Oct. 21, 2010
Camden Park Spooktacular
Story By Sandee Lloyd
Photos By Sandee and Stephanie Lloyd
Trick or Treat may be a week away, but you can treat your whole family to a fun-filled evening at Camden Park's Spooktacular. The Halloween event has scary elements, but there is still plenty to do for everyone.
The park is decorated with Halloween inflatables, Jack O'Lanterns, lighted
skulls, and all sorts of surprises. The carousel has large ghosts hanging all
around. A pair of pirates is engaged in a sword fight while other pirates go
about their nefarious business on top of the ice cream building. Looking
hungrily over the edge of the building is a sinister mermaid who clearly has
mayhem on her mind.
The recently redone Haunted House is a must-see no matter what your age. Retrofitted to its original 1961 Bill Tracy designed Dark House style by Connecticut artist Chuck Burnham and local artist Chuck Wheeler, the Haunted House is a wonderful ride back to the past with surprising twists and turns and spooky things appearing out of nowhere. The line is usually long, but moves fast and is well worth the wait. You'll probably want to ride it more than once.
All the rides in the main part of the park are operating and even the longer lines move quickly. One of the most popular rides is the Big Dipper wooden roller coaster which is listed as a Classic Coaster by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. A wooden coaster has to meet and maintain certain criteria to be awarded Classic Coaster status and is ridden by ACE members whenever they are in the area.
Other classic rides at Camden Park are the Scrambler, Whip, Dodgem Cars, Skyliner sky ride, Ferris Wheel, and the Flying Scooters. Newer, but no less classic rides include the Paratrooper, Spider, Bull's Eye, and Hot Cat (which is an updated version of the Caterpillar of old).
A couple of the Skyliner's seats were occupied by witches out for a good time.
Follow the walkway past the Big Dipper and the rides leading to the Hot Cat and you will see the "Labyrinth de Mort" building with a lighted red sign saying "Beware" with smoke rolling past the entrance. This is the haunted walk-through maze. You might want to check it out before you let children go through, but most children can handle it. Once inside you are bombarded with loud noises and strobe lights and quickly become disoriented. There are all sorts of scary scenes throughout and a couple of scarier monsters to help you find your way out-or not.
The haunted train is also a must-ride. The train takes you through an area full of scary sights and sounds, but the highlight is the zombie graveyard. Look closely and you'll see more activity than you ever wanted to see. Beware of chainsaw wielding monsters too! While waiting for the train, note the scary lady in the cage. Be sure to walk close to her and she'll give you a surprise.
The Kiddie Land area of Camden Park is filled with more classic rides; most of them were there when I was a child. Some have been updated, for example the classic cars are now dune buggies, but the ride is still basically the same as I remember. The handcars are still there, and one little guy was being helped along by an attendant, which is what always happened to me. I would get stuck and have to wait for someone to come up behind me and push or for an attendant to help me get rolling again. Boats, a Kiddie Whip, Umbrella Ride, Pony Carts and the wonderful rocket ride are still being enjoyed by a new generation of children. The carousel is one of the oldest in the country and is always a popular ride with its brightly painted horses and delightful calliope music. There was even a man making balloon animals for the kids next to the carousel.
One of the scariest things in the park for the children is right in the middle of Kiddie Land. There is a giant dragon that periodically lights up, roars, and breathes smoke. The little kids were afraid to go near it, which caused a bit of a problem since it is right in the middle of the handcar track.
Of course there were plenty of concession stands and games open for everyone to enjoy, and the miniature golf course is available for those who have had enough of the spooky business.
Owned by the Boylin family, Camden Park is the only amusement park in West Virginia and the family is to be commended for withstanding the competition from the theme parks. There is a completely different feel to a park like Camden Park. It evokes a simpler time and feels more real and personal than the bigger impersonal and plastic feeling theme parks.
Office Manager Carol Hooser told me that she loves working with all the people and that it is wonderful to have a job where you can look out and see people smiling and enjoying themselves. She looks forward to going to work every day.
Camden Park will be open the next two Fridays and Saturdays from 6:00 to 11:00 pm. Admission is $13.99 on Friday and $18.99 on Saturday plus $3.00 for parking and you can visit the website at www.camdenpark.com to print coupons for $5.00 off the admission price.
