Amusement (not "Theme") Park Memories (Sycamore, Ney: for sale, 2015)

[skippercollector]

It's been years since I've been to Stricker's Grove in Ross, but I drive past there occasionally. It's very disconcerting for a newcomer driving up from the south on Highway 128. Because of the curve in the road, for a moment there's an optical illusion that makes you think you will be driving on the rollercoaster tracks!
Are there other places around that have a rollercoaster just a few feet from the road?
The parish I belonged to when I was growing up always had its summer picnic there. But then the church started having a festival on its grounds, and the picnic was discontinued.

[skippercollector]

In the 60s and into the early 70s, Western HIlls Plaza had a few rides in the back parking lot. The one I remember most clearly was an above-ground swimming pool that had a few boats in it that went around in a circle. The water wasn't chlorinated like it would be in a pool, so it was always brown water.
Were there other shopping centers (which was the term used back then) that had outside rides?

[deg1114]

When I was a kid we went to Stricker's Grove quite a bit since it wasn't too far from the house. I love the tiny railroad there. A neat little park that felt more like a carnival.

At Fantasy Farm, I was in awe of the Flintstone Cave. I'm not sure why.

LeSourdsville Lake was another one we would frequent probably because it was cheaper than Kings Island.

My one memory of Coney Island when I was a kid was my dad's company picnic. I could walk up and get a beer for my dad. I was probably 12. Try doing that today.

[kjbrill]

Back in the heyday of Coney, when just about every major company in Cincinnati had a picnic for their employees there during the summer, it was terrific. Those company picnics were a great time. I remember getting there when the park opened and leaving when it closed. In the morning, back in the picnic area, we always had games, everything from softball to tug-of-war between the departments. There were always a number of organized games for the kids. The afternoons brought Bingo under the pavilions for the women and horseshoes outside for the men. We always received an allotment of ride tickets for the kids plus admission to Sunlight Pool for those old enough to go. The grills were kept going all day through lunch and dinner, and the draft beer really flowed. Since the companies were granted an exclusive for their portion of the picnic area on that day, it was considered a private party. This circumvented a number of regulations. As I write this, my thoughts go to how great those times were compared to the plastic world we live in today.

[t45209]

Originally Posted by Flyingmike

I remember my Grandparents taking me to Pee Wee Valley in the early 60's. They had these cool little riding railroad cars the you cranked by hand and went around a metal track. They were my favorite. I would like to find one of those.

They had those at Fantasy Farm too!

I also remember their turnpike...big fiberglass cars from the '50s, and all of them red. They vaguely looked like '58 Eldorados.

[t45209]

My grandfather used to talk fondly of the days going to Chester Park, although he also remembered how run down and shabby it got in the later years. As I recall, it shut down finally because they couldn't pay their water bill.

[t45209]

Ok, I'm barely old enough to remember Coney...in fact I only have a vague recollection of riding on the lost river with my mother, but from some of the old home movies, it looked like I had a pretty good time there.

We always went to LeSourdsville Lake every year because my grandfather's company picnic was there. The Screamin' Eagle coaster there (as it was later called) nearly took the lives of my mom and aunt (when they were kids) when my grandfather managed to pull them back in the seat. It was a wild ride.

I used to love to go to the Western Town there. For a time, they had a portrait studio that would actually take tintype photos...not on paper, but actual tin! They also had a bunch of animal "sideshows" where you would put a dime or a quarter in the slot and a trained chicken would perform some kind of kooky act.

I also fondly remember the arcades at LeSourdville. For a few seasons they introduced a collection of antique games and movie scopes, with short flip book movies of Charlie Chaplin, Tom Mix, and Keystone Kops. The we would play Fascination for hours and not all the prizes were total junk. We actually took home some pretty cool stuff!

The midway at LeSourdville had a great '50s look, with all the flashing lights and neon. It was a real shame in the '80s when they started dismantling some of that stuff for a more "modern" appearance.

I'm also going to have to admit that I have a bit of nostalgia for the "old" Kings Island. I hate the place today, and the Paramount ownership nearly destroyed it. But as I think back, Kings Island used to have a great local flavor. They really thought it out well...the recreated Coney Mall, with many of Coney's rides (ie Tumblebug, Flying Scooter, The Monster, the giant slide, dodgem all relocated from the old park), the Oktoberfest (celebrating Cincinnati's German heritage), and Rivertown (where when you rode the train they would talk about the early settlers like Simon Kenton and the Golden Lamb).

Today, Kings Island has no connection to Cincinnati...it could just as well be in Missouri and you wouldn't know the difference. It's not as clean as it used to be, and the gardens aren't nearly as well maintained. And the shops along International Street once carried nice merchandise, often imported and matched to the nation that the building represented.

I also don't think it's as much as a family park as it once was. I wouldn't think of taking my grandparents there anymore. They used to be perfectly content sitting in one of the show houses that were all over the park (in the air conditioning!) while we would run around on the rides.

Oh, and if you are interested in what some of the other Coney rides were that were relocated to Kings Island, don't forget the Carrousel, The Teddy Bear Coaster (known for many years as the Scooby-Doo), the log flume, the Skyride, and I also believe the Bavarian Bobsled.

[skippercollector]

I looked up Stricker's Grove's website and looked through the pictures of the rides. I am wondering if some of them came from LeSourdsville/Americana.

[skippercollector]

There was a souvenir shop for LeSourdsville to the right just as you came in the park. One time I bought an item there and I wish I still had it!
It was a small plastic red filmstrip machine, and it came with a filmstrip. The plastic filmstrip was black and white with the scenes drawn in black ink. Why did I buy it? Because it was "Bonanza"!
When I got home and looked through it, I was puzzled, not disappointed. It featured the four original Cartwrights, although I probably bought it in 1973 or 1974, and Adam was long gone. The filmstrip must have been part of a series, because it seemed to start in the middle of a story but then it was never finished. The one thing I do remember was that it had a somewhat violent story.
That little filmstrip set is long gone. I've never seen anything like it before or since, either of "Bonanza" or any other TV show or movie, and I've gone to a lot of antique shows. I tried looking it up on ebay a few times but nothing ever came up. I've read quite a bit about "Bonanza" over the years and none of the reference materials ever mention the filmstrip either.

[Kellycatt1]

Hi just thought I would share this link I found about amusement parks. It has tons of old pics and pictures of them more recently. Really eerie in some pics. http://www.sbno.com (http://www.sbno.com/ - broken link) I really enjoyed looking at the pics. Fantasy farms, and americana are both on thre. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.