Used cars. Antique furniture. Refurbished electronics. These second-hand markets are popular with consumers and ideal options for those looking to land a deal. Did you know, however, that a second-hand market exists for amusement park rides and roller coasters? That’s right. And if you’ve visited a few amusement parks in your life, chances are, you’ve been on some relocated rides, maybe even a roller coaster or two. What’s even crazier is that these relocations aren’t limited to just modern day steel coasters. Wood coasters, with their thousands of pieces of wood, thousands of feet of track, and thousands of pounds of structure, have been relocated for close to a century.
A Rarity Before the 80's
Yankee Cannonball, located at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, N.H. has been in operation at the park since 1936. Being 84 years old, one could assume that it was original to the park. Alas, that would not be true. From 1930-35, Yankee Cannonball was simply known as Roller Coaster and stood about 150 miles from its present day location at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Conn. Yankee Cannonball, however, is an anomaly in the amusement park industry for that time period.
During the Great Depression and World War II, the United States saw the closure of many small amusement parks. Many coasters would be dismantled, drastically dwindling the number of coasters found throughout the country during those decades.
While a few wood coasters would be relocated through the U.S. over the next 50 years, it was a rarity and oftentimes, a ride on the smaller scale. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the industry would see the relocation of a wooden coaster as a real option for their parks and see larger ones moved between parks. The park that kicked off that trend was none other than Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pa.
Knoebels Starts the Trend
Knoebels is home to perhaps the most well-known wooden coaster relocation of all-time with Phoenix. The Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. (PTC) double out and back coaster once stood over 1,700 miles away at Playland Park in San Antonio, Texas. There it was known as Rocket from 1940-80.
In 1985, Knoebels, along with the assistance of Dinn Corporation founder, Charlie Dinn, went about the process of moving Rocket from San Antonio to Elysburg. This relocation was watched heavily by the industry as it was not an option most parks considered at the time. With its success, it would go on to inspire other parks to do the same throughout the 80’s and 90’s.
“[Phoenix] was the first large-scale wooden roller coaster relocation and helped remind the industry that relocation was an option,” said Knoebels Public Relations Director Stacy Ososkie.
At this point, the story of Phoenix’s move from San Antonio has become the stuff of legends among coaster enthusiasts. It took a total of 34 trucks to move the ride to its new home. The process was tedious, with no blueprints existing for the ride. As it was disassembled, each piece of the structure was numbered to assist with its rebuilding in Pennsylvania. The entire operation lasted six months, from January to June 1985.
Once the coaster was at Knoebels, it took on the name Phoenix – a nod to the mythological creature that is reborn out of its own ashes. Fitting as it helped blaze the path for new wooden coaster relocations to take place in the decade following
Other Parks Follow Knoebels Lead
With Rocket’s successful relocation to Knoebels, a number of other wooden roller coasters would also be relocated in the years that followed. All of the coasters would also be PTC creations, with two of them being larger than Phoenix. None would come close to the 1,700-plus miles Rocket traveled to Knoebels, however.
Wild World - Wild One
Wild One, at Six Flags America (SFA) in Upper Marlboro, Md., was also relocated with the assistance of Dinn. It opened the year after Phoenix, in 1986, while the park was still known as Wild World. Prior to the relocation, it was named Giant Coaster and operated from 1917-85 at Paragon Park in Hull, Mass., 450 miles away.
Lakemont Park - Skyliner
About a two hour drive from Knoebels, Skyliner opened at Lakemont Park in 1987. Lakemont acquired the coaster from Roseland Park, located over 230 miles away in Canadaigua, N.Y. Lakemont Park elected to keep the name Skyliner upon its relocation. Currently, it is one of two historic wooden coasters at the park, with the other being the world’s oldest roller coaster, Leap the Dips, built in 1902. Both are American Coaster Enthusiast (ACE) Classics.
Great Escape - Comet
Further north, in New York, Great Escape’s Comet has been thrilling visitors since 1994. Before then, however, it thrilled visitors at Crystal Beach, Ontario, Canada from 1948-89. Moving from Canada to the United States makes its move a 320 mile international journey, which was done prior to Premier Parks purchasing Great Escape in 1996.
