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I never lived there, but someone told me that there was an amusement park in Waterbury, CT called "Holy Land"(?), which had rides and amusements that depicted biblical times. It was apparently closed sometime in the mid 80s. However, remnants of the park are still visible from the expressway.
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On I-84 going through Waterbury, you can see a big cross on top of a hill. I don't remember the amusement park there.

There were also other amusement parks throughout New England that has closed down. There was Savin Rock in West Haven, Ct. I'm not too sure when it closed but I moved there in 1974 (?) and they had already had condos where the amusement park used to be. There was also one in Holyoke, Mass called Mountain Park. It was right next to Mt. Tom. I used to go there a lot when I lived in that area. I just reciently went back to that area and discovered that Mountain Park became a water slide park. In Agawam, Mass, Riverside Park, about two years ago, just joined the 6 Flags group so this little park is now a bigger one. (Haven't been to it since it became 6 Flags New England). I also think there used to be on in New London, Ct but I'm not too sure about that one.

Outside of New England-in Lake George NY, there was a place called Storytown U.S.A. It now the Great Escape. In Maryland or Viginia (I can't remember which one) just outside of D.C. is a place called Glen Echo. It used to be an amusement park but now it is an arts and crafts place-but the orginal carousel is still there and still working. (FYI-Glen Echo was the birth place of Clara Barton who formed the Red Cross.)


Cat

Quoting:
I never lived there, but someone told me that there was an amusement park in Waterbury, CT called "Holy Land"(?), which had rides and amusements that depicted biblical times. It was apparently closed sometime in the mid 80s. However, remnants of the park are still visible from the expressway.
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:D :DDid you see the episode of "The Simpsons"where Ned Flanders opens Praiseland,which has a similar theme?It was Maude's dream.Cheers! :)

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You know another thing that happened, so many small traditional family owned parks closed their doors for good between 1984-1988 due to the big chain parks taking over. In the 80s 200 ft tall steel coasters were unheard of, now they're commonplace. Guess parks had to keep up with the changing times, out with the old, in with the new. Another thing is today's teens want speed and more of it, so faster and faster xtreme rides are being built, teens would think a slow ride "lame". i like slow rides, though and hate fast ones. In the 80s the most xtreme ride at Dorney Park in PA was the Flying Dutchman Coaster (removed 1989) now its Steel Force and Talon which seem to be huge hits with the younger crowd. It's like in the 80s when we were teens we didn't have aol chat, no inverted hanging coasters, no Britney Spears (Pat Benetar, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany instead) no NSYNC and Backstreet Boys (New Kids on the Block instead). Hair metal was in then, some girls in school had "big" 80s curly hair which seemed to fade away in the 1990s. MTV played rock videos, not 90s teen crap and pop queens. (Forget 90s rock) Teens today seem to fall in love with boy bands what the heck did 80s teens before New Kids adore? (New Kids was 1988, right?) Beatles were a big craze in the 1960s. The Internet is so integrated into American culture now that kids and teens don't remember when AOL didn't exist. It's all kids and teens in chatrooms last time I checked. I'm 29. I'm part of the "lost" generation X. Lost in between the youth and 30+. Funny how culture changes in just a decade.
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:D :DI like the small parks better--i wish more were still around!Why do they think everyone likes the fast roller coasrers that go upside down?Not everyone can even ride them!I mean,if someone is pregnant,has back problems,has heart problems,alomng with a myriad of other quirks,you might as well not go at all!While we're at it,they do have Bonfante gardens in Gilroy--they were having financial problems,but they're open again1Cheers!