Thank you for this walk down memory lane. I was a kid in the 80s and I miss the old rides. My favorite will always be The Whizzer along with The Demon. It's sad how much it has chance. I was there on the last night of the Edge. They had a huge countdown clock and we rode it till the end. Afterwards we all just looked at in silence after it was shut down. I still have my Edge mug.
@nathanlopez5667 I know. I miss going during the 80s and 90s. I still have my season pass from 1997. I only went a couple times btwn 2000-2005 and never returned. It just wasn't the same.
I was the original electronics manager and helped build both the original Marriott parks in the 70s. So much different now. Hardly recognizable now! The original themed areas have changed along with the rides! Many of the rides you talk about tearing out weren't even there then when it opened. I can remember installing over 200 speakers in the planters so we had stereo themed music in each area. We had over 20 miles of wire underground just for the sound system! And doing sound and lighting systems for all the rides and theaters. We had the best shows of any theme park thanks to Gene Patrick who was the VP of entertainment and wrote most of the shows and produced them himself. A true creative genius.
I was there for Red, White, and Brews... Fun video - I miss so many of those old rides. The whizzer was fun! Log ride and boat ride were the best! the train through the park was always cool. I do not miss tidal wave or the revolution.
Grew up same time frame and I love this video great memories of 70s 80s 90s 00s thank you so much for making this video. Back in 95 Paramount Great America was my 1st job. Awesome memories
The original red locomotive (#19) from the train ride still exists and is here in Florida at the Kirby Family Farm, a non-profit farm-turned-museum. While she is looking a little rough cosmetically, she is still maintained and runs regularly on a loop of track alongside two former Opryland locomotives, Beatrice and Elizabeth. Although they have the appearance of steam locomotives, they are actually diesel powered with the engine in the tender connected hydraulically to a motor in the locomotive itself
No doubt about it, my favorite GA Great America time was when Paramount owned it. One of the things about the Paramount Park their stage shows, always movie themed. I made the video called Memories of Great America most of the content is the stage shows, I love them so much, I videotaped most of them. Hope you don't mind promoting my little video on your comments but if you're great fans of Great America you probably won't mind. If you do mind let me know and I can delete it from my comments.
I do miss the Paramount days. Loved the Top Gun ride (still exists…so much cooler as Top Gun tho), the log ride that used to be in the park, Days of Thunder theatre race car ride, and the Nickelodeon area. Used to come all the time in middle school and high school. I think it’s super sad that it’s closing. In the Bay Area we already don’t have a lot of theme parks in comparison to Southern California. It really had a lot of potential to evolve into something more awesome. Super sad that it’s closing. 😢 I also remember the boat thing too!!!
When I first heard Cedar Fair had took over my first thought we were gonna get a lot of rides like Cedar Point but it was the opposite. I loved it when Paramount took over. I miss the geyser that used to go off every 20 mins. That was the best place to be on a hot day. Ahhhhhh the good ol days.
I remember when I first went to great America in 1989. I went with my sister and my mom. We went on some sort of Hanna-Barbera bus where you can see all of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters. Cartoons like Scooby Doo, the Flintstones, the Jetsons, and of course Yogi bear. And, I did go on the birdcage ride. But my favorite ride at great America and I hope it’s still there is Barney Oldfield Speedway. I went on that ride at least four times. And my favorite restaurant at great America is Maggie Brown’s chicken shack. That’s my favorite place and it reminds me a little bit of KFC except it’s more expensive. And, my mother and sister went on the edge ride. Both of them got really sick from the ride. Also, I remember they had the shops at great America where they sold Scooby Doo hats which I bought or my mother bought for me, they had RoboCop glasses, and they also had even Scooby Doo candy. I do miss the train ride at great America. That’s another ride that I went on with my mother and sister. And I love, love the Ferris wheel. I can’t do those thrill rides though.
Vortex was the name until 2015 when it was closed and the stand up trains were replaced with floorless sit down trains and reopened with new paint as Patriot.
Also hate to break it to you, a lot of those spaces were opened up or widened by Paramount to allow for parades! Paramount was great until about the 90’s when they gave up on the park and allowed it to become a dump until they sold it. Cedar Fair didn’t do much work until 2013 and since then has been working hard to restore the park to have the charm and new exciting memories for years to come
I was impressed with your knowledge going back to the Marriott days...but the Santa Clara park was never a Six Flags park. It's sister park in Gurnee Illinois, was and still is a Six Flags park. But California's Great America was NEVER a Six Flags park. Other things you should know if you're going to do a video on this topic. They never moved the Edge...it was always in that location... new log cabin restaurant, is not new, it's been around since the opening of the park in 1976 and was originally the Klondike Cafe, then Wings during the Paramount days, followed by Joe Cool cafe and now the Sierra Lodge. I was surprised for someone who has been going here at least since the Paramount days, you didn't know why Vortex became Patriot...you mentioned a name change and new paint job...but you left out the most important/obvious change...it went from a stand up coaster to a floorless coaster. You also attributed the departure of Revolution and Loggers Run was because of the water park...not entirely true...both still existed when the original Australian themed water park opened. They were only removed when the water park was expanded and rethemed into the new South Bay Shores which opened during the 2021 season. And finally, you didn't mention the Stealth roller coaster (a major attraction) which was the reason they removed the train (which you wondered why it was removed) and Yankee Clipper flume ride (and removed to make room for the original water park) which intertwined with the Loggers Run and just as popular...those two rides certainly should have made your defunct list video.
