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 Entrance to Oaks Park (remodeled in 2001) | |
| Location | 7805 SE Oaks Park Way Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°28′23″N122°39′38″W / 45.4730°N 122.66061°W /45.4730; -122.66061 |
| Opened | May 30, 1905; 119 years ago (May 30, 1905) |
| Owner | Oaks Park Association |
| Slogan | Where the fun never ends! |
| Operating season | Spring weekends and daily during summer (rides) Tuesdays–Sundays (rink) |
| Area | 44 acres (18 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 24 |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Website | http://www.oakspark.com/ |
Oaks Park is a smallamusement park located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of downtownPortland, Oregon, United States. Opened in May 1905, it is one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the country.
The 44-acre (18 ha) park includesmidway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, askating rink that is open all year, and picnic grounds. It is also home to theHerschell–Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel, a historic woodencarousel built in 1912.
The park, conceived as an attraction timed to accompany the 1905Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, was built by theOregon Water Power and Railway Company and opened on May 30, 1905,[1][2] during a period whentrolley parks were often constructed alongstreetcar lines. It attracted 300,000 visitors during its first season, and continued to attract about that many patrons throughout its first decade of existence.[1][n 1] Describing themoral panic of working-class entertainment venues opened at the time, a city council member described Oaks Park as "an immoral place" with "more drunkenness there than he had seen at any place in the City".[3]
In the early 1920s, the park was sold to John Cordray, one of its managers. After Cordray died in 1925, Edward Bollinger, Oaks Park's superintendent, bought all but the land from Cordray's widow; Bollinger acquired the land in 1943.[1] Some of the park's earliest rides included Chute the Chutes, a chute ride that whisked the riders down a steep incline plunging into a small man-made lake; the Barrel of Fun, afunhouse which included screaming skeletons,mazes of mirrors, and dark dead-end hallways; and the Mystic River Ride, a boat ride that traveled through darkened tunnels.[4] The park also featured a floatingbathhouse anchored along the river at the south end of the park, as well as a dancepavilion, which attracted famous acts from around the world, including theBoston Symphony Orchestra, theJohn Philip Sousa Marching Band, andPatrick Conway and his World Famous Band.[4]
In 1948, theVanport flood submerged Oaks Park for thirty days, killing a third of the bluff's oak trees, warping most of the rides, and resulting in damage to the rink that took five months to repair;[5] the next year, Bollinger's son Robert took over after his father's death.[6] The damage prompted the owners to rebuild the rink floor on airtight iron barrels, which would float in the event of another flood; the floats worked as planned during the area'sChristmas flood of 1964 and theWillamette Valley Flood of 1996.[7]
For many years, threesteam locomotives and other historic rail equipment were kept near the amusement park on City of Portland owned park land (called Oaks Pioneer Park), on static display. These includedSouthern Pacific 4449, from 1958 to 1974;Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700, from 1958 to 1986; andOregon Railroad & Navigation Co. 197, from 1958 to 1996. Although no longer at Portland's Oaks Pioneer Park (renamed in 1988 to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge), the three locomotives all remain in Portland, and since 2012 they are residing at theOregon Rail Heritage Center.[n 2] Two years after theJantzen Beach Amusement Park closed in 1970, theOregon Journal reported Oaks Park "may be on the verge of a renaissance"; three years later Sellwood's local newspaper,The Bee, reported "30,000 people a month still come during the summer."[8]
In 1985, Robert Bollinger donated Oaks Amusement Park to the 501(c)(3) non-profit Oaks Park Association, which continues to operate the park to this day. The mission of the Oaks Park Association isthe preservation and perpetuation of the historic amusement park as an affordable, safe, and family-friendly recreation attraction open to the general public.
The park gained recognition for its appearance inFree Willy. Many of the current and former attractions like Screamin' Eagle appeared in the movie as do the trailer Randolph reside while the roller skating rink served as the entrance to the aquatic theater where Willy was held captive in a tank which was actually shot atSix Flags México (formerlyReino Aventura) in Mexico.[9][10][11]
The park celebrated 100 years of continuous operation in 2005, making it among the oldest in the U.S.[4][12]
In 2024, the AtmosFear ride got stuck at the top with a full load of riders during a school field trip. It, and its riders, were stuck for around 20 minutes.[13][14]
Park rides and midway games are open weekends during spring and daily during summer. Rides include the following:[15]
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Design | Section | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenaline Peak | Gerstlauer | Steel | Sitdown | South End | 2018 | AEuro-Fighter roller coaster[16] |
| Zoom Coaster | E&F Miler Industries | Steel | Sitdown | North End | 1999 | A small coaster targeted at children. |
| Name | Manufacturer | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disk’O | Zamperla | 2007 | A Disk’O flat ride. |
| Oaks Park Train | C.P. Huntington | 2013 | A2 ft (610 mm)narrow gauge train. |
| Rock-O-Plane | Eyerly Aircraft Company | 1960 | A Rock-O-Plane ride, one of a few still in operation. |
| Zero Gravity | Battech Enterprises | 2017 | A Zero Gravity spinning flat ride that tilts upwards. |
| Spider | Eyerly Aircraft Company | 1970 | A classic spider ride. |
| Name | Manufacturer | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AtmosFear | Zamperla | 2021 | A swinging pendulum ride. |
| Big Pink | Slides Of America Inc. | 2000 | A giant slide, now has 3 colors: pink, yellow and blue |
| Ferris Wheel | Eli Bride Co. | 1966 | A Ferris Wheel ride |
| Frog Hopper | S&S Worldwide | 1999 | A Bouncing Frog-themed ride. |
| Go Karts | J&J | 1999 | A Go-karts ride. |
| Herschell–Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel | Herschell/Spillman | 1912 | A classiccarousel ride. |
| Rock 'n Roll | Bertazzon | 1996 | A rock 'n' roll themedMatterhorn, with cars shaped like '57 Chevys, similar to the Alpine Bobs. |
| Scrambler | Eli Bridge Company | 1990 | A classic scrambler ride. |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | Larson International | 2007 | A traditional tilt-a-whirl ride. |
| Name | Manufacturer | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipper's Choppers | Battech Enterprises | 2014 | A kiddie motorcycles ride. |
| Cosmic Crash (originally called Skooter Cars) | Preston & Barbieri | 2000 (as Skooter Cars) 2013 (as Cosmic Crash) | A space themed Bumper Car attraction. |
| Jump Boats | Zamperla | 2016 | A Jump Around ride. |
| Rockin' Tug | Zamperla | 2003 | A Rockin' Tug ride. |
| Sky Fighters | Unknown | 1960s | A Spaceship Simulator ride. |
| Toon Cars | Unknown | 2000s | A Kiddie Cars ride. |
| Tree Top Drop | Moser | 2016 | A tame drop tower ride meant for families. |
| Up Up and Away | Zamperla | 2006 | A spinning balloon tower ride |
The park includes a 100 by 200 feet (30 m × 61 m) woodenroller skating rink, open year-round. The rink has had apipe organ for most of its history; since 1955 it has been aWurlitzer model with fourmanuals, moved to the rink from its previous home at Portland's Broadway Theatre,[17] where it had been installed in 1926.[18] All pipework for the organ is mounted on a platform hanging over the skate floor.[17]
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