My mother brought us 4 kids to excelsior amusement park in I believe 1973. I was 4 years old and remember watching my older siblings on rides at night with all the lights. I also remember going on the little boats for smaller kids. I sure wish I could go back. Those were the best of times.
I lived in Excelsior during the late 1950’s to early 1960’s. As a kid I spent many happy days at the Excelsior Amusement Park! I especially liked the Fun House! The big Burlap Slide was my favorite thing in the Funhouse! You climbed the stairs to the rafters and slid down a double dip on a burlap sack to the floor level ….weeeeee‼️😂😂😂❤️
The Fun House was a blast! I recall all the 'mirrors' that distorted your shape/body/face... trying to GET OUT of the Fun House was a trip as you kept walking into walls!. I was never able to make it through that giant rolling Barrel without falling 3 or 4 times and rolling with the barell. It was impossible and embarrassing as I tried to get back up on my feet! Adjacent to the Barrel was this huge wooden spinning disc that held a number of kids. You had to hold on or balance yourself as the disc spun around or you were tossed off to the padded walls. The Cyclone roller coaster was scary, but didn't stop me from getting on board to scream my lungs out! Such a great amusement park, era was middish 1960's.
Oh my gosh, thank you for the description of the spinning disc because I have been trying to remember it and describe it in a thread about old amusement parks in the Facebook group I Grew Up in Minnesota! I was only about 3 and think I remember sitting in my mom's lap on that thing. I was born in December 1956. But I don't remember it from later visits!
Before the Excelsior Amusement Park, there was the Big Island Park on Lake Minnetonka, just across the water from Excelsior. Also, the ferris wheel at Valleyfair is not from Excelsior. It is much taller than the Excelsior one. The scrambler and tilt-o-whirl were from Excelsior. Also, you pronounce Minnetonka and Shakopee incorrectly. We say Minatonka and Shakopee. The o is pronounced like the letter o.
I want to note that when i said the ride had the lift hill in another spot, i do not mean it operated w/ that element. It was simply moved over by the lake during construction from what i've seemed to have gathered in construction photos.
wow this is the first time I heard an amusement park close down because there was too many people and over crowded! usually its the other way around! im also shocked to hear about the trouble making teens in the 50s and 60s I always assumed teens were more proper back then than they are today!(well the 50s maybe not so much the 60s with the hippies and all...)
I loved the POV footage that you have in the video. it is great that you are promoting this lost Minnesota park. I must let you know that some of the facts that you state are not quite right. Minnesota had a number of amusement parks in existence before Excelsior Park besides Wonderland and even had one operating on White Bear Lake at the time Excelsior was built. None of the rides from Wonderland survived to go to Excelsior Park. The footage that you have about some of the rides, especially at the park's opening in 1925 are misleading. While the one of the owners of Excelsior was part of a group of Minnesota businessmen to help open vValleyfair, he did not purchase the property in Shakopee and the Ferris Wheel from Excelsior is not the same one that is at Valleyfair. Valleyfair has a Chance Giant Wheel that has a history of its own. To verify some of this information, look for the Excelsior Amusement Park book published by History Press in 2017.
2:57. Caterpillar rides like that also had a cool feature: in the middle of the ride a covering came up and over the riders, hiding them like a caterpillar in a chrysalis.
@@StamfordBridge that was so cool - the one at Valleyfair for decades may have been the one from Excelsior, and I rode it many times over the years - I know the canvas coverings were still working in the late 70s but I can't say when they went away for good (by early 90s for sure) - any idea?
My mother brought us 4 kids to excelsior amusement park in I believe 1973. I was 4 years old and remember watching my older siblings on rides at night with all the lights. I also remember going on the little boats for smaller kids. I sure wish I could go back. Those were the best of times.
