A relived memory of my childhood

I've spend the past couple of hours going through Wikipedia... somehow I got involved with the history of NJ, states, governors, where i've lived, my schools, etc. Then I found some interesting stuff about some of the old theme parks that were in the area.

Kid's World in Long Branch, New Jersey.... in the early 80's it was like THE place (next to Great Adventure, of course.) We had closer amusement parks like Keansburg (which is still like one of the only parks still in existence.) I vaguely remember the times I went to Kid's World with various cousins, aunts, uncles, and my mom, dad, and sister.

I only really remember certain things since I was only 5 or 6 at the time... but they're pretty clear...

I remember the Haunted Mansion... probably the creepiest one i've ever been in. I remember walking up a ramp in a small room... some glass floor... a jail cell... and being scared shitless by both the creepy stuff in the rooms... and my dad. x_x (mostly by the fact that he was making scary noises.)

Other stuff I can recall from Kid's World... I remember playing games there... like they had this one with Sesame Street character's on my computer (probably one of my earliest comp experiences, next to LOGO.)

I remember the ball crawl they had... really cool stuff with jets that made the balls seem like they were floating. They also had Rollerracers which were like brand new at the time. In addition I remember my sister trying out the Action Park Go-Karts somewhere nearby. Action Park was another "infamous" theme park... Great waterpark fun, but it had it's fill of fatalities which resulted in it's eventual bankruptcy. It exists now as Mountain Creek (kind of a play on words since it was also where Vernon Valley/Great Gorge exists... get it... Mountains in the Winter, Creeks in the Summer? Meh. I still haven't been to this new park since AP closed in 1996.)

I also remember a cool type of radio controlled area where you can put a quarter into a device attached to a steering wheel and control RC Cars and also Boats for a certain amount of time.

Lastly, I remember being scared (probably mostly in part due to the haunted mansion) by the large costumed characters in the park... mainly Kermit the Frog and Do-Bee from Romper Room and Friends.

Of course in 1987 the most horriffic sight was to be seen... seeing this picture today brought back some bad memories


I remember my mom showing me the paper that morning. It was horrible.... The biggest fire in the history of Long Branch claimed a staple in my (and more than likely hundreds of others) childhoods that day. Apparently faulty wiring plus a gas leak from the local McDonalds were the cause that started this horrific fire. Years later I could've sworn I saw ads for a returning Kid's World... one that seemed more modernized for the upcoming 90's decade. Unfortunately the former owner of Kid's World didn't have the necessary funds to build his new theme park, and the pier where it once stood became home to condos and fancy restaurants. Supposedly they plan on building a new pier nearby with some of the usual beach and food kind of stuff... no word on if it will include an amusement park of sorts yet.