Navy man, Ill sure the trip was more for him than the two of us kids! Golden. I see lots of amusement parks in RI in this article, but I dont remember driving , but maybe we did go to the one mentioned in Warwick. Roller coasters. Roller coaster, [Paragon Park], Nantasket Beach, Mass. The Hurricane in Aug of 1954 finally put an end to it. 6-year-old girl's death at Colorado amusement park due to seat belt issues and inadequate staff training, government agency says A 2020 IAAPA North American Ride Safety Report - in which it. It was located off route 5 on Mt Tom in western Massachusetts. Anybody know anything?!!! My girlfriends father operated the roller coaster. What a great story. I have always been a fraidy cat about going on roller coasters, and I remember my mother telling me that when she was a kid she made my grandfather take her on the giant coaster, and it was the first and last coaster ride shes been on! I think he is still alive but at a Zoo in another state. I remember going to Paragon Park during those same years. In fact, a penny would get you a lot in those days, especially in the penny arcade. Roller coasters, water slides, bumper cars; it had it all. I also remember the Revere Beach Amusements alomng Revere Beach in the 50s and 60s. After all, when did Paragon Park first open? How about the screech of the wheels or the screams of the riders? mod i remeber the blizzard of 78 that was freezing and 27ft snow drift i know i shoveled them to make money as a kid froze my butt of lmao, and delivering newspapers in the winter took its toll on me as well , i agree i foze my arse off. Feeling nostalgic. I remember riding the Virginia Reel 7 times one night! Pleasure Island Norumbega were our amusement parks of choice. During peak season, street parking (for free) fills up by 7 a.m. A couple of $20 grassy lots are available away from the beach but close, such as across the street. Paddle boats ! Touted as the strangest farm on earth, this park was developed by John Benson, a British animal trainer who had originally purchased a 200-acre lot about an hour north of Boston to serve as a temporary home for animals he would buy and sell. The worst came in 1930, when a car on Omaha, Nebraska's Big Dipper roller coaster fell 35 feet to the ground, killing four and injuring 17. Master carousel artisan Charles I.D. Park. What about Pine Island Park, In Manchester, NH? Within five years, the rail line was abandoned forever. Still saw remnants of the park in the area. Great place to go! Condominiums already were under way on Atlantic Hill and Telegraph Hill, as well as at Spinnaker Island, but in the months following the Paragon announcement, new plans were floated Nantascot Place, River Crossing, and the former Showboat Mayflower property on George Washington Boulevard, Ocean Place, SeaWatch, and Murray Plaza along the beach, the Hall Estate, Damon Place, and the former Worrick Mansion (which would burn to the ground in 1986) on Atlantic Hill, Milford Street, Marina Beach, and One A Street at Waveland, Mariners Landing, Sunset Arms, and the Boathouse at Allerton. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, Nantasket Beach has been a popular summer vacation destination for city dwellers. I felt so sorry for that creature. That magic of entering the Nantasket Beach area is gone, but at least the magic of The Giant Coaster excuse me, The Wild One lives on. In 1912, Dodge opened the Hotel Georgian in Park Square, an upscale nightspot in Bostons theater district that he operated until Prohibition forced it to close in 1919. All Rights Reserved. Title . You forgot Pleasure Island. I lived at Nantasket from 75 79. Me toonear 77, remember Bensons fondly==I was born and raised in Webster Mass.-I still have a scarf, pik with horse on it that says Bensons Wild animal park on it. Their 1928 purchase of a Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel would become the centerpiece of the park, replacing concessionaire John J. Hurleys previous carousel in the same location. Lizzie- Myrtle Beach is definitely in the air today as a pal just asked about retro roadmap worthy places to go around that area. The Stone family, by now in sole control of Paragons operations but still sharing ownership of the land with Golden, suffered losses in 1946 and 1949. As Paragon lumbered along, relatively little changed during the following two decades except the names and locations of some of the rides. There was one that you didnt mention it was between Fall River and New Bedford, along the highway then. As I remember it was not a very large park, or maybe I didnt get to see it all.But memories are still there. Now folks who have