Although Knoebels was the first, why did so many other parks follow suit? With so many factors coming into play, such as: taking the coasters apart, moving its structure and trains, putting it back together, and surely some refurbishment work, it seems like a tall task for any park to endure. Ultimately, however, the prices were right for these respective parks and they all pulled the trigger to add those rides to their line ups.
The Cheaper Alternative
Price is obviously the biggest reason an amusement park would elect to relocate a roller coaster. After all, amusement parks are businesses and a park’s budget will dictate what they can and cannot afford to undertake. With Knoebels, Lakemont, Wild World, and Great Escape all being smaller parks and not part of any major corporate chains at the time, their budgets were surely limited. And much like with used cars, antique furniture, and refurbished electronics, the cheaper prices on the used ride market, fell within their budgets.
On-Site Inspection
According to Ososkie, prior Knoebels acquiring Phoenix, the park had been seeking to add a new coaster to their ride line up. When the prospect of purchasing Rocket was presented as an option, they had to make sure the deal was financially feasible and the ride was in operating order.
“Dick Knoebel [President of Knoebels] made the trip to San Antonio with some of our team and found the coaster to be in great shape,” explained Ososkie.
From there, the choice was made to purchase the ride and begin the relocation process. With the notoriety the ride has gained since its opening, the decision has surely paid off for Knoebels, as it has for all of these parks. Wild One, Skyliner, and Comet have also cemented themselves as star attractions at their respective parks.
History Plays a Factor
The cost factor was obviously the biggest element for these parks when they chose to relocate instead of buying new. With that said, however, the historical significance and love for these rides was not lost on these parks when making their decisions. By relocating each of these coasters, all of the parks added a coaster with a built-in fanbase that was already established.
With many of these rides you will see the new parks paying homage to the ride’s former linage with plaques and informational graphics in and around their line queues. And while the ride’s existing fans do not make up the majority of any of the parks’ attendance numbers, there is still something to be said for celebrating the past. Many people have memories of these rides and their memories and stories help serve to advertise these rides and their new parks throughout the enthusiast community.
An All-New Life & All-New Memories
Deven Mosher - Comet
Working Comet - Operations Supervisor at Great Escape
For the last five years Deven Mosher has worked Comet at Great Escape, currently serving as an operations supervisor. He has also worked for several other major amusement parks prior. During his tenure, he has seen numerous visitors come to the park who had previously rode Comet when it was still at Crystal Beach.
“We do have visitors who come that have rode [Comet] at Crystal Beach and come for the history and memories of the coaster,” Mosher said.
It isn’t just those fans who come to Great Escape for Comet, however. For many, Comet has become a landmark coaster for those living in the region. Enthusiasts that travel far distances to amusement parks, while valued, are not the park’s bread and butter when it comes to keeping the parks and the bank account full. Parks rely mostly on its surrounding population who come back to the park over and over again. Those are the people who have also come to embrace Comet as their own.
“A lot of locals that come to Great Escape see it as a historic landmark for their hometown, not just Crystal Beach,” Mosher explained. “The people in the town of Queensbury, as well as the surrounding area, grew up going to the park, and for many of them, Comet was their first ‘adult’ coaster.”
His Childhood Memories
Mosher is one of those locals too. When he was finally tall enough to ride, he forced his dad to ride Comet with him four times. He then went to ride it 16 times in a row. He claimed to have practically spent the whole day riding Comet – riding, jumping back in line, and doing it all over again, and again, and again. Now that he gets to work on the ride, which he finds so fulfilling.
“I love working for Great Escape and watching people make those same memories riding Comet and the other rides we have,” Mosher said.
These are the kinds of memories that many have of these relocated rides. And like Mosher explained, some even have them from both the ride’s original park as well as its current home.
Timothy Brown - Skyliner
That is the case for Timothy Brown, from New York. For him, Skyliner helped start his enthusiasm for roller coasters when he rode it for the first time at Roseland Park in 1964.
“Skyliner was my first coaster. I was 7 or 8 at the time. What I remember the most was the layout of the entrance and the names of the planets over the spots in the loading area,” Brown recalled.
