Water parks are fun to visit during the summer with your family… but not this one. This is the story of the New Jersey water park, Action Park.

The park was founded by Gene Mulvihill in 1978, who believed that people have the right to unbridled fun and adventure, though they also have to take responsibility for their own safety.  Mulvihill claimed that the danger was part of the fun, and ignored the proposed safety measures from the employees. He dreamed to create a park in which people could control how dangerous, and how much fun they had.

One example of this was the Alpine Slide… in which most of the rides didn’t have brakes. Other rides did have brakes, but they were locked, and you were stuck crawling along the slide at a snail’s pace.

Due to the mixing of these two, it was inevitable that you would either hit someone, or would be hit.

The first fatality of the park was due to this, a 19 year old had rode off the track, and hit his head. The Alpine Slide contributed 26 serious head injuries and 14 fractures to the park’s total.

Another notable attraction was the Tidal Wave Pool. This was actually one of the first to open in the U.S, although it was still incredibly dangerous.  The pool contained fresh water, which made patrons far less bouyant, and waves could reach up to 40 inches. On average, 30 people a day had to be rescued by the 12 lifeguards on busy weekends.

One of the most infamous attractions was a waterslide. It sounds simple enough until you learn that it was enclosed, 60 feet tall and had a complete loop. It was called the Cannonball Loop, and according to a legend, a test dummy was once sent down, and came out with no head. Mr. Mulvihill would pay his employees $100 to test ride rides, and Cannonball Loop was no exception. Though employees came out with bloodied noses and bruises, he still choose to open the ride. Many people got stuck in the loop, and thus a hatch had to be made in case of rescues.  The ride couldn’t be open for more than a month, and they tried for years to get it right.  Not only did many people get stuck, but many got injured as well, some getting their teeth knocked out.

Action Park finally closed in 1996, after too many deaths, even more injuries, and more than enough intoxicated teens. The park had  re-opened  in 2014 under the name Mountain Creek Waterpark, although now it follows proper safety regulations, so there is nothing to worry about. Gene Mulvihill saw himself as the Walt Disney of New Jersey, but many may call him a madman. So, was Mulvihill a madman, or was he genius? Did he create by far the worst theme park in history, or was it a thrilling and fun experience?

Related Stories:

• https://www.marketplace.org/2022/08/04/the-dangerous-thrills-of-an-infamous-amusement-park/
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/action-park-looks-back-at-one-very-dangerous-amusement-park/2020/07/01/31bc23ce-ba6a-11ea-bdaf-a129f921026f_story.html
• https://www.history.com/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-action-park-new-jerseys-most-dangerous-water-park
• https://www.classactionpark.com/
• https://www.hobokengirl.com/action-park-controversy-vernon-new-jersey/

Take Action:

Do research before going to a theme park. Make sure that you are safe, and don’t get too drunk.