Canobie Lake Park facts for kids
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| Location | Salem, New Hampshire, United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°47′42″N 71°15′01″W / 42.79500°N 71.25028°W |
| Opened | August 23, 1902 |
| Owner | Family owned |
| Slogan | Just for fun |
| Operating season | May – Late October |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 52 |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Water rides | 4 |
Canobie Lake Park is a fun amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire. It's about 31 miles (50 km) north of Boston. The park started way back in 1902 as a "trolley park" next to Canobie Lake. A trolley park was an amusement park built at the end of a trolley (streetcar) line. This made it easy for people to visit!
Today, three local families still own and run the park. People from all over New England love to visit. Canobie Lake Park is so old and interesting that famous author Stephen King used parts of it in his book Joyland. It's one of only 13 original trolley parks still open in the United States as of 2020.
When it first opened, the park had pretty gardens and only a few rides. Later, when cars became popular, the trolley line closed. Fewer people visited the park then. But Patrick J. Holland bought the park and brought it back to life! In 1936, he added a wooden roller coaster called Yankee Cannonball. This ride is still super popular today! In 2013, it was even named an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark.
Later, in 1987, the Canobie Corkscrew was added. This steel coaster came from another park in Illinois. It was called the Chicago Loop there. Another exciting coaster, Untamed, was added in 2011. It's a "Euro-Fighter" coaster and has cool upside-down parts, just like the Corkscrew.
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History of Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park first opened its gates on August 23, 1902. It was built by the Massachusetts Northeast Street Railway Company. The park has been open every summer since then, which is pretty amazing!
In its early days, Canobie Lake Park was famous for its beautiful flower gardens. It had nice walking paths and gentle attractions. But when trolleys became less popular, fewer people came to the park. It even closed for a short time on St. Patrick's Day in 1929.
In 1931, the park was going to be sold off in pieces for houses. But Patrick J. Holland, a builder from Ireland, bought it for $17,000. He and his team worked hard to fix up the park. They planted new gardens and added new rides. They also brought in modern electricity.
The park reopened in 1932, just three years after it closed. It quickly became popular again! The Yankee Cannonball roller coaster was added, becoming a favorite ride for many years. Patrick Holland passed away in 1943. His wife and son kept the park going until 1958. Now, three families own the park and continue its long history.
Canobie Lake Park has even been featured in movies and books! Stephen King, a famous American author, based the amusement park in his novel Joyland on Canobie Lake Park. He lives nearby in Maine and wanted a park that felt "nice and clean and sunlit, but wasn't too big." In 2012, King visited the park and took pictures inside the "Mine of Lost Souls" dark ride. He wanted to include a haunted dark ride in his book.
The park was also a filming spot for the 2013 movie Labor Day. It also appeared on the reality TV show Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman. You might have also seen it in the season 6 intro for the TV show Zoom.
Exciting Rides and Attractions
Canobie Lake Park has many different rides and attractions for everyone!
The Yankee Cannonball is a classic wooden roller coaster from the 1930s. It's one of the park's most famous rides. The park also has the Canobie Corkscrew, a steel roller coaster that goes upside down! It was built in 1975 and moved to Canobie Lake in 1987. The Canobie Corkscrew was one of the first steel roller coasters in the world to have a loop!
Other thrilling rides at Canobie Lake Park include Starblaster. This ride shoots you up into the sky! There's also "Turkish Twist," a spinning rotor ride. If you like getting wet, try "The Boston Tea Party," a ride that makes a huge splash!
The park has one dark ride called "The Mine Of Lost Souls." You ride in mine cars deep into a spooky, haunted mine. Another cool ride is the "Psychodrome." It's a scrambler ride inside a dome with flashing lights and loud music.
In 2005, the park opened Castaway Island. This is a small water play area with slides and fountains. In 2017, they announced plans to make the water park even bigger! This included a lazy river and more water slides.
The park used to have a ride called "USA Missile." It was built in the 1950s, during the Space Age. Riders would sit inside a rocket that tilted up. A movie would play, making it feel like you were flying into space!
In 2011, the park added Untamed. This was the first new roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park since the Canobie Corkscrew in 1987. Untamed is a "Euro-Fighter" coaster. It has a 72-foot tall vertical lift and a drop that goes beyond straight down! It also has three upside-down sections.
