Fun Land opens 2 new rides, a $1 million investment into park

Fun Land of Fredericksburg opened two new rides, Patriot Plunge and The Flip Side, marking a $1 million investment into the city’s amusement park.

Both standalone “flat” rides seat 12 people, stand 40 feet tall, and serve as a new draw to the outdoor section of the park that has seen recent expansions, including Virginia’s first three-level go-kart track opened in 2019. Patriots Plunge is a drop tower attraction, while The Flip Side is a spinning pendulum.

“Putting these rides in is no easy feat. We had to work a lot with the city of Fredericksburg, and they really helped us. The zoning department and the building services really helped us get these two rides in here,” said Fun Land Fredericksburg General Manager Clint Novak.

Novak, and owner Chuck Peitz, said Fun Land worked closely with Bowman Construction, who built the rides, and Fredericksburg zoning administrators for at least two years to obtain permits for the ride. “They’re great rides and, I think, a great addition to our facility here,” said Peitz. “I have to say that the city has really worked with us, aided us in moving the projects forward as they did with the Gocart track and the other things that we’ve done here. And I must say they come with expectations, but they deal with us fairly. And my feeling is that if that’s what government is supposed to deliver to the people, I think it’s just being delivered very well.”

City Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, the “Queen of Funland,” as she was called, addressed more than 100 people gathered on March 9, 2023. “You have put Fredericksburg on the map, and we appreciate it…Besides putting the fun in Fredericksburg, you are an employer of over 100 young men and women for whom you are often the first employer. And they do a great job of training these young men and women. Absolutely. More than that, you’re a great corporate citizen,” said Greenlaw.

Fun Land, at 1351 Central Park Boulevard, opened in 2005 and has rolled out multiple expansions in recent years to include Tailgaters Sports Grill, a rebranded restaurant with a full-service bar. Peitz said adding new food and drink had drawn many more fathers to the park who attend birthday parties with their children.

The newly-rebranded restaurant will also allow Fun Land to host special events for those aged 21 and over, a first for the park, planned for Friday, March 24, 2023, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Pietz said mild winter temperatures have helped to bring more poeple to the park this past winter, including an outdoor area and an indoor arcade, with a Sky Trail ropes course, bowling alley, and small roller coaster.

The need for more parking spaces will come with the expansion, said Peitz. Right now, the park is exploring ways to add an additional 200 parking spaces in hopes of bringing in more poeple who want to enjoy a day of fun close to home.