Freedomland U.S.A. facts for kids

Freedomland U.S.A. was a special theme park in the Bronx, New York City. It was all about American history! The park was open for just a few years, from 1960 to 1964.

Freedomland was built on marshy land owned by a company called Webb & Knapp. The idea for the park came from C. V. Wood, who also helped design Disneyland. He planned the park to look like a giant map of the contiguous United States. It had over 40 attractions, and people were very excited when it opened on June 19, 1960.

However, building Freedomland cost a lot of money, about $65 million. Because of this, the park faced money problems from the very beginning. To try and make more money, they added new rides and shows. But even with these changes, the park continued to struggle financially. By 1963, they had to sell some of their land. Freedomland closed for good on September 13, 1964, and soon after, the company went out of business.

Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, the land where Freedomland once stood was used to build Co-op City, which is now the world's largest housing cooperative. A big shopping center, the Bay Plaza Shopping Center, was also built there. Many of Freedomland's rides and features were sold to other parks. Today, there isn't much left of Freedomland, but some books and websites remember this unique theme park.

Building a Dream Park

Freedomland was the idea of C. V. Wood, a Texan who had helped plan and build Disneyland in California. After leaving Disneyland, Wood wanted to create other fun parks. By 1957, he had a plan for a theme park all about American history. He wanted it to be like Disneyland but focused only on history.

Choosing the Location

Wood's team looked for the best place to build the park. In early 1959, they picked a spot in the northeast Bronx, New York City. This land used to be a city dump and was originally marshland. It was near the Hutchinson River, which sometimes meant lots of mosquitoes!

The Webb & Knapp company, led by William Zeckendorf Sr., announced the plans for Freedomland in April 1959. Special companies were created to run the park. Freedomland Inc. rented about 205 acres (83 ha) of land for 50 years. About 85 acres (34 ha) would be for the park itself, and the rest for parking and other services.

Construction Begins

The official groundbreaking ceremony for Freedomland happened on August 26, 1959. It was a big event with a helicopter ride, a special subway train, cowboys, showgirls, and even a band!

Over the next few months, more than 2,000 workers built the park very quickly, in less than 300 days. They dug out 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land to create canals and raised other areas by up to 50 feet (15 m) to make natural-looking hills. Many companies helped build the attractions, including Arrow Dynamics for the rides and Todd Shipyards for the big boats. A small fire destroyed some buildings in March 1960, but these burned structures were later used as props for the park's "Chicago Fire" attraction.

Grand Opening Day

Freedomland was supposed to cost $15.5 million, but it ended up costing much more, about $65 million! Before opening, the park launched a huge advertising campaign. They put ads in newspapers, on radio and TV, and even in subway cars. They used slogans like "The World's Newest and Largest Outdoor Entertainment Center."

The park officially opened on June 19, 1960. On the first day, people lined up two and a half hours before the park opened! Singer Pat Boone cut the ribbon. Traffic quickly built up, and radio stations warned people not to go because the parking lot was full. Freedomland had 61,500 visitors on its first day. However, many parts of the park were not finished, like the drinking fountains and restrooms. Some attractions, like Satellite City and the Chicago Fire, weren't ready until weeks later. The park was only about 85% complete when it opened.

Park Areas and Fun Attractions

Pre-opening map of Freedomland U.S.A.

Freedomland was designed like a giant map of the contiguous United States. It had seven themed areas, each showing a different part of American history. Each section had rides, shops, and restaurants that fit the theme. When you entered, you stepped into "Little Old New York" from the 1890s.

The park could hold up to 32,000 visitors at once. It had 8 miles (13 km) of waterways, 10,000 new trees, and over 18 places to eat. There were 41 attractions and more than 2,000 performers who acted out historical events. For example, kids could help fight a pretend Great Chicago Fire. At first, there were no traditional roller coasters. But as the park tried to attract more visitors, they added more common amusement rides. Many attractions were sponsored by big companies.

You could get to Freedomland by New York City Subway or by car using nearby highways. There were also express buses from Manhattan.

