[Michael Goldsberry]

I recall one summer evening when my buddies and I were among the last ones allowed on the Cyclone due to rain.

We sat on the very last car because it seemed to lift off the tracks at times. The rain felt like rocks hitting my face.

Ah, youth.

[Tax-chick]

Went on a trip there in the late 80's with the man who is now my husband. He rode the Texas Cyclone, but I did not.

[Linda1956]

Information from a friend in Houston.

AstroWorld received quite a few visitors this weekend. Some of those at the Astrodome used their $2000 debit cards last week spent them at AstroWorld.

[stevie_d_64]

Yeah, I remember one of my favorite rides was the "River of No Return"...

One of my friends operated that ride, and one night, close to closing, it was him, my (soon to be) girlfriend and me hanging around the warf area of the ride...

He basically said keep it on this speed, and she and I hopped in for a unique ride "by ourselves"...hehehe

Teenagers...Geesh...

Good thing those boats ran themselves...She had other ideas...Honest, it wasn't me!!!

[Clemenza]

Well, at least Texas still has the Schitterbahn.

[Eaker]

Many years ago my wife and I went to Astroworld.

We picked a weekday in a non-standard time frame for vacations, a Tuesday I think; when all schools were open for business. No holiday, no reason for anyone but us and tourists to be there.

The place was full of punk-ass bangers bouncing basketballs. One could not escape the infernal bouncing of basketballs. They didn't ride the rides and obviously didn't go to school.

They did bounce basketballs.

Basketballs everywhere. I still twitch when I hear a basketball bounced, not dribbled. None of these bangers had any talent.

The place was filthy even then.

Good riddance.

Let the garbage hang out somewhere else. Or maybe arrest their parents for not making them go to school. Maybe that would help.

[andyk]

I have great memories of going to see the Astros play, and then walking across the bridge to Astroworld. Good times!

[Riverman94610]

Man,Astroworld was the first really super amusement park I ever went to.
In May,1970,I stopped there on a cross country trip and loved the rides,crowds and humid night air.
Sorry to hear of its demise.

[shield]

It's time to close Astroworld. I understand there's lots of crime taking place there. It's gotten very dangerous to take older kids there and leave them.

[i_dont_chat]

"Kirby and 610, that's a great address in Houston," said Todd Edmonds, senior vice president of the real estate company Colliers International.

Don't know how credible this article is: AstroWorld occupies the corner of Fannin and 610 (not Kirby).

[Ryan Spock]

I count myself among those who have nothing but good memories of Astroworld. It was a lot different place in the mid-1970's, when I was in junior high school, than what some of you are describing it has become.

For about three or four years, I got a Season Pass every year. My best friend (who also had a Season Pass) and I would beg our parents to take us down there every day during our summer vacation, and we could usually get either his folks or mine to drop us off there for the day.

We didn't have much money, and didn't really need money -- the rides were all free, and we could usually sweet talk our way to a few free snacks here and there from the park employees, who got to know us pretty well. If I recall correctly, there was also a little bakery near the entrance that sold mini-loaves of bread for 25 cents.

I remember the Texas Cyclone -- we were counting how many times we rode it at one point, but I eventually lost count somewhere in the 700's I think. We would get there early on a summer weekday, and there were no people waiting in line, so they'd let us ride it over and over again without getting off. When people did get in line, we'd get off, run down the ramp, and get right back in line again for the next one.

I remember watching them build Greezed Lightnin', and when it finally opened, how much fun it was to go from 0 to 60 in under four seconds for the first time, and the second time... and the 200th time.

I remember the River of No Return, the Alpine Sleigh Ride (which was so refreshing on those long, hot summer days), the Wacky Shack, the Barrel of Fun, the Black Dragon, the Bamboo Shoot, the Dexter Frebish Electric Roller Ride...

Wow, 'scuse me while I wax nostalgic.

[DrewsDad]

I actually worked there for 3 weeks before getting a previous job back one summer. Employees had things searched and were basically scrutinized like thieves if their job involved handling money. I worked the food stand across from the Bayou Buzzard show and had to endure his show about 3 times a shift.

Anyway, if you work 3 weeks, you get 8 free passes for friends and I just happened to have a bunch of friends coming into town the last day. At least it was fun riding everything after you stopped working.

[Conservative Texan Mom]

I loved going to Astroworld when I was growing up. It was one of the first places I wanted to take my children when we moved back to this area. My youngest was two. A woman tried to pull her off the kiddy car ride because her 7 year old daughter wanted my baby's seat. My husband intervened to come in between the woman and my screaming, terrified two year old. She then tracked down a police officer and tried to have him arrested for assault. Fortunately there were plenty of witnesses to confirm our side of the story. When she realized that the cop was not going to arrest him, she threatened me with bodily harm. We did not enjoy the rest of our day there too much. The only time I will go there now is on the homeschool day.

[Mjaye]

I won a contest around 1978 or so, first prize was a trip to Astro World, they flew the family there from CA. I vividly remember stepping off the plane into humidity I'd never experienced before or since. My kids were so puzzled as to why the windows in the hotel looked like it was raining outside when it wasn't. Don't remember much about the amusement park except that the food wasn't great. Visited the space center, Galveston, etc., overall a fun trip. But Disneyland and Knott's are hard acts to follow when one is from Southern CA.

[untenured]

Sorry to hear about the closure, but I recognize that times change. I remember that there was some sort of commuter bus that went from La Porte (relatively close to where we lived, certainly much closer than the park itself was) to the Dome parking lot. One of the first occasions on which my parents essentially let me be on my own was during my junior-high years, when they let me (accompanied by friends) take it alone. We used to go 2-3x a summer, and the Apline Sleigh Ride, the Cyclone and the Black Dragon were always our favorites.

[1L]

Got stuck in a gondola there in 1975. Only thing I remember about the place.

[Comstock1]

For lack of a better phrase "This just sucks!"

There goes a whole childhood full of memories. I remember being a kid in the early 70s riding in the back of the car as Mom and Dad drove to AstroWorld from Sulphur, LA. Every summer for years.

Then we moved to League City which was only about a half hour from AstroWorld. Summer passes for two or three years straight. Getting dropped off with friends. Texas Cyclone, Excalibur, Greased Lightning (which came about the time I stopped going).

Then moving back to Houston during college--getting stuck on some ride upside down for an hour while some 18 year old with bad acne tried to figure out which button to push to call a supervisor... The first time I was ever sunburned under my chin.

Where else can I get an Invisible Dog or get stuck on the walls of the Barrel?

Oh, well. Progress...

[TexConfederate1861]

I remember: my Grandparents taking me when I was 8 years old in 1968.

1. Throwing up on the Barrel of Fun (Barrel of Barf) :)
2. Riding the "River of No Return"
3. Riding the Astro Needle
4. My first ride on the Texas Cyclone in High School.
5. Taking my little girl to ride on the Carousel...

Thanks for the memories, Astroworld. You will always be in my heart!