IDORA PARK WILDCAT roller coaster-FRONT SEAT Youngstown OHIO

[suemak56]

Officially the Park closed in1989 , Most of the rides and attractions were auctioned off prior to it's closing between 1985-1989. Sad to think, 1-1.5 million dollars could have repaired the Wildcat and LogFlume rides. A lot of money back then, but possibly would have still been opened today. This was in Guiness at one time as the #4 Fastest Wood coaster. I'm from Youngstown and watched in horror through the fence at Mill Creek Park as this rides Main corner Burned. SAD!!

[ghouldini]

@suemak56 Actually, at the time, the damage to the Wildcat alone was estimated at  3-4 million dollars when, if I remember correctly, the park was for sale for 1-2 million.

[BETSYSUEU]

SO SAD...ONE OF THE GREAT AMUSEMENT PARKS OF OUR TIME....=-(

[mscocacola24241]

damn that ride looks unsafe...CHECKOUT MY VIDEO

_"CLEVELANDS NEW DIVA"_

[whattheheck1000]

Wait a minute... I just read that this video was recorded in 1980.

[whattheheck1000]

I'm gonna guess this was taken around 1982

[chi4you2]

Thanks so much. I hurt my back again just watching it!

[ChicagoJoe57]

What year was the Wildcat torn down? I haven't heard of a Youngstown amusement park in quite a while.

[Moose9105]

Wonderful footage, Thanks

[Crandog62]

This was the best wooden coaster around! !! The slant at 0:50 always made me feel like I was going to fall out! I loved the air time and banked turns! Thanks for the video.......great memories for me and a visual I can share with my children! I really miss Idora. :(

[fury210]

how sad :-(

[777archangeI777]

Nicely Done, Thank You....

[mmmDONUTS71]

That last turn really jacked your neck up, and if you had someone big on the wrong side of you, you got squished. Great ride.

[ProChoiceJesus]

@mmmDONUTS71 YES! The final partially-tunneled turn was awesome, the second best part of this woodie! My favorite moment was the first turn, well, the second turn, really, but I'm talking about the trun after the first drop and the rabbit hop. That fan turn had airtime going into it, and then a strong lateral crush to the right while you were airborne. Then, in the back part of the train, the curve and drop off that turn threw riders out of their seat while slamming you to the right once again!

[swimmer565]

was cedar points wild cat small model of this?

[mhvoivod]

@swimmer565 no the only simliarity is the name.  CP's ride is a portable steel model

[mhvoivod]

@swimmer565 no the only similarity is the name. CP's ride is a portable steel model

[andyknight1]

Wow. This coaster loked great

[frankpiz]

There is a roller coaster at the amusement park in Wildwood NJ, the Great White, that is exactly the same as the Wildcat. It says it was relocated from an amusement park in the midwest. I remember riding the Wildcat and, if the Great White is not the old Wildcat, it is an exact twin.

[fncz]

Sorry to say they are not alike at all other than being wooden track coasters.. TOTALLY different designs. Wish it were true!! I loved this ride!

[mhvoivod]

@frankpiz The Great White was built as a new coaster to Wildwood when it debuted in 1996 (not relocated). Aside from being a wood track coaster, I do not see any other similarities between it and the Idora Wildcat

[jmichael1holmes]

terrible for it to burn but the rebuild is hee in virginia the kings dominion grizzly was the rebuild for the wild cat ..... they loved that awesome figure eight track so much they wanted to keep it alive!

[misterrnr]

Thanks for giving all of us that never rode it the chance!

[TurboIceX]

My dad told me about Idora Park. Sadly, I'm too young at the age of 17 to ever experience the glory that was Idora Park. One day if I make tons of money, I want to make a new Idora Park where it used to stand, and put brand new steel coasters and what not and run it myself. Oh, dreams of mine.

[Scioneer]

@TurboIceX

You gotta at least have a Wood coaster as well.

[rollercoastermaniac2]

@TurboIceX steel sucks, make wooden looping coasters!

[LoveTaker2000]

that doesnt look scary

[Borntocoast]

In 1983 the American Coaster Enthusiasts held their Spring Conference at this park. During the morning ERT a Thunderstorm occured, they LET US RIDE DURING THE STORM! I don't think any Park Operater in their right mind would do this these days!

[sammydenyc]

why was the track tilted on a straight portion, from 0:49 to 0:52?

