Wild One's Giant Coaster Ride History

[@uniknot]

Paragon Park was an awesome place! I went there every summer with camp (sometimes twice) in the 50's and 60's. I loved this coaster!

[@SteveO3232]

I live in MD and have been riding the wild one ever since I was a kid and through all the park name changes; wild world, adventure world, and 6 flags, it still is one of the best rides I have ever been on.

[@patrickdrum609]

My home park is six flags america. I ride this coaster frequently when i can. It is a rather fun ride and it is cool knowing it is over 100 years old! Great Video

[@tc4sure]

I moved to Hull, MA early in 1981. My first ride on this Amazing Coaster was that summer on a Fine, sunny day with the breakers lapping the beach and Cohassett rocks shimmering in the heat. The music was playing on the light breeze while we were climbing up the big drop. Caught up with the majestic view of the Boston skyline in the distance, I began to wave my arms, over my head as the fun folks in front of me were doing in time to the music. When we started down that incredibly steep drop, I literally in mid air out of the car. The car dropped out from under me the safety bar was down at my knees, I pulled myself back in and maintained a death grip for the rest of the ride. That first Drop! Never had the nerve to go hands free again. Now I know where to find this awesome ride the next time I'm down DC way! Thanks for the memory!

[@cornellstephenson2946]

I live about 10 minutes from this coaster and ride it throughout each summer. Certainly, the fans of this ride are thrilled to still have it around.

[@ItsSiebay]

Wild One was the second adult coaster I've ever ridden and I absolutely love it. As old as it is, it's still smooth and exciting. You simply can't visit Six Flags without hitting it up.

[@Paneeks1960]

I remember they used to bill the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park the world's largest coaster. They used to advertise it on match book covers. This was one heck of a ride in the seventies. Especially after a good rain when the friction of the tracks was lower. I always ran for the back seat. Night riding was the best. It was sad to see it taken down in Hull. But it was less painful to see it go after hearing that it being rebuilt in Maryland. Thanks for the super bio~ Rob/Boston

[@gus1138]

It was the tallest until the 110-foot high Six Flags Atlanta, Great American Scream Machine beat it, back in the mid 1970's. And at 4400 feet in track length, it was a pretty long track for that time period.

[@jamesshapiro5408]

I can remember riding the coaster at Paragon Park, MA when I was a kid, late 50's early 60's until it burned down in '63. Great ride then still good today.

[@bbrown7395]

This was my first "big" coaster in the early 60's when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I would look at it every time I was at Paragon Park but would be too scared to ride. Finally one day I summoned the courage to finally ride and loved it. I have loved roller coasters ever since! I'm glad some form of it still lives on today.

[@mightycreatesplanco5064]

Ive ridden it and its a little bumpy but a lovable bumpy and provides great air time

[@paulsurette5828]

I rode this coaster at Paragon back in 1974. I will take a trip to Maryland in a couple of years to ride it again. I was 9 when I rode it.

[@scottmello9665]

I grew up going to nantasket beach. I remember leaving the beach, we would stop the car and get out at the big turnaround and watch the coaster go by. I was young, but finally got to ride it one time right before Paragon closed. I was roughly 12 yrs old n shorter than the required height. A lil bit of my father's persuasion and i was on it, finally, after years and literally a thousand times watching it go round n round! Front row too. Its a memory ill always have. Thanks for the history on it.

[@StamfordBridge]

I’m probably the biggest fan of this history series. Loving it.

[@coastercaleb1283]

StamfordBridge Same

[@davek973]

My sister took me on this at Paragon Partk when I was just maybe at the height limit and I then got to ride it one full season before it closed. I loved this coaster and cant wait to go down to MD someday and ride the wild one!

