Bowcraft Amusement Park or Bowcraft Playland was a small
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
located on
U.S. Route 22 West in
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The township is located on a ridge in northern- central New Jersey, within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 201 ...
. At the time of its closing, it contained 21 rides appropriate for both children and adults. Bowcraft Amusement Park was open weekends from May through October and daily June through Labor Day.
The park's history dates to 1946, when an archery and skiing enthusiast named Ted Miller opened a small archery and ski equipment store, complete with a small ski slope on-site, and named it Bowcraft Park.
In the 1980s, the park included a
miniature golf course, which was eventually removed to make room for an overall expansion of both the park itself and the parking area.
The park offered a choice between purchasing tickets for individual rides, or an all-inclusive "Fun-Pass" which gives the ticket holder unlimited riding.
In 2016, a developer purchased the property with plans to demolish the park and build 190 apartments and 10 townhomes. The town of Scotch Plains scheduled a hearing to discuss the application for the planned property development on September 26, 2016. The park owners issued a statement saying that despite the planned development, closure was not imminent, and the park would open for the 2017 season in April as always.
The park permanently ceased operations in October 2018 and in the following month, all official park websites and social media pages were deactivated, and the park's rides were put up for sale on various websites.
Former Attractions/Rides
Kiddie Rides
* Merry Go Round
* Frog Hopper
* Helicopters
* Big Trucks
* Motorcycle Jump
* Kiddie Boats
Family Rides
* Balloon Ride
* Drop Zone
* Super Slide
* Train Xpress
* Speedway
* Popp
* Dragon Coaster (sold to
Clementon Park and Splash World
Clementon Park and Splash World is a mid-sized combination theme park and water park in Clementon, Camden County, New Jersey, United States. Also known as Clementon Lake Park, it is one of the world's oldest operating amusement parks and is one o ...
)
* Tilt A Whirl
* Bumper Cars
Thrill Rides
* Galleon Pirate Ship (sold to
Alabama Splash Adventure
Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure (previously known as VisionLand, Alabama Adventure, Splash Adventure and Alabama Splash Adventure) is a water park and amusement park in Bessemer, Alabama. It is owned by Koch Family Parks, which consists of ...
)
* Muzik Express
* Paratrooper
* Scrambler
* Crossbow roller coaster
Other Attractions
Other attractions in the park included a children's play area, arcade, and midway carnival games.
Film appearances
*The conclusion of the 1991 film ''
Mortal Thoughts
''Mortal Thoughts'' is a 1991 American neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Alan Rudolph and starring Demi Moore, Glenne Headly, Bruce Willis, John Pankow and Harvey Keitel. Told in narrative flashbacks set in a police interrogation, the f ...
'' was filmed there, and the park is featured on the film's poster.
*The opening scene from the 1994 movie ''
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
'' was filmed at Bowcraft.
References
External links
*
{{coord, 40.665444, -74.3874, region:US_type:landmark, display=title
Buildings and structures in Union County, New Jersey
Amusement parks in New Jersey
1970 establishments in New Jersey
Tourist attractions in Union County, New Jersey
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Defunct amusement parks in New Jersey