Clear-cutting the Fun Forest
Seattle Center's Fun Forest will most likely shut down before the end of the year. It's the city's only amusement park, and in losing it we risk taking ourselves too seriously.
Seattle's Fun Forest, a fixture at Seattle Center since the 1962 world's fair, appears to be doomed. The amusement park — in more innocent times called the Gayway — was an effort to inject some fun into a high-minded international science exposition. After the fair closed, the Center emerged as a major regional arts hub, featuring a performing arts district for theater groups, opera and the ballet along Mercer Street. But the fair's thrill rides lived on, a permanent reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.
Middlebrow and upwardly aspirant Seattle, a Scandinavian/Asian city built by civil engineers and populated by Boeing and software engineers, has often needed to be told that it's okay to have fun once in a while. When Bill Gates was asked by his biographers for his memories of the world's fair — where he was likely first introduced to computers — his main memory was of riding the Wild Mouse, a snappy little roller coaster. Even boy geniuses need to unwind.
But the Fun Forest, privately and locally owned, is living on borrowed time. Revenues are down, the company is behind in its rent, and it doesn't have the capital to invest in major upgrades. Meanwhile, the neighborhood is changing. As the city has undertaken a "re-visioning" of Seattle Center, two priorities have emerged. One is to make the Center greener. The other is to add amenities that will make it attractive to the condo communities that are moving into Lower Queen Anne and South Lake Union. Wouldn't upscaling the Center's restaurants and evolving it into a kind of New York-style Central Park be more in keeping with its new urban context? Various draft plans call for clear-cutting the Fun Forest for open space.
Open space has its appeal, but there's not much "fun" in it. Not compared to wild rides, junk food and carny attractions where you can win your girlfriend a plush toy. No fun like bumper car fun. I have argued that while a Central Park is nice, Seattle also needs a Coney Island. That brings us to larger trends that extend beyond Seattle. Coney Island? It's endangered too. Condos are moving in, and the last amusement park there is living on borrowed time, its future beyond 2008 iffy.
Same with the Fun Forest, which looks to close before the end of the year. Then, says the Center's director, Robert Nellams, the Center will be able to move on. "We can't stay in nostalgia," he says.
But is trashy fun merely nostalgia these days? Without it, won't Seattle risk choking on its own self-importance? Can man live by artisanal bread alone, or is there something important about being able to run with the carnies once in a while? One positive sign is the amount of effort that has gone into finding a new home at the Center for the skateboard park, which was displaced by the Gates Foundation headquarters being built nearby on former Center property. Score one for fun.
But national trends also suggest that the Fun Forest is a victim of scale. Like the family farm, struggling to survive against corporate megafarms, small, privately owned amusement parks are giving way to thriving corporate theme parks. It's a world dominated by Disney- and Six Flags-scale attractions. And fueled by expanding markets, amusement parks — small and large — are a big industry. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, they attracted 335 million attendees and had $11.5 billion in revenues in 2006. In short, thrill rides are still hot.
But in this Nintendoized, Xboxed society, it takes more than a village to scare the pants off a park patron. Technology is allowing new generations of rides that are faster and wilder than ever before, like roller coasters with cars that spin in circles — think extreme skateboarding on steroids. Also popular are high-tech rides with story lines. Much anticipated is the new Toy Story Mania ride at Disney's California Adventure, where riders will spin their way in 3-D glasses through a virtual board game. Customers now expect maximum thrills — and a complete vacation experience, something the little guys like the Fun Forest just can't match.
While we locals all have fond memories of the old Fun Forest, public tastes have outgrown what it can offer, especially in the era of cheap airfares and high expectations. That suggests that if we want to keep the fun going — and if Seattle wants to be truly world-class, like London, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Madrid and Montreal — we should consider scaling up its thrills rather than be content to let the genre go extinct.
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Comments:
Posted Sat, Mar 1, 2:53 p.m. inappropriate
Parks: Knute, why didn't you mention either of the two theme parks in the region in your article? Wild Waves(formerly Enchanted Village) in Federal Way and The Puyallup Fair Grounds.
