Pleasure Island (Massachusetts amusement park) facts for kids
| Location | Wakefield, Massachusetts, United States |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1959 |
| Closed | 1969 |
| Slogan | The Disneyland of the Northeast |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 48 |
Pleasure Island was a fun amusement park located in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It was open from 1959 to 1969. People called it the "Disneyland of the Northeast" because it was so exciting! The park had many different owners during its short time. It was also tricky to make money because summers in New England are quite short.
Contents
Park History
Pleasure Island was created by William Hawkes. He was the publisher of Child Life magazine. The park was designed by Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood. He also helped design Disneyland!
What Was There?
The park covered about 80 acres (32 hectares). It had lots of rides and cool attractions. Some popular rides included the Space Rocket and the Pirate Ride. There was also a unique Moby-Dick ride. On this ride, a giant mechanical whale would rise from the water!
Other fun spots included the Wreck of the Hesperus, a dark ride, and the Old Chisholm Trail, another dark ride. You could also find themed restaurants and a shopping area. There was an arcade and even mini-golf starting in 1967. A classic carousel and a place called Monkey Island were also big hits.
Live Shows and Characters
Actors at the park would put on exciting shows. They would stage pretend gunfights in the Western City. Sometimes, they would even act like pirates attacking people on the boat rides! The park also had a special train called the Old Smokey Railroad Line. It was a narrow gauge railroad.
The Show Bowl was a place for famous performers. Stars like Ricky Nelson, Michael Landon, and The Three Stooges performed there. Other famous people who visited included Clayton Moore (who played the Lone Ranger), Don Ameche, and Cesar Romero.
Some attractions at Pleasure Island featured well-known brands. For example, the Grist Mill sold Pepperidge Farm products. The Pepsi-Cola Diamond Lil Theater was another example. For a while, the cartoon character Popeye was the park's mascot.
What's There Now?
Today, the land where Pleasure Island once stood is an office park. It's called Edgewater Office Park. The pond from the Moby Dick ride is still there. Some people say you can still see parts of the ride at the edge of the pond. There are even rumors that the whale itself is still in the water!
The old #5 steam locomotive from Pleasure Island is still working today. You can find it at the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum. This museum is in Alna, Maine. The train has been renamed #10.
Fun Attractions
Pleasure Island had many different attractions for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of them:
- Animal Land
- Barn & Slide
- Burro Trail
- Carousel
- Chisolm Trail
- Chowder House
- Christmas Wonderland
- Country Store
- Goldpan Gulch & Gold Panning Operation
- Golf (mini-golf)
- Helicopter Ride
- Hood's Gay Nineties Ice Cream Parlor
- Horseless Carriage Ride
- Indian Village
- Kartland
- Lighthouse
- MagicLand: Crooked House - Slanted Shanty - Magnetic House - Captain's House
- Moby Dick Ride
- Monkey Island
- Pepperidge Farm Bakery
- Kaptain Kidd's Pirate Cove
- Pirate Ride
- Old Smokey Railroad Line
- Saloon (originally Pepsi-Cola's Diamond Lil Show)
- Shooting Gallery
- Showbowl
- Space Rocket
- Stagecoach Ride
- Treasure Digging Island
- Water Buffalo Land & Sea Ride
- Western City
- Wreck of the Hesperus
Pleasure Island in Pop Culture
Pleasure Island was even featured in a movie! Some scenes from the film Charly were filmed right at the park.
The "Wreck of the Hesperus" ride was based on a famous poem. It followed the story of "The Wreck of the Hesperus". This poem was written by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
