New Jersey’s Action Park, once known as the ‘world’s most dangerous’ theme park, reopens

Popular New Jersey destination Action Park was dubbed both "Traction Park" and "Class Action Park" before it closed its doors 1996.

At one point in its terrifying history, there were 110 reported injuries in a single season at the 35-acre park.

Visitors claimed the pools were too shallow for diving. One person was electrocuted on a kayak ride. And the Alpine Slide, the park's notoriously dangerous slide, hurtled fun-seekers down a concrete track in a car with just a hand brake, often resulting in painful crashes.

In total, six people died at the park. Lawsuit after lawsuit was filed. The park filed for bankruptcy and had to close.

It was reopened as Mountain Creek Waterpark two years later, under new ownership.

But when a nostalgic video about Action Park (see below) went viral, Andy Mulvihill, the park's founder's son, decided to reopen the site under the same name, even reopening some of the same rides — this time, upgraded to meet certain safety standards.

The dangerous Cannonball Loop was replaced with a similar, but safer, waterside: The Zero-G.

The most significant difference between the two scary-drop rides? "The Cannonball Loop was probably designed on a napkin," resort CEO Bill Benneyan told NJ.com.

"The overall conclusion that the people who went to Action Park have is that it was a phenomenal place," Mulvihill told the New York Post.

"I don’t get approached by people telling me what a terrible place it was. The strength of that passion far outweighed the negative things."

Mulvihill insists that the thrills are the same, but the risks aren't:

"The world’s changed," he said. "I refuse to be involved in any rides where anybody can get hurt."

Would you dare to visit?

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