Bowcraft Amusement Park facts for kids
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Crossbow roller coaster of Bowcraft in 2009
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| Location | Scotch Plains, New Jersey, USA |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1946 |
| Closed | October 2018 |
| Operating season | April–October |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 21 |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 0 |
Bowcraft Amusement Park, also known as Bowcraft Playland, was a fun amusement park in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. It was located right on U.S. Route 22 West. When it closed, the park had 21 different rides. These rides were great for both kids and adults. Bowcraft was usually open on weekends from May to October. It was open every day from June until Labor Day.
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A Look Back: Bowcraft's History
Bowcraft Amusement Park started a long time ago, in 1946. A man named Ted Miller loved archery and skiing. He opened a small shop called Bowcraft Park. It sold archery and ski gear. It even had a small ski slope!
In the 1980s, the park grew bigger. It added a miniature golf course. Later, this golf course was removed. This made space for more rides and a larger parking area.
How to Enjoy the Park
Visitors to Bowcraft Amusement Park had two ways to enjoy the rides. You could buy tickets for each ride you wanted to go on. Or, you could get a "Fun-Pass." This special pass let you ride as many times as you wanted all day!
What Happened to Bowcraft?
In 2016, a company bought the land where Bowcraft was. They planned to build new homes there. Even with these plans, the park owners said Bowcraft would stay open. They opened for the 2017 season as usual.
However, Bowcraft Amusement Park closed for good in October 2018. After it closed, the park's websites and social media pages were taken down. The rides from the park were then sold to other places.
Past Rides and Fun
Bowcraft had many different types of rides for everyone.
Rides for Younger Kids
- Merry Go Round
- Frog Hopper
- Helicopters
- Big Trucks
- Motorcycle Jump
- Kiddie Boats
Rides for the Whole Family
- Balloon Ride
- Drop Zone
- Super Slide
- Train Xpress
- Speedway
- Popp
- Dragon Coaster
- Tilt A Whirl
- Bumper Cars
Thrilling Rides
- Galleon Pirate Ship
- Muzik Express
- Paratrooper
- Scrambler
- Crossbow roller coaster
Other Fun Things to Do
Besides the rides, Bowcraft also had other cool attractions. There was a special play area just for kids. You could also find an arcade with fun games. And of course, there were classic carnival games where you could win prizes!
Bowcraft in Movies
Did you know Bowcraft Amusement Park appeared in movies?
- The end of the 1991 movie Mortal Thoughts was filmed there. The park is even shown on the movie's poster!
- The very first scene of the 1994 movie North was also filmed at Bowcraft.
