We would go in the early 60s, it was always a great time. I love that I got to experience Riverside before it was shut down.

I am 67 and once a year our friends aunt that worked at I think Western Electric bought the park out for a day. It was so fun. The mill shoot, The Flash, The Wild Mouse, there was another big coaster (big at that time). Pony rides and lots of other rides, it is great memories. It was sad to see it closed down & abandoned and the coasters just rotted away. Glad I got to experience it.

I lived across the canal from Riverside in the 50’s. I still remember all the sounds and lights from the park on summer nights. We would sneak in when the park had private parties and somehow get our hand stamped and ride the rides for free. Sadly , I had friends who weren’t allowed in the park during the 50’s and at my age then it was very confusing.

@dandross

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah my dad was born in 59 and he told me blacks were allowed in only on weekends or something.

@cxjeter

10 ай бұрын

My dad who is gone now used to tell me they had one day and that day was n--- day.

My grandmother lived not to far from there and I remember in the 70's we had to drive past the old park on our way to her house and at the time that rollercoasters was still there and I remember thinking I wish I could have rode that coaster

My dad used to go to Riverside Park as a kid in the late 1920s/early 30's. Probably around 73 or 74 after the police had closed down and was abandon it was fascinating for us kids around 8 or 9 years old. We had a great time I will never forget it. The place was all fenced off and we were not supposed to be in there but we found a way.

I remember going to riverside either late 50s or early 60's. Don't remember much only dad's family all went .remember cousins

I remember as a kid in the 80s seeing the remains of that roller coaster behind the naval building.

My mother took me to Riverside Amusement Park when the company she worked for (Lilly) had their company picnic! I rode my first roller coaster here! I don't remember whether it was The Thriller or The Flash but I always remembered that those were the names of the two woodies here! Though that first ride terrified me, I accepted the sound of the roller coasters as an essential part of the overall ambiance! It's what made the amusement park experience unique. You didn't hear anything like that anywhere else, not even at the State Fair! I had my first fountain Coke at Riverside too. Prior to that experience, I couldn't stand the taste of Coke. Something about that crushed ice! It took many years to wean myself off Coke after that! My new addiction in adulthood? Coffee... but I digress! I remember telling my mother I would never ride a roller coaster again. That changed with my first trip to Kings Island soon after it opened with a girl that gave me my first wet kiss! Those firsts will always be with me!

@ThrillRidez

4 жыл бұрын

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing your story!

My grand pa got passes from his work one day a year back in the sixties for the whole family . i'm 67 now and I can still remembor it like it was yesterday. I wish for every kid to have those types of memoreies when they grow up.

@larrywilliams9368

3 жыл бұрын

It was white only so I guess you'd have different memories the some of us

@mackindelegation1107

2 жыл бұрын

@@larrywilliams9368 you're absolutely right

Loved it. The turnpike

Neat fact, my uncle is in talks to bring a brand new amusement park to indianapolis

@ThrillRidez

4 жыл бұрын

NOI2Z Productions that’s cool

@bartonbrass

4 жыл бұрын

I thought I heard something about bringing the park back.

@packingten

3 жыл бұрын

@@bartonbrass Nothing to bring back maybe the name. It was closed because violence&robberies after civil rights bill passed...Imagine that😡

@maroownr861

2 жыл бұрын

Yea I cant imagine how many shootings will happen at your dads amusement park. The only thing worth opening in Indianapolis would be a bigger prison. Circle center is pretty much ruined as well as castleton and Lafayette square.

@mackindelegation1107

2 жыл бұрын

@@packingten you sound scared 😱

We apologize, but we had to mute a portion of the background music during the photo slideshow. Bare with us we will have music on there again.

@dandross

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting. Always interested in hearing about the city I'm from.

One of the pictures, at 10:56 is actually of Broad Ripple Amusement Park, not Riverside.

Nice to hear at least some positive information about the 💜 White River and other information. This is really interesting. It's nice to see and hear what's going on.

12/23/22 ❤

Pretty sure that while the book exchange box COMMEMORATED the park, it wasn't there when the park was open. It would be an extremely unusual coincidence for there to be a box on a pole like that (particularly made of wood) that would have survived that long. I grew up on the north side of Indianapolis, near the state fairgrounds. I had HEARD OF the park. but by the time it closed I was still in grade school so I never had the chance to go TO the park.

@ThrillRidez

3 жыл бұрын

Yes there is very limited history on it and it’s sad

I'm black.... I was always told and also read that blacks weren't allowed in this park. I wasn't around when this park was in operation. I was born in 1980, 9 years after it was closed. My aunt now lives in the Rivers Edge subdivision where most of the park used to sit.

Are you from indiana?

Now everyone has to gentrify the city back.

I'm black and my entire family is black. They were only allowed to go to the park on Colored Only Day.

@ThrillRidez

4 жыл бұрын

Renee Davis sorry the history of this park is very odd.

@reneedavis7297

4 жыл бұрын

Midwest Coaster Fans it’s not odd, it’s American history. Black people have been subject to discrimination since we got here.

@packingten

4 жыл бұрын

Gee strange coincidence We came close to getting killed about a year before it closed a cpl black youth tried taking my brothers money!, brother knock him down,he got 12/14 "Friends" him&I and 3 friends jumped in a guys car@ exit I gave him 5 dollars to get us out of there,they had knives I saw!. We had done nothing to them. Say what you will,We went to have fun not a knife fight.

@dandross

3 жыл бұрын

My dad was born in 59 and he grew up on Koene. We are black and he would always tell me this. He said they didnt start letting blacks in full time until a couple of years before it closed. I was born in 80 so I missed the whole thing.

@Ay-Ay_Ron

3 жыл бұрын

I’m sorry that you had to experience that. The armory that you saw in the video is now a school where I teach. We are a purposefully diverse school and don’t shy away from talking about the unfair discriminatory practices that the park had back then. In fact, we are part of the Riverside community that is working to bring back inclusive communities into this area. You should check out more info on the Riverside Park area, especially if you live near Indy.

When we were kids I didn't understand why we couldn't go to this park. IT WAS IN A BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD smmfh

@ThrillRidez

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry man

Ive got white family members who grew up going to that park... I've also got black family members who weren't allowed to go because it was white only.

@cxjeter

10 ай бұрын

My dad told me yrs ago they had one day I think he said it was Tuesday all-day

Build it back

@rsmith317

Жыл бұрын

There is a subdivision neighborhood in it's place. So how would it be built back??

Black people could not go to riverside park.