In 1960, Ken Cormier (October 8, 1932 – January 8, 2013) and his wife Violet Cormier opened Marvel Drive-In, a drive-in restaurant. Ken’s brother-in-law, Andre Dallaire had opened a mini-golf course next to Marvel Drive-In the previous year. In 1963, Andre opened a go-kart track behind his mini golf course, and in 1964 Ken added batting cages and an archery range in 1967 behind Marvel Drive-In. Over the next few years, Cormier and Dallaire added several kiddie and carnival-style rides including SkySlides and Swinging Gyms. A gift shop was also opened.
In 1967, Cormier and Dallaire formed a partnership and established Funtown USA Over the next few years, Funtown added a Zipper, outdoor bumper cars, and a Bayern Kurve named “Luv Machine.”
In 1996, Cormier bought out the remaining Dallaire interest at the park and renamed it to Funtown Splashtown USA with the addition of a waterpark.
Featured attractions
The park features Northern New England’s tallest and longest wooden roller coaster, Excalibur, as well as New England's longest and tallest log flume, Thunder Falls. It also has a 220-foot-tall (67 m) Drop Tower called Dragon's Descent.
One of the park's most popular rides is the Astrosphere, an indoor Scrambler which features a state-of-the-art laser and light show while playing ELO's "Fire on High."[1]
The Splashtown area features Pirate's Paradise, a large interactive waterpark playground which dumps hundreds of gallons of water onto its guests every few minutes. For the 2007 season, an expansion was built that doubled the size of the waterpark and added two new thrill slides, Tornado and Mammoth. An additional expansion in 2012 added another 6 thrill slides to Splashtown.
Rail-tracked vintage Tin Lizzys chug along a center-railed paved track.
Astrosphere
Scrambler
Eli Bridge
1976
The Astrosphere is an indoor dark Scrambler ride (inside a dome) with a choreographed music and lights show; theme song is Fire On High (The Astrosphere Mix) by ELO. [2] In 2019, the Astrosphere attraction was outfitted with a new dome made out of concrete. The light and sound show was also upgraded to include new video projectors that brought back many of the original photo slides.[3]
A drop tower ride that stands 220 feet (67 m) tall. Following a brief freefall, the ride uses hydraulics to bounce riders back up and down until the carriage eventually returns to ground level.
The Grand Prix Racers are gas-powered go-karts that race along a winding paved track. An enforced limit of 2 trips per rider on this attraction is in place.
These mini copters go up-and-down by controlling the handlebars.
Less than 48-inches tall*²
Kiddie Boats
Junior sized motorboat roundabout
1976
This ride takes junior riders in small motorboats slowly around within a water-filled ring trough, with a mini lighthouse as its centerpiece.
Less than 42-in
Kiddie Bumper Boats
Junior sized bumper ring boats
1993
A junior sized bumper boats ride for younger junior riders.
Less than 48-in
Kiddie Cars
Auto Umbrella junior roundabout
Hampton
1972
A kiddy ride consisting of mini cars, trucks, buses and bikes.
Less than 48-in*³
Kiddie Swings
Junior flying swings ride
1972
Less than 48-inches
Kiddie Train
Junior tracked mini train ride
1987
This junior train ride goes through a mini town.
Merry-Go-Round
Fairground model carousel
1967
The original Merry-Go-Round had its place near the Auto Umbrella and Sock-It-To-'Em bumper cars for many years, and was enjoyed by its many fans, who were sad to see it leave after the 2012 season (as part of the Mount Olympus Water Slides expansion); the Auto Umbrella was then moved closer to the Kiddie Swings and Kiddie Copters.
Less than 48-in
Red Baron Planes
Junior biplane roundabout
1976
These biplanes look like mini replicas of warplanes, and go up-and-down by controlling the handlebars.
The Sea Dragon pirate ship ride swings its riders fore and aft.
Sock-It-To-'Em Bumper Cars
Traditional style bumper cars
Soli
1975
This is the ride that replaced the original outdoors Hydrobumpers ride (see below—Former Attractions). Familiar bumper cars inside a steel floored building with a central bumper median strip often bump-and-sock into each other.
The Wild Mouse is a steel compact coaster that winds its riders up-and-down through hairpin turns and fast drops. (Replaced the Galaxi Coaster which is now in Ecuador according to some staff at the park.)