[Magmoormaster]

It was to give the effect of the track being partially collapsed.

[jrockstedy]

wonder if it burning down had to do with insurance money???

[tzkelley]

No, it was a welding accident near the water ride.

[steelbuc39]

Im 40 and rode many roller coasters over the states, and this was my first, when I was 9 years old. And as far as memory sreves one of the roughest with great air time. RIP

[UmbreonEspeon4EVER]

Wow! So this is the Wildcat Coaster! My mom told me what a great coaster it was and how fun it was! I would LOVE to go on it... but I can't. They had on in Elitch Gardens in Colorado as well... it was about 30 years ago though...

[poochie719]

My favorite ride! What a great memory. I can watch the video and predict all the ups and downs and turns and have a great virtual experience.

[marti545]

Rode this 27 times in a row on McKay Machine Day!!

[redrockerdude]

At 1:00, almost fell out in 1983!

[phatbaby98]

no screaming wow!jk

[fncz]

It was the best wooden coaster in OHIO in the 70's & 80's. Other parks kept building bigger etc. but could not compare with the WILDCAT. We used to hit 4 parks in one day! Idora, Cascade, Kennywood and West View. WOW!

[danijorari]

I remember my mom wanted to always be in the lst seat on the Wildcat. Thanks for the memories. That was over 40 yrs. ago.

[ValentinaMaria2]

Just as I remember, especially the part where you go into the dark tunnel.

[yrwew8ing]

I grew up a mile from this park and always had my birthday there with all my friends in the neighborhood. The closing of this park marked the beginning of the end of a great blue collar town. Soo Sad!

[GEORIC10]

my paint company supplied the yellow paint for the wildcat and the white and orange paint for the jack rabbit. my dad took us there at lease once a summer. great park and great memories.

[pinkfreud62]

Thanks for the video. We used to ride this as teens on company picnics.

[1satya]

We rode the Wildcat all the time as kids....you could walk into Idora Park for free, and pay just to ride one ride....we rode the Wildcat until our money ran out! Happened to be back in Youngstown and saw the ride burn down,,,,,,sad day....

[xtremespeed128]

Looks like a good, fast-paced ride full of airtime.  Just can't beat Maverick's twistiness, though.

[davepjcx]

Great video and sound, just like I remember. Lived 15 minutes away from the park. Road that sucker 13 times one night, what a rush. To this day, that wooden coaster would still give you a good run for your money... thanks for posting it! Many great memories

[lucki39284]

Does anyone know if a few died due to carelessness or operational failure on the Wildcat? Just curious of about when and how.

[torchkit]

No deaths on Wildcat, but the Jackrabbit had at least one.

[popsnacks2]

what was the death on jack rabbit/?!?!

[torchkit]

Someone fell out and dropped to the ground.

[popsnacks2]

okey.......wow ouch

[ronrest]

I remember Idora Park well. Growing up in Girard we went there often and sometimes took the long trip to Cedar Point.

[BigTylerAustin]

Damn it, they just don't make roller coasters like they used to anymore. =(

[JesssAndKate]

This looks awesome. Too bad I never got a chance to ride it. My mom grew up going to Idora though. It's a shame that we're losing all these parks. Kennywood's like my home though, we lose that and my life is over.

[lance5108]

thats funny. that same clip is on a roller coaster kitty ride at kingz plasa.

[lpcpower]

I rode that ride a gazillion times. I'll vouch for it.

[RyanBrownEatsPants]

i rode you a gazillion times hehe jk im JUST KIDDING REALLY I AM no need to FREAK OUT I WAS JKING REALLY REALLY REALLY hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe­he chicken

[Baroqlvr]

Great video. thanks for posting :)

[syncrest]

Park holds many memories

[couchpotatotheatre]

great video. A favorite of mine.

[edv37]

there is a rumor of this coaster coming back

[BigTylerAustin]

The ride was scrapped years ago....

[vikingjim666]

SWEET! That sucker gave me a nasty case of whiplash as a kid! They don't build them like that anymore! I miss Idora, we went for United Engineering company picnics.

[jrisener]

Nice Video!!!

Thats so bad it caught on fire!

[woodencoasterfan]

We're loosing too many of these great old parks, Idora, Conneaut Lake, and now Geauga Lake. Atleast Kennywood is still here and it looks like it's going to stay open for many, many years.

