View source for Castles N' Coasters

{{Short description|Amusement park in Phoenix, Arizona}}
{{refimprove|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox amusement park
| name = Castles ~N~ Coasters
| image = File:Castles n Coasters logo.png
| image_size = 250px
| location = 9445 North Metro Parkway East
| location2 = Phoenix, Arizona
| location3 = U.S.
| coordinates = {{coord|33.5723|-112.1188|region:US_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
| homepage = {{Official website|http://www.castlesncoasters.com/}}
| owner = 
| general_manager = Darsey Grantham
| operator = 
| opening_date = 1976
| closing_date = 
| previous_names = Golf n' Stuff (1976-1992)
| visitors = 20,000 annually
| area = ~14 acres
| rides = 14
| coasters = 2
| water_rides = 2
| slogan = Arizona's Finest Family Fun and Thrill Park
| footnotes = 
| status = Operating
| public_transit = {{rint|phoenix|rail}} [[Metro Parkway station|Metro Parkway]]
}}

'''Castles N' Coasters''' is an [[amusement park]] and family [[amusement center]] located in [[Phoenix, Arizona]]. The approximately {{convert|14|acre|m2|adj=on}} park features four outdoor 18-hole [[miniature golf]] courses, several rides, and an indoor video game arcade. The park was built in 1976, and is designed in a [[Islamic architecture|Middle-Eastern]] motif though other eras are featured such as the [[Wild West]]-themed miniature golf course and log flume ride.

Other attractions includes a go-kart track, bumper cars, bumper boats, 2 roller coasters called Patriot and Desert Storm, some thrill rides including Magic Carpet, Sea Dragon, Free Fall and Sky Diver drop rides, and a log flume called Splashdown.

==History==
In 1976, the entertainment park originally opened under the name "[[Golf N' Stuff]]". It later turned into "Castles N' Coasters" in December 1991 after adding its Ride Park.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 1991 |title=On a Roll |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/123173609/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> Also expanding to 14 acres which brought two roller coasters, Desert Storm and Patriot, as well as a multilevel arcade.

The bumper boats were originally batting cages.

==Rides and attractions==
'''Roller coasters'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Year Opened !! Manufacturer !! Description
|-
| [[Desert Storm (roller coaster)|Desert Storm]]
| 1992
| [[Hopkins Rides]]
| A looping [[roller coaster]] that uses a simple lap bar restraint.  It is one of the park's main attractions and has two loops. Manufactured by Hopkins. 
|-
| [http://rcdb.com/351.htm Patriot]
| 1992
| [[Hopkins Rides]]
| A mild [[roller coaster]] that is colored red, white and blue as its name suggests.  It is centered around a large American flag and does two circuits. Manufactured by Hopkins.
|-
|}

'''Amusement rides'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !! Year Opened !! Manufacturer !! Model !!  Description
|-
| [[Splashdown (log flume)|Splashdown]]
| 1991
| [[Hopkins Rides]]
| Log Flume
| Features a logging town, tunnel, waterfalls, fountains, squirting [[African Elephant]] statues, native huts, and two large drops. The first drop measure 10 feet and the second drop measures 30 feet.
|-
| Skydiver 
| 2008
| Larson
| Super Shot
| A 120 foot tall free-fall [[Drop tower (ride)|drop tower]].
|-
| Free Fall 
| 2012
| [[Moser’s Rides|Moser]]
| Spring Ride 5+5
| A smaller version of Sky Diver (above).
|-
| Sea Dragon
| 2012
| [[Chance Rides|Chance]]
| Spring Ride 5+5
| A large swinging Viking ship. 
|-
| Ram Rods
| 2000
| Majestic 
| Bumper Cars
| Riders steer their cars in any direction across the metal rectangular floor bumping other cars out of their way.
|-
| Magic Carpet 
| 2003
| [[Preston & Barbieri]]
| Music Express
| A quick circular ride that travels clockwise around an undulating track and goes through "Aladdin's Castle. Goes forward and backward.
|-
| Carousel
| 1970
| [[Philadelphia Toboggan Company]]
| Carousel
| Features 60 hand painted horses and circus animals 
|-
| Flying Bugs & Spinning Tops
| 2002
| [[Zamperla]]
| Jump Around
|  Kiddie rides located near the queue line for [[Desert Storm (roller coaster)|Desert Storm]].
|-
| Dixie Jr. Wheel 
| 1992
| [[Eyerly Aircraft Company|Eyerly]]
| Miniature Ferris Whell
| 
|-
|}
* '''Li'l Indy''' is a [[go-cart]] track that passes under the [[Desert Storm (roller coaster)|Desert Storm]] roller coaster (above).
* '''[[Bumper boats|Bumper Boats]]'''
* '''Arcades'''
* '''[[Miniature Golf]]''' features four courses.  Each have trick shots, multiple themes, and many water features.

==Incidents==
On May 1, 2005, eleven people were left stranded for nearly three hours after a free fall ride malfunctioned. Reports indicate that the floorless, four-sided passenger cabin jerked as it ascended the tower. The cabin, guided by cables, normally drops to the bottom of the 120-foot-tall tower and comes to a stop, however when it reached the halfway point on its ascent, it made loud screeching noises and came to a sudden halt. It took firefighters nearly three hours to rescue the riders, who were locked in their seats about 30 feet above the ground.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bland |first=Karina |date=May 6, 2005 |title=Pressure is on for state inspections of rides |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/117205534/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

The park's manager says that the ride would be closed until investigators determined what caused the malfunction.

On March 30, 2015, two young boys suffered burns when the bumper boat they were in caught fire.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fox10phoenix.com/story/28655957/2015/03/30/2-boys-suffer-serious-burns-after-bumper-boat-fire-at-amusement-park |title=2 boys suffer serious burns after bumper boat fire at amusement - FOX 10 News &#124; fox10phoenix.com |accessdate=2015-04-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403003224/http://www.fox10phoenix.com/story/28655957/2015/03/30/2-boys-suffer-serious-burns-after-bumper-boat-fire-at-amusement-park |archivedate=2015-04-03 }}</ref>

On November 28, 2015,  a twelve-year-old boy named Dominick Leal was seriously injured after falling from the park’s Splashdown attraction after standing during the ride, and required immediate emergency brain surgery.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woodworth |first=Whitney M. |date=November 29, 2015 |title=Boy, 12, hurt on ride at Castles N’ Coasters |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/139840792/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Arizona Republic |language=en}}</ref>

On May 15, 2021, fire crews rescued 22 people that were stuck on the Desert Storm rollercoaster. Investigators said the cars on the coaster stalled and the riders were stuck about 20 feet up on a horizontal loop. A long bolt broke and scraped against the wheel railing where the coaster eventually grinded to a halt. 
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.azfamily.com/news/22-people-rescued-after-roller-coaster-gets-stuck-at-phoenixs-castles-n-coasters/article_f3f6bd6c-b5e3-11eb-a5ed-dbcd57a92f2c.html|title = 22 people rescued after roller coaster gets stuck at Phoenix's Castles N' Coasters}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.castlesncoasters.com/ Castles N' Coasters Official Website]
*{{RCDB|4627}}
*[http://www.amusementparks.net/arizona/castles-n-coasters/ Details with images]

[[Category:Amusement parks in Arizona]]
[[Category:1976 establishments in Arizona]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[Category:Amusement parks in Phoenix, Arizona]]