GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — It’s been ten years since the Zippin Pippin first opened at the Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay.
The wooden roller coaster, one of the oldest in the country, opened up in 2011 after the city purchased it from a park in Memphis, Tennessee.
Former Mayor Jim Schmitt was a major proponent of buying the coaster, but it wasn’t without its detractors.
“We knew the Zippin Pippin was going to make money,” said Schmitt in an appearance on WTAQ’s ‘The Regular Joe Show’ on Tuesday. “We really thought it was going to lift all rides and concession stands, which it did. I just couldn’t believe how controversial that was.”
The ride was purchased just years after the 2008 financial crisis, which drew criticism at the time. Schmitt says the coaster has paid for itself.
“You look back on that and think ‘Gee, that was a no-brainer’, but at the time, it was very controversial,” said Schmitt. “I’m so glad the team stuck together and got it done.”
The coaster was first built in Memphis the early 1910s. It was allegedly a favorite of Elvis Presley. Reportedly, Presley, just a week before his death, rented the entire park the coaster was formally located in to entertain a small number of guests, and he rode the coaster for hours without stopping.
The 10th anniversary will be formally celebrated on Friday between 5pm and 9pm.
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