Trolley park

The end of the trolley line in Idora Park in Oakland, California, in 1910

In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. Trolley parks were often created by the streetcar companies to give people a reason to use their services on weekends.[1]

The parks originally consisted of picnic groves and pavilions, and often held events such as dances, concerts and fireworks. Many eventually added features such as swimming pools, carousels, Ferris wheels, roller coasters, sports fields, boats rides, restaurants and other resort facilities to become amusement parks. Various sources report the existence of between 1,500 and 2,000 amusement parks in the United States by 1919.[2]

History

Coney Island

One such location was Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York City, where in 1829 a horse-drawn streetcar line began to bring pleasure seekers to the beach. In 1875, a million passengers rode the railroad to Coney Island; the next year doubled that. Hotels and amusements were built to accommodate the upper classes and the working class. The first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first Switchback Railway roller coaster in 1881. In 1895, the first permanent amusement park in North America opened in Coney Island: Sea Lion Park, which was also one of the first parks to charge admission for entrance, not just tickets for individual rides.[2]

In 1897, it was joined by Steeplechase Park, the first of three major amusement parks that would open in the area. George Tilyou designed the park to provide thrills and sweep away the restraints of the Victorian crowds. The combination of the nearby population center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the embodiment of the American amusement park.[2] It was later joined by Luna Park in 1903 and Dreamland in 1904. Coney Island was a huge success, and by 1910 attendance on a Sunday could reach a million people.[2]

Heyday

The Jack Rabbit Derby Racer at Ramona Park, a trolley park in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. The park closed in 1955.

The "golden era" of trolley parks began in the early 20th century, by which time there were hundreds of amusement parks, many of them starting as trolley parks, in operation around the United States. Every major city boasted one or more parks, often based on (or named after) Coney Island, Luna Park, or Dreamland. The era saw the typical workweek shrink and the amount of disposable income rose. The amusement parks reflected the mechanization and efficiency of industrialization, while serving as a source of fantasy and escape from real life.[2]

Decline

Attendance at urban trolley parks generally declined in the 1920s. Changing demographics in the urban areas also played a role. So did the rise of the automobile in American life. Although the automobile provided people with more options for satisfying their entertainment needs, amusement parks that were accessible by car continued to be successful and new parks were developed.

By the end of the 1920s, amusement parks had suffered steep declines for various reasons, particularly the Great Depression.[2]

Extant trolley parks

Park Location Opened Trolley company Notes
Bushkill Park Easton, Pennsylvania 1902[3]
Camden Park Huntington, West Virginia[4] 1903[1] Camden Interstate Railway Company
Canobie Lake Park Salem, New Hampshire[5]

[6]

 1902[1] Massachusetts Northeast Street Railway Company
Clementon Park Clementon, New Jersey 1907
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Allentown, Pennsylvania 1884[1]
Kennywood Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1898[1] Monongahela Street Railways Company Designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
Lake Compounce Bristol, Connecticut 1846 Oldest continuously operating amusement park in the US, technically this is not a trolley park. While it had trolley service, the park had been in operation for forty years before the trolley was invented and was never owned or operated by a trolley company.
Lakemont Park Altoona, Pennsylvania 1894[1] Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway
Lakeside Amusement Park Denver, Colorado 1907 Denver Tramway According to the book Denver's Lakeside Amusement Park by David Forsyth, Lakeside was developed by private interests as a separate company who then encouraged the Denver Tramway Company to extend a line to their new enterprise, so while it was closely linked to the trolley line, it was not a true "trolley park". "Denver never had trolley parks, which meant the owners of the city's amusement parks had to convince streetcar companies to build lines to their parks." (page 31)
Midway Park Maple Springs, New York[7] 1898[1] Jamestown and Lake Erie Railway
Oaks Amusement Park Portland, Oregon[1] May 30, 1905 Oregon Water Power and Railway Company
Quassy Amusement Park Middlebury, Connecticut[8] 1908[1]
Ravinia Park Highland Park, Illinois 1904[9] Chicago and Milwaukee Electric Railroad
Seabreeze Amusement Park Rochester, New York 1879[1] Rochester and Lake Ontario Railroad
Waldameer & Water World Erie, Pennsylvania 1896[1] Erie Electric Motor Company
Glen Echo Park[10] Montgomery County, Maryland ca.1902 Washington Railway and Electric Company Of the original rides, only the Dentzel Carousel is in operation. Glen Echo, however, remains open as a National Park Service historic site, and an arts and cultural center managed by the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture. Renovated structures still in use include the historic Spanish Ballroom, the Bumper Car Pavilion, the Puppet Co. Playhouse, the Arcade building, the Yellow Barn, Adventure Theatre, the Candy Corner, the Chautauqua Tower, the Ballroom Annex, and the Hall of Mirrors Dance Studio.[11]

