Remembering Lakeside Park, Salem VA
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- Lakeside Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Salem, Virginia, neighboring Roanoke, at the intersection of U.S. Route 460 (East Main Street in Salem) and State Route 419 (Electric Road in Salem). The park was named after a very large (300 feet long, 125 feet wide) swimming pool which was opened on the site in 1920. The pool was surrounded by a beach and quickly became a favorite summer retreat for residents of Roanoke and Salem. Amusement park rides were added to the facility within a few years of its opening. The park also included a pavilion, which hosted celebrity concerts. Frequent performers included country artists Tom T. Hall and Conway Twitty.
The pool eventually declined in popularity as home swimming pools became popular and after courts mandated desegregation. In 1967, the pool was filled in as part of an expansion project, the highlight of which was a new wooden roller coaster named the Wild Cat. Lakeside remained a popular destination through the 1970s and early 1980s, though larger parks such as Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens were beginning to draw away visitors. Nearby Masons Creek inundated the park during the flood of November 1985. Somewhat surprisingly, the park was able to repair the damage and even construct new attractions for the 1986 season. Unfortunately, that year a maintenance worker, a 19-year old named Tom Austin, was struck and killed by the roller coaster, due to the noise of a weed trimmer preventing him from hearing the roller coaster as it came down a hill at a high speed, during a test run. The park's updates had failed to reverse the decline in attendance and revenues. The park also occupied a very valuable parcel of real estate at the intersection of two highways only a mile south of Interstate 81. Lakeside Amusement Park closed its gates for the last time on October 19, 1986.
Wow!!! The good ole days!!!
Wow from what I've seen lakeside amusement park looked absolutely beautiful, I wish it was still around. This honestly should have been considered a historic landmark for the city of Salem. Never forget Lakeside Park 1920 - 1986.
I loved this place when I was a kid in the early '70s. Thanks for the video.
This brings back so many good memories. My grandparents took me there every summer when I was a kid in the early 80's.
Good memories. Thanks for sharing.
Johnny Long here - was Youth Pastor at Rivermont Presbyterian in Lynchburg from 1986 - used to take our Youth Group to Lakeside in the summer - every 2 weeks. I was a nut for riding the Shooting Star - and "set a record" (back then) of riding it 96 times in ONE DAY! Loved that place. Closed down, I think, in 1986.
That place was awesome. I went there when I was a kid. I really miss lakeside
This is wonderful, was there a few times, hopefully I can make it to Candem Park this year, but Lakeside was my favorite.
Wow this brings back memories. I went here twice back during 1980-81. The funny thing is I remember some stuff like the slide, the rollercoaster of course and a really dinky ride called "A Flight Thru Space" but I don't seem to remember the tram ride that took you over the park shown at 2:40. Could that have been decommissioned by the 80s or is my memory just shot after all these years.
I believe it was there right up until the end. It was at least still there in 1985, the last time I went. I was afraid I was going to fall out of it.
Yeah flight through space was so big, colorful, loud echoplex and theremin sounds, lights everywhere, then you get on it, and ride in the back, and it's just blacklights and fluorescent painted aliens on the walls, nothing jumping out at you. It's the most underwhelming ride there, actually the spider, and the coasters, and the spinning rides were the most exciting. I grew up going as a kid, so I rode the baby rides as well, I remember racing to the motorcycles on the merry-go-round 😂 and whoever got there first got them😂, those flying planes that you could steer with rudders was fun, anything you could have some sort of independent movements was fun. The ski lift was cool because you got to see the whole park up high, and I they had a mini train, and a small scale train there, it always was clean park up until the 80s and the owners let it go, weeds everywhere, old paint peeling, closed concessions stands, it looked like the lost boys theme Park 😂
I helped paint this park one year
It's so crazy to me that the location of this park is literally 10 min walk away from me, but now it's a damn Kroger with shootings.
Sad, I used to work at the park it was a great Summer job
You can always go to five nights of Freddy across the street 😂😂