Big Island Amusement Park
- Big Island Amusement Park
The Big Island Amusement Park was a popular tourist destination in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is located on Big Island of Lake Minnetonka, the tenth largest lake in the state of Minnesota.
History
1905 - Twin City Rapid Transit Company (TCRT), purchased 65 acres of land on Big Island.
By 1906 - An amusement park was built and in operation on Big Island. The Big Island Amusement Park was an ambitious undertaking. A convert|186|ft|m|sing=on high electric beacon and water tower were near the center of the park. The view at night was spectacular. Street Car Boats ferried 1,000 people over to the Island at a time, with 10,000 or more strolling the grounds on a busy Saturday.
1907 - A large music casino was built and featured local bands. A large dock was built for the three ferry boats used to bring customers from the dock in Excelsior. A long dock was available on the east end of the island for private boats.
Other features of the amusement park were a large roller coaster, the Old Mill, the Scenic Ride to Yellowstone and the Carousel. These rides have long since been dismantled, but ticket booth foundations, crumbling terra cotta walls, and the winding path of the Old Mill ride are still visible to those willing to venture off the beaten path.
1911 - The Big Island Amusement Park was closed in August, mainly because of the tremendous cost of operating such an extensive and expensive enterprise on a piece of property that is difficult to access and only operable for a few months every year. Most of the buildings and rides were dismantled by 1917 as a result of war effort.
The remaining buildings, including the large mess hall, became part of the new Veteran's Camp in the early 1920s.
Today - The City of Orono has purchased the camp for low impact recreation. Orono Community Education with support from the Jeffers Foundation founded the Island's first and only school, the Big Island Institute. Picnics, nature walks, and relaxation are encouraged. Make TonkaBlue
External links
* [http://www.ci.orono.mn.us/big_island_-_now.htm Big Island Entry at City of Orono Website]
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