It is called the Wild One now. I lived at Nantasket from 75 79. And I can still hear the excited screams of the daring roller coaster riders now. After all, when did Paragon Park first open? https://vimeo.com/382437881, Paragon PkSo MUCH fun My Family would go into Boston and take the boat I cant remember what pier but it took about 1/2hr 2 get 2 Nantasket BeachIt was a LIFE time ago the Memorys last FOREVER. Please see my listings for other defunct New England Amusement Park shirts. Golden. The Giant Coaster sat silent, and the undulating tracks looked like the skeleton of a dinosaur carcass, being slowly dismantled and eaten away at by the vultures that couldn't wait to turn the site into a condominium complex. Thanks for reminding me of some really great times. "They preserved the spirit of the ride," amusement park aficionado B. Derek Shaw told USA Today. Paragon Park Hull, Massachusetts, United States Defunct, Operated from 6/10/1905 to 1985 Videos Maps Parks nearby Defunct Roller Coasters: 6 Location Located on Nantasket Beach. (Water World had room to expand because both of DCs older parks had closed some years before.) If my memory serves me, there was a airplane ride that soared over the lake ! Memories, thanks. I can almost picture it. It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. There was a coast guard station at lands end and a rather exquisite abandoned nightclub also at lands end. Paragon Park was an amusement park located in Hull, Massachusetts, USA. Find it all and much more with the interactive Roller Coaster Database. Here are 10 Disney movies that we think would make particularly great theme park rides, whether it be a dark ride, flume ride, or rollercoaster. Activist Judeth Van Hamm Wiers, who had initially raised the issue in February and started the fundraising drive in earnest in November, pulled together three local businessmen who pooled their resources to submit the winning bid of $598,800 only $1,200 short of their credit limit in dramatic fashion at the auction. Even the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 did little to improve things, although the ability to obtain liquor licenses made it manageable. Chuck Lawrence. It was worth the over an hour drive to get there. But most significantly, Dodge looked to make an impact with the new and improved park. Can not believe Canobie is closed. but still good memories. Loved the donkey rides. He was the manager and operator of the Green Streak roller coaster in Paragon Park located in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts. Condominiums already were under way on Atlantic Hill and Telegraph Hill, as well as at Spinnaker Island, but in the months following the Paragon announcement, new plans were floated Nantascot Place, River Crossing, and the former Showboat Mayflower property on George Washington Boulevard, Ocean Place, SeaWatch, and Murray Plaza along the beach, the Hall Estate, Damon Place, and the former Worrick Mansion (which would burn to the ground in 1986) on Atlantic Hill, Milford Street, Marina Beach, and One A Street at Waveland, Mariners Landing, Sunset Arms, and the Boathouse at Allerton. Such fond memories. Sad that its gone now!! During peak season, street parking (for free) fills up by 7 a.m. A couple of $20 grassy lots are available away from the beach but close, such as across the street. The amount of time the blackberry has been allowed to ripen has an impact on how bitter, Because of its shape, farfalle means butterflies and is commonly referred to as bow tie pasta. It was small. I remember Savin Rock very well. It was one of the first landmarks you would spot when driving into Hull on George Washington Boulevard: The Giant Roller Coaster of Paragon Park. Beach was great! Norumbega Park loved going there when I was young! My Late Dad used to work at A&P ( another memory ) They used to have an annual picnic at the park. I think he is still alive but at a Zoo in another state. I cant believe they didnt have Lincoln Park listedthat place was the best! good memories. There was also a ski lift-type ride called the Sky Lark, an automobile-themed ride known as "Turnpike Cars" (replaced by a different ride in the 1970s called the "Indy 500"), and a water ride called "Bermuda Triangle" (formerly the "Congo Cruise," the "Jungle Ride," the "Red Mill", and the "Mill Rapids"). I loved the Giant Coaster and the Congo Cruise. I also remember Bensons fondly . White City on the shores of Lake Quinsigamond between the Worcester and Shrewsbury linesa wonderful memory. It would be two years before Stone and Golden would be able to assume full control of the park, canceling the lease that had been signed in 1919 and making improvements to the fire-ravaged amusement center. There were dances, performances, and exhibitions at the Alhambra Ballroom; the dinner hall on a