Houston is not known for its snow-covered mountains. But in 1968, families flocked to AstroWorld, a homegrown amusement park dreamed up by former Houston mayor Roy Hofheinz, for the attraction that packed as many icy adventures as possible into a single ride. When it opened, the Alpine Sleigh Ride whisked passengers along on electrical sleighs. It led them through a lush, specially planted pine forest and up past a waterfall thundering down from the glacial peaks of “Der Hofheinzberg” mountain before rocketing them through dark tunnels and frigid caverns full of special effects and sudden drops. The ride ended—for a few years at least—with an actor playing a yeti. The chills attracted people as much as the thrills, as the Alpine Sleigh Ride was powerfully air-conditioned. By the time AstroWorld closed in 2005, the ride had been defunct since 1983, following one last season as a Halloween attraction called “Alpine Slays.” It lives on in photos like this one by Herman Kelly, and as a memory of dark tunnels and a welcome blast of cold air in hot Houston summers.
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