So I don't really know where I should post these, but I'm sure somebody here would find interest in these cool pieces of amusement park history.
I moved to Boston from Hampton Roads a few months ago for school, and while doing archival research at the Massachusetts Historical Society, I stumbled upon a box of antique New England Amusement park postcards; the vast majority depicting defunct parks that were in Massachusetts. The box had hundreds of postcards from the early 20th century, but I mostly tried to take pictures of the cards with a clear view of any roller coasters.
I'm going to highlight and describe a few cards i found noteworthy, but the rest will be included at the end of the post. Hope you enjoy!
Revere Beach:
This was Revere Beach's Virginia Reel coaster, advertised at the "most sensational ride in the world." I would like to note that despite the Virginia Reel being a common sea-side amusement park ride of the time, there is no 'fair-ground' or cheap, temporary, or portable feel like many coasters and rides at sea-side amusement parks, and quite frankly, rides at larger regional parks, in the modern age. The architecture in the lift hill structure and the terrain-work is very impressive for what is almost a boardwalk coaster. I will note, there are two Virginia Reel rides in this park's history: one that operated until 1918 when it burned down, and another built to replace the first which lasted apparently until 1970, which seems quite recent for such an antique coaster-model. It's shame that neither of these rides have any photos on RCDB, because I can't date these photos or which of Revere's Virginia Reel coasters it is depicting. If anyone can help me out, let me know!
This is Revere Beach's Lightning, built in 1927 by the Traver Engineering Company. No pictures on RCDB. Incredible artistry and detail in this postcard.
There seemed to have been a park named "Wonderland" in the vicinity of Revere Beach that was not on the boardwalk. "Wonderland" is not listed anywhere on Revere Beach's RCDB as a former name, and is not listed as ever existing as a separate park, despite the MBTA Blue Line stop that services Revere Beach being named, 'Wonderland'. The plot of land depicted in this postcard is now a barren and decayed sea of parking that is a couple streets down from the beach and set to be redeveloped into a highschool. I wonder if RCDB has been grouping this park together with the various attractions and rides that were operated on the boardwalk, or if this is a completely seperate park that has yet to been documented on the site. In this postcard, you can also see one of the buildings on fire, which is depicted in much more detail in another postcard (posted at the end).
Salisbury Beach (Pirate's Fun Park):
We have another oddity here. Despite being, labelled 'Grand Thriller', 'Spiral Thriller' and 'The New Skyrocket' in the postcoards, none of these names are found on RCDB and this is most likely Wildcat which was also once known as 'Comet'. This could also be another case of a potential missing ride in RCDB's records, as the shaping of the first turnaround in the postcards looks much more level than the curved drop seen in RCDB's photographs.
Nantasket Beach (Paragon Park):
This next one is one that many of you may have ridden before... in a different form. This is Giant Coaster that was relocated from Paragon Park to Wild World (Six Flags America) to become Wild One, which will be a defunct ride itself in the imminent future. I've had the wonderful opportunity to ride Wild One, so stumbling upon the ride in a different age during my archival research was a bit sentimental when it is likely to be torn down very soon. The ride layout has also changed a lot, since part of the ride burned down and had to be reconstructed, and the relocation of the ride to Maryland also leading to design changes.
Until I saw the sign on the far right side, I almost categorized this with the former ride, but this is Green Streak, also at Paragon Park. This ride only operated from 2-4 years before it burnt to the ground.
I have zero clue what this ride is. It's clearly a different layout than Green Streak and Giant Coaster with this also being destinct with it's one-car trains; yet no other wooden coaster, besides a Virginia Reel clone, is listed on RCDB as operating at this park. Again, if anyone can help me out, let me know.
Riverside Park (Six Flags New England):
Six Flags New England's defunct Greyhound. The entryway signage also says "New Orleans Great Dog: Some Speed Kid"
Below, are also pictures attached of postcards showing Pinehurst Park's Scenic Railway, mystery coaster at White City, Lynn Beach, Lakeview Park in Lowell MA, Highland Park in Brockton MA, Figure 8 at Sandy Beach Park, more pictures of Revere Beach's Wonderland, and depictions of a Scenic Rail Coaster at a mystery park in Nahant, MA which does not exist in RCDB's records.
Looking through these postcards took me much longer than I anticipated. Something that resonated with me is that a good portion of these parks were urban parks which are becoming rarer and rarer nowadays. Boston used to have many amusement parks in it's surrounding suburbs yet almost all have dissapeared except for Canobie Lake Park, which isn't even in Massachusetts. Something that depressed me was seeing how the land that many of these defunct parks sat on was used; being turned into condos, suburban strip malls, and in the case of Wonderland—a vast crumbling sea of asphalt. These postcards exude so much charm and it's shame that wide majority of these parks, except for SFNE, are now defunct.
I have no idea what else I could do with these photographs, so if anyone has any ideas feel free to drop them. Do you guys think they'd be suitable for submission to RCDB?
