The Wild Mouse (Wilden Maus) was designed by Franz Mack of Germany in 1957. The ride became an instant hit and licenses to build the design were quickly sold worldwide.
In Australia Ted Hopkins (General Manager of Luna Park, Sydney) saw it at the Seattle Worlds Fair while he was touring USA in 1962 for a new park attraction. He negotiated for the Australian license to manufacture the German ride. To minimise costs he had three built - one for his Luna Park, the other two for a showman by the name of Green. It was rumoured to reduce the sign costs he changed the name from Wild Mouse to Mad Mouse.
No huge rollercoaster drops by today’s terms but lots of tight, unbanked 180° ’switchback’ turns and speedy dips over its quarter mile length. Most of the excitement is from that the skateboard-sized wheel-base under the car that appears to come off the track. Children of all ages love it.
All three rides still exist. The Adelaide Mad Mouse was operated by Bob Lawrence till 2007 while the Melbourne unit owned by Wittingslow, now resides in Indonesia after being a staple attraction of the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds till its removal in 2003. The original Wild Mouse of the late Ted Hopkins still runs in Sydney’s Luna Park today, is subject to a heritage order. There is one other Wild Mouse at Aussie World (previously located in the Perth Showgrounds, Western Australia); and before that, in the USA.
This is a truely GRAT ride,fo sho!
ba-boss-bomb - July 2nd, 2009 at 7:49 am
Not a nice ride at all! Makes me feel really ill, and its far to bumpy and dangerous for my liking… im suprised Blackpool Pleasure Beach is still allowed to operate it!
Danny - July 22nd, 2009 at 5:29 am
if some people seriously think dis ride is dangerouse YOU ARE NUTS! its amazon!
GO BELFAST!
ellen - August 17th, 2009 at 8:10 am
U cant deny it the old mouse at BPB Beats the new metal spinning an none spinning ones
Angie - February 4th, 2010 at 5:11 am
I went on one of these at Dorney Park.
mb - August 17th, 2010 at 7:07 am
This ride is G! My dads dad sed it was reel scary. These aren’t da original rides u c in da pics do. They shut down the de original ride cuz of safety issues
Poizegurl - August 28th, 2010 at 8:02 am