Silverwood Theme Park

Silverwood Theme Park & Boulder Beach Water Park
Roller Coaster Alley
LocationAthol, Idaho, U.S.
Coordinates47°54′31″N 116°42′18″W / 47.9085°N 116.705°W / 47.9085; -116.705
StatusOperating
OpenedJune 20, 1988
OwnerNorton Family Corporation
Operating seasonMay through late October
Attendance803,000[1]
Area413 acres (167 ha)
Attractions
TotalTheme Park: 22
Water Park: 9
Total: 38
Roller coasters7
Websitesilverwoodthemepark.com

Silverwood Theme Park is an amusement park located in the city of Athol in northern Idaho, United States, near the town of Coeur d'Alene, approximately 47 miles (76 km) from Spokane, Washington on US 95. Owner Gary Norton opened the park on June 20, 1988.[2] Originally, the park included a small assortment of carnival rides, a "main street" with shops and eateries, and an authentic steam train that traveled in a 30-minute loop around the owner's property. From 1973 to 1988, the land, along with a fully functioning airstrip, was operated as the Henley Aerodrome, named after the family whom Norton bought it from in 1981.[3]

Over the years, Silverwood has grown in both size and popularity, transforming from a small local amusement park to a regional theme park destination. In 2003, an adjacent waterpark named Boulder Beach Water Park was opened. Entrance to Boulder Beach is included with admission to Silverwood. In 2009, Silverwood began an annual Halloween event called Scarywood, held during evenings in the month of October.

Today, Silverwood is the largest theme and water park in the American Northwest on 413 acres (167 ha) and boasting more than 70 rides, slides, shows, and attractions.[4] It is also the northernmost theme park in the United States. In 2019, Silverwood co-hosted (along with Rocky Mountain Construction) the Golden Ticket Awards.[5]

Timeline

Year Addition
1973 Henley Aerodrome founded by Clayton Henley.[3]
1981 Gary Norton buys Henley Aerodrome from the heirs of the Henley estate, lengthening and other improvements are done to the airstrip. Hangar is turned into an air museum.[2]
1986 Norton outbids Disney and others for a narrow gauge locomotive for use at the Aerodrome.[2]
1988 Walter Deptula, with skills and background operating visitor attractions in Hawaii is hired by Gary Norton as first General Manager. This ensures Silverwood was able to open to the public later that year with a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge Silverwood Central Railway, an airshow and Main Street shops.[6]
1990 Roaring Creek Log Flume (relocated from Kentucky Kingdom), Corkscrew (relocated from Knotts Berry Farm), and Country Carnival.[2]
1993 Thunder Canyon
1996 Timber Terror (originally named Grizzly). Silverwood also stopped their airshows after the death of pilot Bob Heale in an unrelated accident.[7][2]
1998 Tinywood opens (later Garfield's Summer Camp).
1999 Tremors[2]
2001 Garfield becomes the official mascot of the park. Tinywood becomes Garfield's Summer Camp.
2003 Boulder Beach Water Park opens including Elkhorn Creek lazy river, Wave Pool, Rumble Falls tube slides, and Polliwog Park children's area.[2]
2004 Boulder Beach expansion including Velocity Peak speed slides.
2005 Trabant and new Sky Diver.
2006 Panic Plunge[2]
2007 Boulder Beach expansion including second Wave Pool, Avalanche Mountain, and Toddler Springs children's area.[2]
2008 Aftershock (relocated from Six Flags Great America).[2]
2009 Scarywood debut.[2]
2011 Boulder Beach expansion including Ricochet Rapids; theme park addition of Frog Hopper and Butterflyer.[2]
2013 SpinCycle and Barnstormer.[2]
2014 Garfield's Summer Camp Expansion including: Krazy Koaster, and Puppy Go Round. Kiddie Wheel relocated.[2]
2016 Riptide Racer.[2]
2018 Silverwood celebrates 30 years, Boulder Beach celebrates 15, Toy Store expanded
2019 New Tilt-A-Whirl, Silverwood co-hosts Golden Ticket Awards with Rocky Mountain Construction
2021 Stunt Pilot (RMC Raptor), Garfield's Summer Camp re-themed to Critter Camp and Garfield is no longer the park mascot.
2022 Timber Terror and Tremors get new 208 Retrak.
2023 Timber Terror and Tremors gets a combined 1000 feet of 208 Retrak[8]
2024 Boulder Beach expansion with the opening of Eagle Hunt and Salmon Run, Part of the New Emerald Forest Expansion.

