Castles N' Coasters is an
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
and family
amusement center located in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
. The approximately park features four outdoor 18-hole
miniature golf
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...
courses, several rides, and an indoor video game arcade. The park was built in 1976, and is designed in a
Middle-Eastern
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...
motif though other eras are featured such as the
Wild West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
-themed miniature golf course and log flume ride.
Other attractions includes a go-kart track, bumper cars, bumper boats, 2 roller coasters called Patriot and Desert Storm, some thrill rides including Magic Carpet, Sea Dragon, Free Fall and Sky Diver drop rides, and a log flume called Splashdown.
History
In 1976, the entertainment park originally opened under the name "
Golf N' Stuff". It later turned into "Castles N' Coasters" in December 1991 after adding its Ride Park. Also expanding to 14 acres which brought two roller coasters, Desert Storm and Patriot, as well as a multilevel arcade.
The bumper boats were originally batting cages.
Rides and attractions
Roller coasters
Amusement rides
* Li'l Indy is a
go-cart
A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance racing ...
track that passes under the
Desert Storm
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
roller coaster (above).
*
Bumper Boats
Bumper boats are an amusement park ride that uses inner tube shaped watercraft that can be steered by the rider. Some are driven by electric motors, some by gasoline engines, and some require the rider to propel the craft by pedaling. Most are ...
* Arcades
*
Miniature Golf
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...
features four courses. Each have trick shots, multiple themes, and many water features.
Incidents
On May 1, 2005, eleven people were left stranded for nearly three hours after a free fall ride malfunctioned. Reports indicate that the floorless, four-sided passenger cabin jerked as it ascended the tower. The cabin, guided by cables, normally drops to the bottom of the 120-foot-tall tower and comes to a stop, however when it reached the halfway point on its ascent, it made loud screeching noises and came to a sudden halt. It took firefighters nearly three hours to rescue the riders, who were locked in their seats about 30 feet above the ground.
The park's manager says that the ride would be closed until investigators determined what caused the malfunction.
On March 30, 2015, two young boys suffered burns when the bumper boat they were in caught fire.
On November 28, 2015, a twelve-year-old boy named Dominick Leal was seriously injured after falling from the park’s Splashdown attraction after standing during the ride, and required immediate emergency brain surgery.
On May 15, 2021, fire crews rescued 22 people that were stuck on the Desert Storm rollercoaster. Investigators said the cars on the coaster stalled and the riders were stuck about 20 feet up on a horizontal loop. A long bolt broke and scraped against the wheel railing where the coaster eventually grinded to a halt.
References
External links
Castles N' Coasters Official Website*{{RCDB, 4627
Details with images
Amusement parks in Arizona
1976 establishments in Arizona
Buildings and structures in Phoenix, Arizona
Tourist attractions in Phoenix, Arizona
Amusement parks in Phoenix, Arizona