Brown was sad to see Skyliner sold, but he said he was not surprised when it happened. He was dating a relative of the park’s original owner, William Maur, at the time and was privy to some information about the ride and its conditions for being sold. Brown also had ties to Lakemont Park, helping with past restorations efforts on Leap the Dips. This made him happy to see Lakemont be the one to purchase the ride at auction.
“I was thrilled when Leap the Dips reopened so I could take my daughters to go ride the oldest coaster, and my first coaster, Skyliner,” Brown said. “My girls are still coaster geeks, and one even got proposed to at Knoebels.”
Shane Denmark - Skyliner
Not all enthusiasts have been able to travel to re-ride their favorite coasters, however. Shane Denmark, like Brown, rode Skyliner when it was located in Roseland. Until now, he has yet to experience it at its Lakemont home.
“Obviously, I would rather Roseland was still alive and well on the shore of Canadaigua Lake,” Denmark stated. “It was a cool little park.”
“I was really kind of happy to find out Skyliner lives on. I have been trying to go down to Lakemont Park to ride it, as it was my first ‘big boy’ coaster back in the early 80’s. I still smile every time someone mentions riding it, or a picture of it pops up on Roller Coaster Database (RCDB),” Denmark added.
John Gray - Phoenix, Wild One, Skyliner, & Comet
Then you have enthusiasts like John Gray, from Pennsylvania. Gray has travelled much of the United States and even into Canada to experience different coasters. Among his credits are Phoenix, Wild One, Skyliner, and Comet. He never rode any of the four at their previous locations, however. Thanks to relocation, he was able to experience all of them.
“I’d love to see any ride saved and relocated,” said Gray. “I find the relocation of a wooden coaster that much more special too because of the comparative amount of work and effort involved, versus steel coasters and other amusement rides.”
Although Gray never got to experience any of the rides at their original parks, he is well aware of their history and values knowing their stories before attending a park.
“I first visited Knoebels because of the relocated Phoenix. I make it a point to learn some of the history of a park and their rides before I visit. It helps put things into perspective and makes for a more meaningful visit,” Gray said.
A Set of Little Dipper Relocations - One, Twice
The relocation of wooden coasters has become almost non-existent recent decades in the U.S. Due to companies such as Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) offering hybrid conversions of wooden coasters and the smaller frequency of wooden coasters being built in recent years, the trend of relocation seems to have waned. There have been a few “little” exceptions, however.
In 2007, Little Amerricka, in Marshall, Wis. opened Meteor, a family sized PTC coaster. When Little Amerricka acquired the ride, it marked its second relocation. According to RCDB, the park purchased the ride at auction from Hillcrest Park, in Lemont, Ill. for $9,000 in 2003. Hillcrest Park operated the ride from 1967 – 2003 as Little Dipper after buying it at auction themselves, for $6,000, also according to RCDB. The ride’s previous owner was park called Kiddytown in Norridge, Ill., where it also operated under the name Little Dipper from 1953-66.
Not to be confused with the Little Dipper at Hillcrest or Kiddytown, a mirrored-image version of the ride operated in Kiddieland Park in Melrose Park, Ill. from 1950 – 2009. When the park closed, Six Flags Great America (SFGA), located just 35 miles away, saved the ride, purchasing it for $33,000 at auction, according to RCDB. The surrounding community was grateful for SFGA for saving their beloved ride and keeping it local for future rides and memories to be made.
Bradley Bard - Little Dipper (Six Flags Great America)
Bradley Bard, a resident of Gurnee, Ill. has been an ACE member since 1999. He has ridden many coasters across the country, however, Little Dipper at Kiddieland was not one of them.
“Sadly, I never had the privilege of riding Little Dipper while at Kiddieland,” Bard explained. “I had always wanted to and before I knew it, Kiddieland was scheduled to close.”
Thanks to relocation, however, Bard would get his chance to ride this classic woodie. While it wouldn’t be at Kiddieland, it would be at nearby SFGA.
“Some time had gone by when Six Flags Great America had put out a statement announcing that not only would they be purchasing the historic coaster, but would be doing a full restoration,” Bard said. “Words couldn’t express how elated I was to hear this news as I’ve wanted to ride it for years.
