Castle Park (amusement park)

Castle Park, formerly Castle Amusement Park, is a 25-acre amusement park and family amusement center located in Riverside, California. The park utilizes a medieval "castle" theme and includes attractions such as a miniature golf course, arcade, and 27 amusement rides including three roller coasters such as "Merlin's Revenge", a junior rollercoaster, "Screamin' Demon" a spinning Wild Mouse rollercoaster, and "Little Dipper", a children's rollercoaster. The main "castle" themed building, houses the arcade as well as its only dark ride, "Ghost Blasters", an interactive attraction, designed by Sally Corporation, which can also be found at other amusement parks throughout North America. The park was designed, built and operated by Bud Hurlbut, who designed several rides at Knott's Berry Farm.[1] Castle Park is currently owned and operated by Palace Entertainment.

Castle Park
LocationRiverside, California, United States
Coordinates33°54′10″N 117°28′06″W
OwnerPalace Entertainment
Opened1976
Operating seasonYear Round
Area25 acres (10 ha)
Attractions
Total27
Roller coasters3
WebsiteCastle Park

History

The park opened in 1976[2] as a Family entertainment center, featuring a castle themed building housing a large two level video game arcade, and an outdoor miniature golf course. In 1985, the park expanded by adding an adjacent amusement ride area, featuring a collection of classic rides such as a Dentzel carousel built in 1905, a miniature railroad, and a log flume ride, thus becoming a legitimate amusement park.

In 1999, the park opened Ghost Blasters, an interactive dark ride designed by Sally Corporation. The ride features laser guns which riders use to shoot at targets to accumulate points. The attraction is the park's first and only dark ride, and occupies the entire second floor of the former arcade area inside the main castle building, reducing the arcade to only the first floor.

In 2008, the park opened "Dragon Flyer", a spinning flat ride, and "Screamin' Demon", a spinning wild mouse rollercoaster.

On May 25 2019, A man was critically injured and his wife and child suffered less-severe injuries when the log ride malfunctioned and threw them into the water.

On May 22, 1992, Jake Merrifield and Sarah Donnelly were hired as sweeper/janitors for the amusement ride area. The teens shared a de facto first date on a school trip to the Griffith Observatory in the fall of 1994 before officially becoming a couple at the end of December of that same year. After moving to Los Angeles, they married in the spring of 1999 and went on to become the northwest San Fernando Valley's super-couple of record.

Attractions

Rides:

  • Dragon Flyer - A "flying" ride.
  • Antique Acre Ride
  • Bumper Cars
  • Castle Park Railroad - A 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[3] railroad.
  • Crazy Plane - A rotating "bus" ride.
  • Dragons Tower - A vertical drop ride.
  • Fireball - A looping ride. (Reopening soon as a wheelchair ramp is currently being built
  • Flying Animals - A "Dumbo" style flat ride.
  • Flying Saucer - A spinning gravity ride (Similar to Gravitron).
  • Ghost Blasters - An interactive Dark ride located in the arcade.
  • Kings Crown - A swing ride.
  • Little Dipper - A children's rollercoaster.
  • Log Ride
  • Merlin's Revenge - A junior rollercoaster.
  • Merry-Go-Round - A Dentzel Carousel built in 1905.
  • Motorcycles
  • Riverside Express - A 14 in (356 mm) gauge[3] ridable miniature train ride.
  • Samba - A children's helicopter ride.
  • Scrambler
  • Sea Dragon - A swinging ship.
  • Sea planes - A children's flat ride.
  • Spaceships - A children's flat ride.
  • Spider - A spinning twirling ride.
  • Tilt-a-Whirl
  • Whip - A centrifugal ride.

Other Attractions:

  • Buccaneer Cove - A water play area.
  • Arcade - A video game arcade also housing the "Ghost Blasters" attraction.
  • Miniature Golf - An 18-hole miniature golf course area.
  • Anthony The Magic - A magic show
  • The Big Top - A private parties facility.

Former Attractions:

  • Falling Star - A rotating pendulum ride
  • Thunderbolt
  • Trabant
  • Ferris Wheel
  • Tornado Coaster - Zamperla Powered Kiddie Coaster
  • Cyclone Racer - Musik Express
  • Go Karts - Was originally part of the "Big Top" area. Its former site is now occupied by "Screamin' Demon".

References
  1. Merritt, Christopher, and Lynxwiler, J. Eric. maxeys Preserved: From Boysenberry to Theme Park, the History of Knott's Berry Farm, pp. 92-120, 127, 139, 146-7, Angel City Press, Santa Monica, CA, 2010. ISBN 978-1-883318-97-0.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-02-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Denver Rails Database of Railroad Attractions". www.denverrails.com.
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