Dodgem
| Type | Other |
|---|---|
| Park Section | Center |
| Built | 1922 |
| Opened | 1922 |
| Closed | 1937 (park closure) |
| Manufacturer | Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corporation |
| Architect | Miller, Baker & McKee |
| Vehicle Type | Car |
Dodgem was an amusement ride that opened at Olentangy Park in 1922.[1][2][3] It was a ride that later became known as a "bumper car" ride consisting of electrically-propelled cars that riders would ride around with the intent to dodge other cars but usually would bump them intentionally instead. It was north of the entrance to the Red Devil roller coaster. The patents for the Dodgem were secured only the season before, and the first one opened in Atlantic City. The one at Olentangy Park was the second in the country.[3] The attraction was improved in 1927[4] and in 1930, front-wheel dodgem cars were added.[5][6] The ride remained operational until the park closed in 1937. Despite being listed for sale in The Billboard,[7] it was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' new Zoo Amusement Park across from the Columbus Zoo.[8][9]
Description
The ride was described as a set of round electrically propelled cars, guided by shifting the trolley pole from one trolley wire to another, and riders could control them by turning the motor forward or backward. The cars were on coasters instead of wheels.[1]
Gallery
-
1936 photo of the Dodgem ride at Olentangy Park.
-
1936 photo of the Dodgem and Red Devil rides at Olentangy Park.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Park Opens Today." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch, April 16, 1922. Page 68.
- ↑ "New Restaurant Open." Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 4, 1922.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Olentangy Park." The News Gazette (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), 15 (27.6): 2. July 1922. Accessed through Newspapers.com https://archive.org/details/newsgazette1920000news/page/n869/
- ↑ "Amusement News." The Columbus Dispatch, April 13, 1927. Page 34.
- ↑ Cherrington, H. E. 1930. "Looking Backward at Park and Forward to Film Season." The Columbus Dispatch, November 9, 1930. Page 6-F.
- ↑ "Olentangy Receipts Almost Up to 1929." The Billboard, Vol. 42. Issue 44. November 1, 1930. Page 61. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ Advertisement, The Billboard. April 16, 1938. Page. Page 41. Accessed through the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1938-04-16_50_16/page/40
- ↑ Barret, Richard E. 1984. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1, April 1984. Page 17.
- ↑ "Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." Columbus Dispatch, June 2, 1929. Page 14-A.