Old Abandoned Amusement Parks

[Longgrain]

I'm at a loss for something to post tonight.

So I thought I'd throw up a bunch of these old abandoned amusement park pictures I took...many which have already been posted down in the Photo Group.

Anyone else live near something like this, or just want to talk old amusement parks, just let me know...

The first two are from Mountain Park in Holyoke MA...

The miniature golf course...



What's left of the Carousel Building...




Here's one of Whalom Park in Lunenburg MA...closed about five years ago...but this is still there...

[tsakshaug]

1. Mt. Park is closed?

where did my youth go?
-I think I went there 5 times

[Longgrain]

4. Yep, closed in 1986

Here's a good link that tells the whole story...lots of great pictures too...

http://www.defunctparks.com/parks/MA/mountain/mountainpark.htm

[Reverend_Smitty]

2. looks like something right out of a Scooby Doo cartoon...

all you need is a fake ghost trying to hide treasure from "those meddling kids"...cool photos!

[Longgrain]

7. Here's a link too my Photo Group Thread

with tons more picture...warning some of them are kind of sad, at least for us old amusement park fans...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x500

[barb162]

3. Riverview in Chicago was closed several years ago. It was

wonderful for a kid; an old time amusement park with about 5 different roller coasters.

[B Calm]

11. Dad took us kids to Riverview back in the 1950s. It's been closed

a lot longer than several years. Not sure when it was closed, but it's been awhile. My first big wooden roller coaster ride was at this park. Boy what a thrill. I remember they also had one of those round rooms that spinned around and around and everybody would stick to the wall and the floor would drop.

[barb162]

32. it seems like a long time ago and then again it doesn't...oh well

http://www.riverviewparkchicago.com/

this site says it closed in 67

[okoboji]

5. Rocky Point Amusment Park

Warwick Neck, Rhode Island .... R.I.P

http://www.joenisil.com/rockypoint/

[Longgrain]

14. Wow thanks for that link!

I've never been to Rocky Point, but I know where it is, and it is within driving range of where I am. I'm wondering how much is left tho. I'd love to get some pictures.

[okoboji]

24. here's another link

http://www.wdg.uri.edu/rockypointri/gallery/gallery1.html


this one has some better pictures ...

there is a great web-site, that lists many of Rhode Island's, old buildings, and pictures before, and while they were tore down .... I will try to find it for you.

[okoboji]

29. found it

this is really a great site ..... have fun

http://www.artinruins.com/

[Longgrain]

30. Thanks! I'm def going to have to book mark that one

And make it down to RI as soon as I can...:hi:

[Floogeldy]

6. Thanks!

I needed that.

[Longgrain]

8. You're welcome

whatever you mean? :hi:

[Floogeldy]

13. I have fond, fond memories . . . .

[latebloomer]

9. This is so evocative!!

The sense of history, the feeling of abandonment-- very powerful.

I have often thought that being in a deserted amusement park after dark is one of the spookiest things imaginable-- much scarier than being in a big old deserted museum at night.

[Longgrain]

21. I'm not sure why i like them...

I often take pictures of graveyards, factories, abandoned buildings...It just seem to be my forte.

[sendero]

10. They're ..

... just not fun anymore :)

[last_texas_dem]

12. There's something about...

...those pictures, especially the second one. For some reason I find it "moving"; kind of depressing, but it makes me feel reflective or something. Who ever knew pictures of abandoned amusement parks could be so "deep"? haha :-)

[-..__...]

15. No pictures, but...

Nantasket Beach (Paragon Park)...

Revere Beach...

Bensons Wild Animal Farm...

Edaville Railroad...

I take it you're from the NE area; you may or may not remember any of these.

[Longgrain]

20. Did you say Benson's!

In Hudson NH. That used to be THE place for family outings as a kid...I still haven't been able to find a good website about it tho, but i have lots of old Super-8 footage of me and and family there from the seventies...:hi:

[maveric]

46. We went to Benson's all the time when I was a kid.

The last time was a high school field trip in 1972.
When did Benson's close?

[lpbk2713]

35. Hey, I have been to all of those.

Lived just a couple of minutes away from Nantasket (Hingham) when I was a kid.

[Redstone]

16. Good God, Mountain Park!

We used to go there in the early 1960s, when we lived in South Hadley Falls for a couple of years.

My favorite was the Wild Mouse.

Redstone

[Longgrain]

18. I know, i used to go there all the time too...

I've been there several time since it closed...It's pretty sad to see what's left.

[intheflow]

38. I also lived in the S.H. Falls for a while.

In the early '90's, though. I had to travel all the way from Wilbraham to go to Mountain Park as a child in the '60's and '70's.

The only ride that has survived from Mountain Park is the merry-go-round. It's now in Holyoke Center, of all places, preserved by a small group of citizens who didn't want to see all of the historical significance of Mountian Park to vanish from Holyoke's memory.

http://www.holyokemerrygoround.org/links/links.html

[Longgrain]

42. Hi intheflow

Just thought I say hello since I know you and I have talked about Mt. Park before...:hi:

(I might have to go there again soon)

[maveric]

49. I loved that place!!

[amerikat]

17. Not much left of this amusement park.

It operated in the thirties and forties. These are the steps leading into what was once an amusement park in Trenton NJ. Part of the boat ride into the lake is nearby but I don't have any pictures.

