Seabreeze Amusement Park
| Previously known as : Sea Breeze Grove (1879-1900) Sea Breeze Park (1901-1938) Dreamland Park (1939-1974) Seabreeze (1975-Present) |
| Irondequoit, New York, U.S. |
| Operating |
| August 5, 1879 |
| Norris family |
| May to September |
| 35 acres (14 ha) |
| 25 |
| 4 |
| www.seabreeze.com |
Seabreeze Amusement Park (Seabreeze) is a historic family amusement park located in Irondequoit, New York, a suburb of Rochester, where Irondequoit Bay meets Lake Ontario. The cool lake breezes and variety of attractions have made Seabreeze a favorite summertime destination for Western New Yorkers since 1879. Today, Seabreeze features a complete amusement park and water park with something for the whole family. According to the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA), Seabreeze is the fourth-oldest operating amusement park in the United States and the thirteenth-oldest operating amusement park in the world.
Rides and Attractions[edit]
Seabreeze features a complete amusement park and water park. The amusement park is home to a variety of roller coasters and rides, food concessions, midway games, an arcade, a museum, live entertainment, and picnic areas. The water park features a variety of waterslides, a lazy river, spraygrounds, a wave pool, sunbathing areas, a bathhouse, a retail location, and food outlets.
Amusement Rides[edit]
Seabreeze features 25 amusement rides with something for everyone, including the famous Jack Rabbit roller coaster.
| Bear Trax | E&F Miller | 1997 | Family Coaster/16ft Outside Spiral CW | A family-sized roller coaster built just for the kids, featuring drops and a helix. |
| Bobsleds | George W. Long | 1962 | Hybrid Roller Coaster | A family-sized roller coaster built with a tubular steel track on a wooden structure, the Bobsleds is a one-of-a-kind attraction that is unique to Seabreeze. The ride has a maximum height of 31 feet and a length of 1,2450 feet. The Bobsleds were built by George W. Long, Jr. in the winter of 1961-1962, after he returned from California where he saw the new Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland. Long set out to build his own version of the attraction, transforming the smaller Junior Coaster (1954-1961) into a taller and wider ride with a new layout. The Bobsleds was the second roller coaster to use a tubular steel track, a standard that is used on most steel-tracked roller coasters today. |
| Jack Rabbit | Harry C. Baker and John A. Miller | 1920 | Wooden Roller Coaster | Built in 1920, the Jack Rabbit is the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in America. Designed by Miller & Baker, the giant wood coaster features a modified out and back layout. The 2,150 feet of track includes a spectacular 75-foot drop, awesome dips, a wild last curve and a fantastic finale through a dark tunnel. |
| Whirlwind | Maurer Söhne | 2004 | Spinning Coaster / SC2000 | Roller coaster with spinning cars that features a 5-story swooping drop, an 85° banked turn, twists, turns, and helices. It originally operated as "Cyber Space" from 2000 to 2003 on the Spanish fair circuit with Family Fraguas before Seabreeze purchased the ride. |
| Barnstormers | Zamperla | 1991 | Barnstormer | An airplane ride in which riders control their height in the air by pulling back or pushing forward on control sticks in the aircraft's cockpit. |
| Bumper Cars | Lusse | 1938 | Bumper Cars | Bumper Cars are located in a building that, between 1915 and 1933, was the loading platform for the Greyhound Roller Coaster. The ride has operated various cars over the years. The current cars were buit by Duce. |
| Carousel | Long family | 1996 | Carousel | A hand-carved wooden carousel designed and built by the fifth generation of the Long Family. Documentary: Circle of Dreams |
| Seabreeze Flyers | Bisch-Rocco | C. 1944 | Flying Scooters | A classic Flying Scooters ride. Built by Bisch Rocco. Installed in 1944 or earlier. |
| Flying Turtles | Traver Engineering & R.E. Chambers | 1930s | A kiddie version of a classic Tumble Bug ride. | |
