Remembering Adventurer's Inn

Remember Adventurer's Inn? That surreal, almost dreamlike amusement park (now long gone) that still resides in the subconscious minds of many who have been there? Well, the OOBs do - and here are some remembrances culled from the Out Of Bodies archives - set in motion by Donald's dentist when he innocently commented...

"what a well done website!
a tribute to a better(?) time. does anyone remember golf city and adventurer's inn?
- toothman68

The Batman slide.

Lloyd remembers:

Adventurer's Inn was one of my favorite places in the world! My grandmother used to live in the apartment buildings right around the corner from AI, and she used to bring me there all the time. When I was in elementary school I had many a birthday party there (remember Don?!). As I got older, Adventurer's Inn grew with me! They kept expanding - from a kiddie park to a full blown amusement park (I believe they got a lot of their later attractions from New Jersey's Palisades Park, which closed around the time they expanded). Later, after High School, long after the amusement park was shut down, Don and I would go to the arcade at night and play Popeye and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom! We got so good at the Popeye Arcade Game that we could play all night long on one quarter!

The Adventurer's Inn sign that sat atop the arcade.

Donald remembers:

Although the rides and restaurant closed around 1978 or so, the arcade remained open for at least another 10 years or so, I believe - and even though the concrete landing at the top of the arcade entrance way was sinking, and the circular mosaic design of the Adventurer's Inn Pirate was nearly obscured in a perpetual puddle of water - I can still remember visiting this place with fondness. I do actually recall at least one of Lloyd's birthday parties there, when the park and the rides were open - and regarding Lloyd as some type of celebrity. But the longest amount of time I've spent there in one stretch was in 1985 when the union at the company I had just started working for went on strike for three long months. I couldn't have been too worried... Instead of walking picket lines I spent much of that time plunking quarters at the arcade, being I lived just moments away in College Point. By the end of the strike I was a Popeye/Indiana Jones Master. I also vividly recall (much to my horror) one of the long term employees at the arcade who you'd get your quarters from. Lloyd and I nicknamed him "Quasi" (for his uncanny resemblance to Quasimoto). With his change belt straining around his enormous girth, Quasi would be the guy we'd have to contend with before playing our favorite video games. With our hands extended we'd patiently wait - as he'd pinch out one quarter at a time. This up close encounter was horrifying. Quasi's one eye would leer down at his belt, while the other was fixed on us. He would never speak, but his breathing would be loud and laborious. It took us every ounce of courage not to forget the whole deal and bolt for the doors.

The "Fligth To Mars" ride. Perhaps even more frightening than the ride itself, is the fact that someone spelled "flight" wrong - and then decided to just leave it like that.

Joe remembers:

Yeah, Adventurer's Inn was quite a place in the mid seventies, and you guys are right, it started to go downhill from there. Many of the rides, as Lloyd states, were leftovers from Palisades Park, but some were also from Coney Island and the garbage cans around the place were from the 1964 World's Fair, right down the road in fact!! I remember in it's later incarnation as an arcade, walking through with friends dressed in full ape make up and freaking out all the little kids!!!! The bad thing I remember is that giant cat-sized rats use to chase us back to the car when we left. Not fun!!! Regards to my old friend and fellow film guy Lloyd Goldfine, who, as a young zombie tried to kill me!!!

The bumper car ride - just before the bulldozer.

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