Riverview was established in 1904 by William Schmidt, on the grounds of his private skeet shooting range.[4] The Schmidt family owned and operated the park throughout its lifetime.
Riverview Park, Hell Gate scene, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1907-1914
Riverview was famous for The Bobswooden roller coaster. Other popular coasters were The Comet, The Silver Flash, The Fireball and the Jetstream. Aladdin's Castle was a classic fun house with a collapsing stairway, mazes and turning barrel. Shoot the Chutes, Hades, the Rotor, Tilt-a-Whirl, Wild Mouse, the Mill on the Floss (Tunnel of Love), and Flying Turns were just a few of the many classic rides. "The Pair-O-Chutes at Riverview Park'll shake us up all day" is a line from the Beach Boys' song "Amusement Parks U.S.A." from their 1965 album, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). There were over 120 rides in the park.[citation needed]
Racism and closing
Riverview closed in 1967. Enduring urban myths describe the park's "seedy" atmosphere in the '60s as it became more integrated.[6] Contemporaneous articles in black publications such as the Chicago Defender described black patrons being subject to latent and overt racism. The most overt was a longstanding attraction officially named "African Dip" and later truncated to "Dip", but unofficially called "Dunk the Nigger". It was not owned by Riverview, but by an outside concessionaire that rented space from the park. In the 1950s, the NAACP and Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko successfully lobbied to shut it down.[6]
According to Victoria Wolcott, author of the 2012 book Race, Riots, and Roller Coasters:
“You see this thing a lot, when African Americans begin going in large numbers [to amusement parks], the parks are increasingly associated with danger and criminality...”[6]
Chuck Wlodarczyk, author of Riverview: Gone But Not Forgotten, once performed shows about the park. He noted that people often approached him afterwards to report hearsay of someone raped in the restrooms by a black man. However, no actual record of such crimes exist.[6] A Chicago Tribune article from late 1967 also blamed violence for the park's closure, although Wolcott said there was little evidence to support this.[6]
Ultimately, white flight contributed to Riverview's financial decline, making the land on which it was built more valuable than the park itself. The Schmidt family sold to developers and later stated a newspaper's reported estimated sale price of $6.8 million ($64,125,000 in 2024) was too low.[6]
The grounds eventually became home to the Riverview Plaza shopping center, the Chicago Police Area 3 Detective Division,[7]DePaul College Prep High School,[8] dental equipment manufacturer Hu-Friedy Manufacturing, and Richard Clark Park of the Chicago Park District. The south end of Clark Park has a wooded area where many of the Riverview foundations are visible; it's used as a bicycle dirt jump and pump track park maintained by the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers.
Remnants of concrete foundations are still visible today
A sculpture entitled Riverview by local artist Jerry Peart stands in front of the police station.
Memorabilia
Many items from Riverview, as well as paintings of the park, were displayed at Riverview Tavern (West Roscoe and Damen Avenue) from 2005 - 2018.[9] The Riverview Carousel, the only ride from the park to be saved, continues to operate at Six Flags Over Georgia.[10][citation needed]
Bally and Williams tie-ins
Bally Manufacturing Corporation and Williams Electronics had their headquarters and primary manufacturing facilities just west of Riverview during the park's later years. Fireball, Bally's 1972 pinball machine, was named after Riverview's Fireball roller coaster. Bally's Aladdin's Castle amusement arcade division (formerly Carousel Time) was renamed to honor the Aladdin's Castle funhouse; the Aladdin's Castle pinball machine was similarly inspired.
Williams Electronics' pinball games Comet (1985) was named after a Riverview roller coaster, and Screamo (1959) showed various rides.[11] Williams' 1990 amusement park-themed pinball machine FunHouse was also inspired by Riverview; the Riverview Carousel is depicted on the machine's backglass.[12]
Originally this was the Blue Streak roller coaster. In 1959 first hill was modified and renamed the Fireball. The ride featured a steep drop that embarked into a tunnel.
Jetstream replaced the ride Greyhound. It was not as popular as some of the more wild rides at the park. Jetstream was demolished before it was paid off.
Aladdin's Castle
1967
Fun house
The mirrors are reportedly at a dance club in Palatine[citation needed]
Wooden bobsled run with steep turns. Moved from the Chicago World's fair in 1934 and opened the following season. Flying Bobs was removed with the park in 1967
Originally called the Eye-Full. Spans added to tower to create the first free fall parachute ride.
This ride lifted riders to the top of a tower before dropping carts attached to parachutes
Carousel
1908
1967
Carousel
This 70-horse carousel was built in 1908. It is a PTC carousel and is one of only three remaining five-abreast carousels known to exist. In 1967, it was purchased and moved to Six Flags Over Georgia.
Coal-fired miniature steam engine train
Freak show
1950s
Show
A show that featured Betty Lou Williams, the world's only 4 legged girl, and magician Marshall Brodien who would go on to play Wizzo the Wizard in the famous "Bozo Show"
Gee, Derek; Lopez, Ralph (2000). Laugh Your Troubles Away: The Complete History of Riverview Park, Chicago, Illinois. Livonia, MI: Sharpshooter Productions. ISBN978-0967604510.
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