FOREST PARK HIGHLANDS Amusement Park roller coaster St Louis

If you grew up in or near St Louis, MO prior to 1963, you probably went to Forest Park Highlands Amusement Park. You also remember the great COMET roller coaster, and maybe the FLYING TURNS, both which are seen in this video clip. Tragedy hit the park though in July 1963 when a massive fire destroyed most of the park. Although the Comet survived, the park was too far gone to rebuild. This was the end for the Highlands, as it was known to the locals.
Flying Turns photo Conrad Berry. And a special thanks to Forest Park Highlands guru Doug Garner for additional photos and video. Buy his Forest Park Highlands book! You won't be disappointed! visit www.forestparkhighlands.com

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• St
• Louis
• Missouri
• Forest
• Park
• Highlands
• Amusement
• roller
• coaster
• wooden
• Comet
• Doug
• Garner
• book
• historical

[Hiddai13]

I loved the carousel. I stood in my second floor apartment and watched it burn. I was 7.

[oceantracks]

We had our school picnics there too! This is great footage...can even see the bobsled track in there! Great great memories and wonderful times. And the best walking spookhouse ever! Anyone remember the tilted room at the end of that?

[sonnyy37]

I'll never forget the shool picnics we had at the "Highlands" every year! We certainly did look forward to them. I am now almost 74 and this sure does bring back great memories. I rode the Comet many times during those years along with the Flying Turns and other rides. Thanks for the memories!

[taroman7100]

Thanks a lot for sharing this. What an incredible time we had back then. My father used to use the underground highway crossover from Kings Highway. Many bumbs--what my Dad called them--used it as a latrine. I remember the strong smell of urine and my Dad telling me to hold my nose "p--u." Fond memories forever. thanks!

[cozmcdust8]

Great video, thanks for the memories.

[JhonathanFree]

Looks like insurance fraud to me.

[dudleyanne]

some time ago,i too thought the cars from FPH,but in doing research on my book of the same name/park,i found out the Paragon cars were actually from SALSBURY BEACH.The FPH cars all three,had tapered fronts. one survives and its rusting away in a warehouse in Eureka,Mo.Doug

[RingneckDoveFan]

The Comet's carts were actually sent to be used at the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park. lol Some people actually think the Greater Coaster's name was The Comet, but they don't understand.

Do we know what caused the fire?

[vitameat]

The swimming pool survived the fire and was open days later, but it was shut down in the fall of 1964....needed to be rebuilt, but too expensive.

[FoPo4]

The Highlands name lives on, but I doubt many these days understand the connection.

Main road into Forest Park Community College is Highlander Drive. Its athletic teams are called the Forest Park Highlanders.

The Highlanders baseball team played across hwy 40 in Forest Park, location of the 1904 World's Fair and on a field called Aviation Field, that had been an airport in the early 1920s. Watching baseball there, one could easily imagine the ghost of Lindy coming in from the clouds.