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Photo TR: Trimper Rides and Amusements


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This weekend my girlfriend and I took her daughter, Lauryn, to Trimper Rides and Amusements in Ocean City, MD, for one last Saturday together before Lauryn goes to Indiana to be with her father for most of the rest of the summer. While this was their inaugural trip to the 116-year-old amusement park, I've been going at least twice a summer since I was 3 (probably before).

 

Unfortunately, talk has been building in recent years of the Trimper family's selling the park to be demolished for condos. Only the promise of a state tax break and the insistence of patriarch Granville Trimper spared the park during the 2007 season. Following Mr. Trimper's death last year, it's hard to say how many seasons this place has left.

 

In 2004, with the park management's written permission, I took a photo survey of its most historic rides for a book that was published the next year. I got a lot of nasty looks from parents who thought the man with the camera taking photos from strange angles may have been doing things he wasn't supposed to with their children's images (needless to say, the book didn't feature any patrons' images from whom I didn't have prior permission).

 

With Lauryn in tow, however, I had an excuse this weekend to take pictures of pretty much every ride at the park. So I did. This TR represents the most extensive survey of attractions at Trimper's in the 21st century that I'm aware of. Hopefully there will be plenty of years for new additions in the future... though if I wanted to get the credits at this park, I'd get there sooner rather than later.

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The Hampton motorcycles are Lauryn's favorite ride; just about every fair that comes through here has them. I always "forbid" her from doing wheelies (which the ride automatically does), and she gets a kick (probably too much so) out of defying me.

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I've mentioned this in past TRs, but this ticket booth was in rough shape when Trimper's acquired it. They renovated it, including re-molding pieces that had fallen off (like the angel's head on top)... and it's just for decoration. It serves no purpose, no function. They just did it because it seemed like the right thing to do. We need more parks like that.

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The ride was built in the 1940s, back when they even decorated the trim on the running boards with ornate characters and designs. I've been going to Trimper's since the early '80s, and this was the first time I'd noticed this.

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I guess the Popeye theme makes more sense considering they revolve around a lighthouse.

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Lauryn really enjoyed the hilly boat ride, currently themed to Popeye, but formerly painted as battleships.

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Steering wheels for all!

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...and a cartoon mural on the history of ships.

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Across from the whip, a 1950s kiddie boat ride passes a shanty town...

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Comin' 'round!

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Another oldie-but-goodie: the Fairy Whip.

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Admission to Trimper's is free, and so are the park's fun house mirrors.

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Though she was almost too big for it, Lauryn preferred the adjacent 1920s kiddie carousel.

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Band organs like this (though not always this specific one) have provided music for the carousel throughout the years.

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There isn't a single thing on this carousel that's not ornate, right down to the ride manufacturer's seal.

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This is Trimper's most famous item, an original 1902 hand-carved carousel. It's been in continuous operation at Trimper's since its construction by the Herschell-Spillman Co. and was only the second carousel made by that company. The first burned in a fire at Coney Island in the '50s, making this the oldest existing example of that company's work. It's also one of the largest carousels currently operating in the United States (and probably the world), hence the lack of a more comprehsnive picture.

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She enjoyed the Snoopy airplanes, though I was quite disappointed to find out they had disconnected the gun triggers. They used to make a great electronic "eh-eh-eh" noise that no gun should ever make. I miss it :(

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The fire engines were much easier to figure out!

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Unfortunately, she really wasn't sure what to do once she got in there. This was pretty much where she stayed the entire ride cycle.

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Lauryn measured up for the kiddie bumper cars (they have them for adults, as well).

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The shooting gallery itself is sort of a saloon that fades into mountain stream that fades into an old cabin.

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Trimper's keeps its most historic rides inside and away from the weather. This entrance (one of four altogether) also happens to be the main entrance for the park's shooting gallery.

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You know, Sterling Marlin looks a lot different up close....

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The Speedway was a NASCAR-themed kiddie whip.

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"I wish I had a turntable like my cousin in Astroland did before he died."

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I got this credit during Big Mike's visit last year. He christened Ocean City the "Wacky Worm Capital of the World." This is one of three within a five-mile radius.

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Lauryn took the opportunity to practice her "innocent" look.

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For some strange reason, this spaceship ride was named Combat.

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Lauryn concurs.

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The Baja Buggy seemed pretty popular the day we were there.

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...and a ferris wheel.

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The only "adult" rides on this side of the street are the Freak Out...