[abigllama]

amazing! thank you!

[HallForJudge]

Grew up in Y-town and worked one summer during high school at Idora Park--rode the Wildcat countless times and it was one of the best coasters out there. I worked at the Lost River, the place determined to be the start of the fire that doomed Idora for good.

[tk0173]

Great footage. I was lucky to see the coasters before they were bulldozed. If you're an Idora fan, make sure you get a copy of the film "Rediscover Idora Park". Amazing how quickly nature takes over these places. Poor Geauga Lake already looks abandoned.

[scoot1105]

Wow!! This brings back some great memories. I remember when we would go to Idora Park at least twice every summer until it closed. Thanks for posting this!!!

[bracemaker]

Thanks, I had forgotten how much fun it was. We had a jewel in our own back yard and we let them take it away.

[wideawakeinotown]

i've heard a lot about this coaster although never got to ride. it's so great that we have youtube now to remember old rides like this and old favorites that are just memories, such a great thing and thanks for posting. now if i could just find clips of the big dipper at springlake in ok city and the big bend at six flags over texas.

[gobiesgirl]

Man this brings back memories. I went there as a kid and I took my kids there. Wildcat was my first coaster, too. My cousin bribed me with ice cream before I finally agreed to ride it at age 11.

[YogaNate79]

Idora Park is like the Titanic on the bottom of the ocean floor. Forever no more.

[xBILLET2012x]

i only hard stories about this rollar coaster im actually a few minuits from the used to be idora park i heard it was one of the ten in the country because of the all wood its a shame that kids in my generation wont be able to viw this park and enjoy it

[mhvoivod]

The Idora coasters are what made me a lifelong coaster enthusiast. I first rode the Wildcat with my dad in either 1973 or 74. I remember asking him to hold me, which he did, until it was time for HIM to hold on for dear life. I remember how intense it was and I rode it many times since, up until 1983. If the Wildcat survived today, there is no doubt it would be my #1 wooden ride.

[TabbyJ474]

My first coaster, what memories! It took a long time for me to finally get up the nerve to ride it! We used to go every summer with my uncle.

Thanks for posting this!

[tastyjeffstuff]

so sad. what other coasters they got there? anyone know?

[ytownteddy]

Great coaster. Got about a two foot piece of it that was laying in the weeds over the holidays when I walked through what used to be Idora. Still has alot of the yellow paint on it. Don't have any idea what I'm ever gonna do with it, but oh well.

[myPETsnailFRED]

wow that looks dangerous

[stell4ever]

Then, when it burned down, I remember watching the news, and the person they interviewed noted that they knew exactly when they heard the "explosion" because they were just getting ready to watch wrestling. CLassic Youngstown...telling time by TV> :-)

My brothers and I still mimic that interview to this day. "Well, it must have been about 5 o'clock, cause we was jus'sittin'down to watch wrestling"...Good times! I loved that park.

[FireGlo360]

Someone has selective memory. There was no "explosion"...a welder working on the Lost River left his torch on, and it simply ignited the wooden structure. This happened sometime between 11:00 am and 12 noon. I don't know of any TV stations running wrestling at that hour...maybe a cable station, but it still seems like a stretch to me.

[stell4ever]

I do remember the Lordstown picnics! And then as the economy sagged..the "Ridora" bracelets that let you ride all day long for a dollar on Tuesdays. We would only ride the wildcat..stand in line..ride and scream...run back to the end of the line. I loved that ride!

[Pugmomtammy]

Excellent video of the WC! I assume you held the camera yourself? I never could keep my hands up past the first hill. When you came up that second big hill and went around the bend, you were banking to the left, then had a sudden jerk to the right while going downhill. That thing really threw you around. If it were still open, I think it would still be one of the best coasters in the country. I rode it 47 times in a row one year. I loved that ride! Thanks for sharing!

[Youngstown529]

My first coaster! Anyone remember the Lordstown/GM employee picnics there every summer?

[token223]

Weak.

[koenie12345]

this movie is a real rare

[verathewaitress]

Is there one straight section of track that is tilted to the right at a steep angle-- scary as hell!  What is it?

[FireGlo360]

The section you're thinking of starts at about 0:46 of this film.

[cannibalonXthedead]

@verathewaitress it was put there on purpose. It's supposed to give you the illusion that the structure had partially collapsed! it was a neat touch.