[@coasterdaddy7123]

Wow! Thanks so much for making this video! I always knew that The Wild One was relocated, but I just never knew how much history there really is behind it! :)

[@fishsquishguy1833]

Thanks for this vid! Paragon Park was such a big part of my childhood and such a bummer when it closed. Remember every Easter Sunday afternoon when it would open and nagging our parents to drive us. Was still finding the old matchbook discount for tickets in older cars under the seats and whatnot. They always had a bucket of them on the counter at every local store. Was a great place for a young kid to hang with their friends. Swimming at Nantasket Beach, playing games at the Arcades and going on the rides when the lights came on at dusk. It’s really cool knowing that a part of the park lives on although the famous carousel still is in Hull MA. I missed the fact that I could never enjoy bringing my kids there as my first was born in 85. I hate the fact it’s gone but it leaves only good memories and it probably would be a crime filled shithole if it was still open today?

[@kearndogger]

This was my first and favorite coaster, so bummed when Paragon closed when I was 13 or 14, but I still hope to ride it again in MD one day

[@bluethunder250]

I rode this once in 2010 and once was enough. I'll never forget the feeling of going down those first two drops.

[@suxtubeyou]

I rode this coaster before Paragon Park closed in 1984. All I could think about was how old and rickety it was. 😱

[@mdemers767]

I grew up in a suburb of Boston, and going to Nantasket Beach every summer was a treat, but never as big a treat as when I got to go into Paragon Park in the late 70's and early 80's. Unfortunately, I never got to ride the Giant before the park closed in 84, which literally broke my heart. But in 85 my family moved from Boston to Northern Virginia, so Wild World was only like 45 minutes away, and I got to ride the coaster when it was rebuilt a couple years later as The Wild One. That TV commercial was straight out of my brain. Since I never got to ride The Giant, I don't have anything to compare it to, but my mom said it wasn't quite as good after they moved it, because they added seatbelts and a seat divider to the cars, whereas they only had the lap bar when it was at Paragon Park in Hull, MA, and she said it was a much more thrilling ride because you really felt like you were about to fly right out of the car. Plus she said that oddly, the addition of the full helix at the end of the ride somehow subtracted something from the experience, and that the simple 270 turn that kind of jerked you around back into the stationhouse was more satisfying.

[@StamfordBridge]

So much great research and amazing footage here. This is excellent. Thank you!

[@JasmineDreams]

Thanks for watching! And for the kind comments :)

[@StamfordBridge]

My guess on the trio is the Crystal Beach Cyclone, the Revere Beach Lightning, and the Palisades Cyclone - all Harry Traver creations. However, you’ve already done a piece on the first of those three so I’m not really sure.

[@arkitect156]

I love this I slightly reminds me.of the hersheypark comet or at.least the first drop on the latest version its really fun

[@Dsmithofficial]

I am proud to say, I have ridden this coaster!

[@gwuannapolis]

My son and I have ridden the "Wild One" at Six Flags in Bowie. It was very fun to ride such a nostalgic roller coaster!

[@johnfoltz8183]

It's amazing that a troubled park (Wild World) was able to not only move the Giant Coaster, but rebuild it with its former helix in the 1980s. Wild World would continue to suffer as a park with decreased attandance until it was bought out by Premier Parks in 1992 which would be renamed Adventure World.

[@michaezell4607]

And after premier parks aqquired six flags that's when the park started to go downhill. I stopped going there in 06 when yet another stupid waterslide was announced for the 07 season and started going to KD instead. Unfortunately it seems that cedar fair has taken the same route in recent years with KD that SFI took with SFA as KD now only gets mostly kiddie rides and waterpark expansions every few years at best.

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

I remember riding this coaster when it opened at Wild World and it still had the flywheel belt drive system. Man what an incredible ride it was. I will have to get back again someday to ride it once more. Thanks for posting this video.

[@JohnnyAngel8]

Paragon Park was a yearly outing when I was young. Around 1970, I was finally tall enough to ride the coaster and my brother-in-law took me. I rode it many times in the "Comet" cars. My last ride was about 1983 with a couple of friends from work. Always a blast. Hope to ride it again some day in Maryland.