I have many wonderful memories of visiting the fun forest and riding the numerous rides they've had over the years. As with all things though, I think it's a good thing the rides are leaving as the center's focus has changed. What I do wish is that the region had a big "destination" themepark. There was talk of one's in Tacoma and Winlock in the past 10 years. Walt Disney himself originally wanted to build one in the Kent Vally, but was turned down by local opposition if memory serves.
On a somewhat related note, I am excited about what the future of Seattle Center holds. I'd very much like to see MOHAI take over the Center House and maybe the arts and technology communities can finally get together to build a new museum like the Zeum in San Francisco on the space of the Fun Forest.
Posted Sat, Mar 1, 5:24 p.m. inappropriate
Zeum: I believe we have something similar to Zeum on the Center gounds. It's called the Pacific Science Center.
Posted Sat, Mar 1, 8:36 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Zeum: The missions of Zeum and the Pacific Science Center are quite different.
About Zeum
Pacific Science Center(page won't load for me at the moment).
You also have the Seattle Children's Museum which is different than either of the above.
Posted Sun, Mar 2, 2:14 a.m. inappropriate
Unfortunately Outdated: The simple fact is that technology has progressed. Spinning around on 1950's technology machines just isn't that exciting for a child anymore. While their might be something to be said for keeping some of the rides in the name of history and heritage, the truth is there is absolutely nothing about the fun forest that is unique to Seattle, or even distinctly connected to it. I'm sure MOHAI or the city will buy most of the frilly signs and vehicles so why don't we place them where they belong, in a museum.
The ability for Seattle to actually take the intiative here (when we all know that can be difficult) really shows at least a glimpse of the progressiveness we so often lay claim to. Let's let the generic machines drift off into the past and oreint Seattle Center around what we truly aspire to become.
If you are THAT depressed about the whole thing, hop the old 194 to Federal Way and hit up Wild Waves. It was always better anyway.
On another note Knute, since that whole Great Fire thing, it seems Seattle really lacks any historic wood buildings. You know of any still around? The only ones I can think of are the lumber buildings on the South side of the Fremont Canal, near SPU, which I dont think are even that old. We should really save some of those like Mt. Vernon and Everett have (although it was sure sad to see the AMISH building go). They are distinctly pionneerish looking structures.
Posted Sun, Mar 2, 2:23 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Unfortunately Outdated: Im also going to agree that the Pacific Science Center is pretty much the same as the Zeum. If you think the focus is wrong it might just be better to reorient the Science Center then, you know, build an entirely new museum.
Also, MOHAI is almost surely moving to South Lake Union into the old Naval building. A pretty perfect spot if you ask me.
More open space and some type of overall Seattle theme would be the best, using all fancy innovative sustainble energy machines. Although I am much more for taking down Key Arena rather than Memorial Stadium. It's called MEMORIAL stadium for god's sake! Isn't that some kind of sacrilege, even for a godless town like this?
Posted Sun, Mar 2, 2:30 a.m. inappropriate
Fun: You want fun? Just chill at the International Fountain for an hour and watch toddlers go toppling head first down the angled, wet walls of the little pit. Oh man, watching a little kid waddle himself into a full blown tumble can really turn any frown upside down (unless of course youre the parent).
Posted Sun, Mar 2, 7:21 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Unfortunately Outdated: I just don't understand why people are choosing not to see the difference between the Zeum and the Pacific Science Center. Sigh... Oh well
I cannot disagree more about Naval Armory Building at S.L.U.P. being the future home of MOHAI. The maritime community as a whole needs to take over that space. MOHAI's mission is not just covering the maritime industry in the area, but ALL the industries. The local maritime community needs to show some leadership and take this opportunity to build something lasting like their aerospace counterparts did with building the Museum of Flight. MOHAI belongs as a separate institution. That's why I love the idea of MOHAI taking over the Seattle Center Center House. Heck the bubbleator chair then will finally be coming home then. :D
As for the two sports arena's, I'm actually for taking both of them down. For Memorial Stadium, we need to find away to preserve the wall of the victims of WW2 which is what the stadium is named for. The wall could be used as part of a new park called Memorial Park at Seattle Center. Perhaps the Seattle Veterans Museum could contribute. For Key Arena, I'd like to see that building torn and and in it's place a new amphitheater overlooking the Puget Sound.
