Roller Coasters and Amusement Parks Fun - Reading, That Is!

I used to enjoy roller coasters and amusement parks, but these days I'd much rather read about them.

Here's a link to Arcadia Publishing's list of books about U.S. amusement parks history, illustrated with lots of wonderful vintage photos and postcards. Use their search function to find your local favorites.

Arcadia's website is now using Google's "search inside the book" function -- so you can get a great preview before you buy.

Here's the cover of their Orange County, CA book - Early Amusement Parks of Orange County - what a great carousel photo. Followed with a pic of the Balboa Fun Zone - a place that holds special memories for me. My better half used to sell frozen bananas there!




And they have one book all about vintage roller coasters -- The Golden Age of Roller Coasters with the best old photos! Here's a tiny taste -- there are dozens more amazing photos:



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Here's a reader's comment from July 2009:

MrCachet said... "My very first amusement park was Columbia Gardens, erected and maintained by the Anaconda Copper Company in Butte, Montana - until they needed to dig more copper out of the hole in the ground that used to be a mountain. All that's left of it now are photographs."

So I thought I'd add a photo and some info about the amusement park of Dave's childhood, from the Roller Coasters of the Pacific Northwest / Defunct Roller Coasters page.



They write:

"... Columbia Gardens Roller Coaster was built in 1906 as a three level, side friction Figure 8 coaster then was reduced in size to two levels in 1918. Around 1928, the Anaconda Company, who then owned the park, completely refurbished the ride. It was rebuilt into an out and back style coaster. The cars, known as velvet chariots, didn't ride on rails but rode on hard maple runners and would bump-steer the ride's corners as they went around. Many locals who rode Roller Coaster thought it was terrifying, violent, and fun. ..."

There's more info and pix on their nostalgic site.

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Ms. Dow Antiques Blog 'Tique Talk is published by msdowantiques.com