| Great Balloon Race | Zamperla | 2014 | Samba Tower | A spinning hot air balloon tower ride. |
| Kiddie Boats | Allan Herschell Company | 1949 | Boat Ride | A small boat ride with a lighthouse. |
| Kiddie Swings | Zamperla | 1988 | Swing ride | A kid's version of the popular swing ride. Previously operated at Mountain Park in Massachusetts. |
| Log Flume | O.D. Hopkins | 1984 | Log Flume | Originally called the "Whitewater Log Flume" when it opened in 1984 and was built by O.D. Hopkins. This ride replaced a similar water ride known as "Over The Falls." While that ride was removed to make way for the new attraction, the signature drop was retained and incorporated into the new attraction. |
| Music Express | Bertazzon | 2008 | Music Express | Previously operated at Wild West World in Kansas. |
| Revolution 360 | Zamperla | 2010 | Mega Disk'o | Riders sit on motorcycle-style seats around the perimeter of a giant disk. The disk rotates 360° while gliding back and forth along a parabolic track. |
| Screamin' Eagle | Zamperla | 1998 | Hawk | Riders climb aboard the Screamin' Eagle. Once fastened in, the floor lowers, and the ride begins to swing back and forth before looping around upside down, 70 feet in the air. |
| Sea Dragon | Chance Rides | 1991 | Thrill Ride | A swinging pirate ship. Previously operated at Conneaut Lake Park in Pennsylvania. |
| The Spring | Moser | 2003 | Family Drop Tower | A family-sized drop tower ride. |
| Star Rockets | Allan Herschell Company | 1955 | Rocket-themed kid's ride. | |
| T-Birds | Pretzel Amusement Company | 1958 | Track car ride | Miniature 1955 Ford T-Birds with two steering wheels (for two riders) that travel around an electrified track that controls the cars' movement and steering. |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner. | 1948 | Tilt-A-Whirl | Originally installed in 1948. A new version was installed in the mid-1970's. |
| Time Machine | Technical Park | 2017 | Super Miami | A clock themed ride similar to the Wisdom Genesis. Stands 30 feet tall. |
| Wave Swinger | Bertazzon | 2014 | Swing Carousel | A modern take on a classic swing ride in which the top oscillates as the swings go around in circles. The ride features single and double seats. The ride previously operated at Freestyle Music Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where it operated as Just A Swingin'/The Texas Swing. |
Waterpark Attractions[edit]
The waterpark, originally named Raging Rivers, features a variety of waterslides, splash areas, sunbathing areas.
| Cooldown Cove | 2012 | Splash Area | A kid's play area, located on Paradise Island, in the center of the Lazy River. Originally opened in 1990 as a splash area. Was used solely as a fountain in the middle of the Lazy River for many years. Refurbished and opened as a splash area in 2012. |
| Helix | 2006 | Waterslide | Plunge down the chute into a giant bowl. Built by Proslide Technology (CannonBowl Slide) |
| Hydro Racer | 2012 | Waterslide | A four lane racing waterslide. Riders lay on their stomach, head-first, on foam mats. Race around a 360° tunneled helix before drooping side-by-side into the splashdown area. Built by Proslide Technology (Octopus Racer Slide) |
| Lazy River | 1990 | Lazy River | Sit back and relax as you float along a slow-moving water channel on an inflatable tube. Watch out for waterfalls and other wet surprises along the way |
| Looney Lagoon | 1988 | Splash Area | A water play area featuring a shallow pool, with two kiddie waterslides (Mini River and Mini Twister)and a water mushroom. Originally Named Cascade Activity Pool. |
| Mini River | 1988 | Waterslide (Kiddie) | A kid's waterslide in Looney Lagoon. |
| Mini Twister | 1988 | Waterslide (Kiddie) | A Kid's waterslide in Looney Lagoon |
| Paradise Island | 1990 | Sunbathing Area | Surrounded by the Lazy River, Paradise Island features a grass-covered seating area with lounge chairs and a sprayground for the children. Remodeled in 2012. |