The next year, in 2012, the park added a ride called Equinox. This ride lifted and spun people on a giant arm. Even though people liked it, Equinox had to close in 2014. It kept having mechanical problems. The park said safety was never an issue, but the ride just didn't work well.
Roller Coasters at Canobie Lake Park
| Image | Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Canobie Corkscrew |
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Arrow Dynamics | A steel roller coaster that goes upside down twice. It used to be yellow and black, but it was repainted blue and white in 2012. |
| Kiddie Dragon Coaster |
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Zamperla | A small roller coaster for children. The train looks like a dragon. | |
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Untamed |
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Gerstlauer | A thrilling "Euro-Fighter" roller coaster with three upside-down sections. It has a 72-foot tall vertical lift and a drop that is steeper than straight down! |
| Yankee Cannonball |
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Philadelphia Toboggan Company | The oldest roller coaster at the park. It's a classic wooden roller coaster. It was named to remember the American Civil War. This ride is recognized as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark. |
Thrill Rides at Canobie Lake Park
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Jet |
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Bertazzon | A fast, spinning ride that feels like flying. |
| Pirata |
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S.D.C. | A fun pirate ship ride that swings back and forth. |
| Psychodrome |
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Eli Bridge Company | An indoor scrambler ride with cool flashing lights and music. |
| Starblaster |
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S&S Power | A "Double Shot" ride that launches you high into the air! It opened for the park's 100th birthday. |
| Turkish Twist |
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S.D.C. | A Rotor ride that spins you against the wall. |
| Wipeout |
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Chance Rides | A spinning ride that lifts and tilts. |
| Xtreme Frisbee |
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HUSS | A large pendulum ride that swings you high and spins you around. |
Family Rides at Canobie Lake Park
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
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| Antique Carousel |
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Looff/Dentzel/Stein & Goldstein | A beautiful old carousel with classic music. |
| Antique Cars |
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Arrow Development | A car ride where you drive cars that look like old Ford Model Ts. |
| Blue Heron |
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Unknown | A relaxing boat ride that takes you on a 20-minute trip on the lake. |
| Boston Harbor Patrol |
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Unknown | A boat ride. |
| Canobie 500 |
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Arrow race cars | A car ride with cars that look like race cars. |
| Canobie Express |
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Crown Metal | A train that takes you on a ride around the park and along the lake. |
| Caterpillar |
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Harry Traver | A classic caterpillar ride that spins fast. |
| Crazy Cups |
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Philadelphia Toboggan Company | A fun teacup ride where you can spin your cup. |
| DaVinci's Dream |
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Wood Amusement Rides B.V. | A swing ride that lifts you high and spins you around. |
| Dodgems |
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Unknown | A classic Bumper car ride where you can crash into other cars. |
| Giant Sky Wheel |
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Preston-Barbieri | A tall ferris wheel that gives you great views of the park. |
| Mine of Lost Souls |
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Sally Corporation | A spooky dark ride where you explore a haunted mine. |
| Over the Rainbow |
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Zamperla | A balloon ride themed after the Wizard of Oz. |
| Rowdy Roosters |
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Bisch-Rocco | A Flying Scooters ride where you control how much your car swings. |
| Skater |
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Zamperla | A large spinning disk ride. |
| Sky Ride |
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SkyTrans | A chairlift that takes you over the park. |
| Twist & Shout |
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Sellner Manufacturing | A classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride that spins and tilts in different directions. |
| Venetian Carousel |
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Bertazzon | A beautiful new carousel. |
| Wave Blaster |
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Zamperla | A spinning ride that moves like waves. |
| Zero Gravity |
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Battech Enterprises | A Round Up ride that spins you against the wall. |
Water Rides at Canobie Lake Park
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Tea Party |
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Hopkins Rides | A boat ride that ends with a big splash! It's named after the Boston Tea Party, a famous event in American history. |
| Castaway Island |
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WhiteWater West | A fun water play area with slides and fountains. |
| Policy Pond Log Flume |
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Hopkins Rides | A classic log flume ride that takes you on a wet journey. |
