Wildwood Amusement Park facts for kids
Wildwood Amusement Park was a fun place with rides and picnic areas. It was open from 1889 to 1932. You could find it on the southeast side of White Bear Lake in Mahtomedi, Minnesota.
The park was built and run by a company called the Minneapolis and St. Paul Suburban Railroad Company. This company was part of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company. They had a streetcar line that went from Mahtomedi to nearby St. Paul.
Wildwood Amusement Park was like a sister park to Big Island Amusement Park on Lake Minnetonka. Both parks were made to bring lots of people to different ends of the Minneapolis-St. Paul streetcar system on weekends. Wildwood was more successful than Big Island Park, which closed in 1911. Wildwood lasted until 1932, when it had to close because it was losing money.
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Park History
In 1883, a group called the First Mahtomedi Assembly of the Chautauqua Association first planned the city of Mahtomedi. This was part of a big learning movement across the country called Chautauqua. The Assembly built a special building called a tabernacle in Mahtomedi. It was on the southeast side of White Bear Lake. They used it for talks, classes, and other events to help adults learn more.
During the summers, as many as 3,000 people would sometimes stay near the lake. They lived in tent villages while they studied and learned new things.
By the 1870s, major train lines had reached the east side of White Bear Lake. Wildwood was already a popular spot for people to have picnics. But it didn't have the amusement park rides and other attractions yet.
Where Was Wildwood Park?
Wildwood Amusement Park was located on the southern shore of White Bear Lake. It was right on the edge of Mahtomedi and a nearby town called Birchwood. It's a bit hard to know the exact spot today. This is because most of the original buildings are no longer there.
Fun Things to Do at the Park
People used to call Wildwood Park the "Coney Island of St. Paul." It had so many exciting things to do! Besides the popular picnic areas and fun rides, there were also traveling shows. You could even see diving ponies and go for hot air balloon rides.
There was a bathhouse just west of the rides. It had a water chute and springboards for jumping into the water. Sporty people would play baseball right by the water on the beach.
Other activities included:
- Listening to orchestral concerts
- Getting free dancing lessons
- Going boating
- Playing bowling
- Riding a carousel
- Fishing
- Playing games at a penny arcade
- Trying out a shooting gallery
- Playing on playgrounds
- Getting your picture taken at a postal photo gallery
- Swinging on swings
- Playing ball-throwing games
- Taking a twenty-five cent motorboat trip around White Bear Lake
How Much Was Admission?
It was great news for visitors! Admission to Wildwood Amusement Park was completely free.
End of the Park
Wildwood Amusement Park was a very popular spot for many years. However, by 1932, the park started losing money. Because of these financial problems, the fun at Wildwood Amusement Park came to an end. It closed its gates for good that year.