First and only Tornado slide in Northern New England
Pirate's Paradise
Rain Fortress
2003
Branded "Portland Pirate's Paradise" from 2007-2013 through a partnership with the Portland Pirates, the local AHL affiliate
Splish tube slide (Green)
Inner Tube
WhiteWater West
1999
Replaced the Thunderbolt Water Slides
Splash tube slide (Black)
Inner Tube
WhiteWater West
1999
Replaced the Thunderbolt Water Slides
Liquid Lightning tube slide
Inner Tube
WhiteWater West
1999
Fun Lagoon
Lagoon-style pool
1999
Swimming Pool
Wading pool
1982
Expanded in 2012
Corkscrew
Mat slide
1982
Former Attractions
A car from the park's Galaxi Roller Coaster returning from the unload platform to be reloaded
Photo
Ride Name
Ride Type
Year Opened
Year Closed
Notes
Balloon Flight
Flying balloons roundabout
1984
1986
The Balloon Flight took its riders flying up-and-down for 3 years. Removed after the 1986 season to make room for the Casino Wheel (Trabant).
Captain Isaiah Cutler's Haunted House
Indoor walk-through haunted fun house with mechanical props and tricks
1967
1995
This famous haunted fun house was a long-time fixture at the old MainePlay Amusements area (now the Splashtown water park section) for its first 30 years. It featured 3 to 6 live actors in costume, various mechanical props (ghosts, witches, and monsters), and mechanical tricks (moving shuffle bridge, spinning dizzy tunnel, amongst others) in a mainly darkened house building. This house was closed—and removed—after the 1995 season due to high operational costs.
Ferris Wheel
#8 Ferris Wheel (Big Eli)
1975
2000
This 8-seater classic Ferris wheel was removed after the 2002 season in favor of the Frog Hopper.
Galaxi Roller Coaster
Family compact steel figure-8 roller coaster (S.D.C.)
1978
2008
The Galaxi was Maine's first-ever roller coaster in an amusement park. It had 7 autocar style coaster cars that went through an undulating figure-8 steel compact track. This mainstay ride lasted for 31 years, and was removed after the 2008 season to make room for the Wild Mouse.
Giant Slide
Fiberglass grooved amusement slide ride
1972
1986
Riders walked up the long stairway to the top station of the Giant Slide, then—slid down in burlap bags. Another mainstay during Funtown's earlier years.
Hydrobumpers
Flying saucer bumper ring cars
1967
1974
This was the original outdoors hydro bumper ring cars ride with the headlight post at its center, and pennant streamers emanating from it. It was at Funtown USA for 8 seasons, after which the Hydrobumpers—along with the Zipper—were removed. The area is now occupied by the building which houses the Sock-It-To-'Em traditional bumper cars.
Hydrofighter
Water gun fight tower ride
1988
2000
Riders climbed aboard bibbed seats, and rose high, then—squirted each other with on-board water guns. It got removed after the 2000 season to make room for Dragon's Descent.
Kartland was MainePlay's original go-kart track that served Funtown USA for 36 years. During the earlier years, this attraction was a pay-per-ride owned by MainePlay; in 1993—after the merger with Funtown USA proper—the ticket booth closed down, and operated on a 2-trips-per-rider policy. The Kartland Track was enjoyed by its fans for so long, until it retired at the close of the 2002 season. The area then became a picnic area for 9 years. It's now the home for the new Apollo's Water Slides Area, which opened in 2012.
Noah Zark
Ark themed junior play area
1982
2000
Noah Zark (a corruption of Noah's Ark) was a kiddy play area that looked like an ark boat.
Paratrooper
Rise-and-fall seated roundabout
1982
1987
Another classic spinning ride that was enjoyed by fans for 6 seasons; got removed at the close of the 1987 season.
The Luv Machine
Bayern Kurve
1975
1981
The Luv Machine was a groovy psychedelic themed Bayern Kurve bobsled tracked platform ride that speeded its riders up-and-down along its grooved inner track; got removed after the 1981 season to make room for the Antique Cars.
UFO
Rise-and-fall spinning platform ride
1972
1981
The UFO Ride was a one-of-a-kind spinning platform ride; part Round-Up, and part Enterprise! UFO was removed from Funtown USA after the 1981 season to make room for eventual expansions.
Water Bugs Bumper Boats
Family sized bumper ring boats
1984
1992
This was a bumper boats attraction housed in a pavilion behind the Sock-It-To-'Em bumper cars. After 1995, the boats were removed, the water was drained, and the pool was filled in with white gravel. It's now part of a picnic area.
Zipper
Zipper
1967
1974
The classic Zipper ride was at Funtown USA for only the first 8 seasons, and was—afterwards—removed. It stood where the Cash Cube game does now.