| Pipeline | 2019 | Waterslide (Kiddie) | An enclosed kiddie slide located in Soak Zone. Built by Proslide Technology. |
| Riptide Tube Slide | 1990 | Waterslide | An open-air tube slide filled with twists, turns and dips. Built by Proslide Technology. |
| Soak Zone | 1999 | Splash Area | An interactive water sprayground with something for everyone. Water features include water cannons, geysers, water guns, and a giant dumping bucket. Soak Zone features three different waterslides, two for the kids and one for everyone! Soak Zone was designed in-house. It was remodeled in 2019 to include the new Twister and Pipeline water slides. |
| Twister | 2019 | Waterslide | An intermediate sized body slide located in Soak Zone. Built by Proslide Technology. |
| Vortex Tube Slide | 1992 | Waterslide | Ride a tube down a totally-enclosed slide, around high-speed twists and turns, and splashdown into the pool below. The last third of the Vortex is in darkness! Built by Proslide Technology. |
| Waterslide | 1999 | Waterslide (Kiddie) | A straight, double-lane, kiddie waterslide in Soak Zone. |
| The Wave | 2001 | Wave Pool | A 260,000 gallon wave pool that features waves up to four feet tall. Waves can be generated in five different patterns. |
All of Seabreeze's lifeguards are certified through Ellis and Associates' International Lifeguard Training Program. Each month, lifeguards face "safety audits," conducted by E&A National Staff, to test each guard's "rescue readiness." The park also employs "Timmy," the Vigilance Awareness Training (VAT) doll that simulates a drowning toddler, to test lifeguards' abilities to recognize a drowning victim.
Food & Beverage Stands[edit]
From hamburgers and tacos, to sugar waffles and ice cream cones, Seabreeze has a wide variety of food offerings. Free picnic areas are also available in the Waterpark.
| Seabreeze Grill | Games Midway | Serving hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage, grilled chicken, french fries, onion rings, combo meals, fresh salads and beverages. The Seabreeze Grill is part of the main refreshment stand complex. It is located in a building that was once the trolley station, constructed in 1915. |
| Walkaway Tacos & Subs | Games Midway | Serving walk-away tacos, empanadas, submarine sandwiches, salads and beverages. The Walkaway Taco & Sub shop is part of the main refreshment stand complex. It is located in a building that was once the trolley station, constructed in 1915. |
| Summertime Treats | Games Midway | Serving slush puppies, nachos and cheese, hard ice cream, popcorn, candy, and beverages. Summertime Treats is part of the main refreshment stand complex. It is located in a building that was once the trolley station, constructed in 1915. |
| Chicken & Fries | Center Midway by Log Flume | Serving fresh cut french fries, boneless buffalo wings, chicken fingers, popcorn chicken, lemonade and beverages. Opened in 1991 |
| Pizzeria | North Midway by Arcade | Serving pizza (slices or whole), cheese sticks, chips, cookies, fresh salads, frozen drinks, and beverages. Opened in 1996 |
| Waffle Stand | North Midway by Music Express | Serving famous Seabreeze waffles, fried dough, funnel cake fries, and beverages Remodeled and reconfigured in 2019. |
| Dippin' Dots | North Midway by Music Express | Serving assorted flavors of Dippin' Dots in cups, floats and beverages. |
| Sprinkles | South Midway by Main Gate | Serving soft ice cream, assorted toppings, sundaes, shakes, floats, and beverages. |
| Expressway | South Midway by Gift Shop | Serving mix your own slush puppies, ice cream treats, potato chips, snacks, and beverages. |
| California Grill | Waterpark | Serving hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage, grilled chicken, nachos and cheese, large pretzels, chips, slush puppies and beverages. |
| Dippin' Dots | Waterpark | Serving assorted flavors of Dippin' Dots in cups, floats and beverages. |
Midway Games[edit]
Seabreeze features a variety of midway games and an arcade for your enjoyment.
