Waldameer & Water World
Waldameer Park & Water World is an amusement park and water park in Erie, Pennsylvania, located at the base of Presque Isle. Waldameer is the fourth oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania, the tenth oldest in the nation, and one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating in the United States.[1] The park is admission-free, with a midway, and covered picnic facilities. The roller coasters and other major rides require either the display of a paid wristband scanned upon riding, or the use of "Wally Points" on their "Wally Card" system. The water park operates an assortment of water slides and pools, and is admission by fee only. The name "Waldameer" can be translated roughly to "woods by the sea" in German.[2] Waldameer's operating season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Water World and a portion of the amusement park as seen from the Tom Ridge Environmental Center | |
| Location | Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°06′31″N 80°09′20″W / 42.108691°N 80.155458°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 1896 |
| Owner |
|
| General manager | Steve Gorman |
| Slogan | You're gonna love it! |
| Operating season | Memorial Day to Labor Day |
| Area | 34 acres (14 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 36 |
| Roller coasters | 5 |
| Water rides | 1 |
| Website | Waldameer.com |
History edit
The park began as a picnic area called Hoffman's Grove. The Erie Electric Motor Company leased the park in 1896 and renamed it "Waldameer." The trolley car company extended service to its new park, making Hoffman's Grove picnic area a terminus on the line in the hopes of increasing passenger traffic.[3]
The park operates two classic dark attractions: the Whacky Shack (built in 1970), a two-story ride, and Pirate's Cove (built in 1972), a walk-through funhouse. Both were designed and built by dark ride specialist Bill Tracy and his company, Amusement Display Associates of Cape May, New Jersey.
Waldameer sold its classic carousel at auction in 1988 for more than $1 million. A new carousel with sixty operating horses was obtained from Chance Manufacturing. The park owner intended to construct a new restaurant called The Carousel next to the Rainbow Gardens banquet hall, though this idea never came to fruition. A 10-foot giraffe and a jumping horse from the classic carousel were reserved from the auction to be used in the new restaurant. Part of the auction proceeds was used to erect four additional water slides—a speed slide, free fall slide, one-man and two-man raft slides—all built by Molded Fiberglass Company of Union City.[4]
In 2000, a junior coaster built by E&F Miler Industries called Ravine Flyer 3 opened, despite the fact that the Ravine Flyer II would not be completed for another 8 years. In 2004, a spinning coaster manufactured by Maurer Söhne named Steel Dragon opened. For the 2007 season, Waldameer opened X-Scream, a 140-foot-tall drop tower ride. In 2008, the highly anticipated Ravine Flyer II wooden coaster opened, leading to a 20% increase in attendance, and the busiest season in park history.[5] The coaster won the Golden Ticket Award for the best new ride for 2008.[6] The 2009 season saw the extension of the midway south to coincide with the addition of a new Disk-O ride, Mega Vortex. A modern, "cashless" pay system called a Wally Card was introduced for 2010. A new family-oriented area, The North End, located within the train turnaround, opened in 2011. The rides located in the area are the Flying Swings, S.S. Wally, and Wendy's Tea Party. New additions for the 2012 season included the Zamperla-manufactured Happy Swing (located in the Kiddieland area), a second train for the L. Ruth Express, a redesigned loading area for the Whacky Shack, and the requirement that all in-park transactions must be made with a Wally Card. For the 2014 season, Waldameer painted the slides in Water World, as well as added new decorative items throughout the park. In 2015, Waldameer began a waterpark expansion with the opening of the largest wave pool in the tri-state area.[7] The 2016 season saw the addition of slides and a splash pad for younger children known as Kidz Zone.[8] A water playground, dubbed Battle of Lake Erie, was introduced for the 2017 season.[9] New additions for the 2018 season included a bowl slide from ProSlide Technology, called CannonBOWL, and a Zamperla Samba Balloon Ride, named Balloon Race.[10] In 2019, the park unveiled a Zamperla Discovery pendulum ride called the Chaos.[11] Although Waldameer opened later than usual in 2020 due to Covid-19, the park still added a compact spinning coaster from Italian manufacturer SBF Visa and named it Whirlwind. It was the park's first new coaster since the addition of the Ravine Flyer II in 2008. On May 22, 2023, it was announced that Paul Nelson, the owner of the park for several decades, had passed away at the age of 89.[12]
A dance hall called Rainbow Gardens also exists on the property, having been built in 1925. It replaced the original dance hall which burned down in a fire in 1924.
Awards edit
In 2008, Ravine Flyer II was named "Best New Ride" by Amusement Today and was ranked #11. That same year, Paul Nelson was named "Person of the Year" by Amusement Today.
