park.html


On the following pages there will be links to various 'Amusement Parks'. At present it is one big scratch-pad of data being slowly collected. I was not alive in 'older' years so like any HISTORY I have to use SOURCES. I attempt to credit such whenever it is possible. This site is non-profit, non-commercial EDUCATIONAL. Again..your patience as to constant construction of this site and the addition of information. I must add this site is now located on Rootsweb and to limit space used I try to make all images as small as possible. This method does not make for 'good quality images' but.....


A problem? What is an amusement park? Sure...a Roller Coaster, Merry-Go-Round and various other attractions. What should be included? I am trying to limit it to places with at least some kind of 'mechanical rides'. I am trying to limit it to places that operate longer than one day or week a year. I make numerous exceptions in such cases as Carousels. Throughout this site there will be listings that might be deleted at a later date if NOTHING further supports that it was actually an amusement park with some 'amusements' at one time. How many of such are left? I started out only listing 'abandoned' 'defunct' locations. I soon realized there are so few parks left why not include ones still operating 2009 ? This might cause allot of confusion. I seem to be getting big lists of 'non-abandoned' places. This is mostly a time problem. It is faster to document alive places than to snoop for the dead ones. Unless the park was LARGE there is often no history to be found. Old parks die and all memory of such soon dies also. Similar to Genealogy one has to research old records which can be very very time consuming. THEN what records? Dates are usually unknown. As to 'urban parks' it gets very difficult. Probably almost every urban park had 'amusements' at one time or another. In the 1890's it seems many 'private amusement parks' were converted to city owned parks. In the very late 1800's and early part of 1900's it would seem almost every park 'in order to be a park' had 'amusements'. I can't bookmark every urban park but attempt to do such when it is known 'amusements' existed at one time. Every area has it's differences. The North East and Mid-West were blessed with endless parks. I am not bookmarking parks that simply had a 'swimming pool' unless it is a good guess there was MORE there. I try to stay away from listing places with just go-karts, mini golf courses, etc. This web site is an attempt to bookmark lesser known amusement parks. I do not think there is any record of such. The 'Grand Hotel' era of the late 1800's ? Many evolved into Amusement Parks but most NO. Many had their 'attractions' besides just a room to rent and if 'rural' some might come under some type of Amusement Park as to classification. I include a few here and there. This would be a subject for another website.

Books have been published that are very good but generally very regional. Such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, etc.



Dates ? Unless the Park was a MAJOR one they are mostly UNKNOWN. I try to add dates if known BUT as of now I don't know how to date some places. If an urban Park had 'Amusements' at various years and the Park still exists MINUS 'Amusements' ??


People seem to be addicted to the word DEFUNCT. There is an excellent web site involving 'Defunct Amusement Parks' and choose the same name ? In fact this other site gave me the original inspiration to pursue this hobby. I told myself:::::: Why not make my own web site from scratch ? I saw other sites missing parks or other misinformation. Much probably lends itself to the time factor. This is very time consuming. Information from anybody is much appreciated.


This site might very well be MIS-NAMED. Call it 'Abandoned Amusement Parks and OTHER TRIVIA ?? I have been including Casino's (old ones) and Dance Halls and Trolley Parks. A swimming hole ?? Often a Casino meant other attractions but often not. Trolley Parks were often just regular Parks with no 'amusements'. It is very often UNKNOWN. At the turn of the century from 1800's till 1900's it was very popular to add 'amusements' almost anywhere in order to call a place a Park. Sooooo I will attempt to list known Amusement Parks but bear with me as there are inclusions of places that were not OR SIMPLY UNKNOWN. In 2008 almost every town has an annual Carnival or Fair ?? 1899 ?? 1905 ??


Images ?? Images of many Parks are simply not available. Everybody likes images so if I can find ANY image it might be included. It often does not represent anything related to amusements but.....


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CLICK FOR FAIRS-CARNIVALS,ETC.


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COPYRIGHT: Everything on this Site is under Copyright. This site is non-profit, educational, non-commercial. This site involves HISTORY. As in writing a book SOURCES must be used. I attempt to credit any source where it is known and possible. (for example I have decades of photocopies..the source ?) If there is any objection as to ownership of anything on this site please Email webmaster with some proof. Just because you copied something from a 1909 book you don't own the information that anybody can get from the same book,etc.

I have information sent to me all the time including photo's/images. I seek the input of anybody that can help document old parks. I have no ability to keep track of THEIR behavior as to Copyrights. If any violations do exist I can not be held responsible. I do not know the ownership at times nor have the ability to know such. I do not seek anything that is a violation of any Copyright Laws.

This website exists under FAIR USE clauses of Copyright Law as written by Congress.---- not some web-surfer's opinion on such matters.

I make no money from this hobby effort. As of now it is a HOBBY. I really don't care if information from this site is used elsewhere but if somebody spent 37 years constructing something happiness is having people just duplicate the whole site? (i.e. maybe just ask?)(and YES...my 'work' is under Copyright..)

Further...I welcome all submissions. Anybody have any old information or pictures they are willing to submit? You get full credit.

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN but when it comes to HISTORY it often turns into a nightmare vs. those that wish to make history commercial. Only they have the right to post history to the web? They own the 'History of Rootsweb'? (just an example)

Read the Copyright language on some websites these days. Although court decisions are rendered all the time nothing has changed in Copyright Law in the last few years. Where do people get some of these legal facts? --- It is Violation of Copyright Law, etc. etc. to save anything you see on a web page in your computer, etc. etc. If they don't know it everything viewed with your computer is saved in your computer if it be TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES. Maybe in index.dat's? Never to be deleted? You must ASK before using 'excerpts ?? The law specifically says you do not have to. The recent laws were pushed by the music industry and motion picture industry and some don't know the difference between viewing a web page and 'downloading'. The difference?

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