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Mountain Park
9780738557328
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $17.49 Save 30%
Following its opening in 1894 as a picturesque retreat on the side of Mount Tom, Mountain Park expanded and evolved into one of the most beloved amusement parks in New England. At the beginning of the 20th century, Holyoke was the most prosperous community in the state and the first planned industrial city in the United States. The city's progress drew crowds of visitors to Mountain Park, and the park gradually developed into a bustling destination. Although the park closed its gates in 1987, the echoes of laughter from generations of visitors still reverberate throughout the Pioneer Valley.
Rocky Point Park
9780738562360
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $17.49 Save 30%
In 1847, Rocky Point Park's humble beginnings as a Sunday school picnic ground gave birth to a true Rhode Island tradition. For nearly 150 years, until its closing in 1995, the park evolved as it welcomed resort vacationers, hosted two U.S. presidents, suffered through devastating hurricanes, and was afterward revived by the Ferla family. By the mid-20th century, no summer in Rhode Island was complete without a trip to Rocky Point to ride the Corkscrew, cool off in the Olympic-sized saltwater pool, and enjoy all-you-can-eat clam cakes and chowder at the world's largest Shore Dinner Hall. Although no longer standing, Rocky Point Park remains an iconic piece of Rhode Island history and the subject of many fond memories.
Pleasure Island
9780738564609
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $17.49 Save 30%
Billed as Boston's answer to Disneyland, Pleasure Island opened on June 22, 1959. William Hawkes, president of Childlife Magazine, and executives at Cabot, Cabot and Forbes collaborated with Marco Engineering of Los Angeles to build what was called the "Disneyland of the East." Pleasure Island rose from the wetlands off of Route 128 into an 80-acre theme park. Through photographs, Pleasure Island recalls memories of boat rides to Pirate Cove, searching for the great white whale, driving a Jenney car, getting dizzy in the Slanty Shanty, and taking a ride on Old Smoky. At Pleasure Island, children and children at heart entered into a world that traditional amusement parks could not provide, where character actors continually put on a show and the entire park was the stage.
Riverside Park
9780738575049
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $17.49 Save 30%
From its earliest days as a picnic grove to its subsequent evolution into a major amusement park, Riverside Park was synonymous with summer for generations of New Englanders. Situated on the banks of the Connecticut River at Agawam, Massachusetts, Riverside was enjoyed by area residents for more than a century. Thousands swam in Lake Takadip, danced to the most popular musical groups of the day in Cook's Dancing Pavilion, spent Saturday nights at the Riverside Park Speedway, roller skated at the Rollaway, and thrilled to the Cyclone roller coaster and countless other attractions. Riverside's status as the epicenter of summer recreation in the Northeast continues to this day with the park's current identity as Six Flags New England.
Rocky Point Park
9781467123365
Regular price $24.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
In 1938, a tremendous hurricane devastated southern New England, including Rocky Point Park. The shore dining hall was washed away, and the roller coaster lay in ruins. Owners began to look into other options for this beautiful 80 acres of land along the coastline of Narragansett Bay. The park's future was in jeopardy until 1948, when Providence businessman Vincent Ferla bought it and brought it back to life. He revitalized the midway and brought in new and exciting rides, and on the park's first day back, more than 35,000 people visited. The park thrived for nearly 50 years until its eventual closure in 1995. Today, this scenic spot along the Atlantic Ocean has been returned to the people of Rhode Island as a nature preserve and is flourishing once again.
Roton Point
9780738574387
Regular price $24.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
From the 1870s through 1941, Roton Point Park was one of the preeminent attractions along the shores of Long Island Sound. From its shady picnic grove overlooking the water to its sandy beaches, hotel, dance floor, carousel, roller coaster, and midway rides, Roton Point attracted thousands of visitors each season. Damage from the 1938 hurricane and the start of World War II led to the park's closing in 1941, and Roton Point was divided into two private beach clubs and a public beach. Some of the old buildings remain, including the bathhouse, hotel, and gazebo at Roton Point, and the roller-coaster entry at Bayley Beach.