In addition, Waldameer’s two Bill Tracy dark rides, Whacky Shack and Pirate's Cove, have won numerous dark ride awards from DAFE.org. Both attractions have consistently ranked in the top 10 for their respective categories (Classic Dark Ride and Walkthrough).
Current rides edit
Roller coasters edit
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Manufacturer/Model | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comet | 1951 | Wooden roller coaster | Herbert Paul Schmeck | ACE Coaster Classic [13] |
| Ravine Flyer II | 2008 | Wooden roller coaster | The Gravity Group | Best new ride of 2008[6] |
| Ravine Flyer 3 | 2000 | Junior coaster | E&F Miler Industries | |
| Steel Dragon | 2004 | Spinning coaster | Maurer Söhne | |
| Whirlwind | 2020 | Spinning coaster | SBF Visa Group |
Thrill rides edit
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ali Baba | 1999 | Ali Baba | ARM Rides |
| Chaos | 2019 | Frisbee (Discovery Revolution) | Zamperla |
| Flying Swings | 2011 | Midi Family Swinger | Zamperla |
| Mega Vortex | 2009 | Disk'O | Zamperla |
| Music Express | 2013 | Music Express | Bertazzon |
| Paratrooper | 1973 | Paratrooper | Hrubetz MFG |
| Scrambler | 1964 | Scrambler | Eli Bridge Company |
| Sea Dragon | 1992 | Pirate ship | Chance Rides |
| Spider | 1977 | Octopus | Eyerly |
| TIlt-A-Whirl | 1964 | Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner Manufacturing |
| Wipeout | 1995 | Wipeout | Chance Rides |
| X-Scream | 2007 | Super Shot drop tower | ARM Rides |
Family rides edit
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balloon Race | 2018 | Balloon Race | Zamperla |
| Dodgems | 1973 | Bumper cars | Majestic |
| Ferris Wheel | 1994 | Ferris Wheel | Chance Rides |
| Merry-Go-Round | 1989 | Merry-go-round | Chance Rides |
| L. Ruth Express | 1972 | Train ride | Chance Rides |
| Sky Ride | 1978 | Scenic elevated gondola ride | Hopkins Rides |
| SS Wally | 2011 | Rockin' Tug | Zamperla |
| Wendy's Tea Party | 2011 | Teacups | Zamperla |
Dark attractions edit
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pirate's Cove | 1972 | Walk-through haunted house | Bill Tracy |
| Whacky Shack | 1970 | Ride-through haunted house | Bill Tracy |
Kiddie rides edit
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rigs | 1999 | Convoy | Zamperla |
| Frog Hopper | 1999 | Dropping ride | S&S Power |
| Happy Swing | 2012 | Motorized swing | Zamperla |
| Wet Boats | 1950s | Spinning boat ride | Allan Herschell Company |
| Lil' Toot | 1994 | Small train ride | Unknown |
| Pony Cart | 1940s | Spinning pony ride | Unknown |
| Sky Fighter | 1950s | Spinning rocket ride | Unknown |
| Umbrella Ride | 1950s | Spinning car ride | Unknown |
Water attractions edit
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder River | 1996 | Log flume | Hopkins Rides |
Water World edit
Water World is a water park located in Waldameer. Established in 1986, Water World contains 10 major slides, an Endless River, a Heated Relaxing Pool, and two kids' zones. In June 2015, Waldameer opened a wave pool that can accommodate 1,000 people, making it one of the largest wave pools on the east coast. The water park has continued to expand with new attractions every few years. In 2023, the Rocket Blast water coaster slide won Best New Water Park Ride of 2023 in the Golden Ticket Awards.[14]
Slides and attractions edit
- Awesome Twosome - Enclosed two-man raft
- Bermuda Triangle - Three enclosed body slides
- Cannon Bowl - Bowl-style tube slide (Proslide Technology)
- Endless River - Lazy river
- Giant Wave Pool - Wave pool
- Giant Heated Relaxing Pool - Hot tub
- Heated Relaxing Pool - Hot tub
- Lake Erie Dip - Open-air body slide
- Liquid Lightning - Enclosed two-man raft
- Presque Isle Plunge - Open-air body slide
- Raging River - Large open-flume raft slide
- Rally Racer - Six lane slide
- Rocket Blast - Water coaster slide
- Wild River - Open-air one-man raft slide
Kids Zones edit
- Battle of Lake Erie - 8 slides, multiple sprinklers, and multiple floors, inspired by the famous Battle of Lake Erie
- Kidz Zone - 8 small slides and multiple sprinklers
Past rides and attractions edit
Past rides edit
- Whirly Gig/Razzle Dazzle (1900s–Unknown)
- Hand-carved Carousel (1905–1988)
- Blue Goose (Early 1900s–1988)
- Aerial Swings/Skyrocket (1900s–1972)
- Figure Eight/Dip the Dips (1902–1937) (Figure Eight was transformed into Dip the Dips in 1907)
- Scenic Railway/Coney Island Scenic Coaster (1915–1919)
- Mill Run/Ye Mill Chutes (1920s–1996)
- Ravine Flyer (1922–1938)
- Caterpillar (1920s–1940s)
- Tumble Bug (1920s–1940s)