I moved to Boston from Hampton Roads a few months ago for school, and while doing archival research at the Massachusetts Historical Society, I stumbled upon a box of antique New England Amusement park postcards; the vast majority depicting defunct parks that were in Massachusetts. The box had hundreds of postcards from the early 20th century, but I mostly tried to take pictures of the cards with a clear view of any roller coasters.
I'm going to highlight and describe a few cards i found noteworthy, but the rest will be included at the end of the post. Hope you enjoy!
Revere Beach:
This was Revere Beach's Virginia Reel coaster, advertised at the "most sensational ride in the world." I would like to note that despite the Virginia Reel being a common sea-side amusement park ride of the time, there is no 'fair-ground' or cheap, temporary, or portable feel like many coasters and rides at sea-side amusement parks, and quite frankly, rides at larger regional parks, in the modern age. The architecture in the lift hill structure and the terrain-work is very impressive for what is almost a boardwalk coaster. I will note, there are two Virginia Reel rides in this park's history: one that operated until 1918 when it burned down, and another built to replace the first which lasted apparently until 1970, which seems quite recent for such an antique coaster-model. It's shame that neither of these rides have any photos on RCDB, because I can't date these photos or which of Revere's Virginia Reel coasters it is depicting. If anyone can help me out, let me know!
This is Revere Beach's Lightning, built in 1927 by the Traver Engineering Company. No pictures on RCDB. Incredible artistry and detail in this postcard.
There seemed to have been a park named "Wonderland" in the vicinity of Revere Beach that was not on the boardwalk. "Wonderland" is not listed anywhere on Revere Beach's RCDB as a former name, and is not listed as ever existing as a separate park, despite the MBTA Blue Line stop that services Revere Beach being named, 'Wonderland'. The plot of land depicted in this postcard is now a barren and decayed sea of parking that is a couple streets down from the beach and set to be redeveloped into a highschool. I wonder if RCDB has been grouping this park together with the various attractions and rides that were operated on the boardwalk, or if this is a completely seperate park that has yet to been documented on the site. In this postcard, you can also see one of the buildings on fire, which is depicted in much more detail in another postcard (posted at the end).
Salisbury Beach (Pirate's Fun Park):
We have another oddity here. Despite being, labelled 'Grand Thriller', 'Spiral Thriller' and 'The New Skyrocket' in the postcoards, none of these names are found on RCDB and this is most likely Wildcat which was also once known as 'Comet'. This could also be another case of a potential missing ride in RCDB's records, as the shaping of the first turnaround in the postcards looks much more level than the curved drop seen in RCDB's photographs.
Nantasket Beach (Paragon Park):
This next one is one that many of you may have ridden before... in a different form. This is Giant Coaster that was relocated from Paragon Park to Wild World (Six Flags America) to become Wild One, which will be a defunct ride itself in the imminent future. I've had the wonderful opportunity to ride Wild One, so stumbling upon the ride in a different age during my archival research was a bit sentimental when it is likely to be torn down very soon. The ride layout has also changed a lot, since part of the ride burned down and had to be reconstructed, and the relocation of the ride to Maryland also leading to design changes.
Until I saw the sign on the far right side, I almost categorized this with the former ride, but this is Green Streak, also at Paragon Park. This ride only operated from 2-4 years before it burnt to the ground.
I have zero clue what this ride is. It's clearly a different layout than Green Streak and Giant Coaster with this also being destinct with it's one-car trains; yet no other wooden coaster, besides a Virginia Reel clone, is listed on RCDB as operating at this park. Again, if anyone can help me out, let me know.
Riverside Park (Six Flags New England):
Six Flags New England's defunct Greyhound. The entryway signage also says "New Orleans Great Dog: Some Speed Kid"
Below, are also pictures attached of postcards showing Pinehurst Park's Scenic Railway, mystery coaster at White City, Lynn Beach, Lakeview Park in Lowell MA, Highland Park in Brockton MA, Figure 8 at Sandy Beach Park, more pictures of Revere Beach's Wonderland, and depictions of a Scenic Rail Coaster at a mystery park in Nahant, MA which does not exist in RCDB's records.
Looking through these postcards took me much longer than I anticipated. Something that resonated with me is that a good portion of these parks were urban parks which are becoming rarer and rarer nowadays. Boston used to have many amusement parks in it's surrounding suburbs yet almost all have dissapeared except for Canobie Lake Park, which isn't even in Massachusetts. Something that depressed me was seeing how the land that many of these defunct parks sat on was used; being turned into condos, suburban strip malls, and in the case of Wonderland—a vast crumbling sea of asphalt. These postcards exude so much charm and it's shame that wide majority of these parks, except for SFNE, are now defunct.
I have no idea what else I could do with these photographs, so if anyone has any ideas feel free to drop them. Do you guys think they'd be suitable for submission to RCDB?
