Murder most Foul, Delicious Food fit for a King, Await you at Castle Park in Riverside....

Every day for several years I passed this place along side of the 91 westbound on the south side of Riverside just north of the Corona area, and often wondered what kind of place it was....Then one day I had to deliver some court papers to the office from Ragging Waters in Valencia for signature by management....I had a few minutes to stroll around, and I discovered this Castle Park deserved much more than a causal glance from the 91 freeway.

Castle Park was built back in 1976 much on the same scale as other family styled amusement parks....It started out looking like your standard Bullwinkle's or another children's destination Chuck & Chesses.....But the similarity soon ended....The Owners, who by the way are the same people who own Magic Mountain in Valencia, built Castle Park as the Ultimate Family Entertainment Park in the US....And as Castle Park continued to expand and add new rides, tearing out some of the older ones that did not draw as well, eventually won the park the coveted title, Best Family Attraction in the Inland Empire.

The giant Arcade building has 200 of the most up to date state of the art video games on the bottom floor and on the second floor, they have a roller coaster called the Ghost Blaster......Oh did I mention the Dance Revolution Arcade game down in the arcade....This is one game that dancing is to your benefit....The more you dance the more you win....Game awards are redeemable for great prizes.....They also have a full sized snack bar, that serves everything from super sized hot jumbo pretzels, ball park hot dogs and plenty of cold drinks to keep the average gamer happy.

Castle Park also offers Four 18 hole championship golf courses that offer varying levels of play from the beginner to the pro....Each course has its own unique waterfall, rapids and fountains to play through, and each course has it own theme.....Over 4,799 lights transform the courses at night time and eighteen lighted waterfalls reflections play off of each course right up till closing time.

The park also offers two great places to eat.....The Big Top Restaurant, is open to the public daily and offers just about anything you want to restore your energy levels.....Chicken fingers, 5 types of burgers, fresh fruit plates, and a full vegetable salad bar are kept stocked so there is always something good to eat....To satisfy your sweet tooth, they have a full ice cream bar that has your choice of hot toppings, whipped cream, nuts and green and red cherries.....This is the perfect place to celebrate birthdays or a special group party.

The Plaza Cafe located in the main midway area, offers a great place to relax....Tables are in the outdoor plaza area with umbrellas for shade....They offer burgers, fries, hot dogs, several different kinds of pizza, corn dogs, more ice cream, sundaes and soft drinks.....And of course dont forget the snack bar in the main Arcade Building.

'Anthony the Magic' performs weekly at Castle Park, entertaining audiences of all ages with his unique skills and illusions....Anthony is formally trained in music and dance and has added magic that he learned at the world famous Magic Shop in Hollywood....Anthony is available for private parties....for his show times and his availability for private parties call 951 785-3000.

Castle Park is open for the following hours on the following days....

They are closed on Mondays and Thursdays.....Fridays they are open from 5 to 10 pm and the arcade is open till 11pm.....On Saturday the rides are open from 11 am to 10 pm and the arcade is open from 11 am to 11 pm....On Sunday the rides are open from 11 am to 9 pm and the arcade and golf are open from 11 am to 10 pm.

Take the 91 freeway either north or south and get off at La Sierra Ave. Go north and make a right turn on Diana Street, then make a left into the park. The actual address is 3500 Polk Street, Riverside....There Phone number to call for prices and changing winter hours is 951-785-3000.....There email address is info@castlepark.com if you would like to contact them over the internet.

During Halloween, Castle Park puts on the Monster Bash....This includes Murders in the Chambers of the Mausoleum, Trick or Treat Street, and there famous Scarecrow maze and Pumpkin Patch guaranteed to scare the dickens out of you....If you have a weak heart, they advise you to please stay away....they dont need any more bodies littering the place more than the usual number.

Call the park for dates and times of the Monster Bash.

Gary Hall, the ghostpainter