Scarywood Haunted Nights

In 2009, Silverwood opened Scarywood Haunted Nights, a nighttime fright fest filled with scare zones and mazes. In 2010, Scarywood returned on a larger, grander scale with more to do. The main attractions for Scarywood include: Blood Bayou, an indoor haunted attraction; Planet Zombie, another outdoor haunt ; several scare zones and other walk through as well as the Timber Terror: Backwards. In 2020, due to concerns with Covid-19, Scarywood was cancelled. The park did remain open weekends in October without the scary theming though. Scarywood Haunted Nights returned in 2021 with one new haunted house - Pharaoh's Curse.[9]

Current Silverwood Theme Park rides

Roller coasters

First drop on the Tremors roller coaster
Ride Opened Manufacturer Description
Aftershock 2008 Vekoma An inverted roller coaster, relocated from Six Flags Great America where it was known as Déjà Vu. Riders are arranged in a V-shaped seating configuration below the track where their legs dangle. The coaster is the third generation of Boomerang, known as the Giant Inverted Boomerang. Aftershock is also the last operating Giant Inverted Boomerang in North America.[10][11]
Corkscrew 1990 Arrow Development A steel roller coaster, relocated from Knott's Berry Farm in 1990. When Corkscrew first opened in 1975 at Knott's Berry Farm, it achieved two things of historical significance. Corkscrew was not only the first modern inverting coaster in the world, but it also was the first roller coaster to take riders upside down twice.[12]
Krazy Koaster 2014 SBF/VISA Children's spinning coaster A children's spinning roller coaster with a figure-8 layout. The cars of the train spin freely based on weight distribution.[13]
Stunt Pilot 2021 Rocky Mountain Construction A Single Rail coaster that is similar to California's Great America's RailBlazer and close mirror of Six Flags Fiesta Texas's Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster.[14]
Timber Terror 1996 Custom Coasters International A wooden roller coaster with a classic out-and-back layout. The ride uses trains from Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. Formerly known as the Grizzly until a potential lawsuit from the former Paramount Parks prompted the name change. Since 2010, the train has been reversed for the park's Scarywood Haunted Nights events every October. Starting in 2022, the park has also begun to add 208 RetraK to portions of the layout.[15]
Tiny Toot 1998 Zamperla A powered roller coaster themed to a mine train for young children and parents as well. Ride is driven by a rear wheel that runs along a central tread that runs along the middle of the track. Ride has an oval layout and runs over a small manmade creek.[16]
Tremors 1999 Custom Coasters International A wooden roller coaster with a twister layout that uses the terrain to its advantage. It features four tunnels, the first of which goes under the ride's gift shop. The coaster uses rolling stock from the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters company. In 2010, the ride was the first to receive "topper track," a new track system designed by Rocky Mountain Construction of Hayden, Idaho. The new system, similar to the company's new Iron Horse I-Box track system is designed to cut down on track maintenance, as well as daily wear and tear. Rocky Mountain Construction has also begun to add their new 208 RetraK track to portions of the ride starting in 2020[17][18][19]

Other rides

Silverwood Central Railway
Legend
Main Street
Roundhouse
(not open to public)
Ride Description Manufacturer
Antique Cars Track based car ride. Arrow Dynamics
Barnstormer Variation of Crazy Bus ride design. Zamperla
Bumper Boats Bumper Boats. J&J Amusements[20]
Butterflyer A Happy Swing ride. Zamperla
Carousel Carousel. Allan Herschell Company
Ferris wheel Ferris Wheel. Eli Bridge Company
Flying Elephants Children's elephant ride. Unknown
Frog Hopper A Frog Hopper ride. Wisdom Rides[21]
Kiddie Wheel Children's Ferris wheel. Zamperla
Kiddie Copters Children's helicopter ride. Allan Herschell Company
Krazy Kars Bumper Cars. Unknown
Panic Plunge Drop Tower. A.R.M. / Larson International
Paratrooper ride A Paratrooper ride. Hrubetz
Puppy-Go-Round A Childrens Dog Ride. SBF Visa Group
Red Baron Children's airplane ride Unknown
Roaring Creek Log Flume A Log Flume ride. Previously operated at Kentucky Kingdom from 1987 to 1988 as "Ohio River Adventure".[22] Arrow Dynamics
Scrambler A Scrambler ride. Eli Bridge Company
Silverwood Central Railway 30 minute, 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge, steam engine-pulled train ride around park property. H.K. Porter, Inc.
SpinCycle A Maxi Dance Party 360, Largest of its kind in the United States and tallest of its kind in the world. SBF Visa Group
Super Round Up A Roundup ride. Hrubetz
Thunder Canyon White water raft ride designed and built in-house, with lift and rafts supplied by Hopkins Rides. Trough and scenery done in-house with boats, lift, and brakes from Hopkins Rides
Tilt-a-Whirl Classic tilt-a-whirl ride; replaced park's original Tilt-a-Whirl in 2019. Larson International

