Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded as a trolley park on the shore of Canobie Lake in 1902. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks left in operation. The park is owned and operated by three families.
The park originally featured botanical gardens and a few amusement rides. After the automobile became the most popular mode of travel in the United States, the trolley line serving the park was closed. Attendance in the park declined, resulting in the closure of the park in 1929. It was purchased at auction by Patrick J. Holland in 1931, and reopened in 1932. He oversaw the installation of a wooden roller coaster named Yankee Cannonball in 1936.[1] The park recovered, and has seen the installation of many rides since, including Untamed and the former Canobie Corkscrew.
History
A 1908 postcard of an apple tree in the park
Canobie Lake Park opened on August 23, 1902, as a trolley park owned the Massachusetts Northeast Street Railway Company.[2] In its earlier years, the park was known for its flower gardens, promenades, and gentle attractions.[3] After the decline of trolley as a mode of travel, the park declined in popularity, culminating in its closure on St. Patrick's Day in 1929.[4]
In 1931, the park was auctioned off with the intent to subdivide the land into residential lots. Patrick J. Holland, a construction contractor from Ireland, bought the property for $17,000. He and his workers restored the park with new gardens, attractions, and modern electricity. In 1932, the park reopened, three years after its initial closure.[4]
In 1936, the Greyhound roller coaster was installed, having been relocated from Lakewood Park in Connecticut. Holland died in 1943, leaving the park to his wife and son, who continued to operate the park until 1958. Three close friends from New Jersey purchased the park in 1958, and their families still operate the park today.[5]
Some films and novels have used Canobie Lake Park as a setting or filming location. Stephen King, a horror novelist, based the amusement park in his novel Joyland on Canobie Lake Park. During a visit in 2012, King took photographs inside the dark ride attraction Mine of Lost Souls because he wanted to incorporate a haunted dark ride into his novel.[6] The park was also used as a filming location for the 2013 film Labor Day, based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard.[7] It also appeared in an episode of Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman,[8] as well as in the season six opening for the show Zoom.[9]
Events
Canobie Lake Park holds many events in the park throughout the year, including live performances and fireworks shows. The park has multiple venues for live entertainment, including the Country Stage, Midway Stage, and Dancehall Theater. The park's Dancehall Theater has hosted performers such as Duke Ellington, Sonny & Cher, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald.[10][11] The park also hosts shows from impersonators of celebrities.[12]
Beginning in 2008, Canobie Lake Park holds a Halloween event called ScrEEEmfest in the fall.[13] Attractions include haunted houses, live shows, and kid-friendly activities.[14]
Originally opened at Lakewood Park in 1930 as Roller Coaster and later as Meteor. Closed in 1932, and moved to Canobie Lake Park in 1936, where it reopened as Greyhound. Renamed to Yankee Cannonball in 1983. Recognized as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark.
Originally operated at Old Chicago from 1975 to 1980 as Chicago Loop,[25] before moving to the Alabama State Fairgrounds as Corkscrew from 1982 to 1986. Closed due to maintenance costs.[26]
On July 27, 2001, two trains collided at the base of Yankee Cannonball's lift hill, injuring five people. The incident was blamed on operator failure to engage the ride's brakes.[31][32]
On July 1, 2014, five individuals attacked police officers after they were told they could not carry weapons in the park.[33] Three of the five were charged with felony rioting.[34]
On August 6, 2016, a stuntman rolled off of a safety net and fell 20 feet during Canobie Lake Park's "Rocket Man: The Human Cannonball" performance. The stuntman was unharmed.[35]
12Seed, Douglas, & Khalife, Katherine (1996). Salem, NH. Volume II - Trolleys, Canobie Lake, and Rockingham Park, Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN0-7524-0438-5.
↑"Park History". Canobie Lake Park. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
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