New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Amusement Parks

Forest Park Amusement Park in Saratoga County: Some History

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Schenectady Railway Company MapOn November 15, 1927, a civil engineer named R.E. Weber created a map that showed the boundaries of Forest Park Amusement Park in Ballston Lake, NY.

The map was drawn so as to facilitate the sale of the entire property and make the area into individual parcels that people could buy. Thus ended the almost 25-year history of one of the most famous amusement parks in Saratoga County and began the process of opening up a large section of Ballston Lake to residential development. [Read more…] about Forest Park Amusement Park in Saratoga County: Some History

Monticello Amusement Park: Some History

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the entrance to the Monticello Amusement ParkFor myriad reasons — perhaps most importantly the influence of the fortress hotels — the amusement park was never a big part of Sullivan County’s tourism industry.

There have been numerous attempts in the county over the years to capitalize on America’s love affair with places like Coney Island’s Luna Park, Disneyland, and Palisades Park, but none that succeeded for more than a few years. [Read more…] about Monticello Amusement Park: Some History

The Pottersville Fair: Gambling, Races, and Gaslight Village

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Pottersville Fairgrounds with acrobatsThose traveling on the Adirondack Northway (I-87) between Exits 27 and 28 probably don’t realize they are passing over Pottersville, the northern Warren County hamlet that borders southern Schroon Lake.

For a hundred years, from the 1870s into the early 1960s, the tiny village was home to amusements that drew thousands. The most remarkable of them, the Pottersville Fair, drew 7,000 on a single day in 1913. Later it hosted a large dance hall, roller skating rink, and the Glendale Drive-in, while nearby Under the Maples on Echo Lake was host to circus acts and an amusement park that was a forerunner of the Gaslight Village theme park in nearby Lake George.  [Read more…] about The Pottersville Fair: Gambling, Races, and Gaslight Village

Gaslight Village: Lake George Fun Yesterday

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gaslight village, lake george, nyGaslight Village in Lake George, NY was opened in 1959 by Charles R. “Charley” Wood.

Charley already owned a number of other investments, including Holiday House on the shores of Lake George, and Storytown, U.S.A., an amusement park with a Mother Goose rhymes theme (later expanded with Ghost Town, a western boot-hill theme, and Jungle Land, an animal park) which he opened in 1954. He later went on to build the Tiki Resort (one of America’s last original Tiki bars), a short lived wax museum, the Sun Castle resort, and more. [Read more…] about Gaslight Village: Lake George Fun Yesterday

When Clifton Park Had Its Own Amusement Park

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Trolley stop, Rexford Amusement Park, c. 1920. Roller coaster and merry-go-round just inside the main entrance to the parkOn April 3rd, 1935, wrecking crews began the demolition of buildings and rides that comprised an amusement park in Rexford, Saratoga County, NY.

Few remember when Clifton Park had its own amusement park. It was located on the Mohawk River in Rexford near the Alplaus border from 1906 to 1933. [Read more…] about When Clifton Park Had Its Own Amusement Park

Circus Artists and the Flying Trapeze Metaphor

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Ricketts Circus flierEquestrian artist Philip Astley was a pioneering entertainment entrepreneur. His demonstrations of trick horse-riding at London’s Royal Amphitheatre in 1768 constitute the origins of modern circus.

Astley performed his routine in a circular arena which would subsequently be referred to as the ring. He interspersed his displays with a variety of additional acts. Both in Europe and America other producers copied and expanded his new style of entertainment. [Read more…] about Circus Artists and the Flying Trapeze Metaphor

Coney Island: A Short History

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Coney Island’s development began in the 1840s, when it was still an island. Looking at a map, one can see Coney Island creek, which ends at Shell Road. That’s because the creek used to be a river which flowed into Sheepshead Bay, but through the process of filling in land, Coney Island was connected to the rest of Brooklyn. [Read more…] about Coney Island: A Short History

1960s Bronx Theme Park Freedomland U.S.A. Celebrated History

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freedomland park guideImagine growing up during the early 1960s and traveling to a New York City destination for an all-day, fun-filled history lesson. By car, bus, or train, all roads led to the northeastern section of The Bronx.

Freedomland U.S.A. was an American history theme park where guests experienced Old Chicago as it burned to the ground, dodged cannon fire during a wagon ride through a Civil War battlefield and explored the Northwest Passage, as did Lewis and Clark, on a bull boat. Hundreds of thousands of kids entered this time machine into America’s past with their mothers and fathers, cousins and friends, aunts and uncles, and with their grandmothers and grandfathers. [Read more…] about 1960s Bronx Theme Park Freedomland U.S.A. Celebrated History

Coney Island Boardwalk Designated Landmark

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coney island boardwalkThe New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has designated the Coney Island (Riegelmann) Boardwalk in Brooklyn a Scenic Landmark in recognition of its cultural and historical significance.

Since opening on May 15, 1923, the Coney Island Boardwalk has been one of the best-known waterfront promenades in the world, providing access to the beach, amusements, and ocean views. Scenic landmark designation is expected to protect the boardwalk’s presence along the beachfront and preserve this iconic site for future generations. [Read more…] about Coney Island Boardwalk Designated Landmark

Kinderhook ‘Electric Park’ Exhibition Now On Display

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the ferris wheel at Electric ParkThe ‘Electric Park’ exhibition at the Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS) is now open to the public.

The exhibit highlights the culture of Kinderhook Lake’s Electric Park, which operated between 1901 and 1920 in Columbia County, showcasing the phenomena dubbed by newspaper columnists as “postcarditis” – an obsession with sending and receiving postcards – featuring Electric Park postcards that offer poignant glimpses into daily lives of Columbia County residents and visitors during the early 1900s. [Read more…] about Kinderhook ‘Electric Park’ Exhibition Now On Display