Trimpers Rides Confirmed As Country’s Oldest Family-Owned Amusement Park (Likely Even The World’s)

OCEAN CITY — It should come as no surprise to the generations of visitors to Ocean City, but Trimpers Rides and Amusements at the foot of the Boardwalk is the oldest “family owned and operated” park in the U.S. and technically the world, a noted amusement park historian confirmed this week.

Two years ago, Trimpers was featured on a Fox Business News channel show entitled “Strange Inheritance” and it came to light the iconic park on the foot of the Boardwalk near the Inlet was likely the oldest family-owned amusement park in the U.S.

National Amusement Park Historical Association historian Jim Futrell was interviewed during the show and commented on the family’s ownership longevity. The Trimper family reached out to Futrell following the show’s taping and asked him to research the oldest amusement parks in the nation and across the globe and determine if his statements made during the “Strange Inheritance” show were verifiable.

“It came about when they were filming ‘Strange Inheritance’ and they interviewed Jim Futrell, who is an amusement park historian and has written several books and done extensive research on the subject,” said Trimper family spokesperson Brooks Trimper this week. “We followed up with him after the show and he did some research and confirmed we are the oldest ‘family-operated’ park in the nation and technically in the world.”

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