It's called Roebling Park now(also called The Hamilton Marsh). It's a small recreation area along the Delaware river.

[disgruntled_goat]

19. old man withers?!?

that's right, and i woulda gotten away with it if it werent for you meddling kids.


/i appear to contribute to the thread, but in fact do not :P

[LoZoccolo]

22. I like deadmalls.com a lot.

http://www.deadmalls.com

I have what's probably the coolest dead mall not too far from me:

http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/dixie_square_mall.html

[NightTrain]

23. Would you settle for old, abandoned drive-in theaters?

We've got shitloads of 'em in Connecticut! If you want, I could buy one of those $10 disposable cameras and take a bunch of pictures. Just say the word, LG!

[Longgrain]

27. Yahr! Would I?

Another one of my favorite subjects...

There used to be one in my home town, that I have tons of pictures (and drawings) of. It was torn down about five years ago to make room for a housing developement...

Sad, sad day for me. :(

[barackmyworld]

25. whoaa why wouldn't they take the roller coaster down?

seems like some kids are gonna get hurt on a homemade cart going down that thing

[Longgrain]

28. There were some who wanted to have the park reopen

Who ever owns it, has to decide. It's an old Woodie from the 1930s, I think, so it has some historical value to some people...

[Strawman]

26. The old Boblo Boats

Which used to take you to the amusement park on Boblo Island. Everyone from Detroit my age or older and maybe some younger people remembers Boblo.

[Pithlet]

31. Oh, wow.

I remember Boblo Island. I remember the boat ride to and from on those boats. I road my first non-kiddie rides there.

[Historic NY]

33. I remember Palisades Amusement Park.............

I still go by trying to remember exactly where it was and what it looked like.

[AuntiBush]

34. Devastating! What happened to Preservation!?!

Reminds me of one that's left so many fond childhood memories of. It's called the "Enchanted Forest." Neglected for so long, then a developer was going to buy it. I believe the corporation got the land, but thanks to hardworking Preservationist in the area it's in the process of being relocated and restored.



A few Google finds:
http://www.route40.net/culture/attractions-md.shtml
http://www.nanalee.com/nanalee/index.htm

[sparky_in_ma]

36. I remember Mt Park

When I was a kid we went there a lot.

[Mikimouse]

37. Do you have any pics of the old Nantasket Beach Park?

Big old wooden roller coaster that you could see from quite a distance. I understand that the park was closed in the late 80s and torn down for condominiums. It was a great place with many happy memories.

[lpbk2713]

39. That would be Paragon Park

I used to ride my bike there when I was a kid. Once I met the owner's son there and we were friends for a day. Rode everything for free till it got dark. Thought I had died and gone to heaven.

Here's a link: http://www.paragonparkmemories.com/PARAGON_NEWS.html

[Mikimouse]

41. Terrific place...went there on many occasions with my first wife...

back in the late 70s and very early 80s. Unfortunately, it was already in the process of being closed when my children were old enough that they would have enjoyed it. Especially loved the Caterpiller ride.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

40. There used to be a park in Charleston WV

in the 1920 called Luna Park. It was one of the biggest in the country at the time. Anyway, it burned down, but as anyone familair with Charleston's West Side can tell you, it's layout is still there, as the streets follow bizarre, otherwise unexplanable patterns, making sudden 90 degree turns or , in one case, doing a total U along the railroad tracks

[name not needed]

43. Not an amusement park, but

the Essex Mountain Sanatorium in Verona, NJ

http://www.mountainsanatorium.net/perfectcircle.htm





http://www.mountainsanatorium.net/inmetallicawetrust.htm

http://www.mountainsanatorium.net/default.htm

[Emops]

44. You should see Americana

near me in Cincinnati.

Here's a fascinating site for it:
http://www.forgottenoh.com/Americana/americana.html

[maveric]

45. While taking a stoner cruise in 1973, somewhere in southern NH,

we stopped to relieve ourselves on a back road, and found this path. We followed it and it ended up at an abandoned amusement park. It was creepy. A few weeks later we tried to find it again and couldn't.

Does anyone know what park that was? This was around Manchester or Hookset.

[Longgrain]

48. Not far from where I live

If you find out, I'd love to know...

[maveric]

52. Or maybe it was a Twilight Zone encounter.

We were smoking some good shit and took a drive from our urban blight in Lawrence MA.

[name not needed]

47. Jungle Habitat

http://www.weirdnj.com/_abandoned/habitat.html

[maveric]

50. Anyone remember "Pleasure Island" in MA.

Somewhere on the North Shore.

[maveric]

51. OMG, I found a site from Pleasure Island!

http://www.wakefield.org/pleasureisland/index.htm

[Longgrain]

53. YES! A little before my time but my mother remembers it.

It was in Wakefield MA...

http://www.wakefield.org/pleasureisland/

[iconoclastic cat]

54. That sounds obscene.

[Longgrain]

55. Here's another one a little before my time. I give to you Freedomland.

I guessing some of you older NYC area DUers might remember this one...

I wish I did. :-(

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/robfriedman/