Your knowledge is insane brother! I’ve been going there since I was a little kid (end of paramount days) and I’ve always been interested in the history here!
It’s a shame that Tidal Wave is gone. That leaves Montezooma’s Revenge at Knott’s as the sole Schwarzkopf shuttle looper in the world. Even then, it’s currently closed for refurbishment. They’re apparently removing the flywheel launch and changing it to a hydraulic launch
there are at least 3 others, the one from the park in Mexico going into a park in NY, Psyké Underground in Beligum and Shuttle Loop at Nagishima Spa Land
@@flashback0978 I can’t speak for the other 2, so I may be mistaken. But Psyké Underground’s flywheel was replaced with a LIM launch years ago. I did accidentally leave out that it was the last flywheel left. Though as I said, it’s possible I was mistaken
I loved the tidal wave. The theming and que were memorable. However, when Paramount took the park over when I was in high school, they had the days of thunder ride oops running the ride, I remember thinking that was weird. I remember the bird cages and triple play!!!!! And the Edge by the Grizzly...the Wizzer too. So many memories. I LOVED the Revolution....the entire area was seaside and ocean themed. Now I'm in SoCal and take my kids to Knott's, another Cedar Fair Man I'm old.
Correction, there are no more Schwarzkopf shuttle loops in North America. Montezooma's gone after a contractor mishap. You have to travel outside the USA to ride one of these now.
Thank you for this walk down memory lane. I was a kid in the 80s and I miss the old rides. My favorite will always be The Whizzer along with The Demon. It's sad how much it has chance. I was there on the last night of the Edge. They had a huge countdown clock and we rode it till the end. Afterwards we all just looked at in silence after it was shut down. I still have my Edge mug.
Yeah the whizzer was great to bad the Park didn't maintain it properly
@nathanlopez5667 I know. I miss going during the 80s and 90s. I still have my season pass from 1997. I only went a couple times btwn 2000-2005 and never returned. It just wasn't the same.
I was the original electronics manager and helped build both the original Marriott parks in the 70s. So much different now. Hardly recognizable now! The original themed areas have changed along with the rides! Many of the rides you talk about tearing out weren't even there then when it opened.
I can remember installing over 200 speakers in the planters so we had stereo themed music in each area. We had over 20 miles of wire underground just for the sound system!
And doing sound and lighting systems for all the rides and theaters.
We had the best shows of any theme park thanks to Gene Patrick who was the VP of entertainment and wrote most of the shows and produced them himself. A true creative genius.
Loggers run was there with the water park as well
I was there for Red, White, and Brews... Fun video - I miss so many of those old rides. The whizzer was fun! Log ride and boat ride were the best! the train through the park was always cool. I do not miss tidal wave or the revolution.
Aww man the Lobster was my favorite ride as a kid. I think removing the train was a big mistake, it was iconic.
The Skyhawk was a big ride. Cajun Carpet was where Roaring Rapids is. Bottoms Up was cool.
Grew up same time frame and I love this video great memories of 70s 80s 90s 00s thank you so much for making this video. Back in 95 Paramount Great America was my 1st job. Awesome memories
More to come! Definitely going to be a part 2!
You forgot Stealth, yankee clipper, Pictorium, Whizzer, invertigo,
Jimmy's Great America in Santa Clara, California and All-Star Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois Together Since 2001
The original red locomotive (#19) from the train ride still exists and is here in Florida at the Kirby Family Farm, a non-profit farm-turned-museum. While she is looking a little rough cosmetically, she is still maintained and runs regularly on a loop of track alongside two former Opryland locomotives, Beatrice and Elizabeth. Although they have the appearance of steam locomotives, they are actually diesel powered with the engine in the tender connected hydraulically to a motor in the locomotive itself
Thats so cool!!! Can you send me pice to my instagram? Im planning a follow up on individual rides and would love to see pics of it and credit u!
No doubt about it, my favorite GA Great America time was when Paramount owned it. One of the things about the Paramount Park their stage shows, always movie themed. I made the video called Memories of Great America most of the content is the stage shows, I love them so much, I videotaped most of them. Hope you don't mind promoting my little video on your comments but if you're great fans of Great America you probably won't mind. If you do mind let me know and I can delete it from my comments.
I do miss the Paramount days. Loved the Top Gun ride (still exists…so much cooler as Top Gun tho), the log ride that used to be in the park, Days of Thunder theatre race car ride, and the Nickelodeon area. Used to come all the time in middle school and high school. I think it’s super sad that it’s closing. In the Bay Area we already don’t have a lot of theme parks in comparison to Southern California. It really had a lot of potential to evolve into something more awesome. Super sad that it’s closing. 😢 I also remember the boat thing too!!!
