Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park

"Citizen Kane does Adventureland." --The Washington Post

The outlandish, hilarious, terrifying, and almost impossible-to-believe story of the legendary, dangerous amusement park where millions were entertained and almost as many bruises were sustained, told through the eyes of the founder's son.

Often called "Accident Park," "Class Action Park," or "Traction Park," Action Park was an American icon. Entertaining more than a million people a year in the 1980s, the New Jersey-based amusement playland placed no limits on danger or fun, a monument to the anything-goes spirit of the era that left guests in control of their own adventures--sometimes with tragic results. Though it closed its doors in 1996 after nearly twenty years, it has remained a subject of constant fascination ever since, an establishment completely anathema to our modern culture of rules and safety. Action Park is the first-ever unvarnished look at the history of this DIY Disneyland, as seen through the eyes of Andy Mulvihill, the son of the park's idiosyncratic founder, Gene Mulvihill. From his early days testing precarious rides to working his way up to chief lifeguard of the infamous Wave Pool to later helping run the whole park, Andy's story is equal parts hilarious and moving, chronicling the life and death of a uniquely American attraction, a wet and wild 1980s adolescence, and a son's struggle to understand his father's quixotic quest to become the Walt Disney of New Jersey. Packing in all of the excitement of a day at Action Park, this is destined to be one of the most unforgettable memoirs of the year.

Author: Andy Mulvihill,Jake Rossen
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 06/30/2020
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.20w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780143134510


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 06/01/2020 pg. 16

About the Author
Andy Mulvihill is the son of famed Action Park founder Gene Mulvihill. In addition to testing rides, Andy worked as a lifeguard at the park before moving into a managerial role. He is currently the CEO of Crystal Springs Resort Real Estate.

Jake Rossen is a senior staff writer at Mental Floss. His byline has appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice, ESPN.com, and Wired, among others. He is also the author of Superman vs. Hollywood, examining the life of the Man of Steel from 1940s radio dramas to big-budget features.