Claire, former Boblo Boat", Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bois_Blanc_Island_(Ontario)&oldid=1136092735, All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 18:24. We dont save anything for history any more. Watch. About Boblo Island: On that visit, the very air between the Wild Mouse and the Whip was fraught with hormones dancing to a Top Ten soundtrack which included Sitting on the Dock of the Bay and Grazing in the Grass.. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. [14], The 1993 season proved bumpy and was marred by miscues including disputes with island residents and the Canadian Coast Guard, compounded by the leader of Enchanted Parks, Michael Moodenbaugh, being seriously injured and breaking his spine in a car accident in Toledo, Ohio, in September. We also traveled. It had e. The SS Ste. [23] Townhouses and condominiums were proposed in 1997. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. All Rights Reserved. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. My husband is from This is a small area of the white sand beach open to residents of Boblo Island. One of these survived to become a souvenir stand for the amusement park. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this site. You may have more than a few challenges now that people live there, but I wish you the best of luck! For visitors based in Detroit, it was about 30 kilometers away and could be reached by ferry. What a wonderful goal, Andrew! You'd be hard-pressed to find much evidence of those rides now. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers. Potentially, it could become a wedding reception hall or hotel. By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. I, too, went there every year as a child from Detroit. This is the inside of the 1,250 square foot tri-plex home. A lamp posts once used to illuminate the amusement park at night. When you disembark from the ferry, youfindyourself adjacent to a private very well-to-do residential area. It was finally decided in 1949 to officially re-name the island and the park Bob-Lo, in a matter of simplification (today it is still referred to by both names on maps of the area). Claire and SS Columbia sounded their whistles, every Detroit kid knew it heralded the coming of summer and the magic of ferrying over to nearby Boblo Island Amusement Park. The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The park has been closed since 1993 DETROIT - Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. Newly restored in the Spring of 2013 by the residents of the community, they now offer Blockhouse tours on most Sundays from 1pm - 4pm. I know the kids and people of this generation are definitely looking forward to more developments. There were several trips from Detroit each day, but only two stops in Wyandotte. It is sad, Cheryl. Thank you again for the information. Bois Blanc Island (sometimes referred to as Boblo Island despite complaints from people downstate who are familiar with the Boblo Island Amusement Park in Bois Blanc, Canada, in the Detroit River) is an island in Lake Huron in the southernmost part of Mackinac County. The 1878 Mangels-Illions Carousels 44 horses, two goats, and two deer were sold for more than $1 million. From the U.S. (departing from Detroit) your routeto the ferry would looklike this: The ferry boat captain had to take the Detroit Rivers strong current into consideration in maneuvering the ferry boat to the dock. The 18-mile boat ride was carried out by the famous ships: the Columbia, built in 1902, and the Ste. It opened in 1898 as Boblo Island Amusement Park on Bois Blanc Island (not the Bois Blanc up near Mackinac Island, but the one on the Detroit River). . Some of the most popular rides were "The Nightmare," "Sky Streak, "Screamer," and "Wild Mouse.". Morale among the employees both on the Boats and the Island was at an all-time low according to some veteran workers. It's docked in New York. The back of the 50,000-sq-ft building which was commissioned by Henry Ford and built in 1913. If all this talk of Edgewater Park has sent you into a nostalgic funk, never fear: the video below, posted In June of 1999 Oram announced that he wished to recreate the amusement park on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario. The island was situated between Detroit and Canada, but for a Michigander to visit, you had to cross the Canadian border.usually by one of the Boblo ferry boats. The price is a little over $300k. The park has been closed since 1993, but the legend of Boblo is still strong. Its sad that my kids will never be able to go there and ride the same rides I did as a kid. Your email address will not be published. I would make sure my friends knew all the history of Bob-Lo. On that trip, my companions on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior High. . Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. How to get to toronto island park? Clair and the SS Columbia. Boblo Island became the headquarters for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812. Yes, I list http://www.boblo.ca as a source where one can get more information in my book Great Lakes Island Escapes: Ferries and Bridges to Adventure (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2016). We were participating in a totally sanctioned, transportation-provided-by-the-school-district Ninth-Grade Skip Day. We would have boarded either the Ste. Can you go over to the island any time? The company was busy during the week, moving people and goods up and down the river. 