YouTube Pick – History of the Astro Liner

Simulators date back to the earliest days of amusement parks and space travel is of course, a natural subject for simulation due to the challenges of doing it for real.

One of the earliest rides of this type dates back to 1901, ‘A Trip to the Moon’ was designed for the Pan-American Exposition of 1901 in Buffalo, New York, before it was relocated to Luna Park in Coney Island.

Six decades later, the Astro Liner came into being, a vast rocket ship that used primitive video technology to simulate a trip beyond the stratosphere. The specific dates for the Pleasure Beach attraction are still being researched, however it was known to be in existence during the 1979 season, as seen in these photos from John Burke’s wonderful website.

In this great video from Poseidon Entertainment, they provide a look back at this once popular ride model.