| Arcade | South Midway | Take some time to play the classic Skeeball, capture a special moment in the photo booth, and win coupons at redemption games. The arcade features a great selection of machines to play, prizes to win and fun to be had. |
| Balloon Darts | Games Midway | A classic dart game. Throw the darts, pop the ballons, and win a prize! |
| Cat Rack | Games Midway | A classic pitching game. Throw the ball, knock down the clowns, and win a prize! |
| Duck Pond | Games Midway | Choose a duck swimming in the river; look at the duck's bottom to claim your prize. |
| Frog Fishin' | South Midway | A fishing game for the whole family. |
| Hot Shot | Games Midway | A basketball game. |
| Knock it Off | Games Midway | A classic pitching game. Knock over the bottles and win a prize. |
| Ring Toss | South Midway | A classic ring toss game. |
| Seabreeze Derby | South Midway | Roll the ball down the lane to advance your horse. First to the finish line wins! |
| Skee Ball | South Midway (in Arcade) | Roll a ball up the ramp and into the targets. Rack up the points and win tickets to redeem at the prize counter. |
| Water Race | Games Midway | Shoot the target with your water gun to advance your position. First to the top wins! |
| Whac-A-Mole | Games Midway | Five holes in the play area top are filled with small, plastic, cartoonish moles, which pop up at random. Points are scored by whacking each mole as it appears. The faster the reaction, the higher the score. |
| Whiffle Wing | Games Midway | Roll your ball onto the playing field. The color that you land on determines your prize category! |
Shows, Retail & Museum[edit]
Visit retail shops, the park museum, and watch the famous acrobats in the Cirque-En-Vol show.
| Cirque-En-Vol | Show | Don’t miss this spectacular show, presented seven days a week on the Center Stage. It features awesome acrobatics that the whole family will enjoy. The first shows of the season begin the third week in June when the park opens daily. Showtimes for the day are posted at the stage. |
| Gift Shop | Retail | Located on the midway by the main gate, there are over 1,000 square feet of retail space in the Gift Shop. This store showcases park souvenirs, summer apparel, unique collectibles, a candy counter, and more. |
| Seabreeze Park Museum | Museum | Take a walk into the past at the country’s fourth-oldest operating amusement park. Throughout the Carousel Museum are photographs, artifacts, a timeline and other memorabilia from over a century’s worth of park history. |
| Seabreeze Surf Co. | Retail | Right in the waterpark, just beyond the lockers is a little bit of California. This gift shop is loaded with items that will make you think about a day at the beach. There are the latest fashions in tees, swimsuits, plus flip-flops, sundries, and more. |
The Jack Rabbit[edit]
The star attraction at Seabreeze is the Jack Rabbit, an "out-and-back" wooden roller coaster built in 1920. It is the fourth oldest operating roller coaster in the world and second oldest in the USA.[1] Currently, is America's oldest continuously operating roller coaster. The Jack Rabbit celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020.
History[edit]
The History of Seabreeze Park: 143 Years of Family Fun[edit]
Seabreeze Amusement Park began its life as Sea Breeze Grove, opening for business on August 5, 1879, when the first train of picnickers arrived at the park on the newly built Rochester & Lake Ontario Railroad. More commonly known as the Bay Railroad, the 6.05-mile-long steam line was built specifically for the purpose of transporting passengers from a depot in Rochester, located at the intersection of Portland Avenue (then North Avenue) and Bay Street. The railroad was an instant success and had more business than it could handle right from the start.
The park at that time did not feature amusement park rides. Instead, it featured beautifully landscaped grounds with paths for strolling, a pavilion that had a refreshment and cigar stand, a dancing platform, and picnic groves. The park was situated on the most picturesque bluff in the area and the masses came to Sea Breeze to enjoy the scenery, cool lake breezes, and entertainment which included concerts and vaudeville acts. A baseball diamond and field, located in the picnic groves, hosted athletic events for local sport teams as well as for picnickers. So popular was Sea Breeze that a local pastor took to the Democrat & Chronicle, lamenting the fact that the Bay Railroad trains were full while the church pews were empty. This was quickly remedied by holding church services in a tent, located on park grounds, so that people could visit Sea Breeze and fulfill their religious obligations as well.
