Who Else Misses the Galaxi Roller Coaster at Funtown in Saco, Maine?

I remember the first time I ever went to Funtown USA. It was in the early 80s and it was amazing. The two things I fondly remember are the second floor arcade where I played Donkey Kong for the first time and the Galaxi Coaster. Both of these attractions are no more.

Galaxi Coaster

Galaxi Coasters were built but an Italian company that mass-produced their small footprint rollercoasters which were popular in amusement parks that didn't have typical wooden or steel rollercoasters.

The company went bankrupt in 1993 but the Glaxi coaster endured in many parks.  At one time at least 37 amusement parks were operating Galaxi coasters with two in Maine at Funtown and Palace Playland.

Galaxi Coaster by the Numbers

Galaxi coasters have a track length of 1,099 feet, with a ride time of two minutes.  Its maximum speed is 31 mph. The track is steel and trains have two, four-seat cars, for 8 passengers per train. What made the Galaxi unique is that it was designed to be disassembled to either be stored for the winter or loaded up on trailers and transported elsewhere. The ride is designed to be transportable and disassembled onto trailers.

The Galaxi Coaster debuted at Funtown in 1978 and at the time, it was the only roller coaster in Maine.

READ MORE: Do You Remember the Infamous Hydrofighter at Funtown Splashtown USA in Maine?

Funtown Galaxi Coaster Closes After 30 Years

The video above was taken in September 2008, the final year that the Galaxi coaster was at Funtown. The kids in this video must be adults by now. When they shot this POV video, it was with a video camera, not a smartphone.

After 30 years of service, The Galaxi was replaced by The Wild Mouse, a similar rollercoaster to the Galaxi. The Excalibur wooden rollercoaster debuted in 1998 and has become a huge hit. However, I'll still always have fond memories of my first ride on the classic Galaxi coaster.