Knoebels Roto-Jet

 Knoebels' Roto-Jet ride is a truly unique flat ride that has a ton of classic charm. I for one can't think of any rides like it that exist anywhere else in the country. The lights on the individual cars rock!

 Even cooler is the fact that this ride came from the famous theme park flop, Freedomland U.S.A. At least some elements of the park have went on thrilling people! Riders can control the height of their own car... but you all know that.

The whold thing is very reminiscent of the old Disneyland Astro Jets; the lighted center column is especially cool. 

Knoebels Neon

Unlike so many major parks, Knoebels understands their history and does a lot to preserve it. Heck, there are museums in the park itself (where there could be gift shop space)! One of the nicest things the park has is a small collection of old-school neon signs. Being a rural Pennsylvania park, none are too flashy, but they're all charming in their own way nonetheless.

 This sign, which serves as the park's "marquee", was probably at one point the entrance, but with expansion, over time it's wound up near the center of the park's land!

 At night it really comes alive. The family's (that still owns the park today) last name is Knoebel - over time, the apostrophe in the name has disappeared.

Facing each other are two similar-looking stands... Casa de Refrescos...

... and Kandy Korners.

 Nearby is the Patio Grill, serving up the three essential food groups of fun.

I have some more Knoebels neon pictures, so those might come at another time.

Unique Knoebels Flat Rides

The amusement park I visited yesterday was Knoebels, a top-notch park with some equally as good rides! I'll likely be taking a closer look at some of these in the future, but here's a small sampling of some of the fun flat rides in the park.                       

The Looper is a different kind of ride that's the last of its kind. Knoebels brought it back from the grave about 15 years ago; it really goes to show the park's commitment to preservation. Sometimes called the "Hamster Cages," riders use personal effort along with a foot pedal to control their "wheel," so they can flip as many or as few times as desired. Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSbMoq6ReEI

The Roto Jet is a ride where you can control your own height. It's much more forceful than your typical Dumbo-style ride!

 One of the park's true highlights is one of the last sets of genuine Lusse Skooter Bumper Cars. Named the "best bumper cars in America," these things really slam!

 I'd been on several Flying Scooter rides before, but I was not expecting the intensity of these things. You barely move the rudder of your car, and it starts flying all over the place! By far the most extreme "snapping" I've ever experienced.

Knoebels' whip is on the small side, but the building is a nice thing that Kennywood's ride of the same name hasn't had since 2002.

Kennywood Auto Race Neon

Kennywood's Auto Race is a classic ride that's the last of its kind in the world. One of the coolest parts of this classic is its astounding neon sign on the facade!

 Here's a picture: the wheels each have two circles that quickly flash on and off, creating some animation.

I'm very thankful that we still have this part of the ride around, but there did use to be more neon surrounding the squares on the front. I'm not sure why that's gone, but it was probably for maintenance reasons.

Other neon-y posts! Jack Rabbit and Turtle

I'm at an amusement park, so sorry if I can't respond to someone's comment instantly.

More Tuscora Park

 Let's take a walk into Tuscora Park and check out some of the things I didn't cover in my first post on the place!

This kiddie coaster is the only roller coaster at the park. Since I'm under 18, I was able to take a ride. Extremely thrilling, to say the least.

You can see some of those jarring 80-feet vertical drops in the background of this shot.

 There's also a miniature train. It makes two loops around the park's mini-golf course and has a distinctive diesel-sounding horn.

In addition, Tuscora has some old-looking kiddie rides as well as this classic Ferris Wheel from 1943. I'd never seen anything quite like it before! It's "cable-driven" - the cables exit the wheel for a bit, wind around the motor, and then reconnect to the structure.

Kennywood's Lost Jack Rabbit Neon

This picture, taken late in the season, shows the problems some of the neon has been experiencing.

Classic neon lighting adds invaluable old-school charm to any amusement park, but many of these cool old details have been lost over time. This year, Kennywood removed the aging neon stars and outline lighting on the station of their 1920 Jack Rabbit roller coaster. This neon likely dated to the 1950s.

All is not lost, as the stars have been replaced with similar LED versions, but it's a shame the park didn't see value in keeping this around.  One cool thing about the new lights is that their colors can be changed based on special events the park is having. (Christmas, etc.)

There's still some other nice neon at Kennywood, though: right across the way is the astounding Midway refreshment stand with wonderful lighting, and the red rabbit on the coaster's facade is still genuine neon. But it's a shame that we'll never be able to truly take in this vista again:

Tuscora Park

A couple of weeks ago, my family was looking for something to do, so we took the drive out to New Philadelphia, Ohio to enjoy some time at a small amusement park, Tuscora Park. It's been open since 1907, and although it's not a lot more than a collection of family rides, this park was nonetheless an enjoyable place. And unlike a lot of amusement parks, there's other "park" amenities, too - a swimming pool and playgrounds, for example.

Tuscora was a trolley park way back when, and it's not difficult to imagine people clambering down these old stone steps, ready for a day of fun.

By far the highlight of the park is this classic carousel; I wasn't expecting it to be as nice as it was! Made by Herschell-Spillman, it was built in 1928 and came to Tuscora Park in 1942.

Here's a closer view of this awesome three-row machine. The horses are all in immaculate condition. But wait... what's that in the center?

Yes folks, it's nothing else but a mint-condition Wurlitzer 153 band organ! This organ was even completely restored this year. It's always fun to stumble upon such a nice machine like this!

I still have some other Tuscora pictures that I'll be sharing eventually.