The recent Humble Pie thread stirred the dim recesses and produced a vague recollection of the first rock concert I attended, HPie and Emerson, Lake and Palmer at the long gone Pirate's World located east of US1 south of Port Everglades. A cousin's high school boyfriend worked there so I managed to tag along with the older kids, my folks would not have let me near there had they known the ultimate destination. I don't recall much, I was 10, had no idea what I was hearing and besides they ditched me at the back of the crowd and told me to sit tight and they would find me later.
Pirate's World holds many memories, not only for myself but for any long time soFla resident. Came to find out that many of the attractions were second hand, a very tall scaffold tower with four baskets hauled up and down came from the '64 World's Fair. A 50 ft. motored schooner cruised through cannon fire and wooden forts with stuffed wildlife for drama. A petting zoo, log flume, flivvers on rails and the Wild Mouse; a single car roller coaster with the forward wheels mounted in the center so the front of the car went past the very tight turns before the car swung, giving the impression you were flying of the track.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwRg3vl5XzM[/ame]
If the video works about 1:50 in is a glimpse of far and away the most terrifying ride I've been on, The Steeplechase. Molded horses on a rail, at speed on an undulating track with nothing but a leather belt across the thighs. I guess people had fallen off, legend had one kid dying of a rattler bite but there was nothing to land on except metal track and limestone fill rock.
Places like that are too good to last and with Disney opening in 1971, Pirate's World gradually went under and was closed by '73 or '74.
I found a concert line up and had to share. Just some world class bands played there that I was too young to appreciate, let alone be allowed to attend. Never see the like again.
http://home.comcast.net/~gv0000/Pirates_World_Gig_List.pdf
Pirate's World holds many memories, not only for myself but for any long time soFla resident. Came to find out that many of the attractions were second hand, a very tall scaffold tower with four baskets hauled up and down came from the '64 World's Fair. A 50 ft. motored schooner cruised through cannon fire and wooden forts with stuffed wildlife for drama. A petting zoo, log flume, flivvers on rails and the Wild Mouse; a single car roller coaster with the forward wheels mounted in the center so the front of the car went past the very tight turns before the car swung, giving the impression you were flying of the track.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwRg3vl5XzM[/ame]
If the video works about 1:50 in is a glimpse of far and away the most terrifying ride I've been on, The Steeplechase. Molded horses on a rail, at speed on an undulating track with nothing but a leather belt across the thighs. I guess people had fallen off, legend had one kid dying of a rattler bite but there was nothing to land on except metal track and limestone fill rock.
Places like that are too good to last and with Disney opening in 1971, Pirate's World gradually went under and was closed by '73 or '74.
I found a concert line up and had to share. Just some world class bands played there that I was too young to appreciate, let alone be allowed to attend. Never see the like again.
http://home.comcast.net/~gv0000/Pirates_World_Gig_List.pdf
