13:04
Great America wasn't owned by six flags when I was a kid in the late 60's
My uncle took us to Riverview several years in a row, from about the time I was 7 until I was 10. Seeing the photo of Aladdin's Castle still gives the creepy feeling that that big face gave me when we went. It scared me but I went in. I remember the slanted floors and the mirrors that distorted your appearance. Love the Chutes but only went on the Bobs once because I was terrified. Loved the Comet because I liked a roller coaster with a roof. Wonderful memories.
That was a fascinating history. I attended Lane Tech High School from 1961 - 1965 which was, as you mentioned, right next to Riverview. When the park opened every spring, we could hear and see the roller coasters from the school windows. I remember attending only a few times, though, as our family didn't have money for such amusements. My favorite ride was The Chutes (it was great to get splashed on a hot summer day when the boat hit the water), and I never did gather up the courage to go on the parachutes.
Interesting bit of history but I feel the need to correct one point. When talking about Walt Disney's father, you said he worked on the 1983 worlds fair. I don't think that is possible. I'm sure you meant 1893. As I said, interesting bit of history!
I concur, still an interesting factoid right⁉️
And what does a city the size of Chicago have now for an amusement park? Absolutely nothing other than the city is the largest outdoor shooting range in America. BAM!
We have Great America 40 mins north of Chicago.
Thanks! You’ve given me a great conversation starter for my 88-year-old mom. I was born in Chicago in 1956 but we moved away a year later. By the time we moved back in 1969, Riverview was history. Thanks for bringing it to life.
Wonderful!
Please do a video on Six Flags Great America! Love the videos!
yea used to walk there as a kid . from Irving park .
My family loved Riverview. 1950's to the end in 1967. Many great memories. My sisters and I would save money and take two buses to get there. Once, one of my Uncles brought us. He thought he was taking us on a train ride, but it was a roller coaster. He was more terrified than we were. Still can see his eyes shut as he gripped my little sister. lol Thanks for this video.
Jan, I too remember that ride. Poor Uncle Don! Thanks for this link!
Luv the story of Riverview. My parents went there long before my life began. I do remember seeing alot of memories posted in a second hand thrift store in that area in my personal adventures. So many happy faces. If you can would you consider doing a video on THe Oid Chicago indoor amusement park? Thanks.
My grandma has a painting of riverview in her basement that has been there since I can remember, I never thought to ask her what it was so i finally asked her last week and it has led me down a rabbit hole. I live super close by, just off of Belmont and it’s wild that I’m just now discovering this
I'm already a subscriber, but I'd love to see a story about Adventureland (it had a different name before that, but I don't remember what it was, and some of the rides and building were from that park. The Whales, and the Burning building put out by riders on a fire truck. I grew up at this park, like many grew up at Great America.
I always remember an Adventureland, I think there was more than one. Another park was Santa's Village. I think there was a third, but I can't remember the name....
The name was Storybookland or Storybook Park, cant remember which, then it was bought by Durrell Everding who expanded the rides there and at Santas Village which he also owned.
I fondly remember going to Riverview when I was growing up in Chicago. It was one of the highlights of the Summer. I don't remember much about the park except one ride, a roller coaster that was trackless. If I remember correctly, it was like riding in a tube or chute. I wish I could remember it's name.
The Bobs
I was too small to ride the Bobs at 6, but loved the trip on the Armitage and Western bus to the park w/ my 5 siblings. No wonder I grew up w/ a love of coasters, The Flash and Wild Mouse being my first. My brother 10 years my sr., made the rides all the more terrifying. I still have a pair of won prizes, plastic dice, blue and maroon... about 2" diameter and one unused ticket dated 1964 I believe. When mom passed, we found 6 remaining unused tickets because the park had closed. Great America was a blast in the 70s and 80s :)
The Flying Turns. The Bobs was not trackless, but the best.
I attended Lane Tech but Riverview was long gone. My father and grandfather took me to Kiddeland in Lincolnwood and River Grove. The one in Lincolnwood closed first but the one in River Grove lasted into the 80s. My elementary school organized a trip to Marriott’s Great America on a Saturday the year it opened. I did ride the Cajun Cliffhanger a number of times over the years and didn’t find out until years later why it was removed. I never made it to Old Chicago before it closed.
Kiddieland in Melrose Park lasted until 2009 surprisingly. I attended the last open weekend. Now it's a Costco sadly. I was at Old Chicago as a toddler and don't remember it.
Hey Ryan, another fantastic video! I am a life-long Chicago-area resident, and I worked at Great America for two seasons in the 1980's. I was only 5 years old when they closed Riverview, and I feel like I missed out on something great. Oh, and a small correction...you said that Walt Disney's father worked at the World's Fair of 1983...I'm pretty sure that was in 1893! Keep the great videos coming!!!
That is awesome!🤩
I love to go if it was still open
Would love to see one on Adventureland!
I Iast attended this park in 1966, one year before it closed. Fun, Fun, Fun..............I laughed my troubles away, just as Two-Ton Baker used to say!!!
I remember going to the park several times as a child.
Reminds me … I LOVED Old Chicago.
Went there once - that disappeared so fast.
Another nice job! You know you are getting up there when you've been to at least 6 old school amusement parks that are just memories now. Ocean View was smallest but was in 2 movies, 4 of them passed close to when River View did. Miss them all.
No ride requirements and minimal restraints made rides exciting when you wanted to ride and terrifying when you HAD to ride the shooting star or wild mouse, hang on!