Posted Sun, Mar 2, 11:25 a.m. inappropriate
Love the Forest: Just holding the rough texture of a skeet ball in your hands is a vivid connection to an earlier time. Kids sense the history in their fingertips, even if they don't put it together until later. But my eight-year old doesn't love this place out of nostalgia, she loves it because it's fun and there's no place like it anywhere.
Anyway, yes, Fun Forest is tacky, so it must go, as Seattle becomes ever more tasteful and less fun. We're going there today, while we still can.
Posted Sun, Mar 2, 2:21 p.m. inappropriate
headline? we don't need no steeenk'n healines: Bring back "Jones Fantastic Museum" or at least the Bubbleator or go fish. (besides that "Trip to Mars" ride was too scary by half)
Posted Mon, Mar 3, 10:17 a.m. inappropriate
Pick up a few bargains: Judging by many of the comments here, industrial age carnival rides seem to be going the way of their "scenic railroad", "old mill" and "shoot the chutes" forebears. I've always wanted to own a ferris wheel. Like the "Big Eli" wheel at the Puyallup Fair. Small enough to fit on a flat bed trailer, but big enough to impress your neighbors. With amusement parks going out of favor, maybe I can pick one up cheap. Time to start checking Ebay.
Posted Mon, Mar 3, 11:24 a.m. inappropriate
Nobody there: The fun forest is almost always empty. Nobody is lining up to try the skeeball. Nobody is waiting to go on the rides. Nobody is buying the souvenirs or the carnival food. The people running the rides stare out at the crowds with a fixed, bored stare. Nobody is there.
Can anything be really said to be beloved if nobody goes there? Is it worth keeping a private activity in a public space if nobody cares enough to go and participate? It seems that the fun forest is a lovely little reliquary for people's beloved memories rather than an actual place to have fun.
Posted Mon, Mar 3, 11:50 a.m. inappropriate
How to survive against Mega corp, Game Consoles, and the like: is the key. There is still room for modern virtual rides. The old Arena sits vacant, too costly to renovate again or tear down because there is asbestos in the building, why not use it for putt putt golf, lazer tag, or as your skate park, or even a modern bowling alley (wow... indoor, huge, and that use would not uncover or engage the asbestos). When they renovated for the Opera, did they yank out the pipe organ and the ice rink? Why not offer that again?
Amusements are handy to have when not everyone with the group wants to be either indoors at PSC, EMP, or Children's Museum... and was far less expensive than Wild Waves (which is among the most expensive attractions around!). I am sad to see it going, but understand the lack of capital makes it hard to attract enough folks.
Posted Mon, Mar 3, 10:04 p.m. inappropriate
Don' touch the spot where I met Elvis: I too think the fun forest is a has been.
There is one spot about 50 feet from the south east corner that is sacred to me. That's the spot in August of 1962 I met Elvis. He was riding in a golf cart heading east just outside the Food Circus. There were four people in the cart, three men and one woman. I went up to the cart and asked Elvis if I could have his autograph, he said sure kid do you have something to write on. I said nope, but if you wait here I'll get something. I walked about 50 feet and asked for a Worlds Fair brochure I telling the guy Elvis is waiting for me. I returned with the brochure and gave it to Elvis, he looked it over for a space to sign and simply wrote Elvis Presley on the cover. I was the most popular kid in our neighborhood with my Elvis brochure. I believe the women in the cart was his co-star in the film It Happened at the Worlds Fair, which was one of the last good Elvis movies.