Silverwood Theme Park facts for kids
Timber Terror and Aftershock Roller Coasters
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| Location | Athol, Idaho, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 47°54′31″N 116°42′18″W / 47.9085°N 116.705°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | June 20, 1988 |
| Owner | Norton Family Corporation |
| General manager | Paul Norton |
| Operating season | May through early October |
| Attendance | 650,000 |
| Area | 413 acres (167 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | Over 70 |
| Roller coasters | 6 |
| Website | |
Silverwood Theme Park is a super fun amusement park located in Athol, Idaho, in the northern part of the United States. It's close to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and about 47 miles from Spokane, Washington. The park was opened by Gary Norton on June 20, 1988.
When it first opened, Silverwood had a few carnival rides, a "main street" with shops and places to eat, and a real steam train. This train took visitors on a 30-minute ride around the property. Before it became a theme park, the land was an airfield called Henley Aerodrome from 1973 to 1988.
Over the years, Silverwood has grown a lot! It started as a small local park and became a big destination for people from all over the Inland Northwest. In 2003, a waterpark called Boulder Beach Water Park was added right next door. The best part is that your ticket to Silverwood also lets you into Boulder Beach! Since 2009, Silverwood has also hosted a special Halloween event called Scarywood during October evenings.
Today, Silverwood is the largest theme park and water park in the American Northwest. It covers 413 acres and has more than 70 rides, slides, shows, and other fun attractions. It's also the northernmost theme park in the United States. The famous comic characters Garfield and Odie are the park's official mascots.
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Park History and Growth
Silverwood Theme Park has an interesting history, growing from a small airfield to a huge entertainment spot. Gary Norton bought the land in 1981. He made improvements to the airstrip and even turned a hangar into an air museum.
A big moment for the park was in 1986 when Gary Norton bought a special narrow-gauge train. This train was something even Disney wanted! In 1988, Silverwood officially opened its doors to the public with the Silverwood Central Railway and Main Street shops.
Exciting New Additions Over Time
Silverwood has added many thrilling rides and attractions over the years. In 1990, the park got the Roaring Creek Log Flume and the Corkscrew roller coaster. The Corkscrew was actually moved from another park called Knott's Berry Farm. In 1993, Thunder Canyon was added, offering a wild water adventure.
The park continued to grow with new roller coasters like Timber Terror in 1996 and Tremors in 1999. In 2001, Garfield became the park's official mascot, and a kids' area was renamed Garfield's Summer Camp.
Boulder Beach Water Park Opens
A huge addition came in 2003 with the opening of Boulder Beach Water Park. This new area included the Elkhorn Creek lazy river, a big wave pool, Rumble Falls tube slides, and Polliwog Park for younger kids. Boulder Beach expanded even more in 2004 with Velocity Peak speed slides and again in 2007 with a second wave pool and Avalanche Mountain.
More rides were added to the theme park side too, like Panic Plunge in 2006 and Aftershock in 2008. Aftershock is another roller coaster that was moved from a different park. In 2013, SpinCycle and Barnstormer joined the fun. Silverwood celebrated its 30th birthday in 2018, and Boulder Beach celebrated 15 years of splashing fun!
Scarywood Haunted Nights
Since 2009, Silverwood has hosted Scarywood Haunted Nights in October. This is a special nighttime event filled with spooky scare zones and haunted mazes. It's a fun way to celebrate Halloween!
Some of the main attractions at Scarywood include Blood Bayou, an indoor haunted house, and Planet Zombie, an outdoor haunted area. There are also several scare zones and other walk-through experiences. A popular feature is the Timber Terror roller coaster, which runs backwards during Scarywood! In 2020, Scarywood was canceled due to health concerns, but the park still opened on weekends in October without the scary themes.
Thrilling Roller Coasters at Silverwood
Silverwood is home to some amazing roller coasters that offer different kinds of thrills!
- Aftershock
- Opened: 2008
- Manufacturer: Vekoma
- Description: This is an inverted roller coaster, which means your feet dangle below the track! It was moved from another park and is known for its unique 'V' shaped seats. It's a "Giant Inverted Boomerang" coaster, meaning it sends you forward and backward through twists and loops.
- Corkscrew
- Opened: 1990
- Manufacturer: Arrow Development
- Description: This steel roller coaster was moved from Knott's Berry Farm. When it first opened in 1975, it was a big deal! It was the first modern roller coaster in the world to go upside down, and it did it twice!
