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Mountain Park Memories
Part 1
as told by Bret Malone


Classic Views of the Sadly missed Mountain Flyer  Roller Coaster. At only 65 feet high, it nerveless gave one wicked ride over its 3 camel back humps.  To this day the Tunnel of Laffs Editor still has a huge piece of  the ride in his parents basement.



I'm not too sure why I ventured into Mountain Park  on one fine Hot Summer Day circa 1984, but whatever the reason, this was "The" Park that started my Love Affair with Dark Rides. Maybe it was the sinister facade of the "Dinosaur Den " or the funny looking Pirates on the "Pirates Den" front, whatever the reason, it was here and nowhere else that started a hobby that now has lasted 18 plus years. Mountain was MY park, period. I had free run there as Walter, the parks General Manager took a strong liking to this skinny little Teenager who asked way too many questions about the parks Dark Rides, so much in fact that I was bum-rushed out of the office door and into Roger Fortin's hands to appease all my curiosity. To a 17 year old, the words such as "Pretzel" and "Hot Rail" and "Air-operated prop" were sheer magic, and the beginning of learning the Holy Grail of Knowledge, the so called: "Keys to the Kingdom".  I would go onto bother Roger and Walter so much that I began to have free run of the park, fist full of  free ride tickets,  access to areas the general public would never get to see,  in a nutshell, superstar treatment for this young man who would get so much pleasure out of something he was only starting to understand, but would crave more knowledge of.


The PTC Carousel, a rare machine indeed, was spared being broken up and sold off piecemeal due to the warm heart of park Owner Jay Collins. Dedicated local enthusiasts raised the cash necessary to both purchase and save the ride to be a local part of  the community and history  for  both present and future generations to enjoy.

 

To understand Mountain Park, was to understand that the park was timeless. If you ventured on in, the year may well have been sometime on the 1960's. The park hadn't though aged at all. Flowers adorned the tree-lined and shady midway, rides were only a buck, games could be played at 25 cents a pop, all the buildings were painted in loud and bold colors,  Comical Figures were every where, all with the Flyer Coaster and the Hillside serving as a wonderful and imaginative backdrop  for the midway. This wasn't the only reasons why I loved this Traditional Gem of a park, oh no!  The people who worked there were top-notch! Not only did they enjoy their jobs, but they took a real interest in the park and, key words, the patrons who went there.  Besides  being "King" of the park, I met a great many wonderful folks who added to the "Mystic" that is know looked back at as a rarity in the amusement industry. Read on my friend to learn much, much more of a forgotten Gem of a park!


 

 

Ride Tickets

and here is
the ad that broke
the Editors heart in 1987
.

 


Continue with Mountain Park Memories
Part 2

EDITORS NOTES: Mountain Park Memories 1 & 2 -- About the Author

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