A hotel, whose primary purpose was for entertaining, was built in the park in 1885. Called the Pavilion Hotel, it operated for only three seasons before being lost to fire. Not to be deterred, the Bay Railroad constructed a new hotel in 1888. Also called the Pavilion Hotel, it featured a large dining area with a stage. Vaudeville acts, concerts and special events were often held there.
The earliest amusement rides at Sea Breeze were not located in the park proper, but rather in the amusement resort area that surrounded it. In 1886, Joseph Stahley, a proprietor of one of the nearby hotels, built a roller coaster. Frank Moore operated a track carousel on the lakefront. And people came and went throughout the day, taking the trains or steamboats to and from Sea Breeze.
A tragic train wreck in 1899 left the Rochester & Lake Ontario Railroad in bankruptcy. A new company, the Rochester & Suburban Railway Company, set out to modernize the railroad and park in 1900. They converted the steam railroad into an electric trolley line and upgraded the park facilities. Free acts were performed daily on the lawn, drawing tens of thousands of people to the already popular park. The new company adopted a new business model, allowing concessionaires to set up shop in the park, and in 1901 Sea Breeze Grove was renamed Sea Breeze Park, ushering in a new era of growth.
The first permanent ride, a Figure 8 roller coaster, was added to the park in 1903. Other new attractions that year included a laughing gallery, featuring mirrors that distort your image, and a zoo in the picnic grove. In 1904, George Long, Sr. brought his family's carousel to Sea Breeze. And in 1906, a Circle Swing ride opened by the Pavilion Hotel. The Figure 8 roller coaster was removed at the end of the 1915 season and a new coaster, the Dips, was built. The Dips featured faster speeds and steeper drops.
At the end of the 1919 season, it was announced that the nearby Ontario Beach Park, always the star amusement park of the area, would close its gates forever. During the next decade, significant efforts were undertaken to transform Sea Breeze Park into a spectacular and nationally recognized amusement center. This included the addition of new attractions, renovations to the grounds, and updating park facilities. For 1920, a water ride called the Old Mill opened adjacent to the newly built Jack Rabbit roller coaster. Over the ravine, the largest open-air dancing pavilion in Western New York State, Dreamland, was constructed. And for the young ones, a new miniature railroad. An ornate refreshment pagoda adorned the midway by these newest attraction. The new attractions were well-received and record crowds came to the park. For 1921, a new thriller called the Virginia Reel was built adjacent to the Dips roller coaster at the north end of the park. At the south end of the park, a modern Circle Swing ride called the Airplane Swing opened alongside a state-of-the-art bumper car ride called Dodgem. In 1922 a Whip ride was added along with a fun-house attraction under Dreamland called Hilarity Hall. In 1923, with free acts being as popular as they were, a beautiful new stage was built to accommodate larger acts. By this time the park has been proclaimed "The Park of Rides," as aggressive expansion continued.
On the night of August 26–27, 1923, a fire broke out in the tunnel of the Old Mill and the south end of the park went up in flames. Lost were the Old Mill, Dreamland Dance Hall, Hilarity Hall and portion of the Jack Rabbit roller coaster. The largest crowds of the season came the weekend following the fire as curious excursionists wanted to see the ruins first-hand. By the time they arrived, crews had already gone to work cleaning up the debris and by 1924 the lost portions of the park had been rebuilt. When the park opened for the new season, a new dance hall, Danceland, was built adjacent to Jack Rabbit's second hill. A new entrance to the rebuilt Old Mill was located under the Jack Rabbit lift hill, and the coaster featured a larger and reconfigured station. A Caterpillar ride was also installed.
