re: Name amusement parks you went to that no longer exist

Slippery Sams in Biloxi

Found this from a 1991 Daily World article:

quote:

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At the Ride-A-Slide, one could hear the sounds of kids and older people enjoying the plunge down the 400-foot slide to a pool of water waiting at the bottom. But not this year. "Good wholesome family fun was the aim of the slide but due to the selfishness and greed of some people who are caught up in this diabolical sue (anyone you can) syndrome, our liability insurance costs have risen to such an unreasonable amount that It is no longer possible to keep operating the slide," said owner Charles Bernard.

The Ride-A-Slide, located south of Opelousas in the area locals call the Valley, opened briefly last year. The last full summer the amusement ride was open was in 1989. "Two years ago we had a good year," he said. The Ride-A-Slide operated for over 10 years and business was good, according to Bernard. "When it first opened it was fantastic. We had people lined up along the road. It was family oriented, the prices were reasonable," he said. No alcohol was allowed on the premises, and the amusement ride was frequented a lot by church groups and various organizations that would send busloads of children. "We still get phone calls constantly 'Mr. Bernard, are you going to open the slide this year?'" he related. Bernard said he could see reopening the Ride-A-Slide only if liability insurance could be found at a reasonable rate. When the business first opened, Bernard said he bought all the insurance they wanted for less than $2,000. Before he closed the business, the rates were up to $60-70 per day for a 90-day period and Bernard be Graffagnino Gazebo.

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AstroWorld. Hamel's

ETA forgot Jazzland

Fun Fair Park

Houma had Waterland USA, which we thought was awesome as a kid. It only had 3 big slides, but they were fun.

Does Waterland USA count?

Many a Houma baws seen their first uncovered boob there.

Magic World and Silver Dollar City in Pigeon Forge, TN

Although the latter rebranded in the eighties and has been quite successful under a beautiful, busty country music goddess

What didn't you like about Jazzland? We had season passes for a couple years. We'd go every Wednesday night with the kids after I got off work. We stopped when they started closing earlier on weekdays. The rides were awesome, the layout was nice (rides n close enough proximity that you didn't have too much walking), lines weren't bad at all, and there wasn't really any issue with "bad elements" causing trouble. Didn't generally go on weekends, but weeknights were great.

ETA: Anyone got connections to get me in Jazzland's remnants to film a video? I'll happily pay off a security guard with a couple hundred bucks.

Idora Park - Youngstown, Ohio

Fortunately, Cedar Point still exists which is one of the great amusement parks in the U.S.