Lake Quinsigamond and White City Amusement Park
9780738536736
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $17.49 Save 30%
In the 1800s and well into the 1900s, the area around Lake Quinsigamond, in Shrewsbury and Worcester, was one huge summer resort. Hotels, ethnic and social clubs, boat clubs, a horse racing track, picnic grounds, and two amusement parks, Lincoln Park and White City Park, lined the shore. Steamboats and smaller steam launches transported tourists to the area. Canoes, rowboats, sailboats, and motorboats crowded the lake on weekends. Crew boat regattas, which started in the 1850s, continue to this day. Lake Quinsigamond and White City Amusement Park lets readers experience the attractions, such as the shoot the chutes and White City roller coaster, and enjoy the fun atmosphere during those long-ago summers.
Savin Rock Amusement Park
9780738544762
Regular price $24.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
Savin Rock Amusement Park began to grow in the 1870s when George Kelsey constructed a pier to extend ferry service between the opposite coastlines of New Haven Harbor. This opened the door for further, more sophisticated
development of amusement attractions that drew fun seeking patrons from throughout southern New England. The park thrived until the combination of affordable personal transportation and urban redevelopment forced its demise in the 1960s. Today Savin Rock is a quieter spot fi lled with beachside apartments, a shopping plaza, and a more tranquil grassy park jutting into the harbor. Only a few of the original restaurants remain, changed somewhat from their earlier days but still holding tight to the memories of a different time. Savin Rock Amusement Park contains postcards from the private collection of Ronald P. Guerrera. As an antiques dealer in Waterbury, Guerrera compiled one of the largest and most picturesque collections of postcard memorabilia in Connecticut.
development of amusement attractions that drew fun seeking patrons from throughout southern New England. The park thrived until the combination of affordable personal transportation and urban redevelopment forced its demise in the 1960s. Today Savin Rock is a quieter spot fi lled with beachside apartments, a shopping plaza, and a more tranquil grassy park jutting into the harbor. Only a few of the original restaurants remain, changed somewhat from their earlier days but still holding tight to the memories of a different time. Savin Rock Amusement Park contains postcards from the private collection of Ronald P. Guerrera. As an antiques dealer in Waterbury, Guerrera compiled one of the largest and most picturesque collections of postcard memorabilia in Connecticut.
Story Land
9780738573038
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $17.49 Save 30%
When sedans and station wagons replaced trains for vacationers heading to New Hampshire's rugged and picturesque White Mountains, new motels and attractions catering to middle-class families sprang up amidst the established grand hotels and diversions for socialites, artists, skiers, and hikers. In 1954, a tiny children's park inspired by a collection of storybook dolls opened in the quiet village of Glen. Through a unique combination of independent innovation and regional cooperation, Story Land has continually grown for more than 50 years through economic and cultural changes that undermined many amusement parks. Parents still travel great distances for a Story Land getaway with their children, just as their own parents did, sharing a common experience that is talked about between multiple generations at family gatherings. This photograph collection illustrates the unlikely beginnings and creative entrepreneurship behind one of New England's most memorable and enduring childhood institutions.
Rhode Island Amusement Parks
9780738564159
Regular price $24.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 248): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Rhode Island Amusement Parks brings back the memories of a time less complicated than the present, when a sense of family held communities together.
Rhode Islanders were once able to enjoy amusement parks without traveling far; the state was home to several ocean front parks as early as the mid-18th century, with some of them surviving into the late 19th century. Photographers Rob Lewis and Ryan Young have embarked on a journey to discover the amusement parks of the past in this delightful and unprecedented collection of images. View the parks that provided a recreational outlet for so many Rhode Island families and the visitors who frequented them. Scenes from several neighboring Massachusetts amusement parks are also pictured. The images in this collection are from two large private archives as well as treasured family collections. Special highlights include photographs of hand-operated rides of the 1800s and views of President Taft's plane, which landed at Sandy Beach in 1911. Also featured is Vanity Fair, an amusement park that lasted only five years during the first decade of this century. Residents of these communities will enjoy seeing Rhode Island as it once was and will witness the changes it has endured over the years.