Perhaps one of the most interesting attractions to be built at Sea Breeze Park was the Natatorium, a giant salt-water swimming pool constructed at the south end of the park. Said to be 99.9% pure, the pool featured water that was heated to 72-degrees, was salted to match the salinity of the water in the Atlantic Ocean, and was purified and filtered using a system of ultra-violet rays and sand filters. The facility featured clean locker rooms with 6,500 free lockers, 800 stainless-steel changing booths, and shower and toilet facilities. At the south end of the complex there was a stage that hosted vaudeville acts and concerts daily. The north end featured a restaurant, lounge, and the sanitation plant which was open for tours. The pool could accommodate 5,000 bathers at a time, with water ranging from one- to five-and-a-half-feet in depth. A deep section in the middle, which was ten feet deep, had spring boards and diving platforms. The facility was run by Charlotte Boyle Clune, 1920 Olympic Swimming champion, whose employment was an attraction in and of itself. She and her staff offered swimming lessons, swimming and diving exhibitions, and ran a top-notch operation well known for its safety. Special attractions in the Natatorium that came and went included sun-tanning lamps, a water wheel, water whip and toboggan ride.
One of the park's most-loved attractions was added in 1926 when the beautiful carousel from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC #26) was moved to the park. This carousel had previously operated at Seneca Park in Rochester where the Long family had a separate operation. They decided to move the Seabreeze carousel to Seneca Park, and to bring this carousel to Seabreeze where the crowds were larger. The carousels were moved piece-by-piece over the winter season using a pickup truck. At the south end of the ride, between Danceland and the Natatorium, a new ride called the Tumble Bug was installed. And in the center of the park, filling the giant ravine over which the Dreamland Dance Hall once stood, a new roller coaster called the Wild Cat was installed. The Wild Cat featured a tunneled run from the midway down to the bottom of the ravine, a curved drop off of the lift hill, and several large hills. A virtual recreation of the Wild Cat can be fond in this YouTube video. For the park's younger guests, a new kid's area called Kiddie Park was added. Located adjacent to the Dips (Greyhound) roller coaster, Kiddie Park featured three kiddie rides, various games, and a large sand pile. It is said that a small kid's roller coaster operated in this area, too, but nothing is known about it. By this time, the automobile was gaining popularity, and more and more people wanted to come to the park in their own car. The park saw the need for additional parking and expanded the parking area to accommodate nearly 3000 vehicles!
The 1927 season featured a newly-rebuilt and enlarged stage on the green. This addition continues to highlight the importance of free acts and concerts at the park. The stage included a proscenium arch and an orchestra point. It was here that vaudeville and music acts were performed daily, each afternoon and evening. Often these same acts would be performed on the Natatorium stage to entertain bathers. Acts changed each week and every effort was made to bring quality first-run acts to the park.
Two new rides this year brought the total number to fourteen. Sea Breeze Park was by now well regarded as “the park of rides’ and as “Rochester’s million dollar playground.” Visitors to Sea Breeze this season enjoyed the Custer Cars, a miniature automobile ride that allowed everyone to take control of their own car. Thrill seekers enjoyed the Hey-Dey, a circular ride with whip-like cars that would spin as they traveled around an undulating track. The Custer Cars were located in front of the carousel and the Hey-Dey just to the north.
1929 saw a new Penny Arcade and several new rides added to the park. The Dodgem, which had been located by the Jack Rabbit since 1921, was moved to the north end of the park. A dark ride known as Giggles was installed in its place. Giggles featured cars that traveled through darkness with flashing lights and loud sounds designed to startle even the bravest of riders. On the midway by the Wild Cat, the Lindy Loop found a home. The Lindy Loop featured rocking cars that traveled around an undulating track. Down in Karnival Kourt, the Honeymoon Trail, a popular dark ride, opened to the public.
In addition to new rides, 1929 marked the start of animal exhibits at Sea Breeze Park. During the Shriner’s Carnival, which was held annually at the park, Azwas, an enormous red-haired ape, was put on display. Regrettably, Azwas was not fed a proper diet and his health quickly deteriorated, dying within a couple of weeks. The park purchased the taxidermied body from the ape’s owner and put it on display in the park’s natural history museum which featured the bodies of marine animals from around the world. Despite the many displays, it was said that Azwas was the star of the show.
