Cliff's Amusement ParkLocation: Albuquerque, NM
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The amusement parks in the Southwest are few and far between, so naturally an amazing story comes along to explain one in New Mexico. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico is Cliff’s Amusement Park. Cliff’s has been a staple in New Mexico since the 1960s, but it was not always easy for the family running the park. The park was built in 1959 as small kiddie park with a Go-Kart track and a few kid entertainment complexes. Cliff and Zella Hammond had no previous experience in running a park and were one time farmers in the Northwest and Idaho. Injuries sustained by Cliff forced a career change to aviation and flight control. His ventures took him to the Southwest and here is where Cliff’s was born.
In 1963, Cliff had to move to park to literally a plot of land that was in the middle of nowhere. The hours for the park were anytime that a person drove in and the place was opened for business and the park employees were nothing but family. The problem was the Interstate had not been built yet. By the 1970s Cliff and Zella were able to retire because their kids decided to begin operating the park. Linda, their daughter, and her husband began to take control of the park and wanted to add bigger and better attractions. They changed the name from Uncle Cliff’s to Cliff’s Amusement Park to symbolize that it wasn’t just for kids anymore. The park is a staple among locals in New Mexico and is a business that loves hiring young workers to get real life experience. Today the park includes the Rattler wooden roller coaster which is voted as one of the top 25 classic coasters year in and year out. The park also has recently went cashless and only the use of cards and a fun card are accepted. Next time you are experiencing the Southwest, stop in for a ride on the Rattler and check out the hard working folks at Cliff’s Amusement Park. |
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