- Krazy Koaster
- Opened: 2014
- Manufacturer: SBF/VISA
- Description: A fun children's spinning roller coaster. The cars spin around as they go along a figure-8 track, making each ride a little different!
- Stunt Pilot
- Opened: 2021
- Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction
- Description: This is a unique "Single Rail" coaster. It's like a clone of other famous coasters, offering a smooth and exciting ride on a single rail track.
- Timber Terror
- Opened: 1996
- Manufacturer: Custom Coasters International
- Description: A classic wooden roller coaster with an "out-and-back" design. It gives you that traditional wooden coaster feel with lots of airtime. For Scarywood, the train runs backwards, which is a totally different experience!
- Tiny Toot
- Opened: 1998
- Manufacturer: Zamperla
- Description: A gentle powered roller coaster perfect for young children and their parents. It's themed like a mine train and goes around an oval track over a small creek.
- Tremors
- Opened: 1999
- Manufacturer: Custom Coasters International
- Description: Another exciting wooden roller coaster that uses the natural hills and valleys of the land. It goes through four tunnels, and one even goes under the park's gift shop! This coaster was one of the first to use a special "topper track" system to make the ride smoother and easier to maintain.
Other Fun Rides at Silverwood
Beyond the roller coasters, Silverwood has many other exciting rides for everyone!
- Antique Cars
- Description: A gentle ride where you drive classic-looking cars on a track.
- Barnstormer
- Description: A thrilling ride that swings you high into the air, making you feel like you're soaring!
- Ferris Wheel
- Description: A classic Ferris Wheel that gives you great views of the park from above.
- Bumper Boats
- Description: Get ready to splash and bump into your friends in these fun boats!
- Carousel
- Description: A beautiful, classic carousel with horses and other animals to ride.
- Panic Plunge
- Description: A drop tower ride that lifts you high up and then drops you quickly, giving you a thrilling freefall feeling!
- Roaring Creek Log Flume
- Description: A water ride that takes you on a journey through a flume, ending with a big splash!
- Scrambler
- Description: A spinning ride that twists and turns in multiple directions, scrambling you around!
- Silverwood Central Railway
- Description: A relaxing 30-minute ride on a real steam engine train that takes you around the park property. It's a great way to see the park and relax.
- SpinCycle
- Description: This huge ride spins you around and flips you upside down. It's one of the largest of its kind in the United States!
- Super Round Up
- Description: A ride that spins you fast against the wall, using centrifugal force to hold you in place.
- Thunder Canyon
- Description: A thrilling white water raft ride that takes you on a bumpy and splashy adventure.
- Tilt-a-Whirl
- Description: A classic spinning ride where the cars tilt and whirl in unpredictable ways.
Boulder Beach Water Park Fun
When you visit Silverwood, don't forget to cool off at Boulder Beach Water Park! It's included with your ticket and has tons of slides and attractions.
- Avalanche Mountain
- Description: A huge raft slide where up to six people can ride together down a thrilling path.
- Boulder Beach Bay
- Description: This area has two side-by-side wave pools where you can splash and play in the waves.
- Elkhorn Creek
- Description: A relaxing lazy river where you can float along in a tube and enjoy the sun.
- Polliwog Park
- Description: A fun water play area for younger kids with hoses, small slides, rope bridges, and a giant bucket that dumps water!
- Ricochet Rapids
- Description: An enclosed raft slide for four people that twists and turns in the dark before splashing down.
- Rumble Falls
- Description: A complex of four different tube slides, each with its own unique layout. Some are enclosed, some are open, and some are a mix!
- Toddler Springs
- Description: A special play area designed just for toddlers to safely splash and have fun.
- Velocity Peak
- Description: A complex of three super-fast speed slides. You can reach speeds of up to 55 mph on these thrilling slides!
- Riptide Racer
- Description: A racing waterslide where up to six people can slide head-first down parallel tracks to see who reaches the bottom first! It's 55.8 feet tall and over 400 feet long.
Images for kids
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Silverwood silhouette in 2007
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Silverwood signage on roller coaster
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The lazy river of Boulder Beach
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One of the two wave pools in the Boulder Beach Water Park
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Silverwood Theme Park Train and Coffee Shop
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- Silverwood Theme Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase
More Park Images
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Timber Terror
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Corkscrew
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Tremors
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Aftershock
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Panic Plunge
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Spin Cycle
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Boulder Beach Water Park
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Bumper boats
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Log Flume
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Aftershock at Silverwood, 2021
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