Gayway - Expo Seattle 1962

The Gayway 21 is a dedicated area, a spectacular entertainment zone.

The Gayway consisted of 20 rides that were either new or updated for the Seattle show.

Two well-known amusement park manufacturers assembled these rides at a total cost of $2 million.

Some of the more familiar ones that had been renamed and refurbished were the Wild Mouse (a roller coaster), the Space wheel (a 33 metre high Ferris wheel), the Distel (bumper cars) and the Allortria (a new version of the Laughter Palace).

The Skyride, which started in the amusement park, was something more than a typical and simple ride. Cables stretched 20 metres above the ground carried cabins for 3 people each over a distance of 450 metres. Passengers could see the exhibition below them.

Many of the Gayway's rides were imported directly from Europe for their success across the Atlantic, including: "Le Mans" a miniature circuit of the race of the same name; the "Rotor" which was a centrifugal force experiment and the "Cake Walk" a kind of swing.

Among the rides created for the Gayway at the exhibition were the "Crystal Maze" (an ice maze) and the "Space Whirl" (cars that could be controlled in all directions).

Article based on Official Books Seattle World's Fair 1962