Pictures show scenes from Spooktacular including some of the scary scenes in the maze and haunted house. These pictures and more can be seen at http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com.
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Story By Sandee Lloyd
Photos By Sandee and Stephanie Lloyd
Trick or Treat may be a week away, but you can treat your whole family to a fun-filled evening at Camden Park's Spooktacular. The Halloween event has scary elements, but there is still plenty to do for everyone.
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The recently redone Haunted House is a must-see no matter what your age. Retrofitted to its original 1961 Bill Tracy designed Dark House style by Connecticut artist Chuck Burnham and local artist Chuck Wheeler, the Haunted House is a wonderful ride back to the past with surprising twists and turns and spooky things appearing out of nowhere. The line is usually long, but moves fast and is well worth the wait. You'll probably want to ride it more than once.
All the rides in the main part of the park are operating and even the longer lines move quickly. One of the most popular rides is the Big Dipper wooden roller coaster which is listed as a Classic Coaster by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. A wooden coaster has to meet and maintain certain criteria to be awarded Classic Coaster status and is ridden by ACE members whenever they are in the area.
Other classic rides at Camden Park are the Scrambler, Whip, Dodgem Cars, Skyliner sky ride, Ferris Wheel, and the Flying Scooters. Newer, but no less classic rides include the Paratrooper, Spider, Bull's Eye, and Hot Cat (which is an updated version of the Caterpillar of old).
A couple of the Skyliner's seats were occupied by witches out for a good time.
Follow the walkway past the Big Dipper and the rides leading to the Hot Cat and you will see the "Labyrinth de Mort" building with a lighted red sign saying "Beware" with smoke rolling past the entrance. This is the haunted walk-through maze. You might want to check it out before you let children go through, but most children can handle it. Once inside you are bombarded with loud noises and strobe lights and quickly become disoriented. There are all sorts of scary scenes throughout and a couple of scarier monsters to help you find your way out-or not.
The haunted train is also a must-ride. The train takes you through an area full of scary sights and sounds, but the highlight is the zombie graveyard. Look closely and you'll see more activity than you ever wanted to see. Beware of chainsaw wielding monsters too! While waiting for the train, note the scary lady in the cage. Be sure to walk close to her and she'll give you a surprise.
The Kiddie Land area of Camden Park is filled with more classic rides; most of them were there when I was a child. Some have been updated, for example the classic cars are now dune buggies, but the ride is still basically the same as I remember. The handcars are still there, and one little guy was being helped along by an attendant, which is what always happened to me. I would get stuck and have to wait for someone to come up behind me and push or for an attendant to help me get rolling again. Boats, a Kiddie Whip, Umbrella Ride, Pony Carts and the wonderful rocket ride are still being enjoyed by a new generation of children. The carousel is one of the oldest in the country and is always a popular ride with its brightly painted horses and delightful calliope music. There was even a man making balloon animals for the kids next to the carousel.
One of the scariest things in the park for the children is right in the middle of Kiddie Land. There is a giant dragon that periodically lights up, roars, and breathes smoke. The little kids were afraid to go near it, which caused a bit of a problem since it is right in the middle of the handcar track.
Of course there were plenty of concession stands and games open for everyone to enjoy, and the miniature golf course is available for those who have had enough of the spooky business.
Owned by the Boylin family, Camden Park is the only amusement park in West Virginia and the family is to be commended for withstanding the competition from the theme parks. There is a completely different feel to a park like Camden Park. It evokes a simpler time and feels more real and personal than the bigger impersonal and plastic feeling theme parks.
Office Manager Carol Hooser told me that she loves working with all the people and that it is wonderful to have a job where you can look out and see people smiling and enjoying themselves. She looks forward to going to work every day.
Camden Park will be open the next two Fridays and Saturdays from 6:00 to 11:00 pm. Admission is $13.99 on Friday and $18.99 on Saturday plus $3.00 for parking and you can visit the website at www.camdenpark.com to print coupons for $5.00 off the admission price.
Pictures show scenes from Spooktacular including some of the scary scenes in the maze and haunted house. These pictures and more can be seen at http://lloydphotography.ifp3.com.
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