Canobie Lake Park - Wikipedia

Amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire Canobie Lake Park

Interactive map of Canobie Lake Park
Location	Salem, New Hampshire, United States
Coordinates	42°47′42″N 71°15′01″W / 42.79500°N 71.25028°W / 42.79500; -71.25028
Opened	August 23, 1902 (1902-08-23)
Owner	Three families
Slogan	"Just for FUN!"
Operating season	May through October
Area	59 acres (24 ha)
Attractions
Total	53
Roller coasters	4
Water rides	6
Website	canobie.com

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

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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

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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]

Current attractions

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Roller coasters

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Name	Opened	Manufacturer	Type	Notes
Unknown	2026	SBF Visa Group	Steel children's spinning coaster
Dragon Coaster	1991	Zamperla	Steel children's coaster
Untamed	2011	Gerstlauer	Steel Euro-Fighter roller coaster[15]
Yankee Cannonball	1936	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters	Wooden out-and-back roller coaster	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.

Thrill rides

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Name	Opened	Manufacturer	Type
Pirate	1986	S.D.C./Amusement Technical	Swinging ship
Psychodrome	1989	Eli Bridge Company	Scrambler[16]
Starblaster	2002	S&S Power	Double Shot launch/drop tower
Time Winder	2024	Zamperla	NebulaZ
Turkish Twist	1979[17]	S.D.C.	Rotor
Wipeout	2004	Chance Rides	Wipeout
Xtreme Frisbee	2007	HUSS Park Attractions	Frisbee

Family rides

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Name	Opened	Manufacturer	Type
Antique Carousel	1902	Charles I. D. Looff/Dentzel Carousel Company/Stein & Goldstein	Carousel with Wurlitzer style 153 band organ
Antique Cars	1968[18]	Arrow Development	Car ride
Blue Heron	2005	Unknown	Boat ride on Canobie Lake
Boston Harbor Patrol	2008	Sartori Amusement Rides	Flying carpet
Canobie 500	1977	Arrow Development	Car ride
Canobie Express	1975	Crown Metal Products	Rideable miniature railway
Caterpillar	1963	Traver Engineering	Caterpillar
Crazy Cups	1958	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters	Teacups
DaVinci's Dream	2003	Wooddesign Amusement Rides B.V.[19]	Swing ride
Dodgem	1930s	Unknown	Bumper cars
Giant Sky Wheel	1981	Preston & Barbieri/S.D.C.	Ferris wheel
Ice Jet	2017	Bertazzon	Matterhorn
Mine of Lost Souls	1987	S.D.C./Sally Corporation	Dark ride
Over the Rainbow	2001[20]	Zamperla	Balloon Race
Rowdy Roosters	1948	Bisch-Rocco	Flying Scooters
Skater	2005	Zamperla	Disk'O
Sky Ride	1969	SkyTrans[21]	Sky ride
Twist & Shout	1949	Sellner Manufacturing	Tilt-A-Whirl
Venetian Carousel	2019	Bertazzon	Double-decker Venetian carousel
Wave Blaster	2009	Zamperla	Kang'A'Bounce
Zero Gravity	2008	Battech Enterprises	Round Up

Water rides

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Name	Opened	Manufacturer	Type
Blue Heron	2005	Unknown	Boat ride on Canobie Lake
Boston Tea Party	1998[22]	Hopkins Rides	Shoot the chute
Policy Pond Log Flume	1983	Hopkins Rides	Log flume

Castaway Island

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Name	Opened	Manufacturer	Type
Anaconda	2018	Aquatic Development Group	Raft slide
Constrictor	2018	Aquatic Development Group	Raft slide
Lil Squirts Play Pad	2018	Aquatic Development Group	Water play area
Python	2018	Aquatic Development Group	Raft slide
Rain Fortress	2005	WhiteWater West[23]	Water play area with several small slides
Tidal River	2018[24]	Aquatic Development Group	Combination lazy river and wave pool

Children's rides

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Name	Opened	Type
Alpine Swings	2003	Miniature swing ride
Autobahn	2009	Spinning vehicle ride
Boats	1954	Spinning boat ride
Fire Engines	1954	Spinning fire engine ride
Flower Power	1994	Miniature The Whip
Helicopters	1959	Spinning helicopter ride
Jeeps	1953	Spinning Jeep ride
Jump Around	2009	Spinning vehicle ride
Jungle Bounce	2003	Miniature drop tower
Junior Sportscars	1958	Miniature car ride
Kiddie Canoes	Late 1980s	Miniature boat ride
Kiddie Carousel	1954	Children's carousel
Mini Dinos	1960	Spinning dinosaur ride
Mini Skooter	Late 1980s	Miniature bumper cars
Pony Carts	1954	Spinning pony ride
Sea/Land Rescue	1989	Spinning plane ride
Sky Fighters	1954	Spinning plane ride
Tanks	1954	Spinning tank ride

Former attractions

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Roller coasters

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Name	Years operated	Manufacturer	Type	Notes
Canobie Corkscrew	1987–2021	Arrow Development	Steel roller coaster	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]
Jr. Roller Coaster	1970–1984	Allan Herschell Company	Steel children's roller coaster
Mammoth Roller Coaster	1902–between 1933 to 1935	Frederick Ingersoll	Side friction wooden roller coaster	Sometimes referred to as Figure 8[27]
Rockin' Rider	1970–2004	S.D.C.	Steel Galaxi roller coaster
Wild Mouse	1962 or earlier	B. A. Schiff & Associates	Hybrid steel wild mouse roller coaster

