"Little-Known" Attractions in Lynchburg and Centra
Posted: February 9th, 2006, 9:03 pm
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Riverview Amusement Park
Little do most area residents realize that Lynchburg once had its very own amusement park. Some said that, due to its construction on land sacred to the Native American Monocan tribe, Riverview Amusement Park was never meant to be. Despite an outcry at the time of its construction, the park was built on a bluff in Madison Heights formerly belonging to the Monacan tribe and overlooking the James River. The park was a sister park to Salem's popular Lakeside Amusement Park which, after years of providing thrills and chills to old and young alike, was destroyed by the flood of 1985. Unlike Lakeside, Riverview Amusement Park would have a profoundly shorter life span. Riverview had opened on the evening of June 16, 1963 to a tremendous crowd, and festivities were in full swing when suddenly the huge Ferris Wheel, fully loaded with riders, detached from its mounts and began rolling through the park. Some onlookers watched in horror and others ran for their lives to dodge the out-of-control wheel as it continued rolling through and out of the park, continuing several hundred feet where it then crashed through the fence at a neighboring power substation. Sparks exploded into the night sky as the wheel made contact with high voltage transformers, instantly shutting off all power to the park and simultaneously electrocuting all riders who had been unable to free themselves from their seat harnesses. Forty-six people died as a result of the tragic mishap, and the following day, county officials closed and condemned the park. One survivor of the nightmarish Ferris Wheel ride commented to the local press following the accident, "It's a real shame about the accident, but that wheel gave me the ride of my life." No traces remain today of Riverview Amusement Park on the bluff above the James, but a small commemorative plaque was erected in the late 1970's on the site, which is now occupied by a sign company.
Hold My Own wrote:I've been doing a lot of checking on some of these....1st that war soldier never was missing....2nd no B-52 could ever land at Falwell (small jets cant even land there) and 3rd Babe Ruth never played in LynchburgUmm, actually Babe Ruth did play in Lynchburg, back when the team was known as the Mets or something...or at least thats what I get told every season I work at the Hillcats by the 80 year old ushers.