Daved Thomson Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 This was Big Wheel Burger in 1981 and 1982, the first restaurant I worked while in Food Service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 Year 2 - Photo #29 - June 4, 2014: May 1974 With just a little over a month until the grand opening, workers all around Great Adventure's Enchanted Forest labored tirelesslyto construct the park's buildings and assemble all the rides and attractions. The Giant Wheel arrived at Great Adventure fromEurope where it was a headline attraction at the Holland Tulip Festival, having been selected for its flower petal-like lightningpatterns and colorful cars. Pictured above, a worker toils on tightening bolts near the hub of the wheel some 75 feet overwhat will become the Strawberry Fair section of the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2014 Year 2 - Photo #30 - June 13, 2014: June 1977 Since its debut as one of the largest show venues ever installed in a theme park, Great Adventure's Great Arena has played hostto a wide range of shows and performers over the years. Pictured above is a stage coach and team of horses getting ready back-stage behind the arena before their act. This stage coach was used for many years following the Great Arena shows includingas a photo opportunity prop when it was positioned in front of the Fort during the 1990's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlumeOp1974 Posted June 14, 2014 Report Share Posted June 14, 2014 (edited) Ahh remender it well. As part of the Great Arena Cicrcus Show it would come out of the gates at full speed do a lap around the arena and then be chased by a group of "OutLaws" And be held up at gun point. Even the guy riding shoot gun would go over the top of it and be "shoot and fall over the suitcases and trunks on top. And then a lady would get out and begin hitting one of the Bandits with her purse. Funstuff for the first few years. Thanks for the flashback Edited June 14, 2014 by FlumeOp1974 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted June 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2014 Year 2 - Photo #31 - June 27, 2014: July 1974 The main entrance to Great Adventure's theme park was not always located where it is today. For the first two seasons, in 1974 and 1975,the ticket booths and entrance gates were located just down from the Four Tents on Dream Street (approximately where the arch to theGolden Kingdom now stands). While the ticket booths and turnstiles were removed after 1975, the ticket taker canopy remained through theend of the 1977 season and its canvas cover offered shade for a caricature stand and numerous merchandise carts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted July 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #1 - July 4, 2014: July 1989 On this July 4th Weekend let us remember three things that the Great American Scream Machine's trains reminded us we enjoy as United States citizens - Spirit, Liberty, & Freedom.God Bless America! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted July 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #2 - July 8, 2014: May 1974 Probably one of the most low-key structures built as a part of the original Enchanted Forest was the Western Shoot Out building, nestled within theLog Flume's track next to the Best of the West Restaurant. The building's foot traffic was greatly reduced due to the expansion of the neighboringrestaurant's kitchen facilities which cut off direct access to the Shoot Out and weighed heavily in its demise. The Shoot Out building was demolished early inthe winter of 2013 for the installation of Safari Off Road Adventure attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted July 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #3 - July 15, 2014: November 1997 A second First-Aid facility was added to Six Flags Great Adventure's theme park when Adventure Rivers opened in 1991. Because of theremote location of this water slide packed area and its distance from the main First-Aid station, a medical annex was built just in case there was anemergency at this end of the park. The station remained open up until Adventure Rivers was removed at the end of the 1998 season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gencx Posted July 16, 2014 Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 Wow, GASM looks beautiful in that pic up there. Such a shame it's gone. Please keep this feature going. I just went through this entire thread and have loved these old pictures of the Great Adventure I wish I had the chance to experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Yeah that is a nice picture of Scream Machine. I also like how in the first aid picture, the flume's track is winding around above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #4 - July 24, 2014: July 1974 Looking from high above Great Adventure's original theme park entrance one could easily see the park's main thoroughfare, Dream Street, which stretchedfrom the main gates all the way down to Gingerbread Fancy. Attractions captured in this unique photo are (clockwise from the top) the Carousel, Ride-a-Rama,Garden of Marvels, Hot Air Balloon, park exit, tram circle, ticket booths, Dream Street Tents, Skyride, Happening , and Yum Yum Palace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlumeOp1974 Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 One of the best pictures yet!. Thank-you, thank-you. Now that is the Great Adventure I know and love. I wish more of the younger members here would lok at it and see what us older menbers talk about. When we blog about the first years, and the parks beauty. Good job! Keepum comming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC98 Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) ^ I must admit that pic does put the term "enchanted forest" into perspective since it actually looks like a forest that the park was made in, not a park with some trees left like it is now. Edited July 25, 2014 by RC98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThemeParkRider Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Yeah while l love the attention that's being brought to the park's latest attractions it'd be great to see the original structures be treated with the same creativity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted July 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 One of the best pictures yet!. I was THRILLED to find this picture! While I have seen photos of the park's original entrance, none of them were taken from this perspective. Seeing the tram from the NY World's Fair parked at tram drop-off is pure bonus points! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 That's a great picture. I like how there are so many colors in the picture with the tents, entrance, balloon and all the trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 That is a picture I always had in my mind and finally seeing the reality it pretty cool. I only wish it was pulled a little further out so we could see more of the tram circle and the entrance plaza towards the edge of the lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlumeOp1974 Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) ^^^It is one of the best pictures here. Now think about it filled with Clowns, Still walkers Ann and Andy, Mother Goose, Key Stone Copes. Bango Ron The Gorrilla, Along Dream Street. Even cast Members walking to and from the Ad Min Tent way back in the Woods behind the Balloons, Cowboys, Dream Street cast, Gingerbread Cast members all in the same area, The Calopy, Music comming for the Bamd stand. Truly magical. A Great Adventure awaits. Even when they added Fortune Festival, The Tres were still there. Edited July 29, 2014 by FlumeOp1974 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #5 - July 31, 2014: July 1974 While the Enchanted Forest's original main entrance was short-lived, several of its five ticket booths lived on long after the entry gates were removed. In 1976,the booths were scattered across the theme park and used as information kiosks. These lasted for only three more seasons but two of the booths can still be found onproperty today. One of them is located at the old Safari Park ticket plaza and the other is a security booth positioned behind the family raft slide at Hurricane Harbor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 If you were wondering what the signs on the ticket booths say.... "Please excuse work during our first season while we continue to improve our park for your greater enjoyment." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #6 - August 6, 2014: July 1974 The original Balloonland was a circular airfield set aside from Dream Street which operated for a single season in 1974. The balloon landing area could beaccessed from a path which cut between the Dream Street Tents and by an offshoot path which bordered the Garden of Marvels. In 1975, Balloonland was relocatedbehind the Garden of Marvels when the original balloon site became home to the Fortune Festival games area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Very interesting...it really looks like the site for the Happening was ready to become the 5th tent, and they didn't build it at the last minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC98 Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 That's a cool pic. The balloon area, the Garden of Marvels, plus all those trees around everything- very different than today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #7 - August 20, 2014: August 1975 Long before Great Adventure offered a cafeteria for employees to take a mid-shift break, the Employee Canteen was the gathering spot for workers to rest andsocialize. Located roughly on the same spot as today's Backstage Diner (near the Parachute ride), the Employee Canteen was a simple uncovered assortment ofpicnic benches and chairs situated alongside banks of soda, snack, and cigarette vending machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted August 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 Year 3 - Photo #8 - August 29, 2014: July 1974 When Great Adventure opened in 1974 Dream Street was the center of all the action in the Enchanted Forest theme park. Especially aroundthe Carousel, the area was filled with frolicking clowns, musical acts, and magical props like the clown fire truck. Mixed with all the colors ofthe Yum Yum Palace and the beauty and sounds of the Carousel ride, Dream Street was truly a feast for the senses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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