Monster (ride)
The Monster is an amusement ride manufactured by Eyerly Aircraft Company. The ride spins while moving up and down at a slow pace. Each car spins while giant arms move up and down in a circular motion. Riders may experience the feeling of weightlessness when going in the air and coming back down to ground level.
Design
The Monster and the Spider are two different rides. The Spider is an offshoot of the Octopus, which has 8 arms with either one or two seats at the end, whereas the Spider has six arms with two seats at the end of each arm. The Monster has six arms similar to the Spider however it has four seats on the end with a rotating arms operated by electric motors where the seats are connected.Existing rides
- Monster- Cedar Point, originally opened in 1970 and was refurbished and relocated within the park for 2014.
- Monster – EsselWorld
- Monster- Kings Island, opened in 1972 but, originally operated at Coney Island (Cincinnati, Ohio) from 1969 to 1971.
- Monster- Valleyfair, opened in 1977.
- Spider- Elitch Gardens Theme Park, opened in 1969 at the original location of Elitch Gardens. Opened at the current location in 1995.
- Spider- Idlewild and Soak Zone
- Spider- The Terrortorium Haunted House & Amusements, Opened in 2025 but, originally operated at Waldameer from 1977 to 2024.
Now defunct
- Bell's Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma had one known as the Spider.
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach The Monster! operated from 1968 to 1995. It was replaced by Ice Blast.
- California's Great America had one known as The Lobster where it operated at the park from 1976 until the early 1990s. It was located in the Yankee Harbor section of the park.
- Canada's Wonderland had one known as Shiva's Fury that operated from 1981 to 2003. It was removed for the 2004 addition of Tomb Raider: The Ride.
- Carowinds The Witch Doctor operated from 1973 to 1987. The Cinema 180 Theater replaced the ride in 1988.
- Frontier Village operated a Spider from 1975 until the park's closure in 1980.
- Geauga Lake had operated a Spider known as the Black Squid from 1970 until the park's closure in 2007. The Black Squid was relocated to Kings Dominion but was in too poor of condition to be reassembled.
- Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania purchased a Monster from Eyerly in January 1972, which was installed in the newly built Carrousel Circle for the 1972 season as part of Phase I of the park's redevelopment project. The ride was removed from operations after the 1983 season.
- Kennywood Monongahela Monster operated from 1979 to 1989. It was replaced by the Swing Around.
- Kings Dominion The Monster operated from 1975 to 1988. It was also known as The Bad Apple during its years of operation in the park.
- Lakemont Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania removed in 2010 due to rising maintenance costs.
- Lakeside Amusement Park The Spider operated until it was dismantled prior to the beginning of the 2017 season.
- Lakeside Amusement Park (Virginia) The Monster was operating at the park as of 1985. The park eventually closed at the end of the 1986 season.
- Pontchartrain Beach, The Monster operated until the park closed in 1983.
- Rocky Glen Park The Monster version operated until the park closed in 1987; Auctioned in August 1988. They also had a Spider version in the 1970s when the park was briefly run under the names of "Ghost Town in the Glen" and "Ghost Town Park".
- Silverwood Theme Park, The Monster operated from 1988 until the end of the 2004 season. It was replaced with the Trabant in 2005.
- Six Flags AstroWorld, Houston, Texas Black Dragon operated from 1968 to 1977 in Oriental Village section of the park.
- Six Flags Magic Mountain Jolly Monster operated at the park from 1973 to 1981.
- Six Flags Over Georgia Mo-Mo The Monster operated from the early 1970s to the mid-late 1980s.
- Six Flags St. Louis Mo-Mo The Monster operated from 1973 to 1994. It was replaced by the Riverview Racer in 1996.
- Williams Grove Amusement Park had one known as The Monster. It is currently unknown as to when The Monster opened at the park but, it is known that The Monster closed and was sold when the park closed in 2005.
- Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri had one known as the Octopus. Last Season 2014. Removed due to unavailability of spare parts.
- Monster- Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, opened 1995 but, was removed for the addition of Dominator in 1998 but, was returned in 2000 to its most recent location. Removed after the 2023 season.