Orbiter at Canada's Wonderland. A Spongebob Squarepants ride at Canada's Wonderland.
Take a trip down memory lane! If you love Canada's Wonderland, you may be interested to know that at one time, the park looked very different.
Canada's Wonderland opened in 1981 with just 30 rides and has seen tons of changes and new attractions since.
While some of the original rides are still available in the park today, others did not stand the test of time, either rebranding or closing down altogether.
For a glimpse of the park's past and a blast of nostalgia, we're taking you through 10 rides and attractions that don't exist anymore at Canada's Wonderland.
Pharaoh's Eye
Pharaoh's Eye at Canada's Wonderland.
Bob Joiner | Canada's Wonderland
Opened in 1981 as one of the park's original rides, Pharaoh's Eye was a spinning ride that raised riders off the ground, tilted 90 degrees and lifted rides while spinning through "stomach teasing" loops, similar to Orbiter, another now-closed ride at the park.
Pharaoh's Eye closed just six years after opening in 1987 to make room for Racing Rivers, a water ride that opened in 1988.
Bayern's Kurve
Bayern's Curve at Canada's Wonderland.
Bayern's Curve was a classic attraction at Canada's Wonderland, featuring a roller coaster-like amusement ride that moved a train around a circular tilted track and had a mountain backdrop.
Built in 1981 as one of the park’s original attractions, 16 cars would spin round and round pivoting inwards as the ride gained speed. Each car represented a different country in the Olympics, with the lead car representing Team Canada.
The ride closed at the end of the 2000 season, when the ride Klockwerks took over its space in the park.
Jet Scream
Jet Scream at Canada's Wonderland.
Canada's Wonderland | Facebook
This starship ride ran at Canada's Wonderland from 1990 to 2010. The ride operated similarly to Viking's Rage , a swinging ride currently available in the park.
Jet Scream would swing riders through loops while rotating 360 degrees, 10 stories high, for a stomach-churning, gravity-defying experience.
The ride was replaced with WIndseeker , a giant 301-foot swing ride, in 2011.
SkyRider
SkyRider was Canada's Wonderland's iconic standing ride, which was actually the only stand-up looping roller coaster in Canada when it opened in 1985.
The roller coaster would take riders down a 25.6-metre drop directly into a giant 360-degree loop and in a 540-degree helix twist, all while standing.
It operated in the park for 29 years before closing in 2014 to make way for further park expansion. This resulted in the building of the Yukon Striker, according to Wonderland, which opened in 2019.
Spongebob Squarepants 4-D
Kids born in the 90s will probably remember going to the Spongebob Squarepants 4-D ride at Canada's Wonderland at the Action Theatre.
The ride combined a short film following Spongebob as he sets out to retrieve a stolen Krabby Patty pickle with sensor-equipped motion seats, wind, and mist for a multi-dimensional experience.
While the Action Theatre still exists at the park, the Spongebob 4-D ride has long been unavailable since it originally opened in 2003.
In the past, the Action Theatre also saw short films like Days of Thunder(1994-1998), James Bond: License to Thrill (1998), Escape from Dino Island 3D (1999), Stan Lee’s 7th Portal (2001), The Fantastic World of Hanna-Barbara (2006), Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia 3D (2012), Monsters of the Deep 3D (2013), Robinson Crusoe 3D (2016-2017), and Our Canada (2018).
Today, the theatre is mostly used for education and music events, as well as the Halloween Haunt maze Spirit Manor in October.
Zumba Flume
Zumba Flume at Canada's Wonderland.
Another Wonderland original, Zumba Flume opened in 1981 along with 29 other rides. The ride was a classic log flume ride with two slides and a 40-foot drop ending with a big splash.
While the ride would likely still be a hit today, it closed in 1994 to make room for the popular ride Flight Deck, which opened in 1995 as Top Gun.
Hanna-Barberry-Go-Round
The Hanna-Barberry-Go-Round in Hanna-Barbera Land at Canada's Wonderland.
Before Planet Snoopy, there was the Happyland of Hanna-Barbera, with the kids' area themed with cartoons like Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, and The Flintstones.
A favourite carousel in the area was t he Hanna-Barberry-Go-Round, where kids could ride on the backs of Scooby Doo or Dino, sit in Yogi Bear's lap or in Jabber Jaw's flippers or ride in a trolley car conducted by Fred Flintstone.
In 2010, the area became Planet Snoopy, which parkgoers can visit today.
Orbiter
Orbiter, formerly called Sol Loco, was one of Canada's Wonderland's original rides when the park opened in 1981.
The ride, which closed in 2018, operated like a high-octane version of a Ferris wheel, featuring carriages where riders would stand and then be spun horizontally before being lifted vertically 20 metres above the ground.
Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion
Many may remember this old-school version of a classic Wonderland ride.
Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion was an interactive dark ride at Canada's Wonderland in which riders would be taken through spooky settings and have to blast ghouls and ghosts.
The ride opened at the park in the year 2000. In 2010, it was re-themed to become Boo Blasters on Boo Hill , in which guests must use their Boo Blaster laser gun to collect points and capture the evil Boocifer, who's lurking in "ghastly graveyards, creepy corridors and dingy dungeons."
Saltwater Circus
The Saltwater Circus at Canada's Wonderland.
Did you know there used to be a dolphin and sea lion show at Canada’s Wonderland?
During the '80s and '90s, the park held a marine show under a big tent in Hanna-Barbera Land featuring "the antics of playful dolphins and saucy sea lions" as they splashed in a large saltwater pool.
This aquarium venue originally opened with the park in 1981 under the name "Saltwater Circus." It was later changed to only sea lions and seals were featured.
The aquarium closed in 2002 when Nickelodeon Central replaced part of Hanna-Barbera Land.
While these rides are no longer at the park, Canada's Wonderland has opened tons of new attractions and continues to do so. Earlier this year, the park unveiled its new thrill ride Tundra Twister, a spinning swing ride that's the only one of its kind in the world.
The park is also opening a giant new waterslide in its waterpark, SplashWorks, in 2024.