Old Mill (ride)

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The Old Mill is a boat ride that used to be common at amusement parks from the late 1800s to around 1975. They still exist, but are becoming rarer every summer. It is a dark ride, which features a boat going through themed tunnels and drops. Two Old Mills that are still operating are the 1901 Old Mill at Kennywood in Pittsburgh and the 1929 Old Mill at Playland Park in Rye, New York.

[edit] Mill Chutes

A “Mill Chute” is a variation of the Old Mill, which featured rollercoaster-like drops at the end of the ride, in which riders got soaked!! Mill Chutes were mainly manufactured in the 1920s and 1930s, while Old Mills were mainly manufactured in the late 1800s through the 1930s. Though Old Mills feature drops, they are not close to as steep as the last drop on a Mill Chute. (Hence the name "chute" is used.) Interestingly enough, the last drop on Mill Chute rides is way steeper than its first drop: though it is customary on rollercoasters to have the steepest "first drop," water rides tend to have fiercer "last drops." The only major difference between the Old Mill and the Mill Chute is that the Mill Chute contains a drop at the end. Mill Chutes have the same-styled grottos and caverns as Old Mills do! That's why Mill Chutes and Old Mills fall under the same category.

[edit] Famous Examples

The most famous Mill Chute was arguably at Dorney Park. It was greatly designed and was called “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” The Old Mill was installed in 1927, and lasted through the 1992 season. It was rethemed to be “Journey to the Center of the Earth” in 1960 by Bill Tracy, a famous dark ride designer. New owner Cedar Fair, L.P. made the difficult decision to raze it due to poor throughput and safety and liability issues, including wanting all rides at Dorney Park where the operator could see the riders at all times, and it was a fire hazard due to it's age. Demolition pictures from 1992/1993.

In 1929, an Old Mill was installed in the recently opened Playland Park in Rye, New York. Playland Park is well known for preserving their old rides, and in order to preserve their Old Mill, they hired Sally Corporation to remodel it. Their new Old Mill was ready for the 1989 season and it combined new gags along with old charm to make a great ride. Its outer structure stayed pretty much the same. Windmill-styled Old Mill rides were once popular, but this is the last of them all. Another famous one like this was the Red Mill, which operated at Coney Island’s Luna Park in the 1920s. The Red Mill at Coney Island was removed around 1945.

Kennywood Park is a historic park in outer Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Garfield’s Nightmare” was a rethemed Old Mill from 1901. It was rethemed to be a boat ride featuring Garfield and Odie—the lovable comic strip characters. In 1956, it was made the “Around-the-World” boat ride and in 1974, it was made a western themed ride called the “Haunted Hideaway.” In 2004, it was rethemed to “Garfield’s Nightmare.” It still operates and is the world’s oldest Old Mill.

Another truly missed Old Mill was the “Mill Chute” at Hershey Park. It was installed in 1927 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and was designed by Herbert Schmeck, a famed coaster maker. In 1964, it was rethemed to the “Lost River.” Of course, it was newly designed by Bill Tracy. The Lost River was destroyed in 1972’s Hurricane Agnes, which also ruined Hershey’s famous Tumble Bug ride, installed in 1931.