Swingin’ Gym
one of the most dangerous, unsuccessful rides ever produced
The Swingin’ Gym (also known as ‘The Flying Cages’) has hurt and maimed large numbers of its riders, with the original design almost uninsurable within a few years of operation. If you own one, you have a giant piece of carnival art, and a great fitness apparatus if you can master it!
The ride action is very simple and relies on the physical exertion of its passengers to keep it moving; stopping it is another matter altogether! Basically through human strength, a single rider rocks the counter-weighted cage back and fourth until it swings over the top.
Within a few years there were all too many reports of riders getting slung over to one side, battered and bruised by their very own momentum with riders sometimes ending up unconscious, with broken bones, split heads, grazes etc. Nevertheless, the ride concept was incredibly original and if not for injuries of lesser coordinated riders, would have been highly profitable and easy to maintain for its owner as the below advertisement suggests.
Due to their relatively low cost, there were over 20 units manufactured in the USA, 13 units manufactured in the UK, and many more custom-built designs rolled out in a very short time across Europe.
A small number of modified units still make appearances across Europe, with enhanced safety including extra padding and supervisor-controlled disc or air brakes in the advent a rider loses their footing.
What a conversation piece of backyard play (or exercise) equipment!
Hey if you are serious about wanting one of these rides I kno where u might posssibly aquire one im in St.Cloud Mn contact me for further info I believe that eventually the swingin gym we have will eventually have a meeting with cutting torch and essentially become scrap
Richard - April 23rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I would love to ride in the swinging gym just one more time in my life. I am 40 years old now and have not been on this ride since I was about 12, it is the best ride ever-I want one!
chris - May 3rd, 2009 at 4:09 am
There was one less swinging gym in existance when chippiewa lake was sold. they may be scrap, the gyms were named flying cages but they are complete if any one wants to save them, they still swing freely though alot of wood is missing
Brad - May 14th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Really enjoyed the pictures and would like to purchase a swinging gym.Any assistance would be very apreciated.Thank You.
douglas doubleday - May 28th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
we seek to buy a flying cage for a new business venture in bucks county pa. we can handle the potential liability. if you can help in locating a flying cage, then please call me at 215 7577162
thomas f crawford - May 31st, 2009 at 8:57 am
i can also be contacted by email at tfcrawford1@aol.com
thomas f crawford - May 31st, 2009 at 8:58 am
I have owned a swinging gym for over 12 years. NO accidents. If the people are proprerly trained how to operate, this eliminates problems. you also need to control your customers and explain the ride operation to them. I have made a lot of money in spots with a lot fancier and expensive rides.
gary ransom - June 2nd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I love the swing gym ride! I also would like to locate and purchase one of these rides. Please contact me if anyone knows who I could contact to persue this elusive ride. Thanks!
julia biondo - June 11th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
This ride makes the average playground swingset seem quite boring… I’m not sure whether I’d give this one a go but the idea is incredibly original and it’s the only ride I can think of that actually involves team work to get it going.
Ben - July 9th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I have one at my local fair and been on it its weird
Charles - July 25th, 2009 at 4:53 am
There was a set of Flying Cages (Swingin Gyms) on the boardwalk at Pt. Pleasant Beach NJ for many years. I used to get that thing moving so fast it would take five minutes just to get it to slow down. Such a simple concept and yet as much fun as any super coaster I’ve been on, not to mention a great workout.
John - July 28th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
My husband and I are in our fifties and we remember this ride and talk about how we liked it so much and wish we could find one to buy for our grandchildren to have to play in their backyard.
Melodie & Don Cook - August 20th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I would love one of these for personal use, it is the one ride i remeber from my childhood that i just loved enuf to look for one….didnt know that they were so hard to find…….i am overweight and know i would workout on this.any info…if would have to be cheap call 1-314-338-5911 it would be great!!!!!!!!!!!!
mary brazelton - August 28th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
too funny — my grandfather owned amusements unlimited, this was his ride! he licensed it from Germany and built the rides in Chesterton. i would love to see one still in operation!
eliz - September 10th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Me too! Best ride ever. Would love to purchase one - this is a serious offer.
Paul - September 20th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Where can I buy this ride??? I need one in my backyard!!!!