Defunct Rides

Ride Description
Trabant replaced Monster Chance Trabant
Skydiver Chance Skydiver
Monster (1988-2004) Eyerly Monster
Unknown Kiddie Coaster Made by Molina & Son's [23]

Current Boulder Beach Water Park slides & attractions

Ride Year Opened Description
Avalanche Mountain 2007 6-Person Raft Slide.
Boulder Beach Bay 2003 (1st), 2007 (2nd) Set of 2 side-by-side wave pools.
Elkhorn Creek 2003 Lazy River.
Polliwog Park 2003 Water play complex featuring hoses, slides, shallow water pools, rope bridges, and a giant water bucket above.
Ricochet Rapids 2011 4-Person enclosed raft slide.
Rumble Falls 2003 4-tube slide complex, featuring four slides, each with their own unique layout, with two enclosed, one fully open, and the fourth half-enclosed, half-open.
Toddler Springs 2007 Toddler play complex.
Velocity Peak 2004 3-speed slide complex, featuring three speed slides side-by-side, each with their own unique layout, with one enclosed spiraling slide, one open slide, and one half-enclosed, half-open slide with recorded speeds of up to 55 mph.
Riptide Racer 2016 A 6-person racing waterslide. 55.8 feet tall with 405.9 feet of slide.
Eagle Hunt 2024 A 925 feet long Proslide water coaster.
Salmon run 2024 Kids slide complex

Gallery

  • Timber Terror
    Timber Terror
  • Corkscrew
    Corkscrew
  • Tremors
    Tremors
  • Aftershock
    Aftershock
  • Panic Plunge
    Panic Plunge
  • Spin Cycle
    Spin Cycle
  • Boulder Beach Water Park
    Boulder Beach Water Park
  • Bumper boats
    Bumper boats
  • Log Flume
    Log Flume
  • The lazy river of Boulder Beach
    The lazy river of Boulder Beach
  • One of the two wave pools in the Boulder Beach Water Park
    One of the two wave pools in the Boulder Beach Water Park
  • Aftershock at Silverwood, 2021
    Aftershock at Silverwood, 2021

References

  1. ^ "It takes a theme park > Coeur D'Alene press.com". 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "A Step Back into Yesteryear – Silverwood Express". 4 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b Herta Long (March 6, 1981). "Aerodrome undergoing airstrip renovation". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
  4. ^ "Silverwood Theme Park".
  5. ^ An invitation for the 2019 Golden Ticket Awards ... at Silverwood! (YouTube). Amusement Today. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  6. ^ "Silverwood - from Airport to Theme Park".
  7. ^ "Stunt Pilot Ruled the Skies at Silverwood Amazing Aerobatic Performances All in a Day's Work for Bob Heale | the Spokesman-Review".
  8. ^ The Silverwood Show: What's New in 2023!, retrieved 2023-05-18
  9. ^ "Scarywood: Haunts".
  10. ^ "Aftershock - Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".
  11. ^ "Déjà Vu - Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois, United States)".
  12. ^ "Corkscrew - Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".
  13. ^ "Krazy Koaster - Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".
  14. ^ "Stunt Pilot - Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".
  15. ^ "Timber Terror - Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".
  16. ^ "Tiny Toot - Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".
  17. ^ "Watch This is How We Roll Online | Vimeo on Demand". 2 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Wood Coaster Refurbishment". 31 July 2018.
  19. ^ "Tremors - Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".
  20. ^ "Blaster Boat". 24 October 2014.
  21. ^ "Frog Hopper".
  22. ^ "The History of Roaring Creek Log Flume at Silverwood Theme Park".
  23. ^ "Silverwood Theme Park (Athol, Idaho, United States)".

External links

  • Silverwoodthemepark.com Official Site
  • Silverwoodexpress.com Official Blog
  • Roller Coaster Alley Unofficial site with message boards, park information, a Silverwood Wiki, and more.
  • Silverwood Theme Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase
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