Whalom Park was an amusement park located on Lake Whalom in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, that operated from 1893 to 2000. The site was redeveloped into a 240-unit apartment complex.[1]
History
Whalom Park was established in 1893 by the Fitchburg & Leominster Street Railway as a traditional, English-style park of gardens and walking paths.[2] At the time of its last day of operations in 2000, Whalom was known as the 13th oldest amusement park in the United States,[3] as well as the second-oldest trolley park in the world.[4] The park had been in continuous seasonal operation for 107 years.[5]
The "Flyer Comet" wooden roller coaster was one of the park's best-known rides. Most remaining structures at the park, including the Flyer Comet, were demolished in October 2006 to make way for development.
the ride when it first opened was outside in 1920s but in 1957 they added a canopy to the ride and it stayed there till 2000 when the ride was removed.
Silly Savage was one of the park mascots at Whalom Park; he was a lion with a top hat.
Super Chick
1980s
2000
Another mascot.
Simon Looneybear
1969
1985
Another mascot. Black bear.
Wally Whalom
1950s
2000
Wally Whalom was also a mascot at the park, but unlike Silly Savage and Super Chick in costumes, he was a clown.
Barnaby, The Walking Talking Puppet
1960s
2000
Barnaby was a puppet who gave shows to guests around the park.
Whalom Park Center Stage
1969
2000
The Whalom Park Center Stage was an outdoor theater for shows that attracted guests.
Kiddieland
1963
2000
Kiddieland was a section of the park for younger children where there were rides designated for younger kids and a small theater for puppet shows.
Whalom Park Cafe Restaurant
1940
2000
There was a sit down restaurant called "Whalom Park Cafe" in the park besides the other food stands that were inside Whalom Park.
Mini Golf Land
1959
2000
Mini Golf Land was a miniature golf course that was located near The Whip
Picnic groves
1893
2000
The picnic groves had picnic tables and a pavilion, and a small playground. The picnic tables were sold at auction.
Go Carts
1980s
2000
Sold
Waterpark
1983
2000
Whalom Park had its own waterpark with waterslides in it.
Pirates Den
1950s
1981
it was a dark ride with pirates-themed scenes and special effects in 1981 it got destroyed by a fire so they never rebuilt it got replaced by a new flat ride called Luv Machine.
Luv Machine
1983
1993
a flat ride that replaced the pirates den dark ride it got removed because of declining popularity and Maintenace issues.
Gallery
The Entrance To The Flyer Comet
The Whalom Park Trolley Station, c.1900s
Postcard mailed in 1908 with a caption, "Deer at Whalom Park and Their Keeper, Fitchburg, Mass."
Appearances in pop culture
The music video for the song "Touch and Go" by The Cars was shot at Whalom Park in 1982.[11]
In 2006, Whalom Park was fully demolished and in 2010 was redeveloped into a 240-unit apartment complex.[12] In a nod to the former amusement park, the street within the complex was named Carousel Lane. The development, which was initially called Emerald Place was sold in 2022 for $76M and rebranded as Arrive Lunenburg.[13]
The Whalom Park Experience
In 2023, the New Whalom Cooperative, a consumer co-op dedicated to the preservation of the Whalom amusement park past, present, and future,[14] hosted a "Whalom Park Experience" pop-up event at Doyle Field in Leominster, Massachusetts. In partnership with Manuel Amusements, the three-day July 2023 event featured rides such as a scrambler, swings, carousel, slide, and four kiddie rides with games including skeeball and balloon chance games.[15]
