National Amusement Park Historical Association

The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) is an international organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the amusement and theme park industry – past, present and future.

NAPHA was founded in 1978 by a former employee of Chicago’s Riverview amusement park (closed 1967) and has grown through the years to include amusement park enthusiasts from around the world.

Since its founding in 1978, the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) has worked closely with the amusement industry to further its mission of preserving its heritage and traditions. As the world’s only organization dedicated to all aspects of the amusement industry, the organization fills a unique role.

As part of NAPHA’s mission to preserve the heritage and traditions of amusement parks, the organization tries to work with the industry to protect key components of its history. NAPHA’s efforts have resulted in the preservation of several historic rides including:

But ride preservation goes beyond the restoration of actual rides. NAPHA has also played an active role in recreating lost classics, providing vintage blueprints that led to the construction of the Raging Wolf Bobs at Geauga Lake, a modern version of the Bobs at Chicago’s defunct Riverview Park, and most recently, the re-creation of a classic wooden Flying Turns by Knoebels Amusement Resort in Pennsylvania. In addition, NAPHA was the catalyst for the reconstruction of the Zippin' Pippin wooden coaster at Bay Beach.

Materials for these recreations came from NAPHA’s archives. Located in a climate controlled storage facility outside Chicago, NAPHA’s holdings are highlighted by the John Caruthers Collection, quite possibly the largest collection of amusement park postcards with over 16,000 items, and Eugene K. Feerer Collection. Feerer was a former president of International Amusement Device. Inc. (IADI) the successor to National Amusement Devices (NAD). In addition to a wealth of information on IADI, NAD and Dayton Fun House, the collection contains what is perhaps the largest collection of John A. Miller materials anywhere including blueprints, photographs and correspondence.

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