Do You Remember When Boise Had An Adorable Amusement Park?
If you live in Boise and love rides or rollercoasters, a yearly trip to Silverwood or Lagoon is a must. But once upon a time, in a land not so far, far away? There lived a roller coaster, tilt-a-whirl, Ferris wheel and more.
They called this land Julia Davis Park. Yes, you read that right! There used to be a small amusement park located near downtown Boise. For many years, it went by the name "Boise Fun Spot" and was located near where the paddle boats are today. Thanks to some generous contributors to the "Boise & the Treasure Valley History" group on Facebook, we were able to dig up a few photos and memories of the park.
Pam Walker shared this photo her dad took of the Fun Spot's roller coaster in 1965.
Group member Tim Martin shared that the roller coaster was a "Mad Mouse" coaster designed and manufactured by the Allan Herschell Company in the early 60s. Over the years, the company manufactured 183 kid-friendly roller coasters around the world, many of which have been removed or are currently in storage. As far as we know, the last "Mad Mouse" coaster produced by the Allan Herschell Company is located at Little Amerricka Amusement Park in Marshall, Wisconsin.
The Boise Fun Spot was also home to other family rides like a Ferris wheel, airplane ride, bumper cars and a Tilt-A-Whirl. Plenty of kids got sick after on that one after insisting their tummies could handle it! If the rides were too much of a thrill for you, you could try your luck at the mini-golf course or chow down on cotton candy, caramel apples and ice cream from one of the Fun Spot's food vendors.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when or why the Boise Fun Spot closed, but Reddit user "Geekslinger" dug through archives and found information indicating that its operator failed to maintain the lease and the city decided to tear down the rides. Many contributors to the Boise and the Treasure History group believe that the park stopped operating in the late 90s. The mini-golf course survived a few more years before being removed.
Many group members remember the Boise Fun Spot fondly, saying that it provided a much more cost-effective way for families to enjoy rides than going to the Western Idaho Fair. In fact, a few of them grew up believing their parents had actually taken them to the fair and didn't realize that they had gone to the Fun Spot instead until much later in life.
Were you around for the Boise Fun Spot era? If you were, please share your memories! If you weren't, check out these photos that the contributors from the "Boise & the Treasure Valley History" group granted us permission to share with you.