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The dogs look like Blue from Blue's Clues, and the decor includes mis-named images of characters from "Lady and the Tramp" and "101 Dalmatians." Clearly, this ride is carrying on Trimper's long tradition of copyright infringement (again, see related previous TR).

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A few more outdoor rides sit across the street from Trimper's main campus. Most of these, including this flying dog ride, came from Trimper's Buckaroo Park, a failed enterprise added to longtime West Ocean City theme park Frontier Town for the 2005-2007 seasons.

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The train, being fun.

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Trains are always fun!

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Now that we've tried a fast ride, time to slow things down a bit.

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This, I believe, is the only ticket sign at Trimper's themed to its own ride.

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Whee!

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Fortunately, Lauryn meets that requirement. For anyone who remembers her experience on the Roller Coaster at the Hebron Firemen's Carnival a few weeks ago (see related TR), apparently the Sooper Jet has cured her of her fear of kiddie coasters (yay!).

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And here we have another credit--but don't even think about getting it unless you're a kid.

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Wipeout!

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Hopefully my meager efforts will suffice. Not like we don't all know what this type of coaster looks like anyway.

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Unfortunately, things are stacked on top of each other so much at the park (reminds me of things I've read about Indiana and Blackpool Pleasure beaches) that it's really hard to get a comprehensive shot.

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It's your average Vekoma boomerang.

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But enough teasing. Time for the park's major credit, the Tidal Wave.

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This is what a blow-up doll looks like on skis!

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The Himalaya was himalaying.

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No intoxication in the fun house!

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Speaking of fun houses, Aladin's Lamp has been a tradition at Trimper's for decades. Unfortunately, this is the best shot I could get of it with everything that's currently crammed into the park. Double unfortunately, despite previous requests on this board for interior shots, we didn't go inside because Lauryn didn't meet the height requirement. (See previous TRs for exterior highlights.)

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The Pirate Ship is also new. It's one of those collapsible fun houses (albeit an elaborate one) that ends with a sliding board.

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Teacup credit!

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At some point in the past few years, the park went on a Zamperla kiddie spree.

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Merry Mixer! Which is kind of like a Scrambler. Only slower (at least this one is).

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Yeah, she loved it. And as one of the park's newest additions, it's one of the few rides here I didn't get to enjoy when I was her age.

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You know the economy's bad when even Chester Cheetah has to take a side job....

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Lauryn's first ride of the day was the Flying Tigers.

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...but what it lacks in smoothness it makes up for in promiscuous decor!

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Trimper's Toboggan is just as rough at the end as all the others...

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First credit inside the gate!

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No, we're not at Waldameer. Trimper's Pirates Cove (circa 1970) and Waldameer's are two of the only three walk-through Bill Tracy fun houses left in the United States. Despite their similar names, they're both dramatically different inside and out.

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Your 2009 ticket prices. We opted for the POP bracelet, which was $22 and good until 7 p.m.

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First stop: tickets.

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Always a good sign!

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Trimpers' location captures patrons both coming and going. This is the "back" entrance, off the boardwalk.

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It's kind of like Astroland without the "Ass."

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Looks like we're headed in the right direction!

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That's it for part one! Be sure to follow Lauryn down the boardwalk for more fun in part two. My schedule is hectic this week as I prepare for our big Midwest park trip that starts at the end of this week, but I promise to finish this TR before we leave. Thanks for reading!

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...and The Haunted House, another Bill Tracy masterpiece owned and operated by Trimper's, but not part of the park. The building in which it's housed, two doors down from the park, was once a movie theater until Mr. Trimper had it renovated in the early '60s during his first collaboration with Bill Tracy. In the 1980s he added props from the defunct Tracy Ghost Ship ride at Ocean City's closed Ocean Playland amusement park, turning it into a two-story dark ride. It is routinely named one of the best and most well-maintained traditional dark rides in the United States. (Again, I've taken close-up detail photos of the ride's exterior in previous TRs, so do a search if you're interested.)

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What you haven't seen yet, however, is Mr. Trimper's "Golden Pretzel," Laff in the Dark's prestigious lifetime achievement and preservation award, presented to him five years prior to his death for his dedication to preserving Pirates Cove...

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And finally, on the way out, we have the Mirror Maze. That's it: you've just witnessed every single ride currently available at Trimper's.

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But after the Frog Hopper, Lauryn was up for anything... and this time she loved them. That's not a scream of terror on her face, by the way... that's her counting down from 10 like the ride op for the Frog Hopper did right before "liftoff" on every cycle. The balloon ride was her last for the day, but had it not been, I'm pretty sure she would have given every other ride she rode its own personal countdown.

