West View Park part1

[Crottinger]

The bug cars look like the rail car slag gondolas that came out of the blast furnaces.

[Piercefire1]

Now it's a damn k-mart.

[conneautlakepark1892]

It was also known as Freight Zone

[wqcharleston]

Does anyone remember the stories or maybe they were just rumors. One was someone got murdered in Boot Hill and the other that someone got bit by a snake when the cover of the Catipillar closed? Were these just stories my parents told me because they didn't want to go on the rides or were they real

[wqcharleston]

I remember going their for my fathers company picnic (American Bridge, U.S. Steele). I remember always wanting to go on the Roc-O-Plane and was not allowed since I was only 6 or 7. Loved the haunted hauses.

[awkwarddude]

Sad and nostalgic but thank you for preserving our memories of a simpler time. Us "scattered" Pittsburghers around the country appreciate it! The North Hills and West View Park are special places in our hearts.

[patski762]

Thanks 8270laneman for posting this!! Brings back TONS of memories of my youth. I grew up about 1/4 mile from the park and spent most of the summers of my formative years there. I'm in my late 40s and was never even to Kennywood til about 5 years ago because I lived so close to West View Park. I have several pieces of wood from the dips that my dad acquired when they tore them down. It's as hard as steel, but hey always seemed like they were gonna fallapart when you rode them!

[acaskate1]

i forgot just how much fun i had at this park in the 60s and 70s. Thank you for reminding me. I felt like i was back in time. This park was my childhood every summer for school picnics i love the memories. I live in Los Angeles now and have not been back to the Burgh for awhile. THANK YOU

[cmoyerjr]

Thank you for the great memories. This film was actually 16mm and most of it was shot by my father, Chuck Moyer. It was shot to be used as a promotional piece for West View Park. Many of the shots of kids are of Bill Cardille's son, daughter, my brother, and me. My father was a director at WIIC, worked with Bill, and was the director of Studio Wrestling. Thanks again for the memories.

[pittsburgh8711]

I live like a minute away from there!! And who would ever think that a fun park would turn into a shopping center with a Giant Eagle and a K-Mart!?

[mgvita8035]

truly amazing video. wow. so many happy memories of summers at WVP. the best thing i've ever seen on youtube. thanks so much!

[joewillerols]

Excellent video! I believe that the year is 1977. From what I've read, Davy Jones Locker only existed in 1977. The ride was there before that but WVP changed the theme for 1977. Now, having said that, I am thanking you from the bottom of my heart for making an almost 50 year old man cry. It brought back some good memories. I remember the early 60s waiting for the street car at the Brookline loop for the ride to WVP. And as someone already mentioned, Thorofare Days!

[AnCraobh]

Hey, Mike. When did you work there? I was a ride operator in 1970, I think it was.

[parrotpilot]

"Thorofare days" YES

[jhn128]

I grew up in Bellevue in the 90's but always heard stories about this park. Its quite a shame I never had the chance to enjoy it. From what I've seen on this film it must have been quite pretty, and its hard to believe there was a lake!? Gosh, they really destroyed almost every trace of it after building the K mart huh... : (

[Mike8291]

Loved working there!!! Michael S.

[2Am4Sure]

Many memories from the late 1940's. So glad to see this posted

[sportsmommy33]

Ah... What a blast! Use to walk to the park almost every day in the summer...Thorofare days...Having a crush on the guys that ran the Racing Whippet...Walking from one end of the park to the other to ride the Dips...Pony rides when I was younger...My brother and his friend (now a policeman!) getting hauled off to jail whenever they were about 15 for being in the park after it closed down (they were taking pictures of themselves on some of the rides! LOL Great memories. Thanks!

[8270laneman]

Im glad you all have enjoyed it.

Please keep the comments coming.

[familybc146]

I remember the sounds of the Haunted House. And that was Chilly Billy Cardile at 4:27. No fast rides for him....his hair piece might fall off, LOL.

That was the place to for me and my friends to look for girls in the late '60's.

[dkrisek]

My Children found this for me this past Holiday season because I used to show them pictures of this place and my childhood..Hard not to cry watching this thanks so much for posting this it's great and I book marked this for me.

[writeroffthelake]

Like Conneaut Lake Park and Erieview, so sad to see 'em all gone. Thank God for these videso! Now if I could just find someone with a whole bunch of old GOTL footage I'd be in heaven. - writeroffthelake at Geneva-on-the-Lake (Ohio)

[ampledestruction]

8270laneman,

Thanks for the info. One other question that has been raised now is, what does conneaut lake park plan on doing with it? And also how and why did they acquire it? Thanks so much for the answers and great video!

[8270laneman]

ampledestruction..

The Haunted House went to Erieview Park,they closed last year,it is now in storage at Conneaut Lake park.

bmar..

The Whippet crew were the last ones to take a ride on it.

Its kinda ironic..I said lets all go for one last ride,here it was the LAST ride forever.:(

[8270laneman]

Musicangelxo I worked on the Whippet('76,'77)

Did you work on the Dips?If so,did you know Jeannie B,Vince,Michael S and David?

[musicangelxo]

Gosh, thanks so much for taking me back to the past. I worked at West View Park from 1975-77, and took the VERY last ride on the Dips. I am still friends with people I knew then! I worked many of the rides, and many of the amusements...loved every minute (mostly) of it! Thanks for sharing!

[bmar131]

The park closed Labor day 1977. My family spent the weekend there though we were more Kennywood fans tahn West View.

We were on the last trains out on the Whippets, sadly there was only a handful of people there during the closing. They kept the Dips open even after everyone left and permited re-rides. The park was in trouble and people refused to go because it was drawing in the wrong people and problems were numerous.

[ampledestruction]

Sorry, meant to type stored.

[ampledestruction]

What ever happened to their haunted house? Was it dismantled and stores or just torn down?

[BIGCHILL3993]

What year did West View Park Close??? ..and White Swan Park?

[CptJamestKirk1]

We used to spit on people from the alpine sky ride.

[Coriannie]

Gosh, it takes me back! Loved that Racing Whippet!!

[8270laneman]

Forgot to ask..

Do you have the Idora vid too,if not,I can post some clips from that one too.

[8270laneman]

YW Swamp...I enjoy your vids too.

Thats where I got the footage from,its my favorite too.

My name and my wifes are in the closing credits.

[swampfoxer]

Thanks for sharing. I have the VHS version of this, Wishing You Were Here, Rediscover the Excitement of West View Park by Tim Young. I think it came out in 1990. It's the same narrator and clips and it's one of my all time favorites.