| Tall Timber Splash |
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WhiteWater West | A thrilling water coaster with drops and splashes. |
| Castaway Island Tidal River Expansion |
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Aquatic Development Group | A new type of lazy river water ride. |
Children's Rides at Canobie Lake Park
| Name | Ride type | Year added |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine Swing | Children's swing ride |
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| Autobahn |
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| Boats | 1954 | |
| Fire Engines | 1954 | |
| Flower Power | Children's whip ride |
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| Helicopters | 1959 | |
| Jeeps | 1953 | |
| Jump Around | Children's Wave Blaster |
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| Jungle Bounce |
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| Junior Sports Cars |
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| Kiddie Canoes | Children's Boat Ride | Late 1980s |
| Kiddie Carousel | Children's carousel | 1954 |
| Mini Dinos | 1960 | |
| Mini-Skooter | Children's bumper cars | Late 1980s |
| Pony Carts | 1954 | |
| Sea/Land Rescue |
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| Sky Fighters | 1954 | |
| Tanks | 1954 |
Past Rides at Canobie Lake Park
Former Roller Coasters
| Name | Ride manufacturer | Year added | Year retired | Notes |
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| Figure 8 roller coaster | Frederick Ingersoll |
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This was one of the park's very first roller coasters. |
| Jr. Roller Coaster | Allan Herschell Company |
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A smaller coaster for kids that was next to the dance hall. |
| Rockin' Rider | SDC |
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This ride was replaced by the "Xtreme Frisbee." |
| Wild Mouse | B. A. Schiff & Associates | 1962 or earlier | 1962 | This coaster used wood supports and a steel track. It was replaced by the "Paratrooper" ride. |
Other Former Rides
| Name | Ride manufacturer | Year added | Year retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling alley |
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The park used to have a bowling alley! | |
| Calypso | Mack |
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This ride was replaced by the "Moon Orbiter." |
| Equinox | KMG |
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A ride that twisted, spun, and flipped. It was removed because it had too many mechanical problems. The "Ice Jet" ride is there now. |
| Fascination | Unknown | 1930s | 2001 | This game was replaced by the "Jackpot Casino." |
| House of Seven Gables | Unknown |
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A walk-through haunted house. |
| Kosmojets | SDC |
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This ride was replaced by "Wipeout." |
| Matterhorn | SDC |
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This ride was replaced by a concession stand called "Hotdog Diner." |
| Moon Orbiter | Unknown |
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This ride was replaced by the "Starblaster." |
| Ocean Trip | SBF |
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This ride was replaced by "Boston Harbor Patrol." |
| Paratroopers | Unknown |
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This ride was replaced by "Skater." |
| Petting zoo | Unknown | Unknown | The park used to have a petting zoo. | |
| Round Up | Unknown |
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This ride was replaced by "Zero Gravity." |
| Roller skating rink |
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The park once had a place for roller skating. | |
| The Swamp | Pretzel |
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A dark ride that was replaced by a game center. |
| Swimming pool |
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The park used to have a swimming pool. | |
| Tiki-Maze | SDC |
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A maze attraction. |
| USA Missile | Unknown | 1958 | 2011 | This missile-themed ride was replaced by the "Untamed" roller coaster. |
| Vertigo Theatre | Unknown |
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This theater was replaced by "Autobahn" and "Wave Blaster." |
| The Whip | Unknown |
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This ride was replaced by "Matterhorn," and then later "Equinox." |
Fun Events at Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park hosts many exciting events throughout the year! They have live shows and amazing fireworks displays. The park has several places for live entertainment. These include the Country Stage, Midway Stage, and Dancehall Theater.
The Dancehall Theater has hosted famous performers like Duke Ellington, Sonny & Cher, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald. Sometimes, a band called The Canobie Ramblers plays music at the Log Flume Gazebo.
On certain weekends in September and October, Canobie Lake Park holds "ScrEEEmfest." This is a special Halloween event in the afternoon. It features the park's most popular rides plus five spooky haunted attractions! Some past "haunts" have included Merriment Incorporated, The Dead Shed, and Head Hunters at Cannibal Lake.
The park also has performances by people who pretend to be famous celebrities. You might see Michael Jackson or Tim McGraw impersonators!
Images for kids
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A postcard of an apple tree in Canobie Lake Park.
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The Canobie Corkscrew roller coaster in its original yellow-and-black color scheme.
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One of Untamed's coaster cars, mid-loop.
