Heard a rumor Action Park is coming back to NJ? Here’s what’s up

Could it possibly be true? Could it be the return of New Jersey’s most infamous amusement park? A park so dangerous a documentary was made. Could today’s generation even handle such a place of mayhem?

Relax. If you heard any kind of rumor that Action Park is coming to New Jersey, it could be but not really. Let me explain.

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First, it should be explained that the notorious park of the 1980s where all rules were broken and scores of people were injured and a few even died closed down after years of decline in 1996. Years later a more tame, finally responsible version of Action Park reopened in Vernon, New Jersey in 2014.

The new park only kept that problematic name for two years and in 2016 rebranded as Mountain Creek Water Park.

It’s still there with their website saying their opening day this year is June 22.

Now in Florida, there’s a place called Xtreme Action Park. They offer things like go-karts, laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, etc.. This Florida place has nothing to do with the old Action Park and they’re eyeing up an expansion into New Jersey at Moorestown Mall.

The plan is a two-story space filled with a bar, arcade, and an amusement center with things like ax throwing, a go-kart track, golf attractions, duck pin bowling, and lots more. There will even be a rooftop live entertainment space.

The only problem? The name.

Steven Midttun, one of the owners, told nj.com, “There will be no ‘Action Park’ in the name. Xtreme Action Park in Fort Lauderdale obviously is a name and facility that’s had a lot of success. We’re not going to use Action Park because of some of the history we know in New Jersey.”

So, no kids, Action Park is not coming to New Jersey, not the way you may have heard. No alternate name for this new 121,000-square-foot venue has been announced.

Whatever it will be called, it will take up the space left vacant at Moorestown Mall when the Lord & Taylor closed. It should bring about 150 new jobs to the area. Their goal is to open between January and March of next year.

And without their own fleet of ambulances.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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