Silverwood
Silverwood Theme Park
Amusement park in northern Idaho, U.S.
"Silverwood" redirects here. For other uses, see Silverwood (disambiguation).
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]
Quick Facts Location, Coordinates ...
Roller Coaster Alley | |
| Location | Athol, Idaho, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 47.9085°N 116.705°W / 47.9085; -116.705 |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | June 20, 1988 |
| Owner | Norton Family Corporation |
| Operating season | May through late October |
| Attendance | 803,000[1] |
| Area | 413 acres (167 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | Theme Park: 22 Water Park: 9 Total: 38 |
| Roller coasters | 7 |
| Website | silverwoodthemepark |
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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]
More information Year, Addition ...
| 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. |
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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]
Roller coasters
More information Ride, Opened ...
| 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] |
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Other rides
Silverwood Central Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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More information Ride, Description ...
| 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 |
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Defunct Rides
More information Ride, Description ...
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| Trabant replaced Monster | Chance Trabant |
| Skydiver | Chance Skydiver |
| Monster (1988-2004) | Eyerly Monster |
| Unknown Kiddie Coaster | Made by Molina & Son's [23] |
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More information Ride, Year Opened ...
| 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 |
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- Timber Terror
- Corkscrew
- Tremors
- Aftershock
- Panic Plunge
- Spin Cycle
- Boulder Beach Water Park
- Bumper boats
- Log Flume
- The lazy river of Boulder Beach
- One of the two wave pools in the Boulder Beach Water Park
- Aftershock at Silverwood, 2021
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- "It takes a theme park > Coeur D'Alene press.com". 13 November 2021.
- "A Step Back into Yesteryear – Silverwood Express". 4 April 2018.
- Herta Long (March 6, 1981). "Aerodrome undergoing airstrip renovation". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
- 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.
- The Silverwood Show: What's New in 2023!, retrieved 2023-05-18
- "Watch This is How We Roll Online | Vimeo on Demand". 2 September 2021.
- "Wood Coaster Refurbishment". 31 July 2018.
- "Blaster Boat". 24 October 2014.
- 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