Bard is happy that now future generations will be able to enjoy Little Dipper at SFGA, where he was finally able to ride it himself.
“Shortly after it debuted at Great America, I had the privilege of finally riding this beautiful roller coaster,” Bard said. “Every time I stand in front of the Little Dipper, I think to myself how lucky we are to have this gorgeous piece of history in our own backyard.”
This is a sentiment that Gray echoes, being thankful for Six Flags saving the ride. He rode Little Dipper while still at Kiddieland, but has yet to experience it at SFGA – the opposite of Bard.
“I’m kind of surprised that a Six Flags park stepped up, but certainly glad they did,” explained Gray.
Knoebels & Phoenix Continues to Blaze
Today, Phoenix is Knoebels biggest draw, bringing coaster enthusiasts from all over the world to experience the classic woodie. It has won the Golden Ticket Award, from Amusement Today, in the Best Wooden Coaster category in 2018 and 2019. The ride consistently ranks among the top of the list each year, competing with much larger, faster, and more modern rides such as El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv), Voyage at Holiday World, and Dollywood’s beloved Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) hit, Lightning Rod.
Whether you agree or disagree with the coaster being the “best” among the wood coasters out there, there is no denying that it is crowd pleaser and runs amazingly smooth for being 80 years old.
Osokie said the team at Knoebels takes a lot of pride in their meticulous care of their star attraction. The park’s aim is not to just have Phoenix be in great condition for an 80 year old coaster, but in great condition for a coaster, period. This care has allowed it to compete with those much bigger and newer coasters year in and year out.
Much like Brown’s with experiences with Skyliner, Osokie stated that the park has heard from fans who have ridden the ride at both Playland and Knoebels. The feedback the park has gotten from those visitors has been nothing short of amazing.
Knoebels Reputation for Saving Classic Rides
Knoebels has garnered a reputation over the years for saving beloved amusement attractions, whether coasters or flat rides. In 2009 they relocated Golden Nugget, a steel indoor coaster/dark ride hybrid from Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, N.J. That ride was purchased by the park only five days prior to its scheduled demolition. A farewell ceremony had even been planned for it my Morey’s. Two years later, the ride was reopened as Black Diamond, paying homage to the town’s mining roots, while still keeping the mining theme for the ride in general.
Knoebels Grand Carousel is also a relocated ride. It was purchased by Knoebels Founder, Henry Knoebel, in 1941 from Riverside Park in New Jersey. The Grand Carousel is another star attraction for the park, earning 14 Golden Ticket awards for Best Carousel and earning it entry into the Legends wing of the Golden Ticket Awards.
At one point, Knoebels was even eyeing up the possibility of relocating Elitch Garden’s Mr. Twister wooden coaster to their park. Knoebels learned about the possibility of purchasing the ride and were no strangers to moving a ride across the country after Phoenix. Mr. Twister, however, did not fit the park’s available land and the park ultimately decided to build their own version instead. In-house designer, John Fetterman, adapted the original plans for Mr. Twister, done by the famous John Allen, into the Twister currently found at Knoebels today – complete with its unique, stacked lift hill.
The Future of Wooden Coaster Relocations
With Indiana Beach’s and Fantasy Island’s closing by Apex Parks in early 2020, the sad reality of parks going defunct looms over the industry. Thankfully, Indiana Beach was purchased by Gene Staples soon thereafter and park improvements began immediately. The park was even able to open amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic over the summer. As for Fantasy Island, the future remains uncertain, although plans look to be in place to hopefully have the park renovated and ready to re-open for the 2021 summer season. Had this not been the case for either park, you may have saw parks inquire about purchasing some of those parks’ rides, of which four wooden coasters reside between the two.
With parks like Knoebels constantly keeping an eye on the used ride and coaster market, perhaps they will swoop in and save another beloved coaster in the future. According to Ososkie, Knoebels has garnered a reputation among enthusiasts for “rescuing” rides and giving them new life. Only time will tell.
Author’s Note: Moving forward it is my aim to do follow up profile pieces covering each ride in depth. I will be seeking further input from coaster enthusiasts and parks alike. It is my goal to also do a steel coaster version of this piece as well. Check this back on this blog for future installments.
