Hamel's Amusement Park was one of the few amusement parks located in the state of Louisiana for more than 35 years. Located in Shreveport, it was relatively small and yet hugely popular. People from across the state would visit its giant Ferris wheel or its roller coaster. A log flume was also added later to round out the large ride attractions.
During the early years it had a train ride that covered the back end of the property, where zebras, elephants, and other zoo animals roamed. The park also hosted many musical activities and local business family day entertainment in the shaded outdoor stage area. Smaller kids enjoyed their birthday parties in the large indoor kiddie ride area, featuring The Whip and a kiddie boat ride, helicopter ride, and of course a carousel.
The midway featured rides such as the Paratrooper, the yellow and black "Yo-Yo", bumper cars, the Scrambler, Tilt-A-Whirl, "Magic Carpet" ride with more than a dozen others. Also featured was skee ball, a rifle target game (which broke down for long stretches, but was fun when it was operational) and the ubiquitous cotton candy, funnel cake, frozen ices, and hot dog vendors. A fun ride that was only allowed for adults were the go-karts on a long stretch of track.
It also featured special events throughout the 70's and 80's with everything from Spider-Man climbing the roller coaster to Star Wars Jawas signing autographs.
The park fell into hard times in the early 1990s when a tornado literally bent their Ferris wheel in half, and with the rides removed, the park served as grounds for a monthly arts and crafts exposition. Shortly thereafter, in 1999 it closed permanently. The Hamel family is one of the wealthiest and best known of Louisiana, rivaled only by The Copelands in wealth. This is an interesting site to visit in Louisiana, as the buildings still stand.
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Coordinates: 32°27′38″N 93°41′10″W / 32.46056°N 93.68611°W / 32.46056; -93.68611
Famous quotes containing the words amusement and/or park:
“Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions.... Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself what such and such an amusement leads to, as it is essential to have an objective in everything you do. Any pastime that contributes nothing to bodily strength or to mental alertness is a totally ridiculous, not to say, idiotic, pleasure.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“Is a park any better than a coal mine? What’s a mountain got that a slag pile hasn’t? What would you rather have in your garden—an almond tree or an oil well?”
—Jean Giraudoux (1882–1944)