Canobie Lake Park

Infobox Amusement park
name = Canobie Lake Park


location = Salem
location2 = New Hampshire
location3 = United States flagicon|USA
address = 85 North Policy Street
phone_numbers = [phone]
area =
opening_date = 1902
season =
rides = 47
coasters = 3
water_rides = 2
owner =
slogan = "Just For Fun"
homepage = http://www.canobie.com

Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park located in Salem, New Hampshire.

Description

Canobie Lake Park opened on August 23, 1902, as a trolley park for the Massachusetts Northeast Street Railway Company.Seed, Douglas, & Khalife, Katherine (1996). Salem, NH. Volume II - Trolleys, Canobie Lake, and Rockingham Park, Images Of America. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-0438-5.] The amusement park has opened every summer since then. In the park's early years, it was known for its flower gardens, promenades and gentle attractions. From the 1930s to the early 1950s, Canobie Lake Park’s Dancehall Theater became known as an entertainment destination hosting names such as Guy Lombardo, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and later, Sonny & Cher and Aerosmith. [ [http://www.canobie.com/history.php Canobie Lake Park ] ] Today, owned by 3 different families, the park features over 50 rides, including roller coasters, a log flume (the "Timber Splash Water Coaster"), a hand-painted antique carousel, a steam train, a Ferris wheel, the "Starblaster", "Dodgems", "DaVinci's Dream", over a dozen kiddie rides, a variety of foods, prize games, three arcades, live entertainment, fireworks, and more.

The Yankee Cannonball, a 1930s era wooden roller coaster, is one of the park's best known rides. The park also has a looping, steel roller coaster named "Canobie Corkscrew", designed by Arrow Dynamics. It was formerly located at Old Chicago, where it was called the "Chicago Loop"."Salem's Canobie Lake Park Has Given 80 Years of Fun", New Hampshire Sunday News (Manchester, NH), June 17, 1990, Colleen Cowette] There is also a kiddie coaster, called "The Dragon".

The park also features one of the few "dark rides" located in New England, titled "Mine of Lost Souls". Passengers board a mine train and are transported into the depths of a dark mine, which begins to collapse. Another popular flat ride at Canobie is the "Psychodrome", a 12-car Sizzler ride located in a dome, with special effects lighting and music.

Located towards the back of the park, along the lake, is a classic Chute-the-Chutes ride titled "The Boston Tea Party". It is themed after the actual Boston Tea Party, a protest by American colonists in 1773. Riders board a large boat and are transported up a lift hill. They turn around and plunge down a tunnel into the water below, creating a massive wave.

Another ride that can be found in the back portion of the park is a classic Rotor ride named "Turkish Twist". Here, the riders stand with their backs to the wall of a cylindrical drum (with no ceiling, so that others can watch from above). The entire drum begins spinning, and the riders are pushed against the wall by the strong centrifugal force. The floor then drops out from beneath them, while they remain stuck to the wall. In 2001, the park opened "Ocean Trip", which has been replaced (although it still is the same style ride) by "Boston Harbor Patrol" (to fit the "Boston Tea Party" theme). 2002 was the park's 100th season. In that year, the park opened an S&S Power Double Shot ride named "Starblaster". [http://www.s-spower.com/company.html s&swebwide2 ] ] In 2003 the park opened "DaVinci's Dream", a Chair-O-Planes-type ride. "Wipeout", a tropical surf theme ride, replaced "Kosmo Jets" (an SDC Telecombat ride). It opened for the last three days of the 2004 season, and was officially opened in 2005. Also in 2005, the park opened a new water park called "Castaway Island". The park also added a ride called "Skater". "Skater" took up some of the removed "Rockin' Rider" site, but has since been moved to the old location of the "Paratroopers" ride (which will be sold and has been removed from the park). In 2007, Canobie Lake opened a HUSS Frisbee named "Xtreme Frisbee" at the original "Rockin' Rider" site.

Rides at Canobie Lake Park

Black diamond rides

Other rides and attractions

* Castaway Island (added in 2005"Canobie's new Castaway Island water complex opens", Manchester Union Leader, May 26, 2005] )
* Rock Wall
* Fireworks
* Games and Arcades
* Shows at the Country Stage, Midway Stage and Dancehall Theater
* Music by the Canobie Ramblers at the Log Flume Gazebo
* "Canobie Critters", with names Patches, Molly, Bruno, and Dapper.
* Spooky World will appear at Canobie Lake Park from October 3, 2008 until November 1, 2008. This will be the first year for Spooky World to be at Canobie Lake. [canobie.com]

Retired attractions

Gallery

References

ee Also

*List of amusement parks in New England
*Amusement ride

External Links

* [http://www.canobie.com/ Official Canobie Lake Park web site]
* [http://www.CanobieFan.com/ Unofficial Canobie Lake Park web site]
* [http://www.nells250.homestead.com/canobie.html Unofficial Canobie Lake Park Appreciation site]
* [http://www.coasterglobe.com/reviews/view.cfm?reviewid=127 Detailed review of Canobie Lake Park, circa 2001]
* [http://forums.sfne.com/index.php?showtopic=813&mode=threaded&pid=13826 Ride change info, circa 2003]
* [http://www.canobieramblers.com Canobie Ramblers Official site]