[@MrSheazo2k]

This was my first coaster I believe around 1976 I was 8 or 9 my friends and I rode it till it closed in 1984 oh how I miss Paragon park those were the days

[@tammyariel2982]

I love this ride and I think it’s interesting how many little kids get on it! It’s a great ride for families

[@surfitli]

Great video. I guessing the 3 coasters are Jackrabbit, Thunderbolt, and Racer at Kennywood.

[@StamfordBridge]

surfitli That’s a good guess.

[@JasmineDreams]

StamfordBridge I’ll second that thought 👍🏽

[@Chesapeakecreeker88]

Home park just went there today for my daughters bday and road this , roar , and the new one firebird . Wild one still my favorite first coaster when I was a kid too now when I’m 30 awesome video

[@themeparknewengland7909]

I grew up in Boston and Paragon Park was only 20 mins from my house and my family was always at the park riding this coaster. back than i was a kid. I. Have not rode it when it was up here but I rode this coaster at Six Flags America its Amazon my family rode it at Paragon Park. And I rode it at Six Flags America amd my family love this classic coaster and this ride will always going to be in my family history

[@jackkilman8726]

From the few pictures I've been able to find, the original John Miller design bore very little resemblance to the Herb Schmeck redesign. I think the only reason they aren't considered two different coasters is that the name wasn't changed at the time.

[@glenpolen5562]

I enjoyed this video . Thank you for your knowledge. The speaker has a beautiful voice.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

This coaster looked huge back then compared to now

[@theunknown0887]

I rode this about 2 weeks ago and it was my first time riding a coaster in 2 years and it was nonstop ejector airtime the whole ride and I went back for rerides that day and got even better airtime and it’s now my favorite wood coaster

[@machoninny2960]

Remember it fondly in the 60's and 70's.

[@jeffreydahlen2178]

Rode the original coaster at Paragon Park when I was a kid . My brother took me to the park and was egging me on about riding it . I did , and boy , I wanted to ride it again and again to the point that my brother was all tuckered out and said we have to leave and go home because HE was Spent ! Needless to say it was the best time of my young life .👀 Never threw up on it though .

[@51gary51]

Great old footage! Thanks!

[@Kramakiss]

Well done guys! These mini-documentary videos are great! Well written and edited.

[@gwuannapolis]

It was my first wooden roller coaster and it was fun! Lots of air time and very bumpy too!

[@arthurmilmore7685]

there is still some of the original ride left the big hill has some of the red cedar hartwood left from 1917 it was stripped and was as good as the day it waaaaas cut and reused. i worked at paragon and had been on it over 1000 timed and 40 times in maryland the big hill was raised from 93 to 98 ft and its now 8 mph faster 66 mph vs 58 at paragon. i walked the track twice and took photos of it in both locations they are spectacular art milmore

[@daneu6495]

It's the 3 giant arrow loopers (Shockwave, Great American Scream Machine, Viper)

[@JasmineDreams]

RMC Obsesee 🤔 I like this guess 👌🏽

[@dancerjim]

Rode it at Paragon, and then again at Wild world. Excellent ride. Nice video.

[@yakamarezlife]

ha love big John stud in the commercial

[@paulgreen6921]

YES! I rode it several times decades ago at its present location. I most remember that it was a kinda “Bone Cracker” though the helix was the coolest part. You know? PWG

[@eddiecoasterfan3524]

I love this coaster

[@kylebertulli4435]

Thanks for posting this!

[@liambrake]

Excellent Video!

[@Kaistar19]

Wild one is one of my favorite rides at Six Flags America my favorite is Superman I’m glad to know more about Wild One/ Giant Coaster and even if there is nothing left of the Giant Coaster the spirit is the same.

