Adventureland (New York) facts for kids
Adventureland as seen from NY 110.
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| Location | East Farmingdale, New York, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 40°45′09″N 73°25′14″W / 40.75239°N 73.42069°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Slogan | Long Island's Amusement park since 1962 |
| Operating season | weekends in March, April and May; Open all summer; weekends in September and October |
| Area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 3 |
| Other rides | 32 |
Adventureland is a fun amusement park located in East Farmingdale, New York. You can find it right on Route 110. Since 1962, Adventureland has been Long Island's main amusement park. It has many exciting rides, including two roller coasters and three water rides.
The park is open during certain times of the year. You can visit on weekends in March, April, May, September, and October. It is open every day during the summer months. Adventureland started in 1962 when Alvin Cohen and Herb Budin bought seven acres of land. They opened a restaurant, an arcade, and a mini golf course. Four original rides were also part of the park: the Carousel, the Iron Horse train, the Little Dipper Coaster, and boats.
Over the years, the park changed owners and grew. Willy Miller bought Adventureland in 1977 and added many new attractions. Later, in 1987, Tony Gentile and Peter Amoruso became the owners. They started adding water rides in 1991. In 2012, Adventureland celebrated its 50th birthday! Today, it is a very popular place for kids, schools, and summer camps on Long Island.
Contents
Adventureland's History
Starting the Park: 1962-1987
As more people moved to Long Island, families wanted fun places to go. Alvin Cohen and Herb Budin visited a show in Chicago and decided to open a park. They bought six acres of land on Route 110 in Farmingdale, New York. They built a building with a restaurant and arcade, so the park could be open all year.
In 1962, the park opened with four outdoor rides: a carousel, the Iron Horse train, the Little Dipper coaster, and boats. There was also a mini golf course. The park cost one million dollars and was first called "Adventureland 110 Playland." As it became more popular, the name changed to "110 Adventureland." In 1965, a big new ride called the Skyliner opened.
In the early 1970s, the park was very successful. Alvin Cohen became the main owner and bought another six acres of land. He added many more rides, increasing the total from 16 to 30. In 1973, three new thrill rides were built: the Toboggan (a small roller coaster), the Amor Express (a fast spinning ride), and the Galaxy (a steel coaster). The next year, the Wave Swinger opened. This was a European-style spinning swings ride, one of the first in America.
Because the Wave Swinger was so popular, Cohen decided to bring in more rides from Europe. In 1976, he added the Enterprise and Troika, which were also spinning rides. Cohen bought these rides from Willy Miller, who imported European rides. Miller was interested in the park, and Cohen invited him to buy it. After two years of talks, Miller bought 110 Adventureland on September 15, 1977.
In 1978, Miller added several new rides. One was an antique car ride that had been at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Under Miller's ownership, the park's profits grew a lot. He also changed the park's name to simply Adventureland. In 1979, a new Merry Go Round, the Black Hole, and the Lost Continent rides were added. At the end of 1982, Miller brought in the Looping Star, another European ride.
In 1983, the UFO ride arrived. Miller also added six new rides, replacing the Enterprise and Troika. New bumper cars and bumper boats were also added. The Gravitron ride replaced the Black Hole. Miller also created a Bavarian Village with places to eat and shops. Over the next few years, brick walkways replaced the old blacktop, and new plants were added. In 1986, the Lost Continent ride became 1313 Cemetery Way, a haunted house ride. In 2010, a new ride called The Ghost House replaced 1313 Cemetery Way.
New Owners and More Rides
In 1987, Willy Miller sold Adventureland to Tony Gentile and Peter Amoruso. They had been partners since 1978. The Gentile family and Amoruso kept the park running smoothly while also making it much bigger. During this time, they added a huge new Pirate Ship, a ride called Scorpion, and a mini golf course named "Treasure Island."
As the 1990s began, visitors wanted more water rides. Gentile and Amoruso opened Splish Splash, a large water park. Then, in 1991, a new roller coaster called Hurricane replaced the Galaxy. New rides were added regularly throughout the 1990s. In 1992, Super Raider, a climbing fun house, opened. The next year, the antique car ride was updated. The Scorpion ride was replaced with Surf Dance, and Tubs of Fun and Flying Clowns replaced older kiddie rides.
In 1995, the Balloon Wheel replaced the Big Wheel. In 1996, the Dragon Wagon, a kiddie roller coaster, replaced the Sooper Jet. Then, in 1999, a double-decker merry-go-round replaced the old one. In 2000, a children's roller coaster called the Lady Bug was built. In 2001, the mini golf course was replaced with Adventure Falls, a log flume water ride.
Top Scan was added to the park in 2003. The next year, Viking Voyage replaced the last original ride, the Kiddie Boats. Also in 2004, a spinning alligator water ride called Crocodile Run replaced the Bumper Boats. In 2006, a small log flume called Little Dipper was added where Top Scan used to be. The Frisbee ride was added where Surf Dance was. In 2007, a "Glass House" (also known as a "Mirror House") was added where some games used to be. All the outdoor games were also updated.
