The "Pirates Den". This was the last dark ride built at the park. The cars
were stock Pretzel purchased new. Dominic and Roger came up with a blueprint
of the track. Pretzel then took the blueprint and custom-built the track in
sections, which were then shipped to the park ready for assembly. To make sure
the floor wouldn't rot this time, Fortin made a new floor of poured concrete.
Then he found out that Pretzel insisted that their cars run only on a wooden
floor. So Roger fabricated a separate running track out of wood and affixed it
to the concrete. The spectacular ballyhoo for this attraction was a huge pirate
ship that spanned the entire length of the building.
It was positioned above the
loading station. It sported a massive pirate's head and many other figures.
To make
sure kids wouldn't get out of the cars and run around inside the
ride while the cars were moving, the front of the building sported three large
windows that were opened during the operation of the ride.
Thus, the ride
operator could see into the ride at all times.
That deterred any
hanky-panky the kid's might consider. One obvious result of this was that during
the day, it was no longer a "dark ride", light flooded the interior. But at
night, the black lights made the interior look spectacular and surreal.
The
layout was simple: the cars would leave the station and turn 90 degrees to
the right.
It would knock open two big wooden doors and enter a long dark corridor
that ran along the left side of the building. Upon reaching the back of the
building (Where there was an emergency exit door) the car would turn 180 to the
right and head back toward the front of the building, passing by a big painted
scene on the right.
The car
would then turn left and begin a zigzagging trip past the big windows.
There was
a scene of pirates digging up a treasure chest to the left.
When the
car got to the right side of the building, it swung around sharply to the left
and headed back in the opposite direction, behind the diorama of the pirates
digging up the treasure.
There
was a painting of a pirate next to a skeleton, and to the right, on the back
wall of the building, was an enormous painting of pirates on an island. The car
then turned 180 degrees past a stunt of a pirate bobbing up and down, and
then veered slightly to the right.
The black wall in
front of the car would light up and behind a Plexiglas window an enormous
brown balloon would inflate , rising up from the floor. It had two eyes and
sharp
teeth and vaguely resembled a gorilla. It never failed to elicit shrieks of
surprise and laughter. The car would then turn left sharply toward the back of
the building. If you looked closely at that point you could see the one
remaining vestige of the old "Fun House": Fortin's second tilt- room.
It
remained there intact behind metal screening. The car then swung around 180
degrees to the right. And to the right was the final stunt: a devil that would
bob up and down. The car would then turn right and slam through the big wooden
doors to the exit. The "Pirate's Den" remained essentially
unchanged over the years. The paintings had a curious unfinished quality
to them, as if Spadola didn't quite have enough time. But the ride served its
function as a pleasant family diversion. After the park closed, the ride
(Including the ballyhoo) was sold to Pirate's Fun Park in Salisbury,
Massachusetts. The remaining structure at Mountain Park burned down to the
ground in 1994 along with the Dinosaur Den. The only thing that
remained recognizable was Fortin's second tilt- room.
The Pirates Den was sold and sent back to its
original home
in Salisbury Mass to "Pirate's Fun Park",
where the cars still enjoy a new lease on life.
Shown here is the facade removed,
Fall 1988.
The "Pirates Den". This was the last dark ride built at the park. The cars
were stock Pretzel purchased new. Dominic and Roger came up with a blueprint
of the track. Pretzel then took the blueprint and custom-built the track in
sections, which were then shipped to the park ready for assembly. To make sure
the floor wouldn't rot this time, Fortin made a new floor of poured concrete.
Then he found out that Pretzel insisted that their cars run only on a wooden
floor. So Roger fabricated a separate running track out of wood and affixed it
to the concrete. The spectacular ballyhoo for this attraction was a huge pirate
ship that spanned the entire length of the building. 
It was positioned above the
loading station. It sported a massive pirate's head and many other figures.
To make
sure kids wouldn't get out of the cars and run around inside the
ride while the cars were moving, the front of the building sported three large
windows that were opened during the operation of the ride.
Thus, the ride
operator could see into the ride at all times. 
That deterred any
hanky-panky the kid's might consider. One obvious result of this was that during
the day, it was no longer a "dark ride", light flooded the interior. But at
night, the black lights made the interior look spectacular and surreal.
The
layout was simple: the cars would leave the station and turn 90 degrees to
the right. 
It would knock open two big wooden doors and enter a long dark corridor
that ran along the left side of the building. Upon reaching the back of the
building (Where there was an emergency exit door) the car would turn 180 to the
right and head back toward the front of the building, passing by a big painted
scene on the right.
The car
would then turn left and begin a zigzagging trip past the big windows. 
There was
a scene of pirates digging up a treasure chest to the left.
When the
car got to the right side of the building, it swung around sharply to the left
and headed back in the opposite direction, behind the diorama of the pirates
digging up the treasure.
There
was a painting 
of a pirate next to a skeleton, and to the right, on the back
wall of the building, was an enormous painting of pirates on an island. The car
then turned 180 degrees past a stunt of a pirate bobbing up and down, and
then veered slightly to the right.
The black wall in
front of the car would light up and behind a Plexiglas window an enormous
brown balloon would inflate , rising up from the floor. It had two eyes and
sharp
teeth and vaguely resembled a gorilla. It never failed to elicit shrieks of
surprise and laughter. The car would then turn left sharply toward the back of
the building. If you looked closely at that point you could see the one
remaining vestige of the old "Fun House": Fortin's second tilt- room. 
It
remained there intact behind metal screening. The car then swung around 180
degrees to the right. And to the right was the final stunt: a devil that would
bob up and down. The car would then turn right and slam through the big wooden
doors to the exit. The "Pirate's Den" remained essentially
unchanged over the years. The paintings had a curious unfinished quality
to them, as if Spadola didn't quite have enough time. But the ride served its
function as a pleasant family diversion. After the park closed, the ride
(Including the ballyhoo) was sold to Pirate's Fun Park in Salisbury,
Massachusetts. The remaining structure at Mountain Park burned down to the
ground in 1994 along with the Dinosaur Den. The only thing that
remained recognizable was Fortin's second tilt- room.
