{"id":378,"date":"2010-10-31T22:11:45","date_gmt":"2010-11-01T04:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lagoonhistory.com\/project"},"modified":"2026-02-25T22:03:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T05:03:40","slug":"the-rockets","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lagoonhistory.com\/project\/attractions\/the-rockets\/","title":{"rendered":"Captive Aeroplanes \/ Rockets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Jump to Rockets<\/em> \u2193<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAPTIVE AEROPLANES<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Opened: 1919
Closed: Pre-1987
Location: Central Midway<\/a>
Manufactured By: Traver Circle Swing Co. – New York City, New York
Ride Model: Circle Swing
Structural Height: ~80 feet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the turn of the 20th century, Lagoon was more of a place of relaxation than a place of excitement. The park was dominated by gardens and shady boweries. But the beginnings of what Lagoon would become were gradually taking hold. The first thrill rides were the Shoot-The-Chutes, opening and 1906, and a side-friction roller coaster called the Scenic Railway in 1907. Another popular new amusement of the era, the Traver Circle Swing was being installed in many parks across the world at the time. An ad in the Street Railway Journal<\/em> boasted the ride’s cost-efficiency and high-visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Traver<\/a>
Wicker gondola as shown in a 1904 ad.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ride was designed by Harry Traver who took inspiration for the device from watching seagulls flying around the mast of a ship. It was a fairly simple ride consisting of a tower about 80 feet tall with gondolas attached by cables to arms at the top. After loading, the ride would spin and the gondolas would fly outward with the centrifugal force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first Traver Circle Swings used gondolas made of wicker as seen in the photo above. Later, a children’s version using bird-shaped gondolas was patented. As air travel developed and caught the interest of the general public, the gondolas were replaced by small airplanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lagoon added its Circle Swing, called the Captive Aeroplanes, in 1919 near the edge of what was then a much larger Lagoon Lake. In January 1920, severe winter storms caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to the ride, but it was soon repaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lagoon’s Captive Aeroplanes. Photo: \u00a9 Lagoon History Project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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ROCKETS<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In 1947, a Lagoon newspaper advertisement announced the addition of “stainless steel rockets” in place of the original planes. The name then changed from Captive Aeroplanes to the Rockets and would remain that way for the rest of the ride’s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ready for a ride on the Rockets, 1953. Photo courtesy of Deseret News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even though there were probably hundreds of Traver Circle Swings at one time (Saltair also had one), there are no longer any originals in operation. Traver’s factory closed during the Great Depression and it was taken over by the R.E. Chambers Company until they left the amusement industry in 1968. Many parks had removed their Traver Circle Swings by the 1960s and ’70s, but Lagoon’s operated until around 1986. It was replaced in 1987 by the Turn Of The Century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aerial view of the Rockets in operation, 1954. Photo courtesy of Deseret News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A modern re-creation of the ride, called the Golden Zephyr, can be found at Disney’s California Adventure. The owner of Twin Grove Resort in Pennsylvania found one in storage and began to restore it, but state regulators wouldn’t allow it to be operated due to safety concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Rockets, circa 1956. Photo: Janice Staker Brown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here is one visitor’s memory of his experiences on The Rockets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“All they did was make a circular swinging pattern over the lake and across some well-trimmed trees. I always thought the bottom of the rockets would brush against the trees but they were well above the leaves and branches. While waiting in line for this attraction it was common to purchase carp food from gum-ball-like dispensers and feed the fish in the lake.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In this short film clip from the early 1970s\u00b2, you can see the “well-trimmed trees” around the ride. If you look closely, you can make out some of the old attractions such as the Haunted Shack. You’ll also notice a large grassy area on the south end where the midway had not yet extended. Part of that grassy area was another section of the lake when the ride first opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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