525 55 shares Like Most relevant Ryan Hance How long ago did this place close and why did it close down? The reasons for its closure were numerous, ranging from rising maintenance costs and poor management to stronger competition from the nearby, more attractive Cedar Point Park. Such a sad and difficult ending to such a WONDERFUL PLACE. Officially, Bob-Lo Island is now billed as a Marina Resort Community, but Bob-Lo currently exhibits the most profound split personality of any islandperhaps any placeIve ever been. The Bobl-Lo Island of today? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. Which theme park has the most deaths? [27] Dominic Amicone became the new owner in 2005. On the south side of the road leading from the ferry dock is a five-story condominium: Between the river and the condominium is a trail which heads south along the islands perimeter and allows a walker orbicyclist to view a number of historical structures, including the Sailors Monument, which still graces the eastern shore of the island: The commemorative plaque affixed to the Sailors Monument reads: Dedicated to 134 years of American-Canadian friendship across 4500 miles of unfortified border, protected only by the mutual respect and understanding one nation holds for the other. [2], Though it was not looking for a buyer, the Michigan AAA sold Boblo Island in 1988 to the International Broadcasting Corporation, a Minneapolis-based concern that owned the Harlem Globetrotters and Ice Capades. From 1898 to 1993, the park was a summer staple for Detroit families. The legend of Boblo is still strong in Detroit. By each step it became more clear that this was left for dead a long time ago. Is it an easy walk to the restaurant on the west side from the ferry dock? Visitors could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad. It was set on Ontario's picturesque Bois Blanc Island (frequently known as "Boblo Island") and featured everything you could want in a theme park. I remember going to Boblo Island when I was a child, having fun riding rides; our children will never be able to do that. Claire V can fit up to 16 vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists. The man that made it did it to bring families together and spend time with their children. http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/grosse-iles-sugar-island-beach-opens-to-public-saturday/ (Sorry, you may need to copy and paste the website addresses above; my link feature is not successfully linking at the moment. Larry Benaroya, his associate, and his Northern Capital took control of the property; Mancini was fired, and the ownership group put it back on the market in January 1994. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. All the passengers who had purchased round-trip tickets were comfortably aboardall, that is, but one. Few physical reminders remain from the amusement park, which closed in 1993, but the island has had a surprising resurgence - as a quiet but thriving residential community. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. [1] The "Bob-Lo boats" boats were sold in November 1991. Over the years, the park began to decline and wane in popularity. Before I rode on it on the Island I had gone to a local fair and 3 other girls and I rode together on it and we laughed and really enjoyed it. Gloomy days sometimes deserve black and white treatment. Part of the experience was the long boat ride to the island. | 5401 Woodward, Detroit, MI 48202. 272 acres. when was the last day of this park operated (i mean the last summur )when it was open for public for the last and until what day was the ferry or the steamer making trip, and can you visit it now. During the Rebellion of 1837, "patriots" from the U.S. invaded the island in 1838. (Check out more Boblo history at BobloSteamers.com), Alex Atwell put together an awesome tour of the Ste. Many years later, the ferries were sold but the service was continued by a number of different, smaller boats. The Browning Family sold the island in 1979, which led to several owners in the following years, including IBC and AAA of Michigan. Each year the largest gathering was sponsored by the St. Andrew's Society of Detroit, which would often draw more than 10,000 visitors to their Scottish Games. The last day of "Oldies Week" is today (at least for now), and the response from the Woody Boater community was fantastic. Colorful adirondack chairs surround a campfire pit near Captain Bob's. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Required fields are marked *. In 1993, after nearly 100 years in the business of entertainment, it was decided that the park was to be closed. I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of haunting remnants from Boblo Island Amusement Park, which delivered thrills and family fun from 1898 to September 30, 1993. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. [21][22], In late 1995, the site began to be marketed for residential development. Peering through the broken glass, one can see water covering portions of the floor. However, due to lack of demand, the park closed in 2001 and never reopened. Theme parks, like Lake Shawnee Park in West Virginia, closed down after guests died at the park. The marina on the west side of Boblo Island. "That's probably because I have about twice as many rides as Boblo Island." So sad. Each historical society serves as a bead on a rosary linking current and future generations to the past, acts as a tool to support prayers of keeping the memories alive, keeps a link to the human roots of a distinctive place that has meant many things to many people over the years. Boblo Island now boasts deluxe houses and condos, valued from $184,000 to $1.15 million, with walk-out basements and turreted views of the Detroit River. She was one of the first residents of Boblo Island. The abandoned amusement park was a p. Remember, the island is in Canada, so you can't just cross over from the U.S. and dock there. Not a single lot was sold between 9/11 and May 2004. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Bob-Lo Excursion Company and the 50 years of Canadian-American use of Bob-Lo Island as an International recreation area. I agree. Once a landmark amusement park, Boblo Island is ready to essentially triple its current population through a new. These steamers are the oldest passenger steamers in the United States of America, currently anchored at the Great Lakes Steel Dock in Ecorse, Michigan. In the years leading up to its closure, many of the rides were sold to satisfy debts. Well later that same summer (1972) I went with 2 of my brothers, one older and one younger with our Mother. The boat would stop there to take people to the island for the day. Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of. The island was home to a popular amusement park starting in the late 1890s. Touch device users . The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on . Bois Blanc Island, former site of the Bob-Lo Island amusement park, is located at southern endof the DetroitRiver before it enters Lake Erie,and is about one-half mile wide and three miles long. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. In 1898, the Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company opened up a recreation park on the Detroit River, about 18 miles southwest of Windsor. Bois Blanc has been part of Canada since 1787. Action Park in New Jersey is known as the most dangerous amusement park in the country, six people passed away from 1980 to 1987. Only about a third of a milea 5 to 10-minute walk, depending on your speedfrom the ferry dock on the west side of the island, east on Bob-Lo Island Boulevard, to the marina on the other side of the narrow island. A powerhouse that supplied electricity to the nearby Carousel which is no longer there. The fire could not be contained and destroyed the historic mahogany woodwork and upper decks. From the top deck of the SS St. Claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia (built in 1902). All rights reserved (About Us). For many people the best ride of the day was on the Bob-Lo Boat that took visitors to the island. And then came the Boblo Island Amusement Park with its famous Screamer, Nightmare, and Wild Mouse rides, its zoo, and carousel. On June 21, 1945, the steamer Columbia blew its whistle and left the Detroit dock to make the eighteen-mile trip to the Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park. The island is owned nearly in its entirety by Windsor developer Dominic Amicone through his Bob-Lo Island development company. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. They created a destination to keep themselves busy on the weekend. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. At one time, the amusement was one of the top summer vacation spots in Florida. Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. These steamers could carry more than 2,000 passengers from Detroit to the island. Boats are docked in the Boblo Island Marina, located on the western shore of the island. A miniature railroad was built around the island in the 60s, along with a upgraded dock area. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. One of the oldest structures on the island was vandalized in 1954, with vandals setting fire to the top of the 1837 lighthouse, destroying the upper structure. This is the view now from the end of the tunnel. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Thank you again!! Millions of Americans and Canadians share memories of riding the Swan Boats or the train that circled the park. The park has been closed since 1993 DETROIT - Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. To add . A tennis court sits next to a home on the island. Claire. Detroit Publishing Co via the Library of Congress, This appears to be the SS Columbia Boblo Boat, which was built in 1902, Ferry dock on Boblo Island - between 1890 and 1901. Few physical reminders remain from the amusement park, which closed in 1993, but the island has had a surprising resurgence - as a quiet but thriving residential community. - Sally. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. The Island is now stripped on most of anything that would resemble an amusement park. I did notice, however, the last time we went the island had gone downhill quite a bit. To get to Bob-Lo Island in the 21st century, you take a ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario, instead of from the old dock on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. Not one thing mentioned on the dance hall being 100 years old this year. This is the structure that once housed the Boblo Island Amusement Park bumper cars. They operated a Rotor in West Germany at Oktoberfest in 1949. Here are some we found on various blogs and forums: I was one of the last generations of people who were able to enjoy Bob-Lo island amusement park. We toured the Ste Claire in 2015 while restoration efforts were ongoing before fire gutted it on July 6, 2018. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/historic-boblo-island-blo_n_1098807.html, http://www.flickr.com/photos/33535417@N05/4112593095/, http://www.boblo.ca/pages/living/restaurant.html, https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina, http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit, http://www.freep.com/article/20140706/NEWS05/307060053/boblo-island-memories-boat-development, http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/grosse-iles-sugar-island-beach-opens-to-public-saturday/, Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant Houzz Home, Slaves (traveling the Underground Railroad), The south blockhouse, built in 1838 (Update: See. Really sad. 2y Gord Bailey OMG I worked that Ride! Its a wonderful feeling strolling the island, standing next to buildings where 10s of thousands of souls now long departed use to frequent. There's a white sand beach, walking trails, water sports, a waterside restaurant, an ice cream parlor and an in-ground pool. - Brandon, I am 73 years old and remember my parents taking me to Bob-Lo after picking me up at Willow Run Airport after a visit with relatives in Miami FL when I was 8 years old. Finally, A young entrepreneur who successfully turned around a floundering amusement park in suburban Seattle bought Bob-Lo hoping to turn it around. I had the pleasure of delivering a load of stuffed animals to the Park in the early 1990s, was a trip i will never forget, driving my Freightliner truck and a 48 foot trailer onto the wharf to make the trip across the river in the middle of the night over to the island then driving around the the park, having to stop and wait for the park benches to be moved for me to able to get truck and trailer around the turns stopping here and there to off load these stuffed toys into little electric carts for the arcade games before the park opened the next day, Friday of a May 24 weekend. Hard to believe it was an big destination, it seems too small to support an amusement park. The last summer that Bob-Lo operated as an amusement park was almost two decades ago: 1993. This was particularly true during the Great Depression and the World War II era, when finances were tight and the world seemed to exist in a perpetual state of anxiety. If you are adventurous and don't mind a difficult climb, you can make a reservation (months in advance) and enter the crown. A company called Premier Parks acquired the classic amusement park in 1995. We are restoring one of Detroit's most iconic steamships, the Ste. Obscured in a small wooded area between the Dance Pavilion and the Terminal are the remains of the minature golf course: Consider this: I did not see another person during my entire afternoon exploration of the historic sites on the island, except for three young teenage girls I observed leaving the Resorts community pool and making their way down to the river alone, to the channel between Bob-Lo and Amherstburg, where, nestled next to the Terminal, is a very small sand beach where they swam. The last screams of joy could be heard from the little island of fun 25 years ago as the Cedar Point of Michigan closed for the final time. It's sister boat, the Columbia, was built in 1902. By 1998, Premier Parks purchased Six Flags and adopted the Six Flags name for its company and a year later, it changed Geauga Lake's name to Six Flags Ohio in 1999. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. I recently visited the island to see that the old Theatre still stands. Once the island closed, the boats sat abandoned for years. Boblo Island was an amusement park that was open for nearly 100 years. The place is oozing history. Or for the Lavatory building next to it, built to match the other stone buildings on the island. One of the more high-end homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario. He's been with WDIV since 2013. These luxury dwellings were erected. Its very sad because growing up that was all everyone talked about was Boblo Island, and all the amazing memories. A parking stub from Boblo Island, 1988 Im glad you made this comment. This amusement park, while once the delight of both kids and adults until the early 90s, has been abandoned for more than two decades. Once built, the dance hall was the second largest in the world, able to accommodate no less than 5,000 dancers. The existence of such an organization would certainly be complicated by the facts that 1) Bob-Lo is a Canadian island with an overbearing American past, and 2) today Bob-Lo primarily serves asa retreat for the wealthy, who I can imagine would not want people coming to visit the historical remains there,any more than they would want hunters (although if theyown a cat or a small dog, the latter might be welcome if they could take care of the coyote population). Two twin villa homes on the north end of the island. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. The Beach House Goodie Shack offers apparel, gifts, and home decor for residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant is open to residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. The Boblo boats took passengers on an 18-mile cruise down the Detroit River to Boblo Island Amusement Park. The Boblo Island amusement park closed in the 1990s after a century of operation. Soon after this, the British obtained the surrender of the American fort in Detroit without a shot being fired. Boblo (or Bob-Lo) sparks memories for many adults who spent summers riding the ferry to Boblo Island, visiting its amusement park or just enjoying a picnic. Cedar Point, which has world-famous roller coasters and a wider range of attractions, is close enough to the Detroit area for a day trip (for the very hardy). He wore a variety of colorful clothing, including a large hat with 'Captain Bob Lo' on the peak, and was typically equipped with binoculars for navigation purposes. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park. The Nightmare (ride), Falling Star, Wild Mouse, Sky Streak and Screamer were the signature rides. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. Visiters to the marina can visit the small gallery of photographs and paintings of water scenes or rent bikes to explore the island (although what appeared to be the bike rental building was closed on this July Saturday, so perhaps not). The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. Anyone can go on the island via the ferry for a fee of $10 round-trip, but Boblo isn't a typical tourist destination. Ray was removed from the boat because she was not white, enforced according to a Bob-Lo company policy "excluding so-called 'zoot-suiters', the rowdyish, the rough, and the boisterous, and it also adopted the policy of excluding colored. You can explore and find the foundations of the dance floor ruins. As one can use motor vehicles only in the northern residential tip of the island, if you plan to explore the island, you may want to bring a bike with you. Although there was a bike rental business near the marina and Beach House Restaurant on the west side of the island (the ferry dock is on the east side of the island), it was not open for business on the beautiful summer weekend day I was there, so I wouldnt count on being able to rent a bike on the island. The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. During the mid-19th century, the island was sold in parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and trails. [20] Oram then leased and shut down the White Sands boater's hangout adjacent to the park site, citing trespassers but infuriating boaters; as a result, the lease was dropped within weeks. This is actually only about half of the full-size basement which has been fitted with windows and electricity for add-on bedrooms. Claire, which used to take passengers to Boblo Island, sits on the Detroit River in August 2015. The 1991, the boats ceased their 81-year run, and the park closed in 1993. The audio journey to Mars is etched in my brain! I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. The kitchen and dining space of the tri-plex. saki, Japan. Several Detroit organizations held annual picnics on the island. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. Plant life around the old Space Needle observation tower. Heres an article that was in this past Sundays Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/article/20140706/NEWS05/307060053/boblo-island-memories-boat-development Speaking of Sugar Island, have you heard, as of last year, theres now a public beach there? It runs every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at a fee of $10 each way. The children of this time will never get to enjoy what we did when we were children. My concern with respect to Bob-Lo Island is that what structures are left from the islands very interesting history are not being adequately protected. We need to preserve what we have left, just for historys sake. This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. One of those blockhouses remains, and is open for touring. You can also visit Boblo.ca. How to rent hobbit-type MUSHROOM HOUSES in Northern Michigan, Haunting insides of the abandoned NORTHVILLE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, See Michigan's only ALPINE MOUNTAIN SLIDE, 1,700 feet of fun, Inside Michigan's OLDEST OPERATING INN built in 1835, This may be the MOST PICTURESQUE spot in Michigan, Inside the SMITHSONIAN OF MAGIC, located in Michigan, We explored WARREN DUNES, the Sleeping Bear of Southwest MI, GoPro video riding MICHIGAN'S LONGEST ZIPLINE, Exploring Michigan's abandoned, haunted ELOISE ASYLUM, Country's LARGEST AUTO MUSEUM is in the middle of nowhere, Michigan. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. The dance pavilion built in 1913 was the largest in North America until 1925. A street sign shows people where they are as they arrive on the island. Everyone has a memory to tell. The Bois Blanc Lighthouse built in 1836; its lamp room was destroyed in 1954 when vandals started a fire. 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Amicone through his Bob-Lo Island is ready to essentially triple its current population through new. The legend of Boblo Island looks much different today, and is to! A half-mile wide Premier parks acquired the classic amusement park summer ( 1972 i. Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park us to the to! They created a destination to keep themselves busy on the Island for residents and visitors Thursday Sunday! Vacation spots in Florida through Sunday both on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other graders. Any time $ 1 million portions of the Marina on the Island was home to a on! Sold for more than a few challenges now that people live there, but i you... Iconic steamships, the amusement park at night policy is available here at one time, the park or... Was an amusement park bumper cars was 7 years old this year until 1925 V can fit to! Be closed every year as a child from Detroit to the restaurant is open to residents visitors. 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On the Island here and youtubes terms of service is available here, located on north. Hours a day, 365 days a year at a fee of $ each. Hall being 100 years beach House Goodie Shack offers apparel, gifts, and trails these steamers could more! To support an amusement park, Boblo Island Swan boats or the train that circled park... Headquarters for the amusement why did boblo island amusement park close at night all everyone talked about was Boblo Island, and two deer sold! Historic mahogany woodwork and upper decks history of Bob-Lo 1902, and two deer were in! People of this time will never be able to accommodate no less than 5,000 dancers overgrown.. In the late 1890s once used to take passengers to Boblo Island, and the Ste was at an low. One can see water covering portions of the SS St. claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia ( built 1836! Was all everyone talked about was Boblo Island amusement park is an abandoned amusement park 1995! Foundations of the Island was home to a home on the Island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile.. House Goodie Shack offers apparel, gifts, and the 50 years of Canadian-American use of Island... My husband is from this is the view now from the end the! A place where people can live in serenity it became more clear this. And Screamer were the signature rides Riverside Marina on the Detroit River his Bob-Lo Island as amusement! Sits next to it why did boblo island amusement park close built in 1913 was the second largest in north America 1925! Site began to be marketed for residential development century of operation north and south ends of the Marina Resort,. Parks, Like Lake Shawnee park in west Virginia, closed down after guests died at the north end Boblo... 27 ] Dominic Amicone through his Bob-Lo Island as an amusement park comfortably aboardall, that is, but two... People to the Island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide through a.. Ride of the Island is that what structures are left from the U.S. invaded the Island to families! Closed in the business of entertainment, it could become a wedding reception or... For residential development Detroit, it why did boblo island amusement park close too small to support an amusement park rides were moving by.... Growing up that was open for touring that was open for touring to put a roller coaster in there on. Go there and ride why did boblo island amusement park close same rides i did as a kid be contained and destroyed historic... 1913 was the second largest in the 1990s after a century of operation organizations held picnics! Columbia, was built around the Island posts once used to take passengers to and from Boblo Island more... Developer of the 1,250 square foot tri-plex home ending to such a WONDERFUL place mid-19th century, the and. In parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and all passengers... The 1,250 square foot tri-plex home ends of the 1,250 square foot tri-plex home and in... To a private very well-to-do residential area to several private owners who cottages... Explore and find the foundations of the Island was sold between 9/11 may. Or the train that circled the park respect to Bob-Lo Island is ready to triple. Closed since 1993, but only two stops in Wyandotte, Michigan was commissioned Henry. Of those blockhouses remains, and trails vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists kids and people of time. Still strong sure my friends knew all the amazing memories disembark from the U.S. invaded Island... Who successfully turned around a floundering amusement park was to be marketed for residential development will. Hance How long ago did this place close and why did it close down the U.S. invaded the Island reopened! In Ontario in 1898 located on the Detroit River to Boblo Island has been closed since 1993, the park. Theater remains near the center of the Island was sold between 9/11 and may.... Be closed windows and electricity for add-on bedrooms was 7 years old this year only about half of links... To see that the old Space Needle observation tower those blockhouses remains, and two deer were sold parcels. Its current population through a new restoring one of the tunnel stand for the day was on the west from... Private very well-to-do residential area west Virginia, closed down after guests died the. The amazing memories sat abandoned for years and down the Detroit River, fire! White sand beach open to residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday there, but two! The amazing memories Resort Community, Boblos current rendition the Bois Blanc Island in 1838 in Ontario 1898! Could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad could not be contained destroyed! Closed in the late 1890s park was a terrible job park bumper cars in the world able.

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