[@gus1138]

I rode it at Paragon Park, in the 70's and 80's. It appears they've taken some of the wild ride in the re-tracking, but I'd like to get down there, one of these days, and ride it again! We were really fortunate one night, when rain was threatening, which kept the crowds away, letting us hope off and right back on all night (best time to ride)! we ended up riding it 64 times, that magical night.

[@Mike-ky9jz]

I would have preferred this ride in its original double out and back design....all those double downs would have been amazing.

[@edwardmcdevitt790]

Yes, yes, and YES! Geauga Lake had an awesome double down on its' 4th hill. They flattened it out in the '84 renovation. What a disaster. A bigger disaster was the tearing down of a John Miller classic airtime-filled wooden beauty of a coaster. RIP Sky Rocket aka: Clipper and lastly, Big Dipper. I rode every single name on this coaster. The beautiful reflections of neon lights on the NAD trains at night was simply stunning!!!

[@Ihatethoosies]

I never hear good things about Six Flags American so I've never visited but I think I might give it chance mainly because I love classic rides and Wild One looks like a great classic wooden coaster.

[@gus1138]

I'm glad it's still around, but they've taken the wild out of it with the trimming they've done to it, from back when I rode it back at Paragon Park. It was even pretty much still as it was when it was moved to Wild World, and even when it became Six Flags. Somewhere after that is when the alterations took place. You can see the differences if you watch the Paragon Park video, the Wild World video, and then the more recent Six Flags videos. The obvious changes are taking some of the steepness as well as the length of the first drop, eliminating the last hill before the turnaround hill, and taking the drop out of the turnaround curve. Resulting in no more Wild, in the Wild One! 😥

[@danno1966]

I rode this coaster many times when I was a kid and. Several times before and go to ride it the night before the Park closed

[@urbex_coasters]

I was there when it was dedicated an ACE coaster landmark in 2018. I wish it still had buzbars (say, maybe some trains in Witchatah that have been sitting abandoned since 2006 could use a new home, as could the classic station and breaking system so it could have a more classic feel) but it's still a great ride.

[@michaezell4607]

It couldn't safely operate two trains due to the skid braking system so the addition of the new trains in 99 helped to improve capacity.

[@urbex_coasters]

@@michaezell4607 Understandable how that could work, although there's an easy way to avoid that, don't stack and have one train go on the drop when the other is in loading, there's enough time to dispatch before the other train returns.

[@AirtimeThrills]

So many park fires back then...that doesnt happen anymore. Europa Park: hold my beer

[@FearTheWeird300]

Green streak, never forget

[@thallium521]

I use to work at Wild World as a teen. I tried to break the record one night at an employee party but those hot dogs I had eaten earlier did not agree after riding the Wild One more than 14 times in a row. There were also rumors the coaster was haunted and that it had burned down before. Now I know the true history.

[@gus1138]

One-night it was really foggy, and it had rained earlier that afternoon, limiting the crowds that night. So, me and my buddies got our Bargain Day passes that Paragon Park offered at the last month of Summer, which allowed unlimited rides, and believe me, we took advantage of that. We rode that coaster all night, as there was almost no one in line, waiting to go on. We ended up riding it 64 times that night. And it ended being the best rides I ever had on that coaster, as the extra rush of riding in the night with heavy fog mixed in, gave each ride an added feeling of being so out of control, not knowing where you were on the coaster. It's so vividly implanted into my memory that I remember it like it was yesterday. The next year they changed the Bargain Day passes were still unlimited on every ride except the coaster! You still got a bargain but had to pay half of usual ticket amount for each ride on the coaster. So, no more freewheeling, but that night was so out of the ordinary, it had never happened to me before. Even though the usual wait in line wasn't more than 4 or 5 train trips, I think that was because it was pretty intimidating looking, limiting the amount of riders, and the coaster entrance being right at the entrance to the park, didn't help. LOL!😁😆

[@coasterkid-wo7jo]

Hull mass is my home town

[@gordonwoodman4536]

I remember going there with my parents

[@edwardmcdevitt790]

I had the privy to ride the Wild One before they altered the first drop. I rode it when the first drop went all the way to the ground, parallel to the return track to the station. My question is, "Why did they shorten the first drop?". I don't think it was a maintenance problem so, I'm perplexed by their decision to do such a thing!

