Freedomland U.S.A.

Freedomland U.S.A. (usually called Freedomland) was a theme park dedicated to American history in the Baychester section of the northeastern Bronx in New York City. Operating from 1960 to 1964, Freedomland was built on marshland owned by the Webb and Knapp company, of which William Zeckendorf Sr. was the major owner. Zeckendorf announced his plans for Freedomland in May 1959. The park layout was conceived and built by C. V. Wood, and consisted of over 40 attractions arranged in the shape of a large map of the contiguous United States. Groundbreaking ceremonies for Freedomland occurred in late 1959, and Freedomland opened on June 19, 1960, to large crowds.

Because of Freedomland's $65 million construction cost, the park faced financial issues at the time of its opening; by the end of the 1961 season, Freedomland had $8 million in debt. To generate revenue, the park added more exhibits and conventional amusements. By 1963, further financial issues led the owners to sell off a portion of Freedomland's lot to a pension fund of the Teamsters Union, as well as close off a section of the park. Even though Freedomland's planners anticipated that the park would eventually be developed into a full-time amusement area, Freedomland closed permanently at the end of the 1964 season, filing for bankruptcy on September 14, 1964.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the site of Freedomland was redeveloped as Co-op City, the world's largest co-op housing development. Also built on the site were the Bay Plaza Shopping Center and an indoor mall. Many Freedomland attractions and design features were auctioned or sold to other parks, and many of these rides no longer exist. While little physical evidence of Freedomland remains, several media works commemorate the former amusement park.

Creation

Freedomland was conceived and built by C. V. Wood, a Texan who had worked in the planning, construction, and management of Disneyland, which opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955. After Disneyland's opening, Wood's relationship with the Disney brothers became strained because of various disputes, and he was ousted from Disneyland management by early 1956. He soon became involved in the creation of other amusement parks across the United States under his company Marco Engineering. Wood had devised plans for an American-history theme park as early as 1957, in conjunction with Milton Ted Raynor, who later became president of Freedomland Inc. The new theme park would be themed entirely around American history, in a more historically accurate version of the Disneyland layout, which initially included four distinct areas: Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland.

Site

Two consultants at Marco Engineering performed a feasibility study for the location of Wood's proposed American-history theme park. By late 1958, Wood had pitched his American-history park concept to the Webb & Knapp development company. Early the next year, a site was selected: a portion of a plot owned by Webb & Knapp in the northeast Bronx, New York City. The site, in the northeast Bronx, was a former municipal landfill, originally marshland fed by Rattlesnake Creek and the Hutchinson River. This led to a profusion of mosquitoes during certain periods of the year.

The International Recreation Corporation (IRC) was incorporated in Boston in April 1959 to oversee development of the proposed park. Webb & Knapp's principal owner, William Zeckendorf, announced the plans for Freedomland on April 30, 1959. National Development Corporation (NDC), a Webb & Knapp subsidiary, as well as Freedomland Inc., an IRC subsidiary, were created to operate and manage the theme park. Wood and IRC president Peter De Met announced further details of the proposed park at a press conference that May. According to Wood and De Met, the park was to cover and would have space for up to 32,000 visitors. About would be developed for the park itself, and would house parking, maintenance areas, and other service areas. There would also be a 12,000-spot parking lot and a 600-room motel.

In mid-1959, Freedomland Inc. leased the site for a 50-year period. IRC issued about one million shares, which were then sold to NDC and Freedomland Inc. The IRC offered 580,000 shares to the public in July 1959, priced at $17.50 per share, and the stock offering was quickly oversubscribed. This raised $17 million for the park. Under the terms of the lease agreement, the park was to pay an annual rent of $600,000 for the first five years, $750,000 for the next ten years, and $1 million thereafter. Wood presented further details for the park to Zeckendorf and his son William Zeckendorf Jr. later the same year.

Construction

A groundbreaking ceremony for Freedomland was initially planned for July 4, 1959, coinciding with Independence Day. Ultimately, the ceremony occurred on August 26, 1959. The ceremony featured a helicopter ride over the premises for the park's backers, as well as a special subway train for attendees. The festivities also included performances from cowboys and showgirls; the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts; performances from costumed actors; and a musical number from New York City Department of Sanitation's 60-piece band. Fifty bulldozers, representing every U.S. state, were exhibited at the groundbreaking ceremony. Despite these lavish preparations, only 19 members of the public attended the ceremony, in addition to sponsors and performers.

Over the next months, more than 2,000 workers were hired, mostly by the two major contractors, Turner Construction and Aberthaw Construction. Work was completed within just under 300 days. Some of land were excavated to create of canals. Land was raised by up to to create the park's natural-looking features. '' Billboard'' magazine reported that the park was to have between 33 and 35 rides on opening day, as well as more than 80 commercial tenants who funded the construction of their own attractions. Major contractors were hired to furnish the props and attractions, including flat-ride manufacturer Arrow Dynamics, souvenir manufacturer Enco National Corporation, concessionaire The Brass Rail, and sternwheeler manufacturer Todd Shipyards. Frederic V. Schumacher was hired as the park's general manager in September 1959. In addition, Ellington and Co. was hired to manage advertising for the park, Sylvester Weaver Jr. oversaw radio and television coverage of the park, while Douglas Leigh was hired as the park's lighting consultant. Allen Hixon was hired in early 1960 to design the park's layout.