bluff overlooking the bay was famed for its Rhode Island shore dinners (steamed clams, clam chowder, lobster, clam cakes, fish, corn on the cob, and watermelon). It put Paragon Park on the map as a must-visit for anyone coming to New England, and was beloved by locals as well. Hands down, Mountain Park in Holyoke (Western Massachusetts). How about the screech of the wheels or the screams of the riders? At the center of the park was a lagoon that served as the splashdown point for the popular Shoot the Chute gondola ride. Thank you so much for posting these pictures, I have been looking for photos of the last year of Paragon for years now and I am so happy to finally have found them!!! As one of the most historic and popular highways in North America (and dare we say the world), Route 66 has gone through a series of changes since its inception in 1926, going from . Had my first date with my future husband at Riverside. And in the mid-1960s, local radio station WBZ would sometimes have live broadcasts from Paragon Park. I do recall later that year being able to pick up a trinket or two at Building #19, a local salvage and odd lot shop, but even now the sight of this sign makes me kick myself. Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. Luckily they saved the merry go round and youre able to ride on it still in its new location. When I heard they were getting rid of the park it broke my heart. While the Lincoln Park Comet may have rotted away until it was finally removed, The Giant Coaster from Paragon Park lives on at another park. DeNoto, who now lives in New York, states in the suit that he took his boy to the park on June 26, 2018 because the lad was finally tall enough to ride the coasters. I remember being very unhappy when Paragon was closed because the beachfront was more valuable for condos and snickering at the condo developer going broke when the 1980s bubble burst. Most fun ever as I grew up in Fitchburg. I remember a vacation my family took in Misquamucut RI , in maybe 1957 . I still have a pin and coin purse inwon at games there when I was so very young. More for little ones and still open are Storyland and Santas Village in NH a place families still can enjoy. Makes the Delaware beaches we now frequent seem downright tropical! I have fond memories of an amusement park called Mountain Park that Isnt mentioned. Ah, yes, Norumbega Park..grew up in Auburndale, so visiting the Park was a frequent occasion. Ditto. Not only did they have the rides which we loved as kids, they had a fabulous summer theater, the Valley Players, owned and operated by Jean and Carleton Guild. Follow The History of Paragon Park on WordPress.com, Paragons Administration Building an original from 1905. The rest of the site is devoted to condominium development. As a South Shore kid I really miss Paragon Park in Hull MA (Nantasket Beach). Ive been on the one at Canobie and maybe one other but that was enough for me! I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm several times as a youngster. Newton High Schools Senior Prom was held there until, I think, the very early 60s..a special ending to your school years. Debts incurred in the purchase of the park from the Dodge estate were extended; banks and creditors alike were leaning heavily on the owners of the park. From 1971-78, I spent my entire summers at Paragon Park. Till I was twelve, lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride I would show up at the ride with a girl and they would give me a boat all to ourselves. When older went with my friends. In fact, a penny would get you a lot in those days, especially in the penny arcade. That magic of entering the Nantasket Beach area is gone, but at least the magic of The Giant Coaster excuse me, The Wild One lives on. Thanks for the great memories! Also, we often went to Jolly Chollys in North Attleboro as well. I grew up in Springfield and would rather go there than its competitor, Riverside Park in Agawamnow Six Flags. But, it was a nice park located conveniently on Route 6 between Fall River and New Bedford. My favorite memories were watching all the people and traffic on Nantasket Boulevard on Friday and Saturday nights, it was better than watching the movie American Graffiti. During really hot days, the guys running the giant roller coaster let me ride for free during my breaks just to cool off. They also hosted many concerts and special shows! The carousel moved down the block the following spring, by which time the developers had returned with a new plan for a seven-story, 112-unit brick building fronting Nantasket Avenue. It was a historic park. I believe Lake Compounce still there. I hope that whatever parks are now available to families offer todays kids memories that they will carry with them into their 70s too. Too bad theyre all just sweet memories now. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. I grew up about miles from Pine Island Park. I went for a visit recently and got inspired for a novel Im working on, but I was looking for some photographic inspiration. My parents brought me and I brought my kids. This brings back memories. 2022 Dennis Connors Photography. One of the best. Paragon Park in Hull, Ma-Lincoln Park, Dartmouth, Ma. Here on the SouthCoast, many have fond memories of riding the Comet roller coaster at Lincoln Park in Dartmouth. A wood coaster was just what the park needed for its 10th anniversary, and Predator delivered. Of the parks you describe, I visited Rocky Point and Bensons Wild Animal Farm as a child. Larry and Phyllis Stone found little common ground in their day-to-day management. Great memories. My girlfriends father operated the roller coaster. Flag item for content or copyright Thanks for the article which sent me many, many years back in time. This was a Great deal $ ! We took our children there when there were young. Whalom Park!! We used all our tickets there. My first date with my now wife of 38 years was there! [2]. Think classic American road trip and the name Route 66 will undoubtedly come up sooner rather than later, and for good reason. I grew up there I really do miss it. Who lived where the park was. The worst came in 1930, when a car on Omaha, Nebraska's Big Dipper roller coaster fell 35 feet to the ground, killing four and injuring 17. Paragon fans rejoiced that incredibly, two of the signature pieces of Paragon Park would survive its imminent death. Take a ride down Memory. Dodge died from Brights Disease at a hospital in New Hampshire. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. My parents had season tickets on Tuesday nights for years. Due to a private event, the Paragon Carousel will be open from 12pm - 4pm on Saturday October 22. Loved the elephant ride at Benson Animal Farm. As Paragon lumbered along, relatively little changed during the following two decades except the names and locations of some of the rides. By the time the flames were extinguished, the Green Streak was a shambles, as was the signature front entrance and much of the park facing Nantasket Avenue. So many memories of the roller coaster and other rides, as well as swimming at the beach across the street from the park where the water was very cold indeed! Dodge commissioned the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) to create a new coaster. They tore down the Pavilion the site of many a first kiss and more in the 50s and 60s in Myrtle Beach a few years ago. There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. Savin Rock was an outstanding amusement park, with roller coasters over the water, the Virginia Reel, a fabulous carousel with brass rings to catch, fun houses and top name hamburger/hotdog drive ins to feed the appetite you worked up walking the miles of rides, races and arcades. He loved the junior rollercoaster! My Dad was. He grew up on Lake Quinsigamond, so Im familiar with White City as well , as the wild animal farm, Nantasket, ( I eventually settled in nearby Cohasset, the carousel is still there. If your birthday was in the summer (mine wasnt), a party there was something to anticipate all year. Nothing like Paragon Park has ever before been seen near than Luna Park at New York, The Boston Globe enthused, referencing the world-famous amusement center at Coney Island.George A. Selling the 18-story development to the public was a harder task than the developers had imagined, however, and by fall, even with a compromise reduction to 12 stories, Kahn and Quinn faced stiff opposition. Paragons next major milestones arrived in 1963, when three separate fires swept through the area. Mountain Park in Holyoke MA. Contents. Within a few weeks, Kahn announced that the developers would ride to the rescue and keep the ride operating, either on-site or at a separate location within the towns borders. Keep us posted on your book and have a great weekend! Multiple news agencies reported four cases of fractures in the back or neck linked to the Do-Dodonpa coaster at Fuji-Q Highland Park. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=info. I had a bad experience on one as a kid and never went on one until then. Other favorites: the roller coaster that sat right on the edge of the water. Their 1928 purchase of a Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel would become the centerpiece of the park, replacing concessionaire John J. Hurleys previous carousel in the same location. Those poor animals. Hilarity Hall, a funhouse akin to the Steeplechase, was built next door, and a dance hall that later became a roller rink, toy store, and video arcade. My favorite ride was the music express but not too soon after eating. 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