never been there will get an inkling of how important the park was to so many people! Im so glad I caught the Art Deco lines and colors, as well as a bit of the ski lift ride as well! Wish I had more photos from back then, but had no idea the park would be closed. Happy Anniversary to you both. Loved going to Rocky Point sometimes just for the chowder and clam cakes but always ended up in the amusement park. I had my first kiss on that ride, and a night Lets not forget Savin Rock in West Haven CT! Correct, Leo, only the name was Pleasure Island. See my post below. SUMMER - Open six days a week during the summer (closed Tuesdays). https://vimeo.com/382437881, Paragon PkSo MUCH fun My Family would go into Boston and take the boat I cant remember what pier but it took about 1/2hr 2 get 2 Nantasket BeachIt was a LIFE time ago the Memorys last FOREVER. Have you seen the website http://www.paragonparkmemories.com/Index.html ? Subsequent owners added various entertainments, including a baseball field on which Babe Ruth once played. Giant Coaster Paragon Park (Hull, Massachusetts, United States) Removed, Operated from 1917 to 1985. I remember those rides at White City and that airplane ride over the lake scared the bejesus out of me ! As a teenager I remember sitting on Santas lap during the Christmas celebration. Zoom in Zoom out Rotate right Fit screen Full expand. Over the winter, Stone and Golden began working on how they would secure the continuation of Paragon. I loved Rocky Point. In its 96 years, 1985 was the only season of operation the roller coaster has missed. Some items, such as the motors and machinery of most rides, arcade games, prize inventory, needed complete replacement, while the buildings themselves needed to be dried out. It had a great wooden roller coaster as well as a Ferris Wheel and other attractions. So many memories of the roller coaster and other rides, as well as swimming at the beach across the street from the park where the water was very cold indeed! My parents had season tickets on Tuesday nights for years. Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, is an exposed beach break with consistent surf that can be used at any time of year. White City was the bestthe whole family would go on a Sunday afternooncousins, aunts and uncleswhat a blast! I thought the title of the article said New England Amusement Parks. Great memories! He says he and his son boarded . Quick Description: Paragon Park, which operated from 1905 to 1984 by Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA, was a local amusement park that had many rides including a well known roller coaster, which today is operated in a Six Flags amusement park in Maryland. The last roller coaster-related death in the country was reported in 2007, when an axle on a car broke during a ride in Expoland in Osaka and sent the roller coaster crashing into a guardrail. My Late Dad used to work at A&P ( another memory ) They used to have an annual picnic at the park. I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm several times as a youngster. Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, MA, just part of New Bedford, MA! The Palm Garden restaurant, function facility, and performance hall at the base of the hill drew guests of the surrounding hotels and larger parties of conventioneers, corporate dinners, and class reunions. There was also a ski lift-type ride called the Sky Lark, an automobile-themed ride known as "Turnpike Cars" (replaced by a different ride in the 1970s called the "Indy 500"), and a water ride called "Bermuda Triangle" (formerly the "Congo Cruise," the "Jungle Ride," the "Red Mill", and the "Mill Rapids"). From late June to early September, lifeguards are on duty. "It has stood the test of time." the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! Among the amusement rides in operation during Paragon Park's history was a traditionalstyle Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel (PTC 85) with handcrafted horses, a bumper cars ride known as . I just found out that the Giant Coaster was relocated to Six Flags in Maryland and is now the Wild One. Within weeks, however, Kahn-Quinn and the Stones had moved up the closing, deciding that opening the gates to souvenir-seekers, litigious loiterers, and potential vandals was too risky. On September 20, 1922, George A. My family lived in Agawam at the time , and on Sat .nights we could hear the cars racing at the track. Grew up going to Lincoln Park many times,roller rink, bowling alley , battle of the bands on weekends as a teenager and the rides,Kiddieland and famous for wooden rollercoaster then went to McCrays for fried clams on