You Probably Don't Remember These Defunct Maine Amusement Parks

When you think of amusement parks in Maine, places like Funtown Splashtown USA, Palace Playland, and Aquaboggan Water Park all come to mind. Those all fall into the modern definition of an amusement park. 100 years ago, amusement parks were very different from what you see today.

Here's a list of 7 amusement parks that were once in Maine and ranged from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

Riverside Park - Hampden

Public Domain

Riverside Park operated in Hampden from 1898 to 1916 and was family-friendly with a carousel, a shooting gallery, and a dance hall.

Penobscot Park - Searsport

Public Domain

The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad created Penobscot Park Aroostook Railroad and was a very popular destination for people visiting Searsport as well as its residents. It has a carousel and a dance hall, as seen above.

Island Garden Amusement Park - Lewiston

Public Domain

Island Garden Amusement Park was on an island on the Lewiston side of the Great Falls and was reached by a suspension bridge. On the island a beach, a zoo, places for picnics, a theater, and a dancing pavilion. When the popularity of Island Garden started to dwindle, it was closed in 1899.
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Casco Castle - South Freeport

Casco Castle was a hotel built in South Freeport in 1903. Does that suspension bridge look familiar? It's the very same one that was at Island Garden and was moved to Cssco Castle when the closed Island Garden. A fire destroyed the hotel in 1914 leaving only the stone tower standing. You used to be able to walk up the hill to the tower, but the land has been developed and the tower is now on private property.

Riverton Trolley Park - Portland

Eternal Loot via Ebay

Riverton Trolley Park opened in 1896 and was a popular destination for people in Portland. It was established in 1896 and had a casino an amphitheater, a dance hall, and a petting zoo. The park got its name from the trolley which transported people from Monument Square to the park on Riverside Street.

Sea Side Park - Old Orchard Beach

Google Maps

Sea Side Park was where Palace Playland is today. It had a dance hall, a small Ferris wheel, a maze, and a theater. In 1902, Palace Playland took Sea Side Park's space at the beach and enlarged it to what it is today. You can see a photo of what Sea Side Park looked like here.

Noah's Ark - Old Orchard Beach

Noah's Ark was a funhouse that opened in 1929 at the pier in Old Orchard Beach. It had a giant slide and huge carved figures from the story of Noah and the Great Flood in the Bible. It was destroyed by a fire in 1969 and wasn't rebuilt.