Rides

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Name	Years operated	Manufacturer	Notes
Bowling alley	1902–1960s	Unknown	After purchasing the park in the 1960s, the owners burned all the pins from the bowling alley to keep warm during their first winter[2]
Calypso	1975–1988	Mack Rides	Replaced with the Moon Orbiter
Equinox	2012–2014	KMG	Removed due to mechanical issues.[28]
Fascination	1930s–2001	Unknown	Replaced with the Jackpot Casino
House of Seven Gables	1938–1978	Unknown	Walkthrough dark attraction
Kosmojets	1967–2003	S.D.C.	Replaced with Wipeout
Matterhorn	1987–2006	S.D.C.
Moon Orbiter	1989–2002	Unknown	Replaced with Star Blaster
Ocean Trip	2001–2008	SBF Visa Group	Replaced with Boston Harbor Patrol
Paratroopers	1974–2006	Unknown	Replaced with Skater
Petting zoo	Unknown	N/A
Round Up	Late 1950s–2007	Unknown	Replaced with Zero Gravity
Roller skating rink	1930s–1978	N/A	Building later housed ScrEEEmfest haunts
The Swamp	1930s–1985	Pretzel Amusement Ride Company	Dark ride
Swimming pool	1912–2007	Unknown	Removed to make way for a larger park entrance
Tiki-Maze	1965–2016	S.D.C.
USA Missile	1971–2011	Unknown	A simulation ride. Removed to make way for Untamed.[29][30]
Vertigo Theatre	1987–2009	Unknown	Removed to make way for "Wave Blaster"
The Whip	Mid-1950s–early 1980s	Unknown	Removed due to difficulty in maintenance
Tall Timber Splash	1994–2023	WhiteWater West	A water coaster

Incidents

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• 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]

See also

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• List of amusement parks in New England

References

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1. ^ "Coaster Landmark Award". American Coaster Enthusiasts. June 20, 2013. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
2. ^ a b 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.
3. ^ "Park History". Canobie Lake Park. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
4. ^ a b "The Holland Years". Canobie Lake History. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
5. ^ "Park History". Canobie Lake Park. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
6. ^ "King novel based on Canobie Lake Park". Eagle Tribune. June 3, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
7. ^ "Film crew sneaks into Canobie Lake Park". Newburyport News. August 16, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
8. ^ ""FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman" Relaxin' with Ruff". IMDB. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
9. ^ ""Zoom" Episode #6.3 (TV Episode 2004) - Filming & Production". IMDB. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
10. ^ Harpaz, Beth J. (June 26, 2010). "Trolley Parks: Survivors of an Earlier Era". NBC News. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
11. ^ "Big Bands". Canobie Lake History. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
12. ^ "12 Canobie Lake Park Tribute Shows". 94.9 HOM. April 11, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
13. ^ "SCREEEMFEST". Canobie Lake Park. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
14. ^ "Canobie Lake's 'Screeemfest' Provides Halloween Scares". CBS Boston. October 17, 2015. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023.
15. ^ Bullock, Joel (November 24, 2010). "Canobie Lake Park adds new roller coaster: Untamed in 2011". Gadling. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
16. ^ "CANOBIE SPECIAL", Boston Globe, April 16, 1989.
17. ^ Sandy, Adam. "The Flat Joint". Retrieved July 14, 2012.
18. ^ Donovan, Frank (August 14, 1968). "Canobie Lake More a Family Spot Than Ever--25". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
19. ^ "Wooddesign Amusment Rides B.V." Wooddesign Amusment Rides B.V. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
20. ^ "More sure signs of spring: Canobie Lake Park opens", New Hampshire Sunday News (Manchester, NH), April 29, 2001
21. ^ "Our Clients". SkyTrans Manufacturing, LLC. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
22. ^ Miller-Medzon, Karyn (July 5, 1998). "For your amusement - Region's theme parks have a host of new rides to thrill and chill you". Boston Herald.
23. ^ "Canobie's new Castaway Island water complex opens", New Hampshire Union Leader, May 26, 2005
24. ^ "Canobie Lake Park Gets Partial Approval For New Water Park". Patch. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
25. ^ Cowette, Colleen (June 17, 1990). "Salem's Canobie Lake Park Has Given 80 Years of Fun". New Hampshire Sunday News. Manchester, NH.
26. ^ "Piece of iconic Canobie Lake Park roller coaster donated to National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives". September 22, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
27. ^ Marden, Duane. "Mammoth Roller Coaster (Canobie Lake Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
28. ^ Ireland, Doug (July 30, 2014). "Equinox shut down at Canobie Lake Park". Newburyport News. Newburyport, MA.
29. ^ "Coney Island Space Age Icon - will it be destroyed?". Coney Island History Project. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
30. ^ "USA Missile (Canobie Lake Park)". ThrillNetwork LLC. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
31. ^ "Rides have stranded or injured passengers". USA Today. June 1, 2002. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
32. ^ "Roller Coaster Accident Injures 19". ABC News. August 6, 2001. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
33. ^ "Vt. family allegedly attacks officers at Canobie Lake". Boston Globe. June 17, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
34. ^ "Probable cause found against 3 accused in Canobie Lake Park melee". WMUR. July 1, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
35. ^ "Canobie Lake stuntman rolls off net, falls 20 feet". WMUR. August 6, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2017.

External links

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• Official website
• Canobie Lake Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase

Authority control databases	VIAF WorldCat