Getting Around the Park

Freedomland had its own ways to travel inside the park:

• Santa Fe Railroad: A narrow-gauge train that went between the Chicago and San Francisco areas. The ride lasted about six minutes.
• Tucson Mining Company Sky Ride: A two-person gondola ride that took you between the Old Southwest and Old Chicago sections. The gondolas looked like old mining cars.

Little Old New York (1850–1900)

This area showed New York City in the late 1800s. It was near the main entrance.

• Horseless Carriage: A ride in an old 1909 Cadillac car.
• New York Harbor tug boats: A boat ride in the harbor.
• Horse-drawn trolley: A trolley ride from New York to the Old Chicago area.
• The Bank of New York: A real bank that also taught you about money.

You could also find ice cream parlors, a brewery, and candy shops. There were live street shows with German bands, political speeches, and even a mock robbery!

Old Chicago (1871)

This section was on the western side of the park and featured a large imitation of the Great Lakes.

• The Chicago Fire: A building would "burn," and actors dressed as firefighters, along with park guests, would put out the flames with an old water pump. This was based on the real Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
• Great Lakes Cruise: A boat ride on big, 110-foot sternwheeler boats.
• Indian Village: A village with Native Americans making crafts and performing traditional dances.
• State Fair Midway: Added in 1962, this area had more typical amusement rides like a roller coaster, bumper cars, and go-karts.

The Great Plains (1803–1900)

This area was south of Old Chicago.

• Borden's Farm: A real working farm with horses, cows, sheep, and pigs. You could also see Elsie the Cow, the Borden Company's mascot.
• Fort Cavalry: A replica of an old U.S. Army fort.
• Fort Cavalry Stage Line: A stagecoach ride past buffalo and through the Rocky Mountains. Actors would even stage a mock robbery!
• Mule-Go-Round: A merry-go-round pulled by mules.
• Pony Express: You could send a message by a rider to another part of the park.

San Francisco (1906)

This section was at the south end of the park.

• Chinatown: A recreation of San Francisco's Chinese district with shops and a Chinese restaurant.
• Hollywood Arena: An amphitheater with animal acts and stunts, sometimes featuring TV stars.
• Northwest Fur Trapper: A boat ride adventure through Lewis and Clark territory, like a jungle cruise.
• San Francisco Earthquake: A dark ride that made you feel like you were in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
• Seal Pool: A display of real Pacific harbor seals.

The Old Southwest (1890)

This area was on the eastern side of the park.

• Burro Trail: An outdoor ride on real burros across the park's Rocky Mountains.
• Casa Loca: A crooked house that made you feel like you were defying gravity.
• Gunfight: A live street show with actors performing a Western gunfight.
• Mine Caverns: A dark ride on an underground mine train through lava pits, showing giant bats and cave creatures.
• Texas Longhorns: A real herd of steers.

New Orleans – Mardi Gras

This section was north of the Old Southwest.

• Buccaneers: A pirate-themed boat ride.
• Civil War: A horse-drawn wagon ride through recreated American Civil War battlegrounds, ending at the surrender at Appomattox Court House.
• Crystal Maze: The world's first glass-walled house of mirrors maze.
• Danny the Dragon: A tram-like ride on a 74-foot (23 m) long fire-breathing dragon through Storybook Land.
• King Rex Carrousel: A classic merry-go-round from around 1912.
• Spin-A-Top: A spinning ride similar to Disney's Mad Tea Cups.
• Tornado Adventure: A dark ride that simulated driving through a tornado.

Satellite City – The Future

This section was at the southeast part of the park and looked to the future.

• Blast-Off Bunker: A replica of a Cape Canaveral control room where visitors could watch a simulated rocket launch.
• Braniff Space Rover: A simulated space journey in a theater designed like a spaceship.
• Moon Bowl: A stage and dance floor where celebrity performers appeared.
• Satellite City Turnpike: A miniature car ride in futuristic cars.

Park Operations and Challenges

Freedomland USA plaque in present-day Co-op City

From the start, Freedomland faced big money problems. It was already $7 million in debt on opening day. The park hoped to attract 5 million visitors a year, but it needed at least 2 million just to break even. In its first year, it only had 1.5 million visitors, and this number was never reached again.

