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Theme parks… Whooshing roller coasters, buttery popcorn, twisting waterslides, and the laughter of children enjoying fun in the sun. While not originally invented here, heme parks have become an American institution. A place for families to spend time together, daredevils to take on the highest thrills, and food lovers to enjoy some delicious food. When you think of a theme park, I’d guess that danger isn’t a word you’d typically associate with them, but believe it or not, it could be. In the long history of American theme parks, one has stood out among the others. 

Gene Mulvihill was a con man at heart. In the 1970’s, he operated Mayflower Securities with his friend Robert Brennan. They conducted “pump and dump” schemes, selling cheaply purchased stock at high prices by pumping up its price with misleading statements. Mayflower Securities was shut down by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the grounds that the company “sold the worthless stock at fictitious prices and without disclosing that the issuing company was bankrupt.”

With his career in Wall Street busted, Gene Mulvihill turned to a different venture. Mulvihill, along with Brennan and other investors from Great American Recreation, bought the Vernon Valley/Great Gorge Ski Resort. To generate revenue in the summer months, they decided to open a water park, and in 1978, Action Park was opened.

Gene Mulvihill had a particular sort of philosophy when it came to running a waterpark, which was maximizing action, and leaving anything else for later. The attractions at Action Park weren’t just dangerous, they are liabilities. Most of the attractions were designed by Mulvihill himself, who was not an engineer by any stretch and had a very “do-it-yourself” spirit when making his attractions. Action Park was known for its insane, rough around the edges rides and  experiences. For a generation of young kids, the name Action Park was synonymous with skinned knees and knotted heads. Coming back from Action Park in one piece was a rite of passage, something to brag to your friends about over the lunch table.

Reports of injuries at Action Park racked up over its 18 years of operation. The Alpine Slide was a winding cart track that ran down the side of a hill. The carts, equipped with a stick to brake, were often broken. Guests flying down the course would often lose control going around corners, tumbling off the track and down the hill, or worse, skinning their exposed legs on the hot concrete track.

The Action Park wave pool was another dangerous attraction. Nicknamed “The Grave Pool,” being fresh water, the pool affected the buoyancy of guests. Large waves would often overtake guests, requiring lifeguards to go in to save them. In the HBO documentary Class Action Park a former employee would recall breaking in new lifeguards by assigning them the lifeguard chair directly overlooking the deep end of the pool, nicknamed the “Death Chair.”

Two of the most infamous attractions were The Tarzan Swing and Cannonball Loop. The Tarzan Swing was a 20 foot swing cable that hung over a freshwater pool. Patrons would either let go too late or too soon, and if they did manage to let go successfully, they would plunge right into the freezing cold water. In 1984, one guest would have a heart attack as a result of the shock of the cold water. But by far the most infamous was Cannonball Loop. While not having any deaths related to it, it was the most insane concept the park had to offer. The ride was 15 ft. tall, and 200 ft. long, and ended in a 360° loop, before shooting guests into a pool of water. According to a legend, during testing, a dummy was sent through the loop, and came out decapitated.

Gene Mulvihill would pay his teenage employees $100 to test the loop out. One young employee was sent through and came out missing teeth. When more employees were sent through, they came out with scratches. The loop was opened up, and teeth were found logged in the padding, sticking out, which were the cause of the scratches. The Cannonball Loop was shut down by the Advisory Board on Carnival Amusement Ride Safety a month after opening.

Action Park was responsible for six fatalities during its operation, three at the Tidal Wave Pool, one on the Alpine Slide, one on The Kayak Experience, and one at The Tarzan Swing. The park also received over a 100 lawsuits. In 1989, Great American Recreation made a $50 Million deal to sell the park, but it wouldn’t go through. The company was forced into bankruptcy in 1995. After finishing its 1996, the park would not reopen. In July of 1996, Great American Recreation would officially announce the park’s closure.

Despite some of its more macabre history, Action Park was a source of lawless fun for a generation of children. Action Park was a place where rules were left at the door, and the only limit was how far you were willing to go. Gene Mulvihill’s philosophy, and knack for twisted, boundary pushing concepts, made Action Park unlike anything anyone had ever seen.

Vernon Township is mostly quiet now. The streets no longer echo with the laughs (or screams) of teens as they tumble through a waterslide, hot summers are no longer sticky with sweet cotton candy, but something does remain in Vernon, a legacy. The legacy of the park followed the true spirit of America, to pioneer, to push boundaries, and to forge its own name in history. And if you ask the residents there, or anyone who remembers, they’ll say the same thing… “There was nothing in the world like Action Park!”

Image courtesy of: pxhere.com

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/11/13/archives/securities-concern-suspended-by-sec.html

https://www.history.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-action-park-new-jerseys-most-dangerous-water-park

The Real Facts about “Class Action Park”

https://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/story/entertainment/2020/07/03/book-recounts-history-of-action-park-americas-most-dangerous-amusement-park/42042425/

There Was Nothing in the World Like Action Park

https://www.si.com/lifestyle/2019/07/01/action-park-new-jersey-water-park-rides-history-stories-mulvihill

https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a33796023/gene-mulvilhill-action-park-hbo-max/