Defunct trolley parks

Roller coasters of Palisades Amusement Park are visible atop the Palisades, as seen from the trolley terminal in Edgewater, New Jersey, in the early 20th century
Park Location Opened Closed Trolley company Notes
Al Fresco Amusement Park Peoria, Illinois
Bay Shore Park Edgemere, Maryland (Baltimore County), Maryland (near Baltimore, Maryland 1906 1947 Some structures remain in North Point State Park
Big Island Amusement Park Minneapolis, Minnesota 1906 1911
Bonnie Brae Park Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Braddock Heights Park[12] Braddock Heights, Maryland 1893 1964
Brandywine Springs Amusement Park Newport, Delaware 1886 1923
Burnham Park Burnham, Pennsylvania ca 1903 1916 Relocated to Kishacoquillas Park
Cascade Park New Castle, Pennsylvania Originally opened as Brinton Park in 1891. Cascade Park opened in 1897. While the rides are gone, the park remains as a site for community events.
Chevy Chase Lake Chevy Chase, Maryland
C&ST Trolley Park Blue Island, IL 1911 1914 The site is now owned by the Cook County (IL) Forest Preserve District in use as a picnic grove.
Chutes Park Los Angeles, California 1887 1914
Contoocook River Amusement Park[13] Penacook, New Hampshire 1893 1925
Council Crest Amusement Park Portland, Oregon 1907 1929
Crescent Park Riverside, Rhode Island
Dellwood Park Lockport, Illinois Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway
Dixieland Amusement Park South Jacksonville (Jacksonville), Florida South Jacksonville Municipal Railways Destroyed in a hail storm
Dominion Park Montreal, Canada 1906 1937 Montreal Suburban Tramway and Power company Montreal Suburban Tramway was a precursor to today's publicly owned transit commission
Eldora Park Eldora, Pennsylvania, (Carroll Township, Washington County) 1901 mid-1940s
Electric Park, Detroit 1906 1928
Electric Park, Kansas City 1899 1925
Electric Park Niverville, New York 1901 1917 Albany and Hudson Railroad "Largest amusement park on the east coast between Manhattan and Montreal"[14]
Elkins Park[15] Martinsburg, West Virginia 1892[16] Martinsburg Street Railway
Euclid Beach Park Euclid, Ohio, then Cleveland, Ohio 1895 1969 When first opened, visitors came to the park on two steamers from downtown Cleveland. When the Humphrey Family took over direction of the park they agreed to discontinue boat service in return for one street car fare charge to the park from the provider. Initially a street car stop was built inside the park. (Euclid Beach Park, is Closed for the Season, 1977)
Excelsior Amusement Park Excelsior, Minnesota 1925 1973
Fleishhacker Pool and Zoo San Francisco, California 1925 1971
Fontaine Ferry Park Louisville, Kentucky 1905 1975
Forest Hill Park, Richmond, Virginia 1889 1932
Forest Park Ballston Lake, New York 1902 1927 Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad[17]
Forest Park Genoa, Ohio
Fort George Amusement Park Manhattan, New York
Glen Park, west of Watertown, New York Glen Park, New York
Glen Echo Park Glen Echo, Maryland early 1900s 1968
Golden Spur Amusement Park Niantic, Connecticut New London and East Lyme Street Railway
Great Falls Park Great Falls, Virginia Washington and Old Dominion Railway
Highland Park York, Pennsylvania 1891 1921
Idora Park Oakland, California 1904 1929
Idora Park Youngstown, Ohio 1899 1984
Indian Park Montoursville, Pennsylvania The park remains as a site for community events.[18]
Indianola Park Columbus, Ohio 1905 1937
Jantzen Beach Amusement Park Portland, Oregon 1928 1970
Kaydeross Park[19] Saratoga Springs, New York Delaware and Hudson Railway
Kishacoquillas Park Between Burnham, Pennsylvania and Lewistown, Pennsylvania Relocated from Burnham Park in 1916; property and some structures survive as community park.
Lake Lansing Amusement Park Haslett, Michigan Demolished 1972
Lake View Park Sheboygan, Wisconsin[20]
Lakeview Park (Lake Nipmuc Amusement Park) Mendon, Massachusetts
Lakeview Park (Lake Mascuppic)[21] Dracut, Massachusetts 1889 1970s
Lakewood Amusement Atlanta, Georgia 1906 1985
Lexington Park[22] Lexington, Massachusetts 1902 1920
Lincoln Park Dartmouth, Massachusetts 1894 1987
Lincoln Park Hallville, Connecticut Norwich and Westerly Railway
Luna Park Alexandria County (now Arlington County), Virginia 1906 1915
Luna Park Charleston, West Virginia 1912 1923
Luna Park Cleveland, Ohio 1905 1929
Luna Park Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1905 1909
Luna Park Scranton, Pennsylvania 1906 1916
Manawa Park Council Bluffs, Iowa 1928
Merrimack Park Methuen, Massachusetts 1921 1938
Minerva Park Minerva Park, Ohio 1895 1902
Mountain Park Holyoke, Massachusetts 1897 1987
Mount Holly Park Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania 1901 1930
Neptune Beach Alameda, California 1917 1939
Norumbega Park Newton, Massachusetts 1897 1963
Oakland Park Rockport, Maine 1902
Ocean View Park Norfolk, Virginia 1879 1979
Olentangy Park Columbus, Ohio 1896 1937
Olympic Park Irvington/Maplewood, New Jersey
Ondawa Park Greenwich, New York Delaware and Hudson Railway[19]
Palisades Amusement Park Cliffside Park and Fort Lee, New Jersey 1898 1971
Paxtang Park Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Pine Island Park[23] Manchester, New Hampshire
Piney Ridge Park Broad Brook, Connecticut Located on a branch of the Hartford & Springfield Street Railway, now along the line of the Connecticut Trolley Museum
Playland San Francisco, California 1927 1972 Also known as Playland at the Beach
Ponce de Leon amusement park[24] Atlanta, Georgia
Puritas Springs Park[25] Cleveland, Ohio
Riverhurst Park Weston Mills, New York
Riverside Amusement Park Indianapolis, Indiana 190 1970
Rock City Park Allegany, New York
Rock Springs Park Chester, West Virginia
Rocky Glen Park Near Moosic, Pennsylvania Later became Ghost Town at the Glen before becoming New Rocky Glen
Ramona Park East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Rorick’s Glen Elmira, New York 1901 1917
Savin Rock Amusement Park West Haven, Connecticut 1870s 1966
Scarboro Beach Amusement Park Toronto, Ontario 1907 1925
Shady Grove Park Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Shellpot Park Near Wilmington, Delaware
Suburban Gardens Washington, D.C.
Sutro Baths San Francisco, California 1896 1966
Terrapin Park Parkersburg, West Virginia
Vanity Fair East Providence, Rhode Island
West View Park West View, Pennsylvania
Whalom Park[26] Lunenburg, Massachusetts
White City Atlanta, Georgia 1910 1925
White City Indianapolis, Indiana 1906 1908
White City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1898 1912
White City Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
Wildwood Amusement Park Mahtomedi, Minnesota
Willow Grove Park Willow Grove, Pennsylvania 1896 1976 Now the Willow Grove Park Mall, but still has a carousel inside the shopping mall.
Woodside Amusement Park Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1897 1955
Wonderland Amusement Park Indianapolis, Indiana 1906 1911
Wonderland Amusement Park Revere, Massachusetts 1906 1910
Wonderland Amusement Park Minneapolis, Minnesota 1905 1911

