Gone But Not Forgotten: Riverside Amusement Park | Connecting Point | Apr. 13, 2016
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- Опубліковано 13 кві 2016
- In tonight’s Gone But Not Forgotten story, we remember Riverside Amusement Park. It began as a picnic grove in the late 1800’s before being bought by the Carroll Family in the late 30’s and blossoming into New England’s largest Amusement park. Riverside was considered a family park and still has fond memories for many in the region as a place for fun, relaxation and, in many cases, summer employment. Connecting Point Producer Dave Fraser talks with local historian David Checchi of Agawam to learn the history of the Park and to reminisce about a by gone era.
I had the honor of being the first women hired that Mr Carrol allowed to run the adult rides. It was an incredible experience and I also got to be part of the race track as a record keeper of the laps.
Riverside was one of the best parks. Great rides and great fun!
So many great childhood memories with family and friends! Definitely the highlight of summer!
I was the last person to ride the black widow at Riverside
Thank you so much, lived in Agawam almost 30 years just 2 miles from the park, use to hear the races every Saturday night, love an miss it.
Lived on South St about half mile from
This will always be my favorite amusinent park. So many good memories.
I miss Riverside so bad
I went there when I was little ..it was magical
Still remember as a kid coming from Adams, MA a few times a summer with family to go on rides then watch races..still think of it everytime I go on Superman
Many many great memories at riverside I remember Being so visibly upset over the name change 😭 I was so sad
many memories there from my childhood when we would go as a family for the day. To my teenage years when I would get a season's pass so much fun
I remember the park before Six Flags got their mitts on it.
That was my childhood memory of an amusement park, I’ve gone as an adult, and my highlight was riding the thunderbolt, (bonus, it was snowing), but the magic was replaced by cheap crap. I know nostalgia has some effect on things, but I’m still salty
Same!!!
Went there my Junior year of High School on our Junior class trip. Had a Blast!! WoW that was so long ago. A Blast from the Past. The Roller Coaster was AWESOME!
I went there on MANY a school trip when I was growing up in Connecticut back in the 1970's. MANY memories there! MANY Park And Rec field trips! I remember when they would stamp your hand with that weird oily paint stuff.
Went there once in 93. Saw the Spin Doctors with Soul Asylum and the Screaming Trees.
surfinbird71
The days of grunge, love it
Thats funny I remember seeing the spin doctors in concert too but I saw them at the big e singing two princes and little miss can't be wrong.
I remember a pirate boat ride and that one that spins and keeps you pinned to the wall as the floor drops from under you. I loved it when I was little but as I got older it made me sick. :(
Yep! I remember both of those! The cylinder one was great! The Pirate one had the doors that were black with white skull & crossbones like a pirate flag!
Loved the Rotor when I was a kid! That was always the first ride I went on when I entered the park.
I think someone died on the rotor. The choked on their vomit
Richard Maher That would be me.
My first job!!! Miss Riverside and the speedway and all the concerts!! It was amazing it’s still cool and all but for me it’s just not the same without the monorail
Was there with my Mom and siblings in the 60s or early 70s. I remember some man asking me what prize did I want. He wanted to play one of the games (ball in a milk can?) but didn't want the prize. I chose a 4' stuffed animal - a mouse. I still have it. Its name is "Mousie". Took me a few decades to realize the man was probably just trying to hit on my lovely Mother. It's a great memory but it's really all I remember about the park.
My maternal(late) grandfather was in wire rope and ski lifts, he checked and sold wire rope for many of the rides, we had free tickets to the Park, Mountain Park as well!
Sweet! Possibly the Big E(Eastern State Exposition, West. Springfield)
I was born in 1965, lived nearby, and have many fond memories. Went to nearby Mountain Park as well.
My dad was good friends with Mr. Carroll oh, so it was my dad's silk screen printing company that printed all the signage and advertising for the park. Still have fond memories of riding in my dad's big Cadillac through the park to the office building where he would meet mr. Carroll to do business during off-hours before they opened the gates to the public. Then he would give me a small roll of tickets for the rides.
My step grandfather told me that his father used to race at the speedway here. he came all the way down from new hampshire just to race here.
I went to Riverside Park every Sunday to rollerskate as a pre-teen and teenager from 1952 to 1960. Enlisted in the Navy in 1960
Paul Rene Spenard Sr.: What lovely memories - to live so close to an amusement part that you could visit it weekly! *THANK YOU for your service!*
Went there as a kid and saw Lassie as well as Lorne Greene from Bonanza!
Per a Carroll fam member before it went to hell with Priemier, I got a tour for a class I was taking. She claimed the concrete structure that was once the diving structure was the old drive in sound . They just blasted it out of that apparently.
I remember seeing Foreigner there circa 1995! That's when Lou Gramm was still in the band!! Amazing concert!!
