One of the best things about the amusement park hobby is finding so many hidden gems that are located well off the beaten path. Located about 2 hours northeast of the state capital of Des Moines, Iowa’s newest theme park,...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase
Small Park Showcase: Kemah Boardwalk
During a recent trip to Houston for work, I had some extra time to check out a few “new-to-me” parks in the Lone Star State. While they say “Everything’s Bigger in Texas,” after visiting the compact Galveston Island Historic Pleasure...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Galveston Historic Pleasure Pier
The classic seaside amusement park is becoming more and more of a rarity in the United States, so when you have the opportunity to visit, you absolutely should. On this edition of our Small Park Showcase series, we’re headed to...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Long Island’s Adventureland
One of the best aspects of being a coaster enthusiast is finding parks that you wouldn’t have known about otherwise. During a recent visit to Long Island, New York, I happened to visit one of these parks for the first...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: The Funplex Myrtle Beach, The Grand Strand’s Newest Attraction
Myrtle Beach and the surrounding area have had their fair share of amusement parks and tourist attractions that have come and gone over the years. However, the area’s newest attraction, The Funplex, fits thrills into an insanely small footprint by...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Waldameer
With a free day in Western Pennsylvania earlier this month, I decided to tackle two “new-to-me” (but far from “new”) parks before visiting Kennywood for Steel Curtain Media Day. Following a brief stop at Conneaut Lake Park, I drove just...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Conneaut Lake Park
When visiting the Pittsburgh area earlier this month, I had a largely free day before heading to Kennywood for Steel Curtain’s Media Day. Having never spent much time in that area of the country, I obviously wanted to see the...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Indiana Beach
During our recent adventure to the Chicago area for a trip to Six Flags Great America, several members of the Coaster101 team had the opportunity to visit Indiana Beach, located about 2 hours south of Chicago, in Monticello, IN. The...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Frontier City
In some states, it feels like you can’t drive more than an hour or two without the chance to ride a roller coaster. But, what if your state only has a single amusement park? This is the case in Oklahoma,...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Oaks Park – Home of the new Adrenaline Peak Coaster
Oaks Park is a small amusement park located outside of downtown Portland, Oregon. This relatively unheard of park was put on coaster enthusiast’s radars with the announcement of the Adrenaline Peak Euro-fighter coaster that opened on March 24, 2018. We...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Beech Bend Amusement Park
Sitting on 378 acres of land just outside Bowling Green, Kentucky, Beech Bend has been entertaining guests since the late 1800s. The area is named for a bend in the Barren River populated heavily by Beech Trees. It currently houses a drag...
Continue reading...Small Park Showcase: Belmont Park
While visiting my college roommate in San Diego this week, I had the opportunity to visit Belmont Park. The park, which began operating in 1925, sits on just seven acres adjacent to San Diego’s Mission Beach. Given its small size,...
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