- Fun in the Dark (1930s–1950)
- Loop-O-Plane (1930s–1950s)
- Victory Special (1940s)
- Whip (1940s–1950s)
- Flying Scooters (Unknown–1950s)
- Kiddie Swings (1940s)
- Custer Cars (1940s)
- Skyview Ferris Wheel (1944–1950s)
- Flying Coaster/"The Bump" (1962–1994)
- Mini Enterprise/"Mini E" (1983–2013)
- Bumper Boats (1984–1999)
- Looper (Unknown–1963)
- Small-scale temporary drop tower (2006)
Past water attractions edit
- Tad Pool (1986–2015)
- Speed Slide (1989–2019)
- Free-fall Slide (1989–2019)
Past attractions edit
- Original trolleys (1896–Unknown)
- Original dance hall (Unknown–1924)
- Hofbrau German Beer Garden (Unknown–1919, 1933–1941)
- Bathhouse (1900s–1946)
- Boardwalk (1900s–1946)
- Original swimming pools, canoes, and waterslide into Lake Erie (1900s–1946)
- Clamshell theater (1910s)
- Bluebeard's Castle Funhouse (1920s–1930s)
- Monkey Island (1930s–1950s)
- Tricky Golf Course (1950s)
- Moon Walk tent (1979–1982)
- Showtime Theater (1990s–2019)
- Snake Pit
- Pony rides and donkey rides
- Original penny arcade
- Bowling alley
- Various small stores, game stands, pavilions, and refreshment buildings
Incidents at Waldameer Park edit
Ravine Flyer edit
During the late evening hours of August 8, 1938, the Ravine Flyer coaster failed to clear the hill following the bridge crossing Peninsula Drive. As the train continued to travel back and forth over Peninsula Drive, passenger Mary Sersch became hysterical. Her brother, 19-year-old Clarence Sersch then rose out of his seat in an attempt to calm her. He lost his balance, which resulted in the fall to his death in the middle of Peninsula Drive.[15][16] Ravine Flyer was shut down for further investigation. An investigation into the coaster determined that a locked wheel had caused the train to lose speed over Peninsula Drive. It was dismantled at the request of then park owner Alex Moeller's wife, who was distraught over the incident. Ravine Flyer was replaced 70 years later in 2008 by Ravine Flyer II, in which Peninsula Drive was spanned again.[5]
Chaos edit
On June 28, 2019, the Chaos ride was going through its usual cycle. At around 1:30 p.m., the ride became stuck upside-down for about two minutes. There were no injuries reported during this incident. The ride was closed for the rest of the day and reopened the following day with the upside-down feature removed. On July 3, the cause of the malfunction was stated to be because of loose wires. The ride was opened to its full ride cycle on July 4 without further issues.[17]
References edit
- ^ National Scenic Byways Program. . Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- ^ Futrell, Jim (2002). Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania. pp. 104. ISBN 0-8117-2671-1.
- ^ Walling, Emory A (1928). Memoirs of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Bench and Bar.
- ^ "Sale of Waldameer Carousel Brings More Than $1 Million to Fund New Water Park and New Restaurant". Erie Daily Times. 12 December 1988.
- ^ a b "Long-awaited roller coaster debuts in Erie County". schurz-dailyamerican. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ a b Baldwin, Tim (September 2008). "Amusement Today's 2008 Golden Ticket Awards" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Wave Pool Opens at Waldameer Park". YOURERIE. 2015-06-09. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Palattella, Ed. "Waldameer adding attractions to last summer's $9 million expansion". GoErie.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "'Battle of Lake Erie' Opens in Waldameer's Water World". Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Bruce, David. "Erie park to open two new rides in 2018". GoErie.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Rink, Matthew. "Waldameer adding some Chaos in 2019". GoErie.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Paul Nelson, who made his Waldameer Park & Water World an Erie treasure, dies at 89". Erie Times-News. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ^ "Amusement Today – Golden Ticket Awards 2023" (PDF). Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 76. September 2023.
- ^ "Article 404 - GoErie.com - Erie, PA". GoErie.com.
- ^ Futrell, Jim (2013). Waldameer Park. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 9780738598376. OCLC 820434675.
- ^ Leonardi, Ron (2019-06-29). "Waldameer Chaos ride operating in limited thrill capacity". GoErie.com. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
External links edit
- Waldameer's website
- Waldameer & Water World at the Roller Coaster DataBase
- The Bill Tracy Project