Two years later, the Flying Puppies ride replaced Tubs of Fun. In 2010, a new Haunted House from Europe was added, replacing the old one.
50th Anniversary and Recent Years
For its 50th anniversary in 2012, Adventureland made some changes. The train station was moved to where the Glass House used to be. The old train station became a Wi-Fi lounge and patio for people to relax. The Super Raider ride was retired, and Pirate Island, a similar ride, was added. The back ticket booth was also updated.
In 2013, the Free Whale and John Silver's tower rides were removed. They were replaced with Alfie's Express, a small farm train ride for kids, and "Surf's Up," a moderate thrill ride for kids. The Kiddie Swings were also replaced with a newer version called "Alfie's Swings." Also in 2013, a stage was built across from the Bavarian Village Gift Shop, and a charging station was added near City Hall. Many lights throughout the park were updated with energy-saving LED lights, especially at the train station.
At the end of the 2013 season, the Flying Puppies and Tour De Paris rides closed. In October, Adventureland hosted a special fundraising event called Nightmare on the Midway. This haunted Halloween event had four haunted attractions, live actors, and scare zones. At the start of the 2014 season, two new rides opened: NYC Race and the Teacups. A VIP parking area with solar panels was built in the back parking lot. The lights on the Wave Swinger were updated with LED technology. A second charging station opened near the pirate ship. The new Turbulence roller coaster, which replaced the Hurricane, opened on May 22, 2015. In 2018, a new thrill ride called Mystery Mansion replaced the Ghost House and the Drop N' Twist.
Rides and Attractions
Thrill Rides
- Musik Express (Formerly Amor Express) (since 1973)
- Wave Swinger (since 1974)
- Pirate Ship (since 1987)
- Frisbee (since 2006)
- Turbulence (since 2015)
- Formula One Bumper Cars (since 2017)
- Mystery Mansion (since 2018)
Family Rides
- Antique Cars
- Balloon Wheel (since 1995)
- Double Decker Merry-Go-Round (since 1999)
- Iron Horse Train (since 1962)
- The Rattle Snake Coaster (since 2019)
- Sports Tower (since 2020)
Kiddie Rides
- Teacups (since 2014)
- NYC Race (since 2014)
- Helicopters (since 2017)
- Viking Voyage (since 2003)
- Caterpillar (since 2001)
- Lighthouse Drop Tower (since 2019)
- Pirate Island (since 2012)
- Alfie Swings (Kiddie Swings) (since 2013)
- Alfie Express (since 2013)
- Surf's Up! (since 2013)
- Kiddie Carousel
- Spinning Cars
Water Rides
- Adventure Falls (since 2001)
- Little Dipper (since 2006)
- Safety Swim Rescue Boats (since 2019)
Games
- Balloon Bust
- Topspin
- Frog Bog
- Goblet Toss
- Highstriker
- Long Range Basketball
- Ring Toss
- Rising Water
- Rope Climb
- Short Range Basketball
- Stinky Feet
- Whac-A-Mole
- Whopper Water
Other Attractions
- Bungy
- Arcade
Former Rides and Attractions
- Mini Golf Course (1962-1987)
- Original Carousel (1962-1999)
- Kiddie Boats (1962-2003)
- Little Dipper Roller Coaster (1962-?)
- Jolly Caterpillar (1965-2001)
- Skyliner (1965-1981)
- Toboggan (1973-1979)
- Galaxy (1973-1991)
- Enterprise (1976-1983)
- Troika (1976-1983)
- The Lost Continent (1979-1986)
- Black Hole (1979-1983)
- Looping Star (1982-2003)
- Sooper Jet (1982-1996)
- The Gravitron (1983-?)
- The UFO (1983-?)
- Bumper Boats (1983-2004)
- Original Bumper Cars (1983-2017)
- 1313 Cemetery Way (1986-2010)
- Scorpion (1987-1993)
- Treasure Island Mini Golf (1987-2001)
- The Hurricane (1991-2014)
- Super Raider (1992-2012)
- Surf Dance (1993-2006)
- Dragon Wagon (1996-?)
- The Ladybug (2000-2019)
- Top Scan (2003-2005)
- Tour De Paris (2003-2013)
- Crocodile Run (2004-2019)
- Flying Puppies (2009-2013)
- The Ghost House (2010-2018)
- Big Wheel (-1995)
- Free Whale (-2013)
- John Silver's Tower (-2013)
- Drop N Twist Tower (-2017)
- Flower Jet
- Granny Bugs
- Paratrooper
- Moon Taxi
- Tilt-A-Whirl
- Skooters
- Space Age
- Parachute Drop
- 1001 Nights
- Recording Studio
- Video Studio
- Kinder Carouse
