Where Was Action Park Located
Action Park was located in Vernon Township, New Jersey, on a large parcel of land near the Vernon Valley/Great Gorge ski area in the Shawnee and Pocono Mountains region. The park sat on a former summer-camp and resort tract that was converted into a commercial amusement destination in the late 1970s, and it operated under multiple ownership structures tied to real-estate and leisure development interests in the New York metropolitan area Forbes theme park industry overview.
The Vernon Township site placed Action Park in Sussex County, roughly 60 miles northwest of New York City, with proximity to major highways that supported high visitor volume from the New York and northern New Jersey metro areas. The park's physical footprint included the main amusement area, the adjacent ski slopes, and later water-park sections built on the same parcel, with the overall complex reflecting a mix of private investment and regional tourism development strategies New Jersey state parks and forests Vernon area.
Key Ownership, Operations, and Incidents at Action Park
Action Park was developed and operated by GAR Industries, later known as Great American Recreation, under the leadership of Eugene Mulvihill, who oversaw the conversion of the ski-resort property into a mixed-use amusement and water-park complex. The park drew attention for its low-cost model, high-thrill rides, and a series of injuries and fatalities that led to lawsuits, regulatory scrutiny, and negative media coverage throughout the 1980s and early 1990s New York Times Action Park history.
In the 1990s, the property changed hands multiple times as the parent companies restructured, filed for bankruptcy, and sold assets amid declining attendance and mounting liability costs. The site eventually became part of a portfolio managed by entities focused on resort and real-estate redevelopment, while the Action Park name remained associated with a specific era of risky amusement operations in New Jersey SEC company filings and ownership records.
Current Status of the Former Action Park Site
The former Action Park property in Vernon Township has been redeveloped and repurposed under new ownership, with parts of the land converted into residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects consistent with modern zoning and land-use plans in Sussex County. The ski areas and remaining open parcels have been integrated into updated recreation and hospitality offerings, while the original amusement structures were removed or replaced as part of long-term redevelopment efforts Vernon Township municipal planning.
Today, the site is marketed under different brand names and ownership structures, with the Action Park legacy preserved primarily through media coverage, documentaries, and public records rather than as an operating amusement park. The transformation reflects broader trends in Northeast U.S. leisure real estate, where former amusement and ski properties are redeveloped for higher-margin residential and resort uses New Jersey land use and redevelopment guidance.