Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Waldameer Park 2004

Since 2004, they've lost the "Park" portion of their name and gained a new logo. But don't let that old school look fool you. The Waldameer [Park] of 2004 was no slouch when it came to new thrills.

While the year of this brochure is not explicitly printed anywhere, I was told it was from 2004 by the person who gave it to me. And let's just say he would know! This was the "year of the dragon" in Erie, Pennsylvania. Not to be confused with its distant cousin in Japan, Waldameer's Steel Dragon arrived in the form of a Maurer Sohne spinning coaster which is featured prominently on this brochure cover.

The park's newest addition was in good company among its stellar selection of existing rides. And let's not forget about Water World. For a small, family-owned park, Waldameer has quite an impressive water park to its credit. As mentioned here, a plethora of picnic groves are also available to park patrons to complement that "good old-fashioned day at the park" vibe.

There's that Dragon, rearing its spinning head yet again. It's no hypercoaster, but it's a heck of a lot of fun and to this day it remains Waldameer's first and only major steel coaster. It truly is a great fit for the park.

Here you'll also find more details on that "quite impressive" water park. Boy, what I wouldn't give to float around that lazy river right now! Better not dwell on that wish for too long. Instead, I'll point out Waldameer's two--count 'em, TWO--classic dark rides, Pirate's Cove and Whacky Shack. Well, technically Pirate's Cove isn't a ride. It's a walk-through, and an entertaining one at that. If only there were more of these left in the world.

What makes a great park even greater? Location, location, location. And it doesn't get much better than this, folks. Waldameer is situated right along the Lake Erie shoreline, which makes for some lovely views from atop the park's taller rides. It's also conveniently located just south of the entrance to Presque Isle State Park, an added bonus which surely appeals to many patrons looking to turn their park experience into a full-blown trip.

As nice as Waldameer was in 2004, it's amazing to think about how far it has come in just six short years. Perhaps someday Steel Dragon will be joined by yet another major steel coaster.