I lived in Excelsior during the late 1950’s to early 1960’s. As a kid I spent many happy days at the Excelsior Amusement Park! I especially liked the Fun House! The big Burlap Slide was my favorite thing in the Funhouse! You climbed the stairs to the rafters and slid down a double dip on a burlap sack to the floor level ….weeeeee‼️😂😂😂❤️
The Fun House was a blast! I recall all the 'mirrors' that distorted your shape/body/face... trying to GET OUT of the Fun House was a trip as you kept walking into walls!. I was never able to make it through that giant rolling Barrel without falling 3 or 4 times and rolling with the barell. It was impossible and embarrassing as I tried to get back up on my feet! Adjacent to the Barrel was this huge wooden spinning disc that held a number of kids. You had to hold on or balance yourself as the disc spun around or you were tossed off to the padded walls. The Cyclone roller coaster was scary, but didn't stop me from getting on board to scream my lungs out! Such a great amusement park, era was middish 1960's.
Oh my gosh, thank you for the description of the spinning disc because I have been trying to remember it and describe it in a thread about old amusement parks in the Facebook group I Grew Up in Minnesota!
I was only about 3 and think I remember sitting in my mom's lap on that thing. I was born in December 1956.
But I don't remember it from later visits!
Awesome video! I'm intrigued with info about defunct amusement parks.
Amazing video!
This looks like a good series, do one about rocky point amusement park in Rhode Island
I assume you’ve seen “You Must Be This Tall,” the movie about Rocky Point Park?
i know about that but it"s boring
Congrats on 1000 Views!!!
I loved the video and it's professional execution. I'm surprised it doesn't have more views.
Great video. I had no idea about this predecessor to ValleyFair.
Very nice job! Thank you for this!
Before the Excelsior Amusement Park, there was the Big Island Park on Lake Minnetonka, just across the water from Excelsior. Also, the ferris wheel at Valleyfair is not from Excelsior. It is much taller than the Excelsior one. The scrambler and tilt-o-whirl were from Excelsior. Also, you pronounce Minnetonka and Shakopee incorrectly. We say Minatonka and Shakopee. The o is pronounced like the letter o.
Coaster Key is an underrated channel
Agreed!
Do willow grove in pa
lol i saw that pic of modified giant skyrocket in there
Yeah me too
I want to note that when i said the ride had the lift hill in another spot, i do not mean it operated w/ that element. It was simply moved over by the lake during construction from what i've seemed to have gathered in construction photos.
Can't wait for this premiere!
Edit:This was awesome
Love the topic and video but just as a Minnesotan that lives riiiight by these places:
Shock-a-pee
X-cell-sea-oar like what al gore said in South Park
are you gonna do a 300 sub q&a
ill probably do a 300 sub q&a live stream!
@@northstarcoasters Let's hope i can attend!
I’ll be there
Same
wow this is the first time I heard an amusement park close down because there was too many people and over crowded! usually its the other way around!
im also shocked to hear about the trouble making teens in the 50s and 60s I always assumed teens were more proper back then than they are today!(well the 50s maybe not so much the 60s with the hippies and all...)
I loved the POV footage that you have in the video. it is great that you are promoting this lost Minnesota park. I must let you know that some of the facts that you state are not quite right. Minnesota had a number of amusement parks in existence before Excelsior Park besides Wonderland and even had one operating on White Bear Lake at the time Excelsior was built. None of the rides from Wonderland survived to go to Excelsior Park. The footage that you have about some of the rides, especially at the park's opening in 1925 are misleading. While the one of the owners of Excelsior was part of a group of Minnesota businessmen to help open vValleyfair, he did not purchase the property in Shakopee and the Ferris Wheel from Excelsior is not the same one that is at Valleyfair. Valleyfair has a Chance Giant Wheel that has a history of its own. To verify some of this information, look for the Excelsior Amusement Park book published by History Press in 2017.
0:05. Shakopee
2:57. Caterpillar rides like that also had a cool feature: in the middle of the ride a covering came up and over the riders, hiding them like a caterpillar in a chrysalis.
@@StamfordBridge that was so cool - the one at Valleyfair for decades may have been the one from Excelsior, and I rode it many times over the years - I know the canvas coverings were still working in the late 70s but I can't say when they went away for good (by early 90s for sure) - any idea?
I thought of an idea that you could use for this series (but I would have to email it to you so no one else would see it)
@@northstarcoasters Okay thanks and I just sent the email :)