Was The Doobie Brothers the opening act? If yes, that was 1994. I was at that concert. My friends went for Foreigner, but I went to see The Doobie Brothers and thought they should have been the headline act
@@AngelaMastrodonato You are right. It was in 1994. I arrived right before Foreigner took the stage so unfortunately I missed seeing The Doobie Brothers.
@@jms0676 - That’s so cool! Where did nationally popular bands like that play at Riverside? I’m younger so never got to go to the park back then… I wish they still did that!
@@chriscianciolo5823 Bands played there a lot back in the 90's. This particular concert was in 1994 or 1995.
I went to the rollerskating rink when I was in Middle school
I remeber it well, Auto Racing too and the demolition derby !
was very loud and I remember the Derby
I would love to find some footage of the dog show that was at Riverside in 1985. I trained those dogs and brought them from Phoenix for the season. That's how I ended up living in Mass.
Saw Sargent Schultz and Colonel Klink there, sing, dancing and telling jokes.
Used to walk there all the time to roller skate and candle pin bowling
My Favorite was the WILD MOUSE!!!
Black Widow was still the best Larson Loop style coaster I've ever ridden.
0:58 - Let's hop over to GALLLUP's GROVE!
Riverside had little hand operated tableaux with Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, etc. Turn the crank or push the button, figures inside the box would move. That would've been early 60s
There was a nice breeze the 1800s people liked? Oh thats right, bondies Island wasn't there then. That breeze now has a slight tinge of western mass' body waste. Riverside was fun tho. Not a big six flags guy.
I remember going there for my bday when I was a kid only time I went under the name riverside
Time sure does fly ✔️ used to come here from South Hadley as a kid ✔️ my brother actually had a season pass here. He got his first piece of ass behind the loop coaster when we were young. 😅 it’s officially makes me fucking old.
Does anyone remember the old tanks that were in the water and shot tennis balls and people could also but a bucket of balls and shoot say the tanks for the outside?
ForzaCountry87: Don't quite understand your question.
Yessssssss I have for sure been on that ride as a kid. Climb into this tiny tugboat looking tank thing with a tennis ball cannon, it was awesome! Yes they also had cannons on the outside too you could stand at and they shot through the nets and plexiglass into the pool. That was so cool, that for the bringing up the memory Forza!!!
used to go as a child then adult would go to stock car races and ride the rollercoaster saw a lot of celebs there no mirw
I remember a hippo trash can and when you put your trash through its mouth it would say, "thank you!"
I remember the haunted house
Fun House
Lol does Abby even know it's Six Flags New England now? Lol!
Seen alot of entertainers here
I liked it better than Disneyland 🙂
Now since Six Flags took over it is all about getting your money!
I went there often but Six Flags taking over was the best thing that could've happened. The park is now much more of a destination than it ever was. Especially the work they did on the water park. A season pass ticket is an incredible deal when you think about it. Just save money by packing your own lunches.
True, definitely a great deal for season passes. I also love how the season pass is good all the parks in the US as well
The fun house with the stacked barrels, and big room with up and down walkways, and the crooked room that we'd bang our hips on the railings...unforgettable!!!
Riverside was the best in the 70s... Music express played "I'm not in love" after saying " this ride is about to start, please stay seated while the ride is in motion.... Lol!! Or something like that
You *could* pack your own lunches but technically you’re not supposed to. You have to sneak it in. For the season pass to be a good deal, you need to live close enough to go often enough and you need to get the pass that includes parking when it goes on sale. We tried to save money by getting 2 food passes for my family of 4 a couple of years ago but ended up buying at least another food pass a few weeks into the season. Personally I don’t enjoy the thought of sneaking food into the park and then lugging it around in a backpack all day.
I had a friend like you who would sneak microwave popcorn into the movie theater to save a few bucks and I thought it was sort of a bummer because for me, part of the appeal of going to the movies was the movie theater popcorn. I would rather rent the movie at home, if I’m gonna eat microwave popcorn.
@Sound Wave I like Six Flags but liked Riverside more. And I hate that there are top tier passes out there that allow people to cut in line if they are willing to pay an outrageous amount. There’s something about that concept that irks me. Also customer service at the park is sometimes lackluster, considering how expensive it is.
Because of six flags
MangoJumbo "Because of six flags" what?
@@billwilson5341 this is a old comment, I was a dumbass lol
@@mangojumbo : I'm guessing you're not really a dumbass. Thank you for the kind reply.
Now six flags New England has some weird ass people straight from the hoods. Very odd
lmfao The park never shut down. Its still alive and well, Six Flags bought the park and did what they had to do.
My dad told me this place was a dumpy area and it was gross lol
It’s not gone they just changed the name to six flags New England
Most of the rides and attractions have been changed tho. It’s an amusement park but not the same amusement park.