As the decade closed, Sea Breeze Park had grown from a park with a few amusement rides into a full-blown amusement park filled with some of the finest rides and attractions in the business. The era of rapid growth and expansion would soon end, however, as the Great Depression loomed on the horizon.
To be continued...
Former Rides and Attractions[edit]
- WipeOut! : twin racing tubular waterslides. Removed in 2005 and replaced by Helix
- Radical Run : body slide that was part of the Bermuda Triangle
- Gyrosphere : An indoor scrambler ride with laser effects and music. Removed in 2007 and replaced by Music Express. Manufactured by Eli Bridge Company (Scrambler model).
- Banzai Pipeline : A 5-story drop body waterslide. Removed in 2011 and replaced by Hydro Racer. Manufactured by ProSlide (SpeedSlide model).
- Zoom Flume : body slide that was part of the Bermuda Triangle
- Bermuda Triangle : A collection of three similar body slides that twisted around each other; two regular body slides (Zoom Flume and Radical Run) and the Banzai Pipeline. Removed in 2011 and replaced by Hydro Racer.
- Yo-Yo : A swing ride that simply raised the chairs and spun in circles. Removed in 2013 and replaced by Wave Swinger. Manufactured by Chance Rides (Yoyo model).
- Crazy Cups : An old fashioned version the Tea Cups ride. Removed in 2011 and replaced by Twirl'in Tea Cups.
- Flying Scooters : A predecessor to the current Seabreeze Flyers. The design and location of the ride were almost exactly the same.
- Quantum Loop : A steel looping roller coaster manufactured by Soquet. Opened in 1994 after the fire at the park's north end destroyed many of the park's other rides. The ride consisted of an almost six story climb, then dropped down to rush through two consecutive vertical loops and then went through a few turns before hitting the final brake run. The ride had yellow painted track and white painted supports. The ride was removed in 2003 to be replaced by Whirlwind. After removal, Seabreeze sold the ride to Salitre Magico in Colombia where it still operates as Double Loop.
- Greyhound : A wooden side-friction design wooden roller coaster. Opened in 1916 as "Dips", but renamed for no known reason in 1926 to Greyhound. The ride consisted of several drops that were about a few feet tall and some flat turns (think of it as a really old version of the currently operating Bobsleds). The old loading station for Greyhound is still on site, but reused as the building for the Bumper Cars.
- Figure Eight : This was Seabreeze Amusement Park's first roller coaster. Opening in 1903, this roller coaster was designed by Fredrick Ingersoll at a cost of $20,000. The ride featured individual cars with upholstered leather seats, finished in cream and maroon colors. The ride was located just to the south of where the Jack Rabbit's station is today. The coaster was of a side-friction design. It closed at the end of the 1915 season and was removed in the winter of 1915–1916.
- Wild Cat : A wooden roller coaster designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. The Wild Cat was located in the large ravine that bisects the park, where the Log Flume is located today. Wild Cat operated from 1926 to 1935. Some claim that the ride was destroyed by fire in 1935, but no evidence to support this claim has been found.
- Bunny Rabbit : A steel kiddie roller coaster manufactured by Allen Herschell Company. Operated from 1985 to 1996 and replaced by Bear Trax.
- Round up : A ride that consisted of a circular rotating platform that kept riders stuck to the wall using g-forces while the platform raised to a more vertical position.
- Paratrooper : A circular ride with swinging gondolas connected along a frame. When the ride starts, the frame spins at about a 45 degree angle, sending the gondolas for a fling.
- Ghost Train : Another one of the rides burnt beyond repair in the 1994 fire. The ride consisted of powered carts that moved past low light spooky scenes inside a small show building. The ride was re-themed to the Enchanter in the 1970s.
References[edit]
- ^ "National Amusement Park Historic Association, World's Oldest Operating Roller Coasters". Retrieved 2008-06-21.
External links[edit]
- Official Seabreeze website
- NAPHA FAQ listing historical parks and rides
- Seabreeze Amusement Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase