Wooden Warrior Rises from the Snow Drifts

It’s hard to imagine right now, but summer really is coming and Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury is working hard to get ready.  The Wild Mouse, an older metal roller coaster has come down, and crews are hard at work on a new, and more exciting, wooden roller coaster called “The Wooden Warrior.”

“It’s 1,200 linear feet,” said Quassy owner George Frantzis. “There are also 35 foot drops, and, in places, utilizing the topography, you might get even more than that. It’s a great ride for who we are. It is geared to family and could be a great first roller coaster for kids.”

The decision to go all wood was one of tastes and aesthetics, Frantzis explained.

“You might have gotten more bang for your buck with metal, but this is more traditional and is more of what we are about,” he said. “Roller coasters are like wine; for the traditionalist wood coasters are non-obtrusive.”

Quassy is in its 102nd year. It started out as a trolley park – a destination point for weekend trolley rides, one of 1,100 trolley parks through the country. When cars and buses became more prevalent, trolley parks began to close. Frantzis said his grandfather, who had a concession at the original trolley park, decided that he and some friends would take it over when the trolley company pulled out in 1937.

Quassy has remained a traditional, small, family amusement park since that time. It is located on 20 acres of lakefront on Lake Quassapaug, with its own beach area.

Traditional rides like a small train and the old carousel, water slides at the beachfront, games of chance, and typical fair food have made Quassy a “go-to” location for decades.

“We always want to bring people back and give them another thrill,” Frantzis explained. “We’re committed to the community and our guests.”

In spite of heavy snows and extremely cold weather, work on the roller coaster has continued throughout the winter.

“We have engineers building this who really love what they do,” said Frantzis. “It’s beautiful to see this excitement.”

The new coaster, although it is bigger than the Wild mouse, is definitely not a “monstrosity,” Frantzis explained.

Nearby neighbors were comfortable with the project and understanding that the coaster is who and what Quassy is.

Quassy plans to have the new coaster ready when they open on the Saturday before Easter.  The new ride will hopefully draw first-timers to the park, but also be an exciting twist on the experience for the generations of people who have been there before.

Quassy is located on Route 64 (2123 Middlebury Road) in Middlebury. Phone is 1-800-FOR-PARK, and you can visit the website for more information: http://www.quassy.com.