Silverwood Theme Park

Silverwood Theme Park is an amusement park located in the city of Athol in northern Idaho, United States, near the town of Coeur d'Alene, approximately 47 mi (76 km) from Spokane, Washington on US 95. Owner Gary Norton opened the park on June 20, 1988. Originally, the park included a small assortment of carnival rides, a "main street" with shops and eateries, and an authentic steam train that traveled in a 30-minute loop around the owner's property. From 1973 to 1988, the land, along with a fully functioning airstrip, was operated as the Henley Aerodrome, named after the family whom Norton bought it from in 1981.[1]

"Silverwood" redirects here. For other uses, see Silverwood (disambiguation).
Silverwood Theme Park & Boulder Beach Water Park
Timber Terror and Aftershock Roller Coasters
LocationAthol, Idaho, U.S.
Coordinates47.9085°N 116.705°W / 47.9085; -116.705
OwnerNorton Family Corporation
General managerPaul Norton
OpenedJune 20, 1988
Operating seasonMay through early October
Area413 acres (167 ha)
Attractions
TotalOver 70
Roller coasters6
Websitesilverwoodthemepark.com
StatusOperating

Over the years, Silverwood has grown in both size and popularity, transforming from a small local amusement park to a regional theme park destination. In 2003, an adjacent waterpark named Boulder Beach Water Park was opened. Entrance to Boulder Beach is included with admission to Silverwood. In 2009, Silverwood began an annual Halloween event called Scarywood, held during evenings in the month of October. Comic characters Garfield and Odie are the official mascots of the park.

Today, Silverwood is the largest theme and water park in the American Northwest on 413-acre (1,670,000 m2) and boasting more than 70 rides, slides, shows and attractions.[2] It is the northernmost theme Park in the United States. In 2019, Silverwood co-hosted (along with Rocky Mountain Construction) the Golden Ticket Awards.[3]

Timeline
Year Addition
1973 Henley Aerodrome founded by Clayton Henley.[1]
1981 Gary Norton buys Henley Aerodrome from the heirs of the Henley estate, lengthening and other improvements are done to the airstrip. Hangar is turned into an air museum.
1986 Norton outbids Disney and others for a narrow gauge locomotive for use at the Aerodrome.
1988 Walter Deptula, with skills and background operating visitor attractions in Hawaii is hired by Gary Norton as first General Manager to assure the park's opening on schedule
1989 Silverwood opens to the public with the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge Silverwood Central Railway, and Main Street shops.
1990 Roaring Creek Log Flume (relocated from Kentucky Kingdom), Corkscrew (relocated from Knotts Berry Farm), and Country Carnival.
1993 Thunder Canyon
1996 Timber Terror (originally named Grizzly).
1998 Tinywood opens (later Garfield's Summer Camp).
1999 Tremors
2001 Garfield becomes the official mascot of the park. Tinywood becomes Garfield's Summer Camp
2003 Boulder Beach Water Park opens including Elkhorn Creek lazy river, Wave Pool, Rumble Falls tube slides, and Polliwog Park children's area
2004 Boulder Beach expansion including Velocity Peak speed slides
2005 Trabant and new Sky Diver
2006 Panic Plunge
2007 Boulder Beach expansion including second Wave Pool, Avalanche Mountain, and Toddler Springs children's area
2008 Aftershock (relocated from Six Flags Great America)
2009 Scarywood debut
2011 Boulder Beach expansion including Ricochet Rapids; theme park addition of Frog Hopper and Butterflyer
2013 SpinCycle and Barnstormer
2014 Garfield's Summer Camp Expansion including: Krazy Koaster, and Puppy Go Round. Kiddie Wheel relocated.
2016 Riptide Racer
2018 Silverwood celebrates 30 years, Boulder Beach celebrates 15, Toy Store expanded
2019 New Tilt-A-Whirl, Silverwood co-hosts Golden Ticket Awards with Rocky Mountain Construction
2021 Stunt Pilot, RMC Raptor

Scarywood Haunted Nights

In 2009, Silverwood opened Scarywood Haunted Nights, a nighttime fright fest filled with scare zones and mazes. In 2010, Scarywood returned on a larger, grander scale with more to do. The main attractions for Scarywood include: Blood Bayou, an indoor haunted attraction; Planet Zombie, another outdoor haunt ; several scare zones and other walk through as well as the Timber Terror: Backwards. In 2020, due to concerns with Covid-19, Scarywood was cancelled. The park did remain open weekends in October without the scary theming though.

