Action Park was a notorious amusement park that was known for dangerous rides and attractions. The podcast Criminal created an episode about the theme park and the host (Phoebe Judge) describes why the amusement park became infamous. Judge interviews comedian Chris Gethard who describes his bad experiences there. Listeners will be baffled how such a dangerous amusement park managed to stay open for so long.
Judge describes Action Park’s sketchy beginnings. Its founder was Gene Mulvihill who made his fortune from selling penny stocks on Wall Street. His firm was accused of stock manipulation and fraud and Mulvihill was barred from the securities industry for life. Following his disbarment, he purchased land in Vernon, New Jersey and began designing an amusement park despite not having an engineering background.
One of the first rides that Mulvihill designed was the Alpine Slide, which were tracks built into a mountain that were descended with carts. The carts traveled at fast speeds downhill and many people were injured on this ride including one who was killed.
Chris Gethard narrates his experience at Action Park. When he first went to the park, he was startled when he saw an enormous slide called the Cannonball Loop. Inside, it was pitch black and had loops that flipped people upside down. All this occurred as people went down the slides at high speeds. He tells stories about people having their teeth knocked out on this ride.
Another attraction Gethard talks about is the Tarzan Swing. This was a swing people used to jump into a stream at Action Park. The water was freezing and guests were stunned when they landed in the water. Gethard describes his experience being jeered by guests when he jumped into the water.
An additional water ride was the Wave Pool. The waves reached high heights and the current in the pool was strong, which resulted in a few drownings. The Wave Pool had such a dangerous reputation that life guards called it “The Grave Pool.”
Unsurprisingly, Action Park had many lawsuits filed against it that resulted in costly settlements. It filed for bankruptcy in 1996. Still, Mulvihill received praise for being an innovative entrepreneur by politicians years after the park closed.
Being that this is a time of year when attendance at amusement parks are at its peak, it is interesting to learn about one of the most infamous ones. I highly recommend Criminal: Action Park for its entertaining and shocking stories.
Due to the mature content in this podcast, Criminal: Action Park is recommended for mature audiences only.
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library.