Crossover trivia: Directly across the river was Williams pinball manufacturing. Thus Comet and Cyclone. Bally was also nearby hence Fireball and Aladdin’s Castle.
Love your Chicago vids
in the late 1940s and early 50s Riverview was special family summer event as a kid growing up in Bucktown. In the late 50's we moved to Glenview and one fine day, while still in grade school, a friend and I walked a few miles, caught the bus on Milwaukee Ave at the end of the line, and made our way to Riverview' then with transfers and a bit more walking to spend the day at Riverview. It is now hard to believe that we had that kind of safe, unsupervised freedom to explore. My favorite was Aladdin's Castle, with is hall of mirrors, flip flopping wooden floors, tilted perspective bending room and padded rollers to ride back to the ground level. I only rode the parachutes once, and it scared the crap out of me. I was certain that although it had been safe for years, mine would be the time the chute would fail to open. One could see the parachute tower for what seemed at the time for like miles/probably blocks away. .
My grandparents actually visited this park a couple of times and kept a portrait of all of the park's ride tickers. I currently have it hanging up on my wall.
My Mother worked there when she was in High School...and she took me and my brother a couple times,fun place.
Finally, a new entry on Riverview Park.I grew up going to Riverview Park since I was about five years of age ,since the 50's. My dad was a WW11 vet & got free passes every summer. At a young age I knew when it was time for Riverview to open.. For I would get super excited about finally being able to go, my parents could not contain my excitement.. The park to my young mind was magical ..I loved most of the rides that I could ride on most of the kiddy rides..But even as a young child the Bobs held the most fascination for me .Their was a area that you could stand &see the Bobs roar by .it shuck the ground as it .made it's way around one of the deep bends .It put terror in many, for it became a living Beast..The Bobs was a rite of passage for many thousands of pre-teens..& teenagers.. When I got 11 years of age my Mom said she would take me on the Bobs for my Dad was terrified of the Bobs & only rode it once in his life in the 40's ,when courting my Mom in which she said, he tore up his brand new straw hat..lol
For me Riverview park was a living entity esp the Bobs.. Being African America I had heard about the racial incidents & fights.. Next door to me was a couple of older teenagers who said they had been in a couple of fights due to racial name calling. Chicago was & still is the most racially divided large city in America. I grew up doing the Civil Rights movement of the 50's & 60's.& knew about Riverview racist history. But Riverview for me remind a Magical place ..I left Chicago for the West coast a year before it closed & was torn down.. When I heard by my brother it had closed ,I could not believe it..!!! Your video for me explains more than any other video or writings about some of the main reasons for it's closing ..Thank You ! Gone But Not Forgotten..!!
Humm same thing that happened to Compton in the 70’s happened here i got it
It's history should do one on Playland @the beach in san francisco california .
Though I'm not from the Chicago area, it is unfortunate that Riverview Park closed for good after the end of the 1967 season. The situation in the surrounding neighborhood was deteriorating and there was probably no choice but to close the park permanently. Riverview Park is a piece of history that will hopefully live on in memory for many more years as it was a great amusement park in its day. It certainly had a good run.
Safety shmafty! The 'Eye-full Tower' that we called the parachute jump, pulled you to the top of the ride which was blocked from view by the canvas. So you didn't know when it would hit. But when it did, you were in FREE FALL because you were sitting on a wooden bench, with ONLY a flimsy canvas strap across your lap. Ha! Kids today with the safety harnesses holding them in are wooses!!!
BTW, I'm 77 now. Would I do it again? Hell yes!
I have some vague memories of Riverview as I was only 6 the last year I visited. And torn down for what? Another ubiquitous shopping center. Maybe that's why to this day, (I'm 63) I STILL HATE SHOPPING.
I'm from Shorewood, IL, born in 1962, and I never went to Riverview. However, my family took my oldest brother, maybe in the late 40s, but more likely in the early 50s. (He was born in 1945.) The story is, he wanted to go on the parachute, and none of the adults were willing to go with him, so my mother finally gave in. She was only in her 20s then (she's 96 now).
"The demolition started in 1963." Huh?
And "Walt Disney's father, who was a construction worker at the 1983's world's fair ..."??
Very interesting Ryan, I never heard of Riverview.. I've been up there to 6 flags Great America in Gurnee, a few times... Never heard of Adventure land as well... Well except for in Des Moine, Iowa... Maybe I'll get to see that Carousel someday... My favorite carousel I think is.
The steampowered carousel... I believe it's the only one ever built, That's in Millennium Park Mt. Pleasant, Iowa,
I prefer the nomadic quick talker and criminal type that work for traveling carnivals and stay in nearby RV’s….
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I had no idea Great America's 'Cajun Cliffhanger' was originally a Riverview ride. I, too, rode that thing at least 100 times, including one trip on a slow weekday night when I rode it 32 times in a row. I was hoping to break a record (not having any clue what that record actually was), but unfortunately the park's closing time cut that effort off. I forgot about the injury that brought it's closure, but I could imagine that was a pretty gruesome scene.
My family and I went to Riverview the last year. It was open. I was 9 years old at the time. It was a fantastic day of fun on the rides. Got to ride the flying turns and the wild mouse, but my mother would not let me go on the Bob's because she didn't think I would like it. Was literally shocked when I heard that October afternoon on the news that they were closing the park and tearing it down. I had been there one other time but was too young to remember much about it. I hate that it was a great Park and wish I could have experienced it more.