Octavia - September 28th, 2009 at 4:21 am
hi what a great ride i loved rideing this when i was a teenager it was a fun work out id like to buy one any info
richard - October 4th, 2009 at 6:10 am
I am very interested in buying one of these units. Does not matter what condition it is in, just as long as it has all the parts.
Terry Holstein - October 10th, 2009 at 2:34 am
Thank You!
Terry Holstein - October 10th, 2009 at 2:35 am
To the lady who’s grandfather produce these rides in Chesterton. I would like to make one. Are the plans still owned by your family? pvesely299@gmail.com
Paul Vesely - October 17th, 2009 at 2:02 am
The Flying Cages were my favorite amusement park ride. I noticed many years ago that they no longer could be found and suspected insurance problems may have been the reason, even though I never had difficulties riding them (other than a callous getting ripped off my hand!). I’d love to see if I could ride them still, but at 60 I fear I’m too out-of-shape and it could be a disaster…though it’s tempting! I’m in Michigan, so if anyone knows of any Flying Cages nearby, still in operation, I’d love to hear about it, if only to go and watch at this point.
Dan Ruchames - October 22nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I am very interested in buying one of these units. Does not matter what condition it is in, just as long as it has all the parts. My phone number is 404-788-5021 or my e-mail at terrylholstein@aol.com
Thanks, Terry
Terry Holstein - October 27th, 2009 at 5:08 am
We would like to buy or build a gym. does anyone have one for sale, or have a pattern for one. Would be worth a trip to measure one also. Call anytime.Don Wegner (701)320-7866
Don Wegner - November 8th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Maybe this will be of help–it appears someone is selling a re-done unit:
http://www.rides4u.com/index.php/rides/detail/979
Dan Ruchames - November 16th, 2009 at 1:19 am
i am interested in the pans for this ride if they are availible please contact me .thank you
earl henry - November 20th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
I used to operate one at Palisades Amusement Park back in 1968. Ran the entire season without one injury. Being authoritative with the riders and adding some padding is all it took. I used to get the cage going so fast (as a rider) that the door hinges would rise up and fall out. Wish I had one in my back yard and at 64 years old I would be in it daily. Interesting info at site “National Association For Leisure Industry Certification” and Swinging Gym.
Steve Tatz - November 24th, 2009 at 6:17 am
I would like to buy one or get plans for one. I remember it as a kid. The challenge was seeing how many times you get get it to go around after they put on the brake!
les hayman - January 7th, 2010 at 11:11 am
My phone number is 423 400 7479. my email is commonground77@hotmail.com if anyone has one or knows of one in any condition. Les
les hayman - January 8th, 2010 at 10:23 am
When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, I worked at Hollywood Kiddieland and we had a set of 3 Swinging Gyms. I never saw anyone get hurt and they each had a brake lever for the attendant to stop it. To put one in my backyard at my age just to see if I could still get it around would be a dream.
Caryn - January 9th, 2010 at 11:07 am
It was a great Ride.We ran to sets in are rental company in Loves Park Il.Tell Il wont insure them here at Choo Choo Amusements.Did have a worker walk straight thru while cage was in the air.Was a great money making ride also.I did have a drunk lady push me into the cage and as it was coming down almost smash me.Thank God the other guy pulled me out of the way.We did have a few lose ballance for not holding on when stopping or losing their grip also.I do have a decent set id sell.815-977-5155Mike
Michael Edelman - February 28th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
I am 99% positive that the second photograph from the left “Swingin’ Gym U.S.A. 1967″ was taken at Lagoon Amusement Park just outside Salt Lake City. The colors and the background is familiar. I never participated on this attraction because it simply looked like too much work, nor did I ever hear of injuries attributed to the Swingin’ Gym. This page was an eye-opener.
Steve Anderson - March 1st, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I worked for Scalise Amusements back in 70s,We had one on the show,It is a awsome ride,we made a lot of money with it,The government outlawed it because to many people were getting hurt.I personaly took pride in running this ride and made sure the people knew what they were in for when they got on it,Safety first.Carny-1976-1990
Robert D Smith - March 16th, 2010 at 9:22 am
I rode one when I was about 9 that was set up in a parking lot (c. 1965). I couldn’t get it over the top, but was close. Always wanted to go on one again. Then in Jan, 1998, my then-15yo and I ran into one at an amusement part in Barcelona, Spain. (We lived in England 97-02) Finally, after all those years. Heaven! I got over in no time, however my son could not. I went back to Barcelona in Feb 2002, but the park was closed and the cages gone, much to the disappointment of my wee ones (6 and 8). I never knew what they were called, but finally do. Gosh, I’d love to ride one again.
