Log Chute

Log Chute, formerly known as Paul Bunyan's Log Chute sometimes Fog Chute for Halloween[1] or Yule Log Chute for Christmas,[2] is a log flume attraction sponsored by Xcel Energy (formerly sponsored by Brawny) at Mall of America's Nickelodeon Universe in Bloomington, Minnesota.[3] It opened on August 11, 1992 and is one of the mall's oldest surviving acquisitions from Knott's Camp Snoopy.[4] The ride is based on the tall tale of Paul Bunyan and is set in a mountain lumber mill featuring two lift hills and two drops as passengers experience singing animatronics, including a 19-foot tall Paul Bunyan (modeled after the Brawny mascot) and Babe the Blue Ox.[5] The attraction was designed to keep riders dry enough so that they could comfortably continue shopping.[6] Holiday overlays for Halloween and Christmas have been put into place since 2017 with the "Fog Chute" and "Yule Log Chute", with the animatronic characters being dressed in festive costumes. For Halloween, Paul has been dressed as a pirate, Jim Hopper from Stranger Things, and Hulk Hogan promoting the shortlived Pastamania restaurant once housed in the mall.

Log Chute
Final splashdown chute at the end of the ride
Nickelodeon Universe
StatusOperating
Opening dateAugust 11, 1992 (1992-08-11)
General statistics
TypeLog flume
ManufacturerHopkins Rides
Lift system2 conveyor belt lifts
Drop40 ft (12 m)
Height Restriction36 in (91 cm) with adult, 47 in (120 cm) alone

The ride is also the site of Harmon Killebrew's 520-foot home run record at the former Metropolitan Stadium and is marked by one of the stadium's original chairs located on the wall above the ride.[7][8]

Background

After going through a queue winding through a mine within the attraction's mountain, guests board their logs and make their way through Paul's logging camp, with one of his axes being set near a bend in the river while singing can be heard throughout. As guests enter the kitchen, riders see workers preparing Paul's breakfast of giant pancakes, with an enormous bottle of Knott's Berry Farm brand Boysenberry Syrup on the table left over from the park's Camp Snoopy days. Going outside, the flume passes another of Paul's axes and various critters such as beavers and skunks before going inside again to pass a bear cub in a tree and more lumberjacks. After this is the attraction's first drop, which leads guests into a cave to see Paul Bunyan and Babe pulling down trees. Paul warns the riders of the saw mill ahead as we go up a lift hill. The saw operator quickly notices the riders and turns off the saw and hopes to see guests again before guests go down the second drop, which is home to the attraction's on-ride photo camera.

Panoramic photo of the splashdown and loading areas. The "Red Chair" marking Harmon Killebrew's home run record is visible in the background (and a plaque in the foreground).

Accidents

On August 20, 1992, the ride was shut down for five hours due to a faulty gear. Maintenance workers noticed that the gear that ran the conveyor belt had started to strip. Park officials stated the fault never posed a safety risk.[9]

On Saturday, August 1, 1998, a 12-year-old boy fell off the log chute. As his boat neared the top of the final chute, the boy began to panic and stood up to reach a railing. The ride was stopped, but the boat began to fall. Losing his grip, he fell off the chute, falling onto the landscaping rocks, and later died from the injuries he sustained.[10][11] O.D. Hopkins Associates, Inc., the manufacturer of the ride, inspected it and found that the ride was in proper working order, and that restraints would not have prevented the incident, while a safety consultant disagreed with the latter statement. It was the park's (then Camp Snoopy)'s first major accident.[12][13][14]

On November 4, 2007, a conveyor belt malfunctioned, causing one log-themed boat to crash into another.[15] There were only minor injuries. The ride was inspected and fixed. The ride re-opened on November 15, 2007.[16][17]

References
  1. Birt, Lydia (2018-10-19). "Mall of America celebrates Halloween with Nickelodeon Boo-niverse". KARE 11. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  2. "The iconic Log Chute ride at Mall of America® turns into the YULE LOG CHUTE this holiday season". Meet Minneapolis. 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  3. "Log Chute". Nickelodeon Universe. 2014-12-09. Archived from the original on 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  4. Terveen, Joyce (1992-08-11). "Happy campers: Mall of America's Camp Snoopy woos shoppers with fun". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2019-10-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Ellis, Elaine (1992-08-11). "Shopping mecca in Minnesota". The News Journal. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  6. Deck, Cecilia (1992-08-30). "Mall Wonder". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2019-10-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Stych, Ed (2011-05-18). "Killebrew's 500-ft homer seat, still at MOA". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  8. Shipley, John (2011-05-16). "50 years ago today, Harmon Killebrew hit his longest home run". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  9. "Megamall log ride is halted for repair". Star Tribune. 1992-08-20. Retrieved 2019-10-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "National News Briefs; Boy Dies After Fall From Ride Inside Mall". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1998-08-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  11. Walsh, Paul; Zeigler, Suzanne; Brown, Curt (1998-08-02). "Witnesses said the boy became scared before boat's final drop". Star-Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Boy's death investigated". Ironwood Daily Globe. Bloomington, MN: Associated Press. 1998-08-04. Retrieved 2019-10-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Ride's maker, expert dispute usefulness of restrains at mall". Leader-Telegram. Bloomington, MN: Associated Press. 1998-08-04. Retrieved 2019-10-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Manufacturer says belts wouldn't have prevented death; consultant disagrees". The Emerson Associates Inc. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  15. "Mall of America ride remains closed". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  16. Walsh, Paul (2007-11-15). "Mall of America log chute ride reopens after malfunction". Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  17. "Log chute ride to reopen today at Mall of America". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2019-10-08.

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