The Salem Willows project, part two
An (uplifting!) update about my quest to gain recognition for the tiny seaside amusement area
I can’t tell you why I have had a lifelong passion for amusement parks and attractions. It’s unexplainable; I just do. But I can tell you how and where it started. Among my earliest memories are the seaside amusement areas I visited with my folks. From the moment I saw my first roller coaster, carousel, whip, and other rides–and we are talking a very young age–I was transfixed. I’ve lived my entire life in Massachusetts, and my folks used to take me to Revere Beach, Salisbury Beach, Nantasket Beach, and other ride-filled spots along New England’s coast. Sadly, Massachusetts’ shoreline amusements are pretty much all gone now. Except for one magical place.
Salem Willows Park in Salem, Massachusetts was another shore shangrila the Levine family went to way back in the day, and that I continue to adore today. Located on a peninsula that’s nestled between Salem Harbor and Beverly Harbor with abundant shade provided by its namesake, stately, white willow trees, it offers a cool refuge on stifling summer days. But Salem Willows also offers amusements and, because it dates back to 1880, a cool vintage vibe. Granted, there aren’t a heckuva lotta rides there today, but there are some–as there have been, in some form, uninterrupted for 144 years.
And now, I’m pleased to report, this funky little amusement area that I have loved my entire life will be officially recognized as a trolley park. Let me explain.
Salem Willows helped set the stage for my strange journey as a theme park journalist. As I became immersed in the industry and learned about its history, I discovered the important role that trolley parks played. Railway companies of yore, which operated streetcars and trolleys, built amusement parks at the end of their lines to encourage ridership and generate revenue on the weekends and holidays when patrons were not commuting to and from work. In the late 1800s and early 1900s there were hundreds of them throughout the U.S., including Salem Willows Park. The Naumkeag Street Railway Company began offering service from downtown Salem to the seaside spot in 1877. It soon began acquiring land at the Willows for a planned amusement park, which it opened in 1880. Salem Willows is one of a handful of trolley parks that remain in operation. (You can read more about trolley parks in an earlier article I wrote about them.)
The National Amusement Park Historical Association cites 12 remaining trolley parks in the U.S., including Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire (another place my folks took me to when I was a wee lad) and Kennywood in Pennsylvania. It has long bugged me that the organization has overlooked Salem Willows and hasn’t included the park on its list. As I wrote previously, I decided to try and do something about it last fall.
With the support and encouragement of Jim McAllister, a Salem-based historian, and Charlie Hobbs, the fourth-generation owner of E.W. Hobbs at Salem Willows (which has been making the absolute best popcorn in the world as well as some pretty damn fine ice cream and other treats since 1897), I gathered evidence, sent it to the NAPHA folks, and pleaded my case. The organization’s historian, Jim Futrell, recently informed me that upon consideration he would add Salem Willows Park to NAPHA’s official list of trolley parks. Hallelujah! It does my heart good to have played a small role in helping Salem Willows Park get its due.
In the spring or summer, I hope to help organize an event at Salem Willows to celebrate the recognition. I want to set the record straight and share the good news with the community. I’ll be sure to let you know the plans. It’d be great if Boston-area ATPers could attend. It’d be nice to meet you in person. Besides, I know you’d love the popcorn.
Have you been to a trolley park? Are you as crazy over vintage amusement parks as I am?
Such great news!! Thank you for championing this.
That's absolutely FABULOUS! My earliest memories include Salem Willows, too! Great family memories! Thank you for pursuing the recognition for this park!! Please announce when you are going to celebrate this! Chances are, I will be there anyway playing in the arcades when you do! This little park by the sea has SO much to offer. I tell people about it all the time and I am still amazed at how many have never been or know where it is. Once they go though... they can't get enough, just like me (and my husband, friends and family)!