Mighty Rick - March 17th, 2010 at 4:36 am
My all time favorite ride. They used to have one in Asbury Park in the late 70’s and I befriended the operator. He’d let me go for an hour or more at a time. I got so good he didn’t even have to push to get me started but I was young (~19) and in great shape at the time. They also brought one to the Italian American Fest in Ocean Township the first year it was held (1977?). Knoebel’s Amusement Park in PA had one too but long since gone. I would love to give it a go again and would travel out of my way to find one. I’ve often told my children about the ride and have hoped that somewhere/sometime we’d be at a fest or amusement park and it would be there. No such luck I guess. Couple people get hurt and it’s banned forever. If anyone ever knows of this ride coming to the NJ area I’d be first in line. Swinging Gyms Rule!!
John Ad - March 18th, 2010 at 3:44 am
I remember riding these flying cages many times back in I believe the sixties at Edgewater Amusement park in Detroit. Never saw anyone get hurt. We would ride them for hours. Back then It was pay one price, ride all day and all night. This was the greatest ride ever! No power required, just our own coordinated strength of pushing and pulling and jumping from one side of cage to the other. What a blast it was!!
MIKE D - April 3rd, 2010 at 10:55 pm
I too used to go on The Cages at Point Pleasant boardwalk in New Jersey. I’d really look forward to making a special trip or two to Point Pleasant every year primarily to ride the cages. I even used to bring fingerless work-out gloves so I could really get a good grip and get that thing spinning. But then one year I went back and they were gone. Sad. I’ve never seen cages anywhere else since. I loved The Cages.
Alex K. - April 4th, 2010 at 10:39 am
My friend an I used to get the cages up to phenomenal speeds. The Ox Roast for my High School would have them every year and we had the best time showing up all the football players.
They would pair up and try and muscle it while in reality it took coordination and teamwork.
ChrisS - April 10th, 2010 at 7:04 am
Looking to purchase a swinging gym. Would love to purchase the one that was at enchanted forest in Indiana. Money is not a issue for the right one.
Mark Boyle - May 8th, 2010 at 10:13 am
It finally dawned on me to search for “swinging gyms” on YouTube, and sure enough, I found several videos of the ride in action. This seems to be from 2009, the most recent sighting I know of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDLVFEz5iPc
Dan Ruchames - May 15th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
The set referred to in the above You Tube clip still exists. Toured last season throughout the UK. It has been given a full repaint and overhaul over the winter and will apparently be touring the UK again this year!
Fred - May 18th, 2010 at 2:18 am
We used to LOVE this ride - it was at our County Fair and me and one of my girl friends and I would get it all the way around after about 5-6 pumps - and the guys would flip out - here were 2 girls that weighed maybe 115 pounds each and we rocked on that ride! I would love to try it now that I am in my mid 40’s -
Cindy - June 15th, 2010 at 3:18 am
yes i remember them as well. i first saw them when i was little at rehoboth beach deleware funland amusement center. they were taken out the summer of 1986. my twin brother and i always love them.then in 1983 84 summer saw them at a street fair in lebanon pa oscar’s amusements owned them as well.
Dan Hoagy - June 18th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Loved this ride. Mountain Park in Holyoke had one, and there was another one that came to the Eastern States Exposition in a traveling carny each year. Finally a third one down on the Connecticut shore but no idea where. Only got banged up once, nothing serious, when three of us tried to use the same car.
Finally in 1999 I went to Octoberfest in Munich and saw the ride. I was thrilled that I could still get it over the top at the age of 41.
Would love to have another go at it.
Richard
Richard Smith - July 18th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I was wondering what these were called– I remember riding one when I was a preteen in the ’70s. It was harder for a kid to operate but a good-sized person could get it moving.
Moon - August 23rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
When I was about 16 (I am 55 now)I used to ride them at carnivals and when the ride was over they would put on the brake and I could power right through it and continue to swing!! The carnies would call me all kinds of names!! What great fun!!!!!!!!!!
MICHAEL H OHLINGER - August 24th, 2010 at 7:18 am