[chrisperl1]

I lived in Yongstown and been to Idora many of times- was there when it burned. It was a great park!

[GuitarySRbf666]

you can operate on 3 g's on todays standards. the phantom's revenge at kennywood has 3.5 at one point

[auntiem4cabs]

I loved Idora park. My cousin and I worked there for a summer and part of the next. Awesome times!! Remember, Dawna...all the good times at Idora Park, just for the fun of it, get out in the sun of it...Idora Park!! I'll never forget it, thanks for sharing the memories!!!

[tim2naples]

The Wildcat had a "LIFE" of noise & clackety clack & Wild Screams from the girls and guys riding it over and over. What the video can't duplicate is the feeling of the speed & the effects of gravity smashing you against the side of the car & then lifting you out of your seat on the dips and angled track sections while you smelled the oil/grease of the rails/chain drive and the excited Riders' perfumes & reactions to the Wildcat's thrilling ROAR and whooosh to your final jerking stop...

[jburd2587]

Oh! How I loved to ride the Wildcat. I remember feeling like I had wiplash everytime. This video brought back fine memories I can Still smell the food and remember the bees buzzing around.

Who remembers the Lost River?

[mhvoivod]

I loved the Lost River. It's funny how you remembered the smells and the bees- I thought I was the only one. The Lost River smell was an unbeatable combo of stagnant water with a touch of urine (security wasn't a factor back then during the dark, long tunneled portion). I remember the Wildcat smell as well, a mixture of wood and grease. I wish that was sold as an air freshener. And I remember the smell underneath the Rockets- cotton candy, french fries, and grease.

[1969cook]

I only got to ride it once - what a rush! I'll never forget the day the park had the big fire - my dad was a fire chief in the city and got the call at home - I went down with him - I sat in the truck near the midway and watched the fire and cried. Thanks for the memories!

[FireGlo360]

The day of the fire I saw the smoke plume in the air, and somehow I just instinctively knew what it was. I drove to Idora, to a scene of chaos...fire hoses everywhere. I saw the manager, Pat Duffy (whom I knew because I'd worked there as a lad), and he had tears in his eyes. An incredibly sad day. I have so many great memories of Idora too...even working there during a long hot summer didn't kill it for me. It was a magical place...I still sometimes dream I'm walking around in the Penny Arcade.

[seemac75]

I used to ride the Wildcat as a child. It was so scary but very thrilling. The childhood excitement came rushing back watching this video. Thank you for posting it. Indeed, it is very sad that it is now gone.

[Lellis819]

Been there Done that and so brought back many memories.........it was practically new when my gand and I went. 5 ten cent tickets!!! 25cent parking!!! Loved it! TYVM for the ride!

[ptcfan]

Great footage!  That coaster looks absolutely amazing. I wish I would have had the opportunity to give her a spin.

[limenlimpidgreen]

What is it about this place? I wasn't even born when it closed and I keep looking at the pictures and watching the videos. I'm happy that this one has sound. :)

[4511point21]

It's sad that Youngstown lost that park

[telewackster]

Marylou's mom said when it first opened a bunch of people got stuck standing near the entrance when it rained and a bunch of snakes(from the surrounding park of lakes,waterfalls ,hiking trails and 31 miles of roads)came up on the pavement and scared the hell out of the people.Panick ,running, screaming.Steven King would have been delighted.

[LOTGK]

Most excellent. I remember the Wild Cat and Idora Park. Fantastic coaster. It was rated in the top 10 for coasters in 1984.

[tikihead007]

dang that seems really fast

[ADDSL9]

a lot of good times at Idora Park. Also a lot of bad times, especially when a sig 12 was called.

[losky1]

Thanks for the ride, I am not from the area but have been viewing the clips here and it's so sad to see a beautiful bright yellow coaster come to such a demise!

[bucknut81]

Really wish I had gotten to ride it.:(

[rara71]

wow great video, thanks for sharing!!! I grew up in that park. what a sad situation that turned out to be.

[CoasterManiac60]

HOW DID YOU GET THE SOUND

[swampfoxer]

It came with the video. :)

[CoasterManiac60]

it just seemed lika an old video camera that id didnt have sound

[whattheheck1000]

@CoasterManiac60 Well this had to be pre-1984, and I think they invented sound video cameras in the late 1970s or early 1980s. I'd date this to 1980-1983 sometime.