Comments on: 86’d Rides vol 2: Hell Hole

By: Michael Tedesco

Michael Tedesco — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 10:45:00 +0000

In reply to Rado. I road the devels hole on the island I wish they would bring it back

By: Denise

Denise — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 17:18:27 +0000

I’m from MD and a lot of times, when I was young, we’d visit family in Northwestern PA and we would go to Conneaut Lake Park. I LOVED the Hell Hole ride there!

By: Christine Cloutier

Christine Cloutier — Sat, 31 Jul 2021 02:57:12 +0000

I remember Devil’s Hole at Fantasy Island. I just loved that ride as a kid. Nothing quite like sticking to the wall while the pink devil looks down at you from above. Sylvan Beach has a rotor ride that they are restoring and hope to have open before Summer’s end. I hope that they finish it soon and that I am still brave enough to give it a whirl.

By: Mindy

Mindy — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 06:49:56 +0000

I rode the Hell Hole in Coney Island as a kid in the 70’s! It was, bar none, my favorite ride. My brothers and I would make a beeline right to it. My mom said we were all like flies stuck to the wall. It’s been a thousand years ago, but I can absolutely remember how it felt, especially when the floor dropped. And all the screaming. It’s the ride from my childhood that I remember most vividly. I remember having to wait a little extra once or twice so maintenance could bring in some sand and clean up after some poor soul. I came close to being that poor soul a few times, myself. I’m actually sad it’s gone. We moved to the Midwest in the late 70s, and I never got to ride it again, sadly. I do remember reading about the accident in the paper, and it was pretty horrible. My mom said she wasn’t that surprised.

By: Nancy Redden

Nancy Redden — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 16:00:19 +0000

At the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton California, June 1967. I was 18 . It was a traveling Rotor. I was wearing my Mod short shift and turquoise stockings. Me & Stanley watched the previous riders, and then took our places.The walls were like rug. When the “thing” started spinning and the floor dropped down, I slipped out of my dress and it bunched up under my arms. I was exposed for all to see waist down. I was trying to grab Stanley’s hand pleading with him to help me. People above were pointing and laughing. When the floor started coming up in jolts, I thought it was going to engulf me. I was crying. Then my hippy beads broke all over the floor when the thing finally stopped. A girl picked them up for me. That meant allot as everyone else got a big kick out of it.
I got out of there with my life–that is how it felt. I have never again gone without wearing a slip!!!!!

By: Ginger

Ginger — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:08:24 +0000

I was a child of the 80s and my parents, although they didn’t have a copious amount of residual income, took me to Coney Island for the very first time and gave me the option of what ride to pick. I chose the Hell Hole not knowing what it was. It’s still a running gag in my family that I screamed my whole way through it and they heard (thanks to the attraction’s external speakers). I remember the dim nature of the ride, the ground lowering and the float-down like it was yesterday… no ill effects, dizziness or lingering problems surprisingly. I would seriously do it again!

By: Evan

Evan — Sat, 13 Jul 2019 05:01:15 +0000

In reply to Matt. Hey Matt. This is your brother evan

By: Robert B.

Robert B. — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 15:19:26 +0000

Loved The Devils hole at fantasy Island. It was riddled with graffiti on the wall and really scary inside. I have a Photo of myself posing next to the devil that was on the top after they took it down. Haha in the photo you can see that the devils hairy testicles were exposed. It’s kind of funny to know that they had that up for so many years.

By: Kevin Z

Kevin Z — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 11:48:21 +0000

Hi-just a it of correction regarding Sportland Pier’s Rotor ride. It originally started as The Rotor. Fascade was painted with a Comic strip theme featuring characters from ‘Little Iodine’. In the 60’s it was transormed to The Hell Hole and remained as such until Sportland Pier’s demise. The Whirlpool ride was another Rotor ride operating at the area known as Casino Arcade close ro Cedar Ave. It was introduced about 1971 and only remained for a few years. The Hell Hole had rubberized walls while The Whirlpool had a textured laminate-type that was hard and not enjoyable to ride. I rode both and The Hell Hole was a much better experience. I hope this info helps.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 30 May 2018 05:30:43 +0000

I was close to riding the Hell Hole back in 1995 with my sister, but my grandmother told us not to. The ride we would have gone on happened to be the ride that fell apart that day. One of those people could have been me and my sister if we didn’t listen and got on the ride in Coney Island.