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We weren't too sure about trying the "scary balloons." We had a pretty bad experience with these at a local festival a few weeks ago.

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...but by her fourth ride, I think her love for these attractions may rival KidTums'! It had the best ride op ever. He had a microphone, and he really made it extra fun.

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Ah, but then came the Frog Hopper. Lauryn wasn't too sure about this one at first...

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When I look at this picture, I like to pretend that Lauryn is Indiana Jones and the other kid is a Nazi.

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It quickly became another of Lauryn's favorites. Coincidentally, it was my sister's favorite when she was a kid, as well.

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It's another one of those collapisble fun houses with a big slide at the end... only this one hasn't collapsed in about a quarter century.

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...but it didn't begin to compare with the adjacent Raiders attraction (Indiana Jones, not Oakland).

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The Rockin' Tug was OK...

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Back in the park's main section, Lauryn really loved the bumper boats. We watched her ride them several times.

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...and Inverter.

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...Tilt-A-Whirl (I liked the original red-and-blue-with-clowns paint job better)...

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...Avalanche...

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Also on this pad we have the Zipper...

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Back outside and across the street (no, not the same one from before; this is another street) is the Matterhorn. Rumor has it this ride is going away after this year (OK, after the past 40 years) because its safety bars weren't designed to latch. It wouldn't be grandfathered in under some new amusement safety legislation, and it would cost too much to retrofit. We'll find out next year whether the rumor is true (I hope it's not).

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Kiddie ferris wheels from the 1920s are always fun!

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Well, if Popeye says so....

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And now we return to our regularly scheduled snowmobile.

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We take a time out for a moment from the Hampton vehicle rides to point out that part of the 1986 film "Violets are Blue," starring Sissy Spacek and Kevin Kline, was filmed at Trimper's. (Pardon the reflection of the lights; this photo hangs inside a display case behind one of the Hampton rides.)

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...and a Corvette.

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Also featured with this particular set of vehicles was a Ford Mustang...

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She enjoyed it so much, she even found another set of Hampton motorcycles to ride on another attraction. Unfortunately, these didn't do wheelies.

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Awesome report. I miss that place, me and my girlfriend had a really great day there.

 

As for riding the Sooper Jet, well we managed to ride. We got on, then the girl running the ride said we were too big. My girlfriend said to her "We rode it earlier today" then we got our lap

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As promised, here's the thrilling conclusion!

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And then we went home. But you don't want to see pictures of that. So instead I'll leave you with a photo of Jolly Roger at the Pier lit up at dusk. Hope you enjoyed!

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After Ripley's, we promised Lauryn she could play on the beach briefly while I bought some Candy Kitchen fudge to take to my mom for her birthday two days later.

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Obligatory post-museum photo op.

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So long, Mr. Ripley! You sure were talented.

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...and finally, a ball of string inspired by an "Uncle Scrooge" comic book.

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...guitar made from a toilet seat...

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...Tibetan coffee urn made from someone's skull (what is it with making food serving devices out of dead people?)...

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...petrified dinosaur eggs...

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Just a few more odds and ends to round out our tour: West African tribal coffin (not to be confused with an East African tribal coffin)...

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"In spite of the added weight, the car is still drivable!"

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If you aren't sure what this is, read the placard below. If you already know what this is, read it anyway.

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Hi, Dave! Eaten at any good restaurants lately?

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Sometimes, a picture just speaks for itself.

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Is it just me, or does this look like something Skeletor would have used in the old "Masters of the Universe" cartoons?

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This is what it would have looked like if the movie had been called "Eating Nemo" instead.

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Cosmonaut!

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Geeky trivia.

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This is how it was built. In case you want to try it at home.

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Apparently no one told these riders it was SBNO.

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The Minnesota Avalanche is the world's largest working model wooden roller coaster. There used to be a button you could push to start the lift chain and watch the cars cycle. Unfortunately, as of last weekend, either the button was broken or the coaster was.

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Credit!

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Looks like someone got a little too close to Ozzy....

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How is this cow like a flower? It's got two-lips! Er... four lips. But four-lips doesn't sound like a flower. Yeah, I got nothin'.

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"I'll see your two tails and raise you five legs."

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This look totally locks!

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What they failed to mention is that he was on vacation at Rye Playland all 22 times.

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"Where's Tom Hanks? I could have sworn he was here a minute ago."

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Who's your daddy?

