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I grew up in Spokane and lived up the big hill which was part of Riverside State Park. I played all day long as a kid in the "Field" and used to sit atop what we called the "Camel's Hump" watching the fireworks which came out of Nat Park. This was approximately 50 years ago.

Do you have any history of the fireworks being shot from Nat Park back in the later 50's?
I remember going down there with my brother and grandmother and riding the carousel in its original location! My mother spoke about riding the Jack Rabbit when she was a child (would have been in the 1920's or 1930's. She wouldn't allow us to ride it. She witnessed one of the cars coming off the tracks and someone was killed. I believe the Jack Rabbit was disassembled when I was little - probably the late 50's. I never rode it, but remember seeing and watching it.

Kerry S - former resident of Spokane Wa

After a long cold winter it was always a great feeling that the warmer days meant that Nat would be opening soon. My fondest memories was being able to drive the old autos and ride on the train. Thanks for a great site and to be able to share the memories.

Hi,

What a great site. My family used to go to the "Nat" in the fifties as my father, while attending Gonzaga worked there and the family actually lived on the grounds for a while.

My Dad and the then owner became friends and he gave my father a WHOLE ROLL OF RED TICKETS! Us kid were in heaven. It was bumper cars, merry-go-round, loop-o-plane and jack rabbit all day long.

A 1965 graduate of Shadle Park HS, I operated various rides during the summer 1965. I was the primary operator of the Octopus ride during the summers of 1966, 1967. I remember Bill Oliver as a very good person to work for. The park closed as I completed my education at SCC and moved to Texas.

Memories of Nat Park are some of my oldest, back in 1958 when I was 3, too young to ride most of the rides by myself. My folks took my sister and me to the park several times before it closed.

Now, whenever the subject of Nat Park comes up, I have to stop and reflect on some of the best times of my life, riding that yellow train, the Jackrabbit, the merry-go-round, and sliding headlong across the uneven floors of the Nuthouse. Yeah, good times. Thanks for this website.

My mom told me all about this park how she used to go to Nat park when she was young. I was only 6 yrs old in 1968 would of like to have seen the park but didn't, so this site was interesting to read and see what Nat park was all about.
Thank You

I wish that my kids could have gone there. They would have loved it.

Sorry that it's not here still. Happy to have found your website!

I got to visit the Nat while in WA as a child. What a memory I have of that glorious night! My brothers, sister and Uncle (a long time Spokane resident) spent the afternoon and evening there and were enthralled! As poor children growing up in CA we had never had the chance to experience such a wonderous event and we all remember it to this day. My Uncle and Aunt are gone now and so is the Nat but it will live on in our hearts and memories forever!

Loved the large family picnics, we would have potato sack races and other family fun. My grandmother Edith Macfarlane, would make wonderful supper picnics, we'd play among the tall beautiful trees and would watch the fire works go off in the evening on the fourth.

Of course we would scrutinize the horses for the most gorgeous carved and jeweled mount on the carousel with real leather and tails.

Toward the last years I remember Jack Jet, performing at the park he had his own local TV show in Spokane. Anyone else remember him?

As a kid the two things kids in my neighborhood dreamed about and wanted most in life were either a visit to Nat Park or to be on the local captain Sy TV Show, to wiggle your ears to win the treasure chest. Literally felt unreal or in heaven on the same day we visited both.