RT 6 . Met my husband at Lake Whalom and we have been married 57 years this year. Savin Rock Amusement Park in West Haven, CT, How about the old boardwalk at Revere Beach, Pleasure Island in Wakefield,Ma The Kiddie Ranch Rte 1 Saugus, Ma. In the aftermath of the fire, a new dance hall and roller coaster were constructed in the front of the park. Trailblazer (1974). I havent thought about that place in years! we went on the Congo Cruise, which I think briefly had a Riverside was also my favorite. But my most vivid, and fond memory was Misquamucut, and this mystery park! For the younger crowd, there was the Normandy Room. Im now a Hull year-round resident, 1/4 mile from where the park once stood. About a month later, a huge blaze destroyed much of the roller coaster, the front entrance, and concessions along the front. A Thanksgiving Day fire at nearby Nantasket Pier destroyed most of the fleet of steamboats that carried passengers to and from Boston. I grew up about miles from Pine Island Park. How wonderful you met your husband at Lake Whalom. Paragon Park opened in 1905 and lasted for just under 80 years, closing in 1984. On March 28, 1923, flames ripped through Paragon, causing $500,000 in damage and destroying much of the southern end of the park and the cottages along the way toward Atlantic Hill. "They preserved the spirit of the ride," amusement park aficionado B. Derek Shaw told USA Today. Except for the flying swings incident. The Bat, the world's first suspended roller coaster, failed because of design problems. In late 1915, he had leased parts of the park to fruit peddler David Stone and fellow hotelier Albert A. Many years back the classic shore dinners in a pavilion over the water made it famous. The only coaster at the park was Viper, a Huss-Arrow looper from 1982. Thanks for the article which sent me many, many years back in time. One year I went to Rocky Point Amusement part, this would have to be about 1984-1985 and my Dad at the time worked for Sealtest Ice Cream and they would have a big summer thing down there and we would spend the day first doing carnival activities hosted by the company, then spend the rest of the day at the park. The centerpiece of the complex a metal track on which riders raced their horses against each other, based on the old English horse race through the countryside, usually with a distant church steeple as the finish line was only part of the show. The amusement park closed in 1994 and sat abandoned for years before its remains were finally demolished out of concern for public safety. Maybe 5 years old. Yet seeing these places thrill and entertain todays families also makes us nostalgic for the now-closed New England amusement parks that paved the way. I grew up in the 80s and 90s in rhode island and Rocky Point was an amazing amusement park. The roller coaster, known as the Green Streak, replaced an earlier, figure-8 model that had been located at the rear of the complex next to the Palm Garden. War rationing and blackout drills during the 1940s put more strain on the parks operations. Still learning how to compose a photograph, I think back and realize that my penchant for photos without people in them was in force then, and I went as far as to scribble out the lady who was in the foreground of this photo of the Snack-a-rama. The doll has to be from the fiftys because my aunt died, and she was 81 when she died in 1992. Selling the 18-story development to the public was a harder task than the developers had imagined, however, and by fall, even with a compromise reduction to 12 stories, Kahn and Quinn faced stiff opposition. We went there many times. The amusement park closed for good in 1984. Yet some may have taken a day trip away from the New Bedford and Fall River areas to visit another of New Englands great amusement parks of old the seaside gem Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. Loved the Merry Go Round. We used all our tickets there. Paragon park roller coaster on nantasket . Barnum in that regard created a system in which his patented inventions (with cheeky names like Funny Stairway, Earthquake Floor, Third-Degree Room, Cave of the Winds, and Revolving House of Delusion,) became the basis for the fledgling amusement industry in America. Theres a Facebook page called Paragon Park Memories- maybe if you post it there someone else may remember it as well good luck! What fun memories at all of these places! A scenic railway was added in 1900. Follow The History of Paragon Park on WordPress.com, Paragons Administration Building an original from 1905. Then in myn40s met a man. It is called the Wild One now. United States--Massachusetts--Nantasket Beach. Cant recall what actually propelled them. Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members' research needs. EDMONTON - It's been 30 years since Rod Chayko was flung from a flying roller-coaster at West Edmonton Mall, and it bothers him still that there is no memorial at the site to honour the three. It was where the class went after graduation of Grammar School in 56 too we also would go to the speedway. Mountain Park in Holyoke MA. Paragon Park Hull, Massachusetts, United States Defunct, Operated from 6/10/1905 to 1985 Videos Maps Parks nearby Defunct Roller Coasters: 6 Location Located on Nantasket Beach. Worked there for a while after graduation. Sorry when it closed. With the economy still climbing out of a recession, they faced stark reality years of deferred maintenance and the rising popularity of larger theme parks meant that significant investment would be required to modernize Paragon and make it competitive as a destination. My family always preferred Mountain Park then Riverside. Although the Stone and Golden partnership to operate the park had dissolved around 1925, ownership of the land remained divided until 1951. What a great time to be a kid. Now its a shopping center. See it here at. It is a warm summer day and Paragon Park is busy with visitors. Somewhere in between, the Arcade Bazaar was lost due to a fire. 1950s. The 25.9-acre amusement park the nation's largest at the time included roller coasters and other rides, games, vaudeville and movie theaters, a funhouse, and a "health center" where premature infants in incubators were put on display. We couldnt go often, back then it was a long drive in the older cars. Fire struck again in the fall, destroying the Chateau ballroom at the rear of the park. There was a tunnel of love dubbed the Rivers of Venice, an on-site radio station, and of course all manner of roller coasters and other thrill rides. Lost in that fire was much of the holiday inventory of Toy-A-Rama, a seasonal store in Paragons former roller skating rink that competed against the Arcade Bazaar. Here's a list of 13 of the deadliest roller coaster accidents in the last two decades. Location: Massachusetts, United States. Following the show, wed watch the fireworks from the parking lot. Owner / Operator Romantic Totem Pole with sofas next to table lamps, and one time, the Spike Jones Band. When young my parents would take me tomthe Wonderland Park in Revere MA. I am looking for a picture of the flying scooters on the roof accross from the admin bldg. I found this video in my archives! Jim- thanks so much for sharing your fond memories of Paragon Park with the RetroRoadmap readers! A 14-year-old girl has died after a roller coaster car came off the track at an amusement park in Denmark. Yes. White City on the shores of Lake Quinsigamond between the Worcester and Shrewsbury linesa wonderful memory. I would add Norumbega Park in auburndale Mass, and pleasure Island. Oh just one more comment,thanks to Larry Stone who put me to work every summer running the flying scooter, flying cages, or the rocket swing,then the lindyloop, John- what great evocative memories you have of Hull! Among the amusement rides in operation during Paragon Park's history was a traditional-style Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel (PTC #85) built in 1928 with hand-crafted horses, a bumper cars ride known as "Auto Scooters", a Ferris wheel, a horror-themed dark ride called "Kooky Kastle", and a wooden roller coaster known as The Giant Coaster.[1]. More for little ones and still open are Storyland and Santas Village in NH a place families still can enjoy. Many of these are gone without a trace, but I still see a bridge identified as Mountain Park Road whenever I drive past Holyoke on I-91. Oh Rich, I know EXACTLY what you mean about smelling the beach before you even got there. My parents brought me and I brought my kids. Summing lessons in Lake Whalom, wonderful memories. [1] More rides that Paragon hosted over the years were the Trabant, the Tilt-A-Whirl, Galaxy Coaster, the Skydiver, Paratrooper, Matterhorn, Himalaya, Round Up, Scrambler, Crazy Tea Cups, Twister Kiddie Coaster, Caterpillar, the Whip, Batman-slide, Super-slide, Salt and Pepper Shakers, Swing ride, Rotor, along with many rides that were smaller versions of these, geared towards children. the Zoo in GB. It was designed and constructed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co., which later built the park's carousel that remains in Hull. Approximately 30,000 theme-park-related injuries occur each year, though not many of those can be classified as "serious injuries," and even fewer end in death.