Busch Gardens Coaster Tour

Busch Gardens Coaster Tour

Hello park fans, this isn’t about history, but if you’re a coaster enthusiast this is right up your alley. A few years back my son and I took the Busch Gardens Williamsburg roller coaster tour, where you get an inside look at maintenance buildings, get up close with the trains and parts, and…check this out…go up to the very top of Griffin.

Coney Island sends guests to hell

Coney Island sends guests to hell

If you recall, EB from coasterradio.com asked me on the show about a couple of attractions from the old Coney Island days. I wasn't familiar with the details, so in my last email I dug into one of them—Creation. This thematic, immersive experience was moved to Dreamland park in 1905 after the St. Louis World's Fair ended. After witnessing the awe-inspiring birth of the world, visitors could then walk across the way and get sent straight to hell (and back) in Hell Gate.

Coney Island Attractions: Creation

Coney Island Attractions: Creation

During my interview with CoasterRadio.com, EB asked about a couple attractions from Coney Island's Dreamland park. Now, this is 1905 we're talking about, and believe it or not, themed immersive attractions were actually a thing already. In the book I described A Trip to the Moon, which premiered at the 1901 Buffalo Pan-American Expo and was later moved to

Hard Rock Park: Where to learn about the saga

Hard Rock Park: Where to learn about the saga

The saga of Hard Rock Park has intrigued professionals and enthusiasts alike for over a decade now. How exactly do you build such a unique, ultra-cool theme park and watch it bite the dust within a few months? The park soft-opened April 15, 2008. Five months

Astroworld: Judge Roy Hofheinz & Harper Goff

Astroworld: Judge Roy Hofheinz & Harper Goff

I’ve posted another vintage park map tour on the site. This one’s for Astroworld, which opened in 1968. Judge Roy Hofheinz was the larger-than-life personality in the Houston area who built the Astrodome, Astroworld Hotel, then opened his personal playground on fifty-six

Frontier Worlds: Davy Crockett plans a park in CA

Frontier Worlds: Davy Crockett plans a park in CA

Fess Parker had turned to real estate after his successful film and television career. One of his dream projects was to open a park. That’s all he wanted, just to open a park. He first tried in Boone County, KY, a bit too close to Cincinnati for the Coney/Taft people’s comfort. Once they heard of the plan, they quickly got to work planning their own park…and shutting all financing