Current Silverwood Theme Park rides

Roller coasters
First drop on the Tremors roller coaster
Ride Opened Manufacturer Description
Aftershock 2008 Vekoma An inverted roller coaster, relocated from Six Flags Great America where it was known as Déjà Vu. Riders are arranged in a 'V' shaped seating configuration below the track where their legs dangle. The coaster is the third generation of Boomerang, known as the Giant Inverted Boomerang.
Corkscrew 1990 Arrow Development A steel roller coaster, relocated from Knott's Berry Farm in 1990. When Corkscrew first opened in 1975 at Knott's Berry Farm, it achieved two things of historical significance. Corkscrew was not only the first modern inverting coaster in the world, but it also was the first roller coaster to take riders upside down twice.
Krazy Koaster 2014 SBF/VISA Children's spinning coaster A children's spinning roller coaster with a figure-8 layout. The cars of the train spin freely based on weight distribution.
Stunt Pilot 2021 Rocky Mountain Construction A Single Rail coaster, a clone of California's Great America's RailBlazer and a mirrored image of Six Flags Fiesta Texas's Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster.
Timber Terror 1996 Custom Coasters International A wooden roller coaster with a classic out-and-back layout. The ride uses trains from Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. Formerly known as the Grizzly until a potential lawsuit from the former Paramount Parks prompted the name change. Since 2010, the train has been reversed for the park's Scarywood Haunted Nights events every October.
Tiny Toot 1998 Zamperla A powered roller coaster themed to a mine train for young children and parents as well. Ride is driven by a rear wheel that runs along a central tread that runs along the middle of the track. Ride has an oval layout and runs over a small manmade creek.
Tremors 1999 Custom Coasters International A wooden roller coaster with a twister layout that uses the terrain to its advantage. It features four tunnels, the first of which goes under the ride's gift shop. The coaster uses rolling stock from the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters company. In 2010, the ride was the first to receive "topper track," a new track system designed by Rocky Mountain Construction of Hayden, Idaho. The new system, similar to the company's new Iron Horse I-Box track system is designed to cut down on track maintenance, as well as daily wear and tear. Rocky Mountain Construction had previously assisted with the initial construction of the ride.

Other rides
Silverwood Central Railway
Main Street
Roundhouse
(not open to public)
Ride Description
Antique Cars Track based car ride
Barnstormer Zamperla Barnstormer
Ferris Wheel Eli Bridge Co. Ferris Wheel
Bumper Boats Bumper Boats
Carousel Allen Herschell Carousel
Flying Elephants Children's elephant ride
Kiddie Wheel Zamperla children's Ferris wheel
Kiddie Copters Children's helicopter ride
Krazy Kars Bumper Cars
Panic Plunge A.R.M. / Larson International Drop Tower
Paratrooper Paratrooper ride
Puppy-Go-Round SBF/VISA Dog's Ride
Red Baron Children's airplane ride
Roaring Creek Log Flume Arrow Dynamics Log Flume (Relocated from Kentucky Kingdom)
Scrambler Eli Bridge Co. Scrambler
Silverwood Central Railway 30 minute, 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge, steam engine-pulled train ride around park property
SpinCycle SBF/VISA Group Maxi Dance Party 360, Largest of its kind in the United States and tallest of its kind in the world.
Super Round Up Roundup ride
Thunder Canyon White water raft ride designed and built in-house, with lift and rafts supplied by Hopkins Rides
Tilt-a-Whirl Classic tilt-a-whirl ride; replaced park's original Tilt-a-Whirl in 2019


Defunct Rides
Ride Description
Sky Diver

Current Boulder Beach Water Park slides & attractions
Ride Description
Avalanche Mountain 6-Person Raft Slide
Boulder Beach Bay Set of 2 side-by-side wave pools
Elkhorn Creek Lazy River
Polliwog Park Water play complex featuring hoses, slides, shallow water pools, rope bridges, and a giant water bucket above
Ricochet Rapids 4-Person enclosed raft slide
Rumble Falls 4-tube slide complex, featuring four slides, each with their own unique layout, with two enclosed, one fully open, and the fourth half-enclosed, half-open
Toddler Springs Toddler play complex
Velocity Peak 3-speed slide complex, featuring three speed slides side-by-side, each with their own unique layout, with one enclosed spiraling slide, one open slide, and one half-enclosed, half-open slide with recorded speeds of up to 55 mph
Riptide Racer A 6-person racing waterslide. 55.8 feet tall with 405.9 feet of slide.
  • Silverwood silhouette in 2007
  • Silverwood signage on roller coaster
  • The lazy river of Boulder Beach
  • One of the two wave pools in the Boulder Beach Water Park
  • Silverwood Theme Park Train and Coffee Shop

References
  1. Herta Long (March 6, 1981). "Aerodrome undergoing airstrip renovation". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
  3. "Video". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
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