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Harpaz, Beth J. (July 21, 2010). "Survivors of earlier era: 11 beloved trolley parks". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach County, Florida. Archived from the original on July 30, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Adams, Judith A. (1991). The American Amusement Park Industry: A History of Technology and Thrills. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers. ISBN 0-8057-9821-8.
  3. ↑ "~ Welcome To Bushkill Park ~". www.bushkillpark.com. Archived from the original on 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2006-06-14.
  4. ↑ "Home". Camden Park. Archived from the original on 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  5. ↑ "Park History". Canobie Lake Park. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  6. ↑ Seed, Douglas; Khalife, Katherine (1996). Salem, NH, Volume II: Trolleys, Canobie Lake, and Rockingham Park. Salem, New Hampshire: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-0438-5.
  7. ↑ "midway-park.com". Archived from the original on 2006-07-09. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
  8. ↑ "Quassy Amusement and Waterpark | Fun & Attractions in CT". www.quassy.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
  9. ↑ "Ravinia Festival | Official Site | History of Ravinia". www.ravinia.org. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  10. ↑ "A General History of Glen Echo Park". glenecho-cabinjohn.com/GE-04.html. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  11. ↑ "Glen Echo Park: History of the Park". glenechopark.org/History. Archived from the original on 2018-01-13. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  12. ↑ "History". H&F Railway Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  13. ↑ "Concord, NH - Official Website | Official Website". www.concordnh.gov. Archived from the original on 2005-03-22. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
  14. ↑ Gottlock, Wesley; Gottlock, Barbara H. "1905 Electric Park - Kinderhook Lake". Archived from the original on 2017-09-10. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  15. ↑ "Street Railway Company". The World. 1892-08-31. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
  16. ↑ "B of L. E. Pic-nic". Martinsburg independent. 1892-06-25. Retrieved 2026-08-09.
  17. ↑ Reynolds, Rick. "An Amusement Park on Ballston Lake?" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  18. ↑ King, Don. "Narrative: Montoursville's history presented by chapter". Christopher Garneau. Archived from the original on 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2007-05-02.
  19. 1 2 Delaware and Hudson Company (1901). Seventy-second Annual report of the Delaware and Hudson Company. p. 56. Archived from the original on 2023-09-10. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  20. ↑ Dippel, Beth (2016-04-22). "Before Six Flags, Sheboygan had Lake View". Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  21. ↑ "Lakeview Park".
  22. ↑ Doran, Levi S. "Lexington Park". Lexington's Colonial Times Magazine. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Pine Island Park (Manchester, New Hampshire, United States)". rcdb.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-02. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
  24. ↑ Toton, Sarah (January 15, 2008). "Vale of Amusements: Modernity, Technology, and Atlanta's Ponce de Leon Park, 1870–1920". Southern Spaces. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Puritas Springs Park. Cleveland, Ohio". westparkhistory.com.
  26. ↑ Russell, Jenna (2006-10-19). "Coasting to a stop at Whalom Park". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts.
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