When I first heard Cedar Fair had took over my first thought we were gonna get a lot of rides like Cedar Point but it was the opposite. I loved it when Paramount took over. I miss the geyser that used to go off every 20 mins. That was the best place to be on a hot day. Ahhhhhh the good ol days.
You forgot the whizzer roller coaster
Great video but the park was never owned by Six Flags
looks like everything is defunct now
it was removed cause of maitnence costs firefall a huss topsin they have lots of issues with it.
dorney got rid of hangtime to a huss topsin.
I remember when I first went to great America in 1989. I went with my sister and my mom. We went on some sort of Hanna-Barbera bus where you can see all of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters. Cartoons like Scooby Doo, the Flintstones, the Jetsons, and of course Yogi bear. And, I did go on the birdcage ride. But my favorite ride at great America and I hope it’s still there is Barney Oldfield Speedway. I went on that ride at least four times. And my favorite restaurant at great America is Maggie Brown’s chicken shack. That’s my favorite place and it reminds me a little bit of KFC except it’s more expensive. And, my mother and sister went on the edge ride. Both of them got really sick from the ride. Also, I remember they had the shops at great America where they sold Scooby Doo hats which I bought or my mother bought for me, they had RoboCop glasses, and they also had even Scooby Doo candy. I do miss the train ride at great America. That’s another ride that I went on with my mother and sister. And I love, love the Ferris wheel. I can’t do those thrill rides though.
That empty plaza you mention at the beginning is for shows and usually has some sort of large stage setup there but hasn’t the last few years
Vortex was the name until 2015 when it was closed and the stand up trains were replaced with floorless sit down trains and reopened with new paint as Patriot.
Don’t worry the sports bar isn’t gone, it’s just being upgraded!
Also hate to break it to you, a lot of those spaces were opened up or widened by Paramount to allow for parades!
Paramount was great until about the 90’s when they gave up on the park and allowed it to become a dump until they sold it. Cedar Fair didn’t do much work until 2013 and since then has been working hard to restore the park to have the charm and new exciting memories for years to come
I was impressed with your knowledge going back to the Marriott days...but the Santa Clara park was never a Six Flags park. It's sister park in Gurnee Illinois, was and still is a Six Flags park. But California's Great America was NEVER a Six Flags park. Other things you should know if you're going to do a video on this topic. They never moved the Edge...it was always in that location... new log cabin restaurant, is not new, it's been around since the opening of the park in 1976 and was originally the Klondike Cafe, then Wings during the Paramount days, followed by Joe Cool cafe and now the Sierra Lodge. I was surprised for someone who has been going here at least since the Paramount days, you didn't know why Vortex became Patriot...you mentioned a name change and new paint job...but you left out the most important/obvious change...it went from a stand up coaster to a floorless coaster. You also attributed the departure of Revolution and Loggers Run was because of the water park...not entirely true...both still existed when the original Australian themed water park opened. They were only removed when the water park was expanded and rethemed into the new South Bay Shores which opened during the 2021 season. And finally, you didn't mention the Stealth roller coaster (a major attraction) which was the reason they removed the train (which you wondered why it was removed) and Yankee Clipper flume ride (and removed to make room for the original water park) which intertwined with the Loggers Run and just as popular...those two rides certainly should have made your defunct list video.
Pretty cool info to know. Thanks for sharing!
I remember that Wings restaurant!
Your knowledge is insane brother! I’ve been going there since I was a little kid (end of paramount days) and I’ve always been interested in the history here!
It’s a shame that Tidal Wave is gone. That leaves Montezooma’s Revenge at Knott’s as the sole Schwarzkopf shuttle looper in the world. Even then, it’s currently closed for refurbishment. They’re apparently removing the flywheel launch and changing it to a hydraulic launch
there are at least 3 others, the one from the park in Mexico going into a park in NY, Psyké Underground in Beligum and Shuttle Loop at Nagishima Spa Land
@@flashback0978 I can’t speak for the other 2, so I may be mistaken. But Psyké Underground’s flywheel was replaced with a LIM launch years ago. I did accidentally leave out that it was the last flywheel left. Though as I said, it’s possible I was mistaken
I loved the tidal wave. The theming and que were memorable. However, when Paramount took the park over when I was in high school, they had the days of thunder ride oops running the ride, I remember thinking that was weird.
I remember the bird cages and triple play!!!!! And the Edge by the Grizzly...the Wizzer too. So many memories.
I LOVED the Revolution....the entire area was seaside and ocean themed.
Now I'm in SoCal and take my kids to Knott's, another Cedar Fair
Man I'm old.
Knott's is renovating the entire Fiesta Land area, not just Montezuma.
Correction, there are no more Schwarzkopf shuttle loops in North America. Montezooma's gone after a contractor mishap. You have to travel outside the USA to ride one of these now.