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It may look like a wax figure of the world's fattest woman, but it's really a wax figure of the world's fattest man. Believe it... or not!

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You mean we haven't even seen the "odd" stuff yet?

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...and even Pringles!

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...toast...

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If the Ripley's museum taught us anything, it was that pretty much anything can be used as a canvas. Like a petrified vampire bat...

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Whoever created these models played with a LOT of matches! That's what they're made of.

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Ever wonder what $1 million one-dollar bills looked like? Well, if you shred them and mold them into the shape of a stegosaurus, they look kind of like this.

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"Nope. Both of mine are present and accounted for!"

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"Um, excuse me, Lauryn? Did you leave this here?"

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Idiot in the stockade? Check!

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Magician's restraint built and used by Houdini? Check!

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Medieval gibbon? Check!

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Man trap used for catching poachers? Ironic check!

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"Crucible"-era witch catcher? Check!

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Those "Twilight" kids could so use one of these.

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Where's the stretching room?

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Bowl made from the skull of a monk? Check!

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His name was Ned. Now he's shrunken Ned.

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This guy sure looks horny! (Actually, it's a mask made from human skin....)

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In the next room, Robert Ripley himself welcomed us to his "museum" via the magic of Pepper's ghost.

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POW currency or oversized foreign postage stamps? You decide!

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"Play 'Children of the Damned!'"

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I took an ex-girlfriend of mine here a few years ago who played viola. She said the fingerings on this dummy were accurate. Know what else? I still don't care!

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Holy crap! I should have wished for a billion dollars instead!

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I wish I could see a raptor skeleton tinted pink under dim red lights.

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How to say "Why did we pay to get into this crappy tourist trap?" in a bunch of different languages.

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This guy's been shinnying up and down this pole for years. He totally pees in his suit to keep warm.

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Where's all that water coming from?

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Across the boardwalk was our final destination: Ripley's Believe it or Not! I've been in this one a couple times, but neither my girlfriend nor Lauryn had, and since we had a coupon that got all three of us in for the price of one ($13)... well, how could we not take advantage?

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I, on the other hand, opted for a Ceasar salad since I've been trying to lose weight for our vacation that starts this weekend. It's been working, too; I'm down eight pounds in just under two weeks.

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My girlfriend got the Chesapeake burger, which in most places is a cheeseburger with crab imperial on top. Here, it was a cheeseburger with two mini "crabcakes" (I'm not entirely convinced that was crab) on top.

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"Give me food... now!"

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...and added this funky print by the bathrooms!

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Next up: food! This place burned down just before the start of the 2008 season. They rebuilt it for this year...

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Before we left, we had to play the classic 1930s'-'40s claw machines, as well.

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Fortunately, you can still do this here, too. I didn't even include all the deer hunting video games! It's sad; until a couple years ago Trimper's had two full rows of pinball machines and another couple rows of classic arcade games (Space Invaders, Ms. Pac-Man, Centipede, Frogger, Tron, etc.). Now they've taken out one row of pinball and nearly all the classic machines (save two Ms. Pac-Mans) in favor of glorified ticket dispensers. I guess that's the instant gratification kids these days crave. Back in my day, we were happy if we just got to put our initials in a game after getting a high score. By cracky!

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...and even sink the "Titanic"!

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...whack a shark with a mallet...

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You can punch a clown in the nose...

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This game, on the other hand, she was great at! Basically, the idea was to hit the button to make the lizard's tongue lash out to "eat" (or at least knock over) the bugs as they passed by, shooting gallery-style. If that sounds a little grotesque... well take a look at some of the other stuff they have:

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Poor Lauryn couldn't get the ball all the way up the incline without help. Maybe next year....

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I've included Marty's Playland (also owned by the Trimper family) in a couple other TRs, so this time I'll just hit the highlights, like these 1930s-'40s skee ball machines. Also, I'll be posting full photo documentation of their 2009 pinball games in the Pinball Thread on the Random, Random, Random board, so keep an eye out for it.

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More games! Of the coin-op variety.

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At any rate, the first person to shoot enough water into Gilly's (or his friends') mouth to pop the balloon inflating on top of his head wins a money bear.

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Oh. My. God. Anyone who read my Hebron Carnival post will understand--this is the second thing like this I've seen in an amusement setting in three weeks! I didn't think stuff like this was supposed to exist in the 21st century.

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When I was a kid, this one was themed to Sylvester and Tweety. Now it's "Sesame Street."

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Several games, some of them fairly old, are immediate adjacent to Trimper's and The Haunted House.

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