In 1960, the park was open seven days a week until mid-September, then only on weekends until the end of October. There were also a few accidents, like a stagecoach overturning and a children's train derailing, which led to lawsuits. By the end of the first season, Freedomland was in deep financial trouble.

Before the 1961 season, the park was $8 million in debt. They raised admission fees to $2.95 for an all-access ticket, getting rid of pay-per-ride. They also added more traditional amusement rides and shows to attract visitors. Over 1.7 million people visited in 1961, but the park still had issues, including people sneaking in without tickets.

For the 1962 season, Freedomland spent $1 million on new attractions, including a 5,000-seat arena and a midway with children's rides and a roller coaster. Admission was raised to $3.50 for all rides. The park tried to cut costs by using portable radios for staff, which helped them reduce the number of workers. They also offered a cheaper ticket for visitors who came after 6 p.m.

By the 1963 season, admission was lowered to just one dollar. The park's focus shifted away from strict history themes, adding things like a children's zoo, puppet shows, and circus parades. They also added more rides like bumper cars and a wax museum. Even with these changes, Freedomland still had a lot of debt. In December 1963, part of the park's property was sold to help pay off some of its short-term debt.

The final season for Freedomland began on May 16, 1964. Rumors spread that the park might move to Florida to operate year-round. Some areas of the park, like San Francisco, were already closed off. Despite collecting some money from admissions, the park was still in deep financial trouble.

The End of Freedomland

Bankruptcy and Closure

Co-op City was built on the site of Freedomland's parking lot

On September 13, 1964, Freedomland closed its gates for the very last time. The next day, the company filed for bankruptcy. They said competition from the 1964 New York World's Fair was a reason. Freedomland had never made a profit in any of its five years.

Freedomland never reopened. Its attractions and buildings were sold off in 1965. Many people have wondered why Freedomland failed.

• One reason is that it only operated for a few months a year, unlike Disneyland, which was open all year.
• Another problem was the marshy land it was built on, which caused damage to buildings and needed costly repairs.
• Some also felt the park lacked a clear identity. People looking for traditional rides could go to other parks like Coney Island.
• Finally, some believe the park was never meant to last long. It might have been a way to get permission to build homes and shops on the land later.

What Happened to the Site?

Most of the Freedomland site was quickly redeveloped. In 1965, plans were announced to build Co-op City, the world's largest housing cooperative, on the land. By early 1966, most of Freedomland's remaining structures were torn down. Co-op City was built on the park's parking lot and some of its themed areas.

The rest of the park remained empty for many years. In the early 1980s, the Bay Plaza Shopping Center was built on the land where other themed areas had been. A small part of the land, originally planned for a hotel, remained undeveloped until 2012, when the shopping center expanded.

Remembering Freedomland

Freedomland's history has been written about in several books. In 2019, Michael Virgintino published a detailed book called Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History.

In 1999, a website dedicated to Freedomland was created. It quickly became popular with fans who shared their memories and photos of the park.

Attractions Moved to Other Parks

Many of Freedomland's rides and features were sold to other amusement parks.

• The Crystal Maze, Danny the Dragon, parts of the Mine Caverns, the Tornado dark ride, and the King Rex Carrousel were moved to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom in Lake George.
• Two of the Santa Fe Railroad stations were moved to Clark's Bears in Lincoln, New Hampshire. This park also has bricks from Little Old New York and street lamps from Freedomland.
• One of the big sternwheeler boats was moved to the Byram River between Greenwich, Connecticut, and Port Chester, New York, where it supposedly still serves as a restaurant.
• San Francisco's Earthquake ride and New Orleans' Buccaneers (renamed Pirate Ride) were moved to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, in 1966.
• The tugboat Totsie operated for many years at Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Connecticut.
• Other items from Freedomland went to places like Niagara Falls and Knoebels Amusement Resort in Pennsylvania.

Images for kids

• 

  Cedar Point Pirate Ride (formerly of Freedomland)