New Jersey’s notorious Action Park is BACK, reopened under its original name. Let’s take a look back at the insane rides that gave this park its reputation as “the most dangerous theme park of all time”.
Located in Vernon, New Jersey, Action Park originally operated from 1978 to 1996. It was split into three distinct areas: the Alpine Slide, Motorworld and Waterworld. The last of these was one of the first water parks in America, and attracted thrillseekers from miles around to its range of ground-breaking, unique attractions.
Unfortunately, it is exactly that ground-breaking nature of the park’s rides and slides that may have led to its infamous safety record. At least six people are known to have to died as result of accidents at the park, leading to nicknames such as “Traction Park”, “Accident Park” and “Class Action Park”. The large number of lawsuits brought again the park’s owners finally led to the closure of many of its rides, and eventually the park itself in 1996.
Fear not, though, intrepid thrill-seekers. Waterworld lived on as the Mountain Creek Waterpark, which had a much-improved safety record. In 2010, the park was sold back to a group led by Eugene Mulvihill, the former operator of Action Park. As of April 2, 2014, it is once again known by its original name.
Let’s take a nostalgic look back at the rides that gave Action Park its fearsome reputation – some of which are still in place today.
16. Super Go-Karts
On the surface, Super Go-Karts sounds like nothing special. Guests could drive karts around a simple, looping track at speeds of around 20 miles per hour. However, according to a 2005 article in Weird NJ Magazine, staff knew to circumvent the governors designed to limit the karts’ speeds, through the simple act of wedging a tennis ball into them. This led to several injuries resulting from what was effectively a high-speed bumper car ride.
15. Alpine Slide
Alpine Slides were installed at a number of theme parks during the late 1970s and 1980s, including Alton Towers in the UK. Perhaps the most famous installation, though, was at Action Park, where a concrete and fiberglass track wound its way down a steep hill. The most notorious feature of the ride was the handbrakes used to slow down the sleds, which were pretty ineffective.
It was not unknown for fellow guests to spit on passing riders as they passed by, and the ride was responsible for the first recorded fatality in 1980 at the park when an employee’s sled ran off the track, causing him to fall down an embankment and hit his head of a rock. With a mounting number of injuries also being attributed to it, the Alpine Slide was closed in 1998 after just one season as part of the new Mountain Creek Waterpark.
14. Tank Ride
Located in Motorworld, this attraction saw riders board small tanks fitted with tennis ball cannons for a mock “war” inside a chainlink fence-enclosed arena. When a tank was struck by a tennis ball, it would stop operating for 15 seconds – providing a great opportunity for other riders to pepper it with further fire. Reportedly, the attraction was more dangerous for employees than riders, as they were subject to fire from guests despite rules prohibiting this.
13. LOLA Cars
Similar to the Super Go-Karts, the LOLA cars were open-cockpit miniature race cars. Again, employees are said to have overcome governors on the ride’s engines, with one former employee telling Weird NJ that after-hours, beer-fuelled races were not uncommon.
12. Super Speedboats
Housed in a small, snake-infested pond, these high-speed boats could hit 40 miles per hour. This resulted in at least one drunken rider being rescued by a lifeguard after a collision.
11. Bumper boats
Seemingly one of the park’s safer attractions, the Bumper Boats were apparently very difficult to steer. They also leaked gasoline, resulting in medical attention for one rider who got too much on his body.
10. Skateboard Park
This poorly-designed attraction lasted for just one season, due to an unfortunate design flaw that saw its various bowls being separated by pavements with edges that did not meet smoothly. Weird NJ quoted one former employee, Tom Fergus, as saying that the “skate park was responsible for so many injuries that we covered it up with dirt and pretended it never existed.”
9. Tidal Wave Pool
Despite being a fairly common water park attraction these days, the 1,000-capacity Tidal Wave Pool was one of the most dangerous attractions at Action Park – partly due to its 40-inch waves. Although twelve lifeguards were on duty at any one time, they couldn’t prevent two deaths occuring in 1982 and 1987.
The wave pool is still in place, but is now much shallower – making it considerably safer.
8. Aqua Scoot
Riders on the Aqua Scoot carried a solid plastic sled up to the top of two parallel slides, each made up of a series of rollers. They would splash down at the bottom in a not-very-deep pool, with the aim of skipping across the water like a stone. However, the sleds frequently sank, resulting in riders being thrown off.
7. Kayak Experience
Water and electricity do not mix well. Unfortunately, this boat ride down a “whitewater” course broke that rule, with a rider in 1982 falling out his boat and coming in contact with the electrical current of an underwater fan used to generate the turbulent water. He and two others were electrocuted and later died, resulting in a permanent shutdown of the attraction.
6. Roaring Rapids
This standard water ride was responsible for its fair share of injuries in 1984, including several broken bones and dislocated joints. Under the new safety regime, it is still operating.
5. Diving Cliffs
Two diving cliffs stood above a 16-foot-deep pool. Unfortunately, guests swimming below were not warned that people would be diving in on top of them – resulting in frequent collisions. It is still operating, but without the waiting swimmers below.
4. Colorado River Ride
Another ride that is still operating, the Colorado River Ride is now much safer. It previously included jagged rocks in its darkened tunnels, as well as a foot-high jump that saw its rafts slam back onto the water’s surface.
3. The Aerodium
This vertical wind tunnel allowed riders to hover in the air without any restraints. Instructors were on hand to ensure that they didn’t soar too high, but riders are still reported to have suffered injuries when they attempted to break their fall with their arms.
2. Tarzan Swing
This steel arch hung from a 20-foot-long cable over a pool below. Guests would swing out over the water hanging from it, aiming to jump off as it reached its maximum height. The freezing cold water was infamous, and one rider died after suffering a heart attack after experiencing the Tarzan Swing in 1984.
1. Cannonball Loop
Surprisingly, none of the deaths at Action Park came at the hands of the truly ridiculous Cannonball Loop. After flying down a steep slope, riders on this water slide would be sent through a ludicrously tight vertical loop. If they didn’t weigh enough, they could expect to fall to the bottom, probably sustaining a nasty bump in the process.
Very few riders were actually “lucky” enough to be able to experience Cannonball Loop, as it is said to have operated for just one month during the summer of 1985 before being shut down. Those who did could look forward to being sprayed by a garden hose by an attendant beforehand, to make sure that they were suitably lubricated.
