Centreville Amusement Park facts for kids
 Centreville's miniature railway
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| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Coordinates | 43°37′13.11″N 79°22′25.24″W / 43.6203083°N 79.3736778°W |
| Opened | 1967 (amusement park), 1959 (farm) |
| Operated by | Beasley Amusements |
| Slogan | It's always sunny at Centreville |
| Operating season | May through September |
| Website | centreisland.ca |
The Centreville Amusement Park is a fun amusement park for kids and families. It is located on Centre Island, which is part of the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Beasley family has run the park since 1967. It is open every day during the summer season. The Beasley family also runs the "Far Enough Farm" right next to the park.
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History of Centreville Park
Centreville was built as part of a big plan to change the Toronto Islands. Before, people lived in cottages there. The new plan was to make the islands a place for fun and recreation. Centreville took the place of older amusement parks like Sunnyside Amusement Park, which closed in 1955.
The park first opened in 1967. It was started by Bill Beasley Sr. At first, it only had seven rides. Over the years, the park has grown, adding one or two new rides each year. All the buildings in the park are designed to look like a village from the early 1900s. There's even an old cast iron planter from the 1870s in the middle of the park. It was originally used to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday!
In 2013, Centreville started running the Far Enough Farm. The farm was going to close, but Centreville saved it. Around the same time, the City of Toronto agreed to let Centreville lease the land until 2022.
In 2017, many parts of the Toronto Islands flooded. Because of this, Centreville could not open in May as usual. The animals from Far Enough Farm had to be moved off the island. Centreville finally reopened on July 31, 2017. However, the Far Enough Farm stayed closed until 2018 because of the flood damage. Some rides, like the swan ride, bumper boats, and the train ride, could not run because of the high water or damaged tracks.
In 2020, Centreville Amusement Park had to close for the whole season. This was because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Many other parks in the area also closed. The park remained closed for a while, and its reopening date for the 2021 season was uncertain.
Fun Rides and Attractions
Centreville has many exciting rides and attractions for everyone. You can enjoy a classic carousel, a log flume (where you splash down into water!), and a big Ferris wheel. There's also a "haunted barrel works" and an enclosed "Scrambler" ride that spins you around.
If you like roller coasters, there's a miniature roller coaster. You can also ride pleasure swan boats, bumper boats, and antique-style motor cars. For younger kids, there are several kiddie rides. These include tea cup rides, a swing boat, a drop ride, and miniature fire engines.
When you get hungry, there are many food stands. You can also play some carnival games and visit the gift shop. The park also has a wading pool, pony rides, and miniature golf.
One of the most popular attractions is the miniature train ride. It has two trains, the "Lil Red Express" and "Lil Blue Express." Each train has five cars that can carry many passengers. The train runs on a narrow track that goes all around the park and the farm, even through a tunnel!
There is also an aerial ride called the "Sky Ride." It's like a chairlift that takes you high above the park. It was closed for some time but a new version opened in August 2017.
The Amazing Carousel
The park has a very old and special carousel from 1907. It was made by the Dentzel Carousel Company. This carousel is one of only about 150 like it that are still working today! Instead of mostly horses, its 52 hand-carved animals include cats, an ostrich, pigs, a lion, and rabbits. Thirty-six of these animals move up and down as you ride. The carousel also has two fancy bench seats and a special old music organ.
After the big flood in 2017, the park faced some money problems. The carousel was almost sold to a city in Indiana. The park's president said they lost a lot of money because they couldn't open. The carousel was expected to sell for about $3 million. However, the Mayor of Toronto, John Tory, was interested in keeping the carousel in Toronto.
In the end, the city in Indiana decided not to buy the carousel. So, the beautiful Dentzel carousel stayed at Centreville! It continued to operate for the 2017 season and has remained at the park since then.
Far Enough Farm Fun
The Far Enough Farm is located on the eastern side of the amusement park. It's a special farm that opened in 1959. At the farm, you can see many friendly domesticated animals. These include rabbits, goats, pigs, chickens, cows, and ponies. You might even spot emus and peafowl walking freely around the farm!
The farm has a manager and farmers who take care of all the animals. Usually, the farm is open every single day of the year. However, in 2017, it had to close for many months because of flood damage. During that time, the animals were kept safely at a family facility nearby.
Centreville's Own Ferry
In 2017, William Beasley Enterprises Limited bought a used ferry boat called the Dartmouth III. They bought it from Halifax Transit in Nova Scotia. The idea was to have their own ferry service to the amusement park during busy times. This ferry would be separate from the city's public ferry service. The Dartmouth III can carry 390 passengers on each trip. The ferry arrived in Toronto in early 2018.
Images for kids
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An old-fashioned ferris wheel that looks like a windmill. It fits the park's 1900s village theme.
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The Toronto Island Monster was a small roller coaster at the park from 1995 to 2013.
