A few months ago, I was devastated to learn that my beloved Libertyland was closing. No, it wasn't the greatest, biggest, or even the most fun or attractive theme park in the world, but I've grown up with it, and it is dear to my heart. Every year, I faithfully attend the fair (at least once) and ride all the slung together in two days, throw your neck out of whack rides that it has to offer, and then drift over to Libertyland to ride the ol' faithfuls that I have come to know and love. Like my dear Elvis Presley, my favorite ride was also the Zippin Pippin(North America's second oldest wooden roller coaster). Not the biggest or most interesting roller coaster, but I loved it the most because I literally feared for my life every time I rode on it. The front cart was of course the best. The ride creaked and groaned with every motion across it's old pine timber frame. On the downward jolts, I'd hold my arms up but always felt like that time, I'd surely fly out because of only being restrained by a wobbly bar. So I was nearly in tears when I found out the city had auctioned off this ride for a pathetic $2500. I would have taken out a loan and set it up in my back yard for that!!!! Well, I would have figured out something. They moaned some trash about it having to be so cheap because whoever bought it had to take it away within 30 days. Bullarky!! And,who could forget the Revolution? It sped up to 55 mph and flipped you upside down a couple times. I remember the first time Tina talked me in to getting on it. After that, I was hooked. I have love for the goofy log ride with it's always wet seats and tunnel of luhve, darkness or something, that's fog machine took your breath away. And I have so many fond memories on the wonderful antique carousel. It was always the last ride of the evening after a full day of fair fun. Every single year, we rode that carousel. After learning of the Pippin's demise, I just knew that it would be sold for parts or mowed over because no one gave two hoots about preserving something as magical as it is. And while someone decides what in the world to do with it, it's just sitting there, getting older, needing to be preserved, wanting some thrilled kids to pick out their favorite horses to ride on so it can take them away in endless circles. Call me a kid at heart, too attached, or just plain dorky for loving the ghetto palace so much, but love it I do. And thus the devastation when I found out it was going to be sold for parts. How could the city allow this!??! But....... I found out today that apparently some jitney named T-Rex or something like that (some great themepark), is buying the ghetto palace and keeping the Zippin Pippin AND the carousel RIGHT HERE WHERE IT SITS IN MEMPHIS!! I could die of happiness! This place supposedly has a really good success rate at buying nappy rundowns such as my beloved, and turning them in to fabulous riding establishments. And to this Elvis (and myself) would say, "Thank you. Thank you very much."
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I love the Zippin Pippin! It was my very first roller coaster and I can still remember the whiteness of my nuckles as I sped down that first slope (seemed HUGE at the time but compared w/ most roller coasters could actually have been termed a molehill) with Toby telling me "this first hill is a doozie" like some kind of foreboding spectre. After that, I was hooked on thrill rides and still am...and I owe it all to the Pippin.
I guess it was inevitable that Libertyland close...it's been falling apart for years. But I will also have fond memories of the Tin Lizzies that were slower than a slow walk and that great Log Ride with the mildewy tunnel. I heard that several couples had their first kiss in that tunnel.
Oh well. At least I still have my old tin-type style western photo I had taken at age 12 dressed like a trashy saloon girl with a pistol in my garter...
Is it being revived in Memphis? Is that a silly question?
I couldn't quite follow if it was staing here or not.
Either way, at least it lives on.
Especially the carousel. I love that carousel!
So cool! You've got an image in your post! :)
Later I'll read the entry and comment, but for now I had to post props for pix!
Not having been to Libertyland at all, I can't quite comment on it's charm, but if the rides are anything like what I used to ride at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (old, rickety, dangerous, wooden) then I understand the thrill of thinking you could actually DIE any time you rode one! Fun!
I love this post. Especially the way you ended it. So nostalgic.
The Pippin was also the first roller coaster I ever rode. I remember going to LIberty Land as a kid and being to small to ride it and being so upset and then when I was big enough, I was to scared for a long time. I remember riding it once with a boy, Benji Smith. We had crushes on each other but we were only 14 or 15. He was the first boy who ever brought me flowers (beside the point I know). I will never forget the creaking sound going up that big hill. And that big curve at the top and that first really big hill. It truly felt like it was going to fall apart any second or the train was going to run right off the tracks. It was a rumor in school that the first couple cars did come off the tracks every time. I don't think that could be true looking at it now or the whole train really would have gone flying, but I never rode in the first few cars because of that. I remember asking mom while standing in line the first time I rode it if it was safe because it was made of wood and she assured me that it was safe and they replaced the wood every few years on it. I guess they never repainted the wood. I only remember it being painted yellow from earlier years, then it was the color of weathered wood, a nasty grey, with a few specks of yellow paint. I had no idea that it was the second oldest wooden coaster. I have heard that the oldest is the Screaming Eagle in STL at Six Flags. I'm not sure if that's true or not.
The first ride I ever remember riding there were the antique cars. After being so upset about not getting to ride any big rides I thought that was a great ride because I got to drive.
My favorite was the log ride. I also loved the Tennessee Tilt. I got so incredibly sick on the Spider. I was about 16 the first time I got enough courage to ride the Revolution. After that, I loved it. I thought it was a lot safer than the Zippin Pippin, since it was made of metal. That's how I talked myself into going on it the first time because by then I had already been on the Pippin many times.
Ashley, I remember exactly where that photo place was in there and what it looked like. I wanted to get one made every time I was there but never did.
I wasn't sad when I was told that Liberty Land closed. But, that was before I sat down and thought of all the great times I had there and how many times I went there. I hope that it does reopen and they have the same rides. Hopefully they really will replace the wood on the Pippin and perhaps maybe they will even paint it yellow again.
Benji, Heather? Really? I remember him...LOL!
Yep, isn't that crazy. I always had a thing for dark haired guys. Funny that I wound up falling in love and marrying a blond German.
He (Benji) use to ride his bike to the hair shop to see me when I was there. I wonder where he is now? I haven't heard anything about him probably since I was 15.
::finally reads the "longest paragraph in the world" entry::
What?! That's great news! I hadn't heard that yet! Was it open when I went to Liberty Land/Mid-South Fair with Greg and Julie in October of 05? I wonder if I rode on it...
Hey, you can see Jean, Sara, Greg, and Alisha in that entry - I wonder if Julie's head is in that pic!
Well, either way, I plan to ride it when it's open again! Woo hoo!
Heather, didnt Benji have a sister? I vaguely remember having a little crush on him too...haha! I always had a thing for blonde guys myself...and wouldnt you know I'd marry the sturdy viking-type!
He did. All I remember about her was that she was older than us and a little wild. I don't even remember her name.
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