Palace Playland is a seasonal amusement park located in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It has operated on the same site since 1902.
 | |
| Location | Old Orchard Beach, Maine, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 1902 |
| Owner | John Golder Paul Golder |
| Slogan | New England's Only Beachfront Amusement Park |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 28 |
| Roller coasters | 3 |
| Water rides | 1 |
| Website | https://www.palaceplayland.com/ |
.jpg)
History
editIn the 1900s, Palace Playland's startup decade, the then-small amusement park centered on a roller skating rink and adjacent merry-go-round. Simple summer refreshments were served, such as lemonade and salt water taffy.
In the 1950s, Palace Playland was operated by future banker and philanthropist Bernard Osher, a Maine native.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Palace Playland was noted for operating a 1910 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel, PTC #19; however, in 1996, the valuable antique was withdrawn from service and moved to Ohio.[1]
In the 1990s, Palace Playland claimed to be "New England's largest pinball and video arcade." A guidebook writer recommended the park to "aficionados of the garish."[2]
Today
editIn the 2010s, Palace Playland describes itself as "New England's Only Beachfront Amusement Park." In 2010–11, the park tore down and replaced its Ferris wheel. The Playland has positioned itself as a provider of amusement-park-experience services to French-speaking residents of Quebec, including offering a webpage in French.[3] In 2018, Palace Playland opened another new roller coaster known as the "Sea Viper" replacing the "Galaxi". In April 2020, Palace Playland implemented a cashless card system for its arcade.[4]
Palace Playland is located directly on the waterfront, across Maine State Route 9 from the Old Orchard Beach Downeaster passenger railroad station.
Rides
edit| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orient Express[5] | 2000 | Wisdom Rides | |
| Sea Viper[6] | 2018 | Preston & Babieri | Users board a cart resembling a sea snake. Then, passengers whip around sharp turns and steep gradients at high speeds. Replaced the former Galaxi coaster and partially sits on a 1-acre expansion[7] |
| Wipeout[8] | 2018 | SBF Visa Group | Added alongside Sea Viper part of a $4 million expansion. |
| Name | RideType | Notes | Year Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Pendulum | Technical Park Street Fighter Revolution. Replaced Adrenalin | 2024[9] |
| Cliffhanger | Cliffhanger | 2022 | |
| Matterhorn | Matterhorn | ||
| Pirate | Pirate Ship | 2005 | |
| Power Surge | Power Surge | Zamperla; Moved to the former Cascade Falls plot for the 2022 season. | 2003[10] |
| Riptide | Replaced Moby Dick | 2012[11] |
| Name | Ride Type | Notes | Year Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodgems | Bumper Cars | ||
| Drop Zone | Drop Tower | ||
| Electra Wheel | Ferris Wheel | Replaced the parks former Sun Wheel(Ferris Wheel)[12] | 2011 |
| Super Star | Troika | ||
| Tilt-A-Whirl | Tilt-A-Whirl | ||
| Wave Swinger | Wave Swinger | 2008[13] |
| Name | Ride Type | Notes | Year Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carousel | Carousel | Chance Rides Menagerie Carousel | |
| Convoy | |||
| Crop Duster | 2008 | ||
| Dizzy Dragons | 2012 | ||
| Dumbo | |||
| Euro Slide | Fun Slide | 2005[14] | |
| Frog Hopper | 2012 | ||
| Grand Orient Fun House | Fun House | Relocated from the Galaxi side of the Park to near the Ferris Wheel in the early 2000s | |
| Hampton Cars | |||
| Hampton Motorcycles | |||
| Motorcycle Jump | 2005 | ||
| Tea Cups | Kiddie Tea Cups | 2002[15] | |
| Winky The Whale |
| Name | Ride Type | Notes | Year Removed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid Lightning Water Slides | Water Slides | "Tallest Water Slides in Maine" When Opened | 2002 |
| Terminator | Kamikaze | 2009 | |
| Galaxi | Roller Coaster | Replaced by Sea Viper | 2017[16] |
| Fiesta Loca | Octopus | 2018 | |
| Cascade Falls | Log Flume | 2022 |
See also
edit- Euclid Beach Park - discussion of history of PTC #19
- Funtown Splashtown USA - nearby OOB amusement park
References
edit- ^ Curtis, Wayne (1998). Maine: Off the Beaten Path (3rd ed.). Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot Press. 27. ISBN 0-7627-0190-0.
- ^ Curtis, Wayne (1998). Maine: Off the Beaten Path (3rd ed.). Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot Press. 26. ISBN 0-7627-0190-0.
- ^ "Palace Playland". Palace Playland. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
- ^ Achenbach, Meagan (2020-04-28). "Arcade Opening / COVID-19 Park Updates & New Card System". Palace Playland. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ^ "Orient Express - Palace Playland (Old Orchard Beach, Maine, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Sea Viper - Palace Playland (Old Orchard Beach, Maine, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ Writer, Kelley BouchardStaff (2017-09-02). "Roller coaster's last days in Old Orchard Beach herald a larger ride to come". Press Herald. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Wipeout - Palace Playland (Old Orchard Beach, Maine, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Palace Playland Amusement Park, Featured Attractions". 2007-07-01. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Palace Playland Amusement Park, Featured Attractions". 2003-10-02. Archived from the original on 2003-10-02. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "What's New | Palace Playland | Maine Amusement Park | New England's Only Beachfront Amusement Park - Old Orchard Beach, Maine". 2012-10-19. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "What's New | Palace Playland | Maine Amusement Park | New England's Only Beachfront Amusement Park - Old Orchard Beach, Maine". 2011-06-15. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Palace Playland Amusement Park, Featured Attractions". 2008-11-01. Archived from the original on 2008-11-01. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Palace Playland Amusement Park, Featured Attractions". 2005-11-03. Archived from the original on 2005-11-03. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Palace Playland Amusement Park, Featured Attractions". 2002-06-02. Archived from the original on 2002-06-02. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Galaxi - Palace Playland (Old Orchard Beach, Maine, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.