What
can you say about a Pretzel dark ride that's
been running in the same place for fifty years,
especially when that place is Coney Island,
the legendary mecca of playtime and amusement
for as long as rides have turned? Spook-A-Rama
has always had a special place in our hearts
and when we realized it was going to turn fifty
years old this summer, we knew that this was
the time to both celebrate its legacy and to
present our Laff Achievement Award to the Vourderis
family, who have owned, cared for and updated
the ride since 1983.
Spook-A-Rama was
in a class by itself when it opened during that
summer of 1955. Fred Garms and Paul Kleinstein,
together with Bill Cassidy's Pretzel Amusement
Company, put together a quarter-mile course
for 30 cars in and out of two buildings filled
with animated talking creatures. Competing with
about a dozen dark rides then operating at Coney,
Spook-A-Rama topped them all.
In May of 1965,
Garms acquired the Shangri-La Ha Ha ride from
Jimmy Onorato at Steeplechase Park for $3600
and added its cars to the Spook fleet. More
cars from New Hampshire's Canobie Lake Park
later came aboard. Retiring in 1983, Garms turned
Spook-A-Rama and the Wonder Wheel over to the
late Denos Vourderis who transformed them and
the surrounding properties into today's Deno's
Wonder Wheel Amusement Park.
As the last permanently-installed
dark ride in Coney Island, Spook-A-Rama has
gone through many stages of evolution over its
half-century reign on Jones Walk. It's shorter
now, and confined to one building across from
the Wonder Wheel. Yet it remains, as ever, the
classic Coney Island spook ride experience.
Sights, sounds, smells and perhaps even spirits
from the golden days of Coney can still be encountered
along its twisted track.
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Happy
50th Birthday, Spook-A-Rama!
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Steve, George, Bill and Dennis
display two of the original
Spook-A-Rama signs which adorned
the first building
in the ride's early days. Three
of these signs, each a four-foot
wide section of Spook-A-Rama
history,
were graciously donated by the
Vourderis family to the Laff
In The Dark archives.
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Today,
a thriving Coney Island embraces its glorious
past while looking ahead to a vibrant future.
Saluting Deno's with our Laff Achievement Award
continues our long-standing admiration,
support and recognition of Coney and its time-honored
amusement heritage.
Spook-A-Rama's silver anniversary celebration
came on the heels of the Wonder Wheel's 85th
birthday in April, and less than three weeks
before the announcement of the city's acquisition
of the
Surf Avenue B&B Carousel as part of its plan
to restore and revitalize the central amusement
area.
2005 has indeed been a very special year for
Coney Island.
Laff in the Dark is proud to have been a part
of it.
For more history, information and photos of
Spook-A-Rama,
please visit our article "Coney
Island Spook-A-Rama"
Acknowledgements
Laff In The Dark extends its sincere gratitude
to Dennis and Steve Vourderis, their family
and all the folks at Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement
Park for their warm hospitality and generosity,
and for preserving one of the great surviving
classic Pretzel rides and a true Coney Island
landmark -
Spook-A-Rama.
Photography by Ralph Grassi and George LaCross
The
Leon S. Cassidy Achievement and Preservation
Award is presented by Laff In The Dark to individuals
or businesses who have made notable contributions
to the world of traditional dark ride and funhouse
amusements, as well as those who have played
an important role in preserving existing historically
significant rides for future generations to
enjoy. The Laff Achievement Award features a
one-twelfth scale replica of the classic Pretzel
ridecar, and was created by Laff In The Dark
creative director Bill Luca.
©2005
Laff In The Dark/www.laffinthedark.com
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