[@arthurmilmore7685]

rode it over 1000 times over the yeRS AND WORKED FOR THE PARK IN 63,BUT NOT ON THE COATER. WAS TOO YOUNG TO RUN A RIDE.RODE IT 20 TIIMES IN MARYLAND

[@BackSeatJunkie]

"a wooden sit down coaster" hahaha

[@roseprevost8081]

SFA is my home park, and I've ridden the Wild One MANY times. It was supposedly a favorite of the young Kennedys. The old girl's still going strong!

[@linatortorella5424]

THE KENNEDYS!?? Who gives af about them... This is about Paragon Park's wooden Coaster & great time w/even more history than mentioned here. Believe it it not, name lapper: very little in Massachusetts has anything at all to do w/that loser & thieving family!!

[@roseprevost8081]

@@linatortorella5424 It's part of the ride's history. You don't have to like it, and you obviously don't. That's OK, We're all a bit crazy right now. Some more than others, I guess.

[@brian31f]

I got to ride it in the 1990s before six flags with out the trim brakes and trains with buzz bars

[@JSInOrbit]

Next video feats Jack rabbit and dorney coaster although there were 3 ptc Jack rabbits for the early 1920s. So looks like wild one has one helix but did you say it was a double at one point before the fire? .

[@Cccoast]

Love thisssss

[@negativefloof5033]

Jack Rabbit, Racer, Thunderbolt (pippin)

[@overbanked]

I wanted to like this coaster at SFA, but I did not get a good ride on it.

[@michaelagati9400]

I rode this roller coaster about 30 times in one day me and my buddy Ronnie my father gave the guy Running the roller coaster $20 bill and said let the kids ride we rode all day

[@steelforce]

Great job on the video, I would have included a link on my Wild One facebook page if there wasn't all that rule breaking on ride video towards the end of the video :(

[@calzatt5484]

Hi

[@calzatt5484]

Is Yukon striker being destroyed?

[@calzatt5484]

Mr. Roller Coasters but on Yukon striker it said deconstruction so isn’t it being destroyed

[@arthurmilmore7685]

under measurement the height of the track to the ground at paragon is 93 ft. if you count the rails its only 96 ft. its 98 ft now because charlie dinn jacked it up slightly when he rebuilt it. the coaster was at 58 miles per hour at paragon,but feels faster today in its new home. i went on it 40 times in 2 days and walked the track as well as at paragon. i found pictures of the old burnt down helix that i'd been on and gave him the idea to duplicte on the reconstrucled. some of the wood from 1917 was reused-red cedar hart-wood-as after a bath in paint remover was as good as the day it was cut. this is in the highest part of the lift hill art milmore former paragon park worker

[@zacharylunsford2]

Can you do history of B. A. Schiff Wild Mouse coasters?

[@davidfahey5068]

Ok

[@brianhartman2960]

such a great coaster...its a shame it's in the hands of a Six Flags park now..

[@StamfordBridge]

OK, I’m quite intrigued by the “Smithsonian Institution’s Top Ten Coasters” list at 1:43. Is/Was this a thing I’ve missed?

[@JasmineDreams]

I mentioned a Smithsonian rep visit in my last video too... hm, weird coincidence... maybe there's a future video on this topic coming...??? ;)

[@johnfoltz8183]

I think the Smithsonian too coaster list was from the 1970s when Wooden roller coasters were making a comeback.

[@Usercantwelve]

My First )

[@angelarice6248]

This coaster is ruff I am amazed its lasted this long I'm sorry its not worth riding imo its not enjoyable