On Wednesday, Aug. 25, families flocked to Bay Beach, an amusement park in Green Bay, to witness the groundbreaking ceremony for a new roller coaster called the Zippin Pippin.
Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt -- along with other city leaders -- spoke at the ceremony.
The Zippin Pippin is a recreation of a historic wooden roller coaster that operated for many years in Memphis, Tenn. It was said to be Elvis Presley's favorite ride.
The city of Green Bay borrowed $2.4 million and is in the process of raising $600,000 in private donations to secure the rights and build the replica. Door County resident, Doug McGee, recently donated $100,000, raising the donation total to $255,000.
The Zippin Pippin is expected to roll in May 2011. It is Bay Beach's first roller coaster since 1936. A coaster was built in 1901, but torn down in 1929.
Bay Beach Amusement Park is located near the mouth of the Fox River. It opened in 1892, and in 1934, President Roosevelt visited Bay Beach to celebrate Green Bay's tercentennial.
Today, Bay Beach features 16 rides, including bumper cars, a small-scale Wisconsin Central passenger train, a Ferris wheel, Tilt-O-Whirl and a scrambler. Most rides cost a mere 25 cents. The Zippin Pippin, however, will cost $1 to ride. In the 1950s, rides cost 9 cents.
Milwaukee's Amanda Phelps travels to Bay Beach every summer with her two sons, ages 7 and 9.
"It's like going back in time. It reminds me of being a kid. And it's such a cheap outing that I don't mind paying for the gas to get there," says Phelps.
Bay Beach features a concession stand that sells nachos, cotton candy, popcorn, slushies and more. The most expensive item is $1.50. Hamburgers, hot dogs, brats and ice cream are available for purchase in the pavilion.
Many guests bring food from home and eat it at the picnic area. The park also features a shallow swimming pool.
Bay Beach is open every day from the last week of May through the end of August. It is open on weekends during the month of September. Hours vary slightly during the summer; check the Website for more information.
"Bay Beach is a gem. I am dreading the day my boys are too old to enjoy it anymore," says Phelps. "But then again, maybe they never will be. I'm 38 and I still love going."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
