Boblo - Wow, I havn't thought about Boblo Island in years. I too went there as a child. I swear it wasn't that long ago! The boat ride seemed to take forever - like 3 or 4 hours in my memory. I wonder how long it actually took. The anticipation of arriving at the park just made the boat ride seem very long.

What a great memory thread. Crystal Beach--loved the rollercoaster, but still remember best the funhouse.

My favorite place as a very young child was Conneaut Lake--just looked it up and it is still there.

Amwosu--it looks like LeSourdsville Lake reopened in 2002 for one year and is now closed again, but its future is still uncertain. Spent numerous days at Fantasy Farm with my children when they were young. That closed years ago.

I think it was in the late 60's when I use to go to Boblo or the very beginning of the 70's. I use to think the boat ride took forever too, but in reality I think it was less than 30 minutes. I'll have to ask my dad.

Hey bigtyke,
I remember Legend City. Everytime I drive in that area I think about that and the wax museum across the street.

I saw my very first concert at The "old " compton terrace at legend city. It was AC/DC Back in Black. I think that Legend city had already closed but the concert venue was still open. It was in the early 1980's.

Thanks for the memories..... Oh, and by the way I was a recipent of a Ladmo bag at the tender age of 5.

Lacal: I grew up in Stoneham and remember going to Paradise Park in Wakefield and riding the train around the park. I think some of the track is still out there in the reeds. Also spent much of my childhood at Kiddie Land in Saugus, and Revere Beach at my uncle's pizza stand under the Wild Mouse and next to Joe & Nemo's hotdog stand. Can still close my eyes and here the "click-click-click" of the mouse car climbing over my uncle's stand while I folded pizza boxes. Jeez, I miss those days. Now I have to take my son to Canobie Lake, or indoor amusements like Goodtime in Somerville where they have bumper cars and laser tag. Wish they had the real old fashioned bumper cars like the beach had. When you hit someone in one of those, you got a good whiplash, and enjoyed it. : - )

"Another vote for Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica, and Marineworld in Palos Verdes. Marineworld was the forerunner of Sea World Parks and it was great for kids! I remember "Bubbles" the whale."

It was actually Marineland in Rancho Palos Verdes. Oh, how I miss it :( Goodbye Orkie and Corkie :(

Hello,
For anyone interested, there is a web site devoted to Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It is www.wakefield.org/pleasureisland. Also, another defunct park is Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, Mass. The property is in the process of being developed & the Comet, along with one or two buildings still stands, although rapidly deteriorating. I have photos if anyone is interested.

Some images of Adventurer's Inn ...

http://www.bbrent.com/gallery/ad_inn.htm

Over the years within the Boston area we had places such as Adventureland in Newbury, Kiddie Ranch in Saugus, Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Edaville RR (now Edaville USA) in South Carver,
Norumbega in Newton & Santa's Lookout in Middleton. All are gone with the exception of Edaville USA. All buried under condos, parking lots or industrial parks. We had Revere Beach, Nantasket Beach/Paragon Park, Lincoln Park, Whalom Park, Canobie Lake (still running strong), Crescent Park, Rocky Point and Mountain Park. Only the memories, photos & souvenirs remain.

Has any one been to a park called Hanna Barbera Land?

Not that one, drewbari, but reading through this post was great!! The same company bought Frontier Village yeeeeeeeears ago and they had Flintstones and other H-B characters there, until it closed in the 70s.

I also have photos of Frontier Village and Santa's Village.

Website for frontiervillage.net highlights the 20 year reunion they held 4 years ago. Now tract homes are on the land formerly occupied by Frontier Village, the adjacent Hayes Mansion has been renovated and reopened several years ago.

Borland software company sits on Santa's Village land. Of course, it could be another high tech company by now. Borland built there first...

Does anyone remember Japanese Deer Park in the city of Buena Park in Southern California? It was right off the 5 freeway - I think between Carmenita or Valley View and Beach Blvd. My parents used to take me there when I was little in the late 60s/ealry 70s. You could put coins in a sort of gumball machine and little pellets would come out that the deer would eat out of your hand. It was a beautiful place.

What a great nostalgia trip. I grew up in So Cal and have very fond memories of Marine Land, Busch Gardens, Santa's Village, POP and Lion Country Safari! My aunt was an amusement park junkie and took me to most of them (my mom hated amusement parks). At least the carousel and roller coaster at the Santa Monica Pier are still there, although it doesn't compare to the coaster at POP that went out over the water -- scarey!

I also remember going to Boblo Island when when visiting the Detroit relatives. The things I remember most about it were the roller coaster, the train ride around the island, and (on my last trip) counting the dead fish in the Detroit River on the boat ride back (hey, I was a tired, cynical teenager on that last trip).

Artstuff, I also went to Willow Grove Park as a kid. It was a small park with just a few rides. I think Williams Grove Park was nearby the area. I'm not sure if that one has closed yet or not. I went to Action Park a long time ago. Did they sell the land to make homes there? I would imagine that would be prime real estate. I also remember a park, Ghost Town in the Glenn in a town called Moosic in PA. I have a hilarious picture of my parents and I in an old western "jailcell". It was from the 70's and we all have on clashing plaid pants. LOL!!

I can't believe the lack of Riverview details. In Chicago Riverview was IT when I was a kid.

Western & Belmont, the only reason I ever went to the North side. I would get on the Western Ave. bus and ride it almost to the other end of the city.

Loved the Bobs, Flying Turns, and Silver Streak etc. but also the milder rides and the Fun House with the big Alladin in his turban on the outside.

Most of the funhouse stuff was dangerous by today's standards. You had to walk through a moving rotor, go over air vent shoots and into lots of dark pointed cornors. It really was scary.

Nickel nights and dime days made the entire thing doable besides. We were all sad to see it go.

Palisades Amusement Park in NJ. Fun House. I still remember the mirrors, sliding down some slides, walking on a funny walkway and crawling through a tumbler. Must be over 30 years now.

I still miss Playland in SF :((

BTW, for the people that mentioned the NutTree in Vacaville (I realize this is an old thread) at some point the land is going to become quite a spot again evidently. A conference center, hotels, upscales shops (which we in Vacaville could sure use), park, playground I believe, destination type restaurants etc. The NutTree Airport is still here and thriving.

Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City, Maryland. My favorite ride was the antique cars. The only theme park I ever visited as a child.

My mom used to take us to Riverside Park somewhere in Massachusetts. They had a race track, roller skating, amusement park, just about everything you could need as a kid. I don't know if it is still open or not.

I have lots of great memories from there!

dixiegirl

for all of you missing Santa's Village we still have a park in Bracebridge, Ontario. An amusement park for the under 10yr old crowd.