By the end of the 19th century, New Jersey coastline was dotted with thriving amusement parks but are just fond and fading memories today. The Jersey Shore has always attracted people seeking relief from summer heat and humidity. Long before Europeans came here, the native Lenape clammed, fished, and played games on the beach and in the surf. These original people could scarcely have imagined that, by the end of the 19th century, the 120-mile-long coastline would be filled with amusement parks featuring gentle kiddie car rides, terrifying roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, and fast-food emporiums. James Bradley in Asbury Park and William Sandlass Jr. in Highland Beach created mass entertainment for hundreds of thousands of people. Their seaside recreation centers, along with those in Long Branch, Bradley Beach, Pleasure Bay, and others, endured for years. Sadly, they are now just distant and vanishing memories that are resurrected in this piece.

Discusses roller coasters, their origins, history, and revival in popularity through theme parks, with a section listing ones located in Illinois. Includes writing and math activities about roller coasters.

"Citizen Kane does Adventureland." —The Washington Post The outlandish, hilarious, terrifying, and almost impossible-to-believe story of the legendary, dangerous amusement park where millions were entertained and almost as many bruises were sustained, told through the eyes of the founder's son. Often called "Accident Park," "Class Action Park," or "Traction Park," Action Park was an American icon. Entertaining more than a million people a year in the 1980s, the New Jersey-based amusement playland placed no limits on danger or fun, a monument to the anything-goes spirit of the era that left guests in control of their own adventures--sometimes with tragic results. Though it closed its doors in 1996 after nearly twenty years, it has remained a subject of constant fascination ever since, an establishment completely anathema to our modern culture of rules and safety. Action Park is the first-ever unvarnished look at the history of this DIY Disneyland, as seen through the eyes of Andy Mulvihill, the son of the park's idiosyncratic founder, Gene Mulvihill. From his early days testing precarious rides to working his way up to chief lifeguard of the infamous Wave Pool to later helping run the whole park, Andy's story is equal parts hilarious and moving, chronicling the life and death of a uniquely American attraction, a wet and wild 1980s adolescence, and a son's struggle to understand his father's quixotic quest to become the Walt Disney of New Jersey. Packing in all of the excitement of a day at Action Park, this is destined to be one of the most unforgettable memoirs of the year.

Describes different types of roller coasters, their history, and their construction.

With its two hundred pages and a foreword by the legendary Cousin Bruce Morrow, this oversized coffee table book captures every fond memory of the famous New Jersey fun spot: the vinegar-soaked french fries, the Tunnel of Love, the world's largest outdoor salt water pool, and so much more. This newly revised edition includes an all new Photo Scrapbook with over 100 new photographs. In the foreword of the book, Cousin Brucie recalls, "Palisades was an integral part of our lives. Anybody who has played, visited, or been touched by this magical kingdom retains the glow from a very special relationship." For those who ever visited Palisades Amusement Park, this book is sure to bring back those cherished remembrances. And for those never lucky enough to have entered its colorful gates, Palisades Amusement Park: A Century of Fond Memories will recreate the thrills, laughter and joy that was Palisades.

Six Flags Great Adventure has been the premier destination for family fun in the Northeast for over 40 years. Created by Hollywood scion Warner LeRoy, the park's mission from the very start was to be the biggest and best theme park with record-breaking thrills, spectacular shows, and unique experiences that could only be found at Great Adventure. As a part of the Six Flags family of theme parks, Great Adventure combines the world's largest safari park outside of Africa, a world-class theme park, and one of the biggest and best water parks in the United States to create an experience like no other.