I created this page to highlight the abandoned amusement parks in New England. Many of these parks were visited frequently, I myself being a patron to a few. The history of some of these parks is grim and I believe some may be haunted due to the accidents and even deaths that occured. After the closing of some of these parks cults began to use the grounds for worship causing more negative energy to inhabit the land. Some were burned and vandalized as well.
Feel free to post your experiences at these parks if you had gone to them. Please share any history or tales of terror as well. Pictures are always welcome. Enjoy and thanks for your input!
- Lincoln Park located in Dartmouth, Massachusetts is my first pick for this post because I remember going to it as a child with my parents. This park was opened in 1894 by the Union Street Railway Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts, located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts on the border of Westport, Massachusetts on U.S. Highway 6. Lincoln Park was originally built as a way to increase weekend ticket sales on its trains. Originally called "Midway Park" or "Westport Park," a new name was chosen by lottery, "Lincoln Park Casino".In 1941, the facility was purchased by John Collins & Associates for $40,000 ($500,000 inflation adjusted). They invested $150,000 installing a fourteen lane bowling alley and updating an existing dance hall, and added a full complement of amusement park rides. The park was successful until the mid-1980s, when larger theme parks started to become more popular. A fatal accident on the park's 1946 "Comet" wooden roller coaster in 1986 caused people to question the safety of the park. Facing declining attendance, Jay Hoffman, the park's owner, invested $75,000 in updating the park. This plan included moving the park's 1921 carousel to Battleship Cove, and dismantling a smaller "kiddy" version of the "Comet" roller coaster. In a May 1987 story from the The Providence Journal, he is quoted as saying that the park had been fully inspected and was safe. However, just four months later on September 29, the braking system on the roller coaster failed, causing one of the cars to jackknife. Although no one was injured, this was the final ride of the coaster. The park closed December 3, 1987, owing $48,000 in taxes and $13,000 in unpaid police details. Almost all of the rides were dismantled and auctioned off. The park's Ferris wheel was moved to the New Bedford waterfront. The jack-knifed car remained stuck on the roller coaster track well into the 1990s, until vandals tore it off. The abandoned park suffered a string of fires after its closing, a total of six as of November 2005. The only remaining structures in the park are some badly damaged food buildings and the roller coaster, which is now severely damaged. The high starting hill collapsed during a January 2005 snowstorm, and much of the rear (southern) curve collapsed, probably due to water damage, around mid-May 2009.
- Rocky Point was a highly popular amusement park on the Narragansett Bay side of Warwick, Rhode Island. It operated from the late 1840s until its close in 1995. The following year, the park filed for bankruptcy. Rocky Point was an idea first thought of by Captain William Winslow in the 1840s. By 1847, he had purchased a portion of the land and began to offer amusements and serve dinner. From the 1950s through the mid 1990s, Rocky Point Amusement Park was the most popular attraction in Rhode Island. It featured rides such as the Skyliner, Corkscrew Loop Roller Coaster, Log Flume, and the Freefall (similar to the identically named ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain), which fell 13 stories at 55 mph (89 km/h). After the Rocky Point land was purchased for $8.5 million in 2003, the park's main building, known as the "Big House", was hit by vandals who lit it on fire on September 2, 2004. Police said the fire was suspicious, because the building had no electricity at the time. Another fire started on October 16, 2006 around 11 a.m., this time in an executive building on the waterfront. Smoke could be seen billowing up more than 2,000 feet (610 m) in the air from miles away. Police reported no injuries in either fire. It is unclear if this fire was caused by arson. On May 7, 2007, demolition of the remaining midway officially began with a press conference at the park. Prior to this, a handful of stands and minor buildings had already been demolished. Photos
- Crescent Park was a famous amusement park in Riverside, East Providence, Rhode Island from 1886-1979. After declining attendance during the 1970s the part was closed. The land was cleared for condominium and low-income housing. The only remaining structure is the 1895-vintage Charles I. D. Looff Carousel, designed and built by Charles I.D. Looff as a showpiece for his carousel business. For more info. follow this link. Crescent Park History
- Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. It closed in 1984.Today, the only surviving remnant of Paragon Park on the boardwalk is the historic Paragon Park Carousel which was moved from its original site. It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. The rest of the site is devoted to condominium development. The park's "Giant Coaster", built in 1917 and removed from the park in 1985, now operates as "The Wild One" at Six Flags America, Baltimore/Washington DC. A small miniature golf course is located on one of the smaller sites that once housed a water slide, and previously a few rides. Dream Machine arcade is still in operation, as well as the historic "Fascination" game room. The remains of the "Turnpike Cars" roadway ride remain hidden in overgrowth beside the parking lot. The Company Theatre of Norwell is creating an original musical based on Paragon Park. The premiere performance will take place during the Summer of 2012. Book by Zoe Bradford & Michael Hammond with Music and Lyrics by Adam Brooks.
- Whalom Park was an amusement park located on Lake Whalom in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, that operated from 1893 to 2000. Whalom Park was established in 1893 by the Fitchburg & Leominster Street Railway as a traditional, English-style park of gardens and walking paths. At the time of its last day of operations in 2000, Whalom was known as the 13th oldest amusement park in the United States, as well as the second-oldest trolley park in the world. The park had been in continuous seasonal operation for 107 years. The "Flyer Comet" wooden roller coaster was one of the park's best-known rides. Most remaining structures at the park, including the Flyer Comet, were demolished in October 2006, to make way for development. The site is currently being redeveloped into a 240-unit condominium complex.