The construction contractors had finished the foundations of 15 structures by November 1959. The park's construction was facilitated by mild weather during the winter of 1959–1960, and forty-two buildings were in various states of completion by February 1960. On March 24, six small unfinished buildings were destroyed by fire and were razed; this did not affect progress on the rest of the park. The burned structures were reused as props for Freedomland's Chicago Fire attraction. Freedomland's opening was originally set for June 1, 1960. Advertising agent Edward Weiner wished to invite politicians such as the administration of U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower; all members of the U.S. Congress; the governors of all 50 U.S. states; and United Nations delegates to the park's opening. The opening was postponed to July 1 so the park could be ready for the expected crowds, then rescheduled again to June 18 due to high excitement generated by the marketing campaign. Journalists were invited to preview the park on April 28, 1960. By that May, the park's managers were so confident of the park's June 18 opening date that they had arranged for the popular TV series ''The'' ''Ed Sullivan Show'' to be broadcast from there on that date.

Opening

When announced, Freedomland was supposed to cost $15.5 million, funded by Freedomland Inc.'s stock issues. The final cost was significantly higher, at $65 million; the land was valued at $30 million and the scenery another $33 million. The eateries comprised another $1 million of the cost. The actual theme park consisted of of the 205-acre site leased by the IRC. Prior to opening day, Freedomland launched an aggressive advertising campaign. The first phase, targeting the 10 million people living within of New York City, consisted of daily advertisements in the city's newspapers, radio and TV stations, and subway cars. Advertisements were found as far away as from the Bronx, and several contests and promotions for Freedomland were held in the greater New York City area. Several taglines were devised to advertise Freedomland, including "The World's Newest and Largest Outdoor Entertainment Center", "The World's Largest Entertainment Center", "The World's Largest Family Entertainment Center", and "The World's Largest Outdoor Entertainment Center". Marketers also used the generic slogan "A World of Fun for Everyone", but they discarded another tagline, "Freedomland is fifty states of happiness!". A promotional jingle was also developed for Freedomland.

On June 18, 1960, Freedomland was dedicated with a ceremony in front of the Chicago-themed railroad station. About 25,000 people attended the dedication, which raised funds for local youth programs. The following day, June 19, the park officially opened. To draw more visitors, Freedomland started a second advertising campaign on that day, targeting ten major populated areas within a radius of . People lined up to get into the park two and a half hours before its official 9:00 a.m. opening. The ribbon was officially cut by Pat Boone at 8:30 a.m. By noon, radio announcers were warning people not to go to Freedomland; the parking lot was full, and visitors were reportedly parking on side streets up to from the main gate. By 2:05 p.m., Freedomland stopped selling tickets due to traffic jams on highways and local roads leading to the park. Ultimately, the park recorded 61,500 visitors, one-third less than the expected maximum capacity, and closed at 9:00 p.m., three hours before its intended closing.

On opening day, one security guard was quoted as saying that the drinking fountains were non-functional, the restrooms were few and far between, the concessionaires were poorly equipped for operation, and many exhibits were not yet painted or decorated. The park had a much smaller crowd on its second day of operation, when it had an average of 15,000 visitors throughout the day. Satellite City and the Chicago Fire were not operational until a few weeks after opening day, the former due to "electrical difficulties". In total, Freedomland was only 85 percent complete at the time of its opening. Parts of the original proposal, such as a Freedomland Inn and a movie studio, were never completed.

Admission was initially $1.00 for adults, 75 cents for those aged 12 to 17, and 50 cents for those under 12. Members of the United States Armed Forces also paid 75 cents. The admission fee only covered entry to the park; each of the 35 rides had an additional surcharge of 10 to 50 cents. Patrons could also buy coupon books for nine rides, which cost between $2.50 and $3.50. At some point during the first season, adult admission was increased to $1.50.

Areas and attractions

Under Wood's leadership, Freedomland's designers created a history-themed concept, divided into seven themed areas based on the history of the United States. Each section featured attractions, shops, and restaurants that fit with the theme of that section. The property layout was arranged in the shape of a large map of the contiguous United States and designed like a movie set. As guests entered from the parking lot, they walked into Little Old New York of the 1890s. Baychester Avenue and the New England Thruway at the park's western edge approximately represented Freedomland's border with Canada. The designers added decor such as vintage building advertisements and a night-lighting system. Freedomland's attractions on opening day were significantly different from what had originally been planned. Of the 16 areas and attractions announced in an August 1959 press release, 12 were operating on opening day, some of which were themed to a completely different time span than in the original plan. As conceived, the park also focused on history from a narrow time span, between roughly 1850 and 1900, rather than a larger time span.

The park could accommodate up to 32,000 visitors at once or 90,000 visitors per day. The premises included of navigable waterways and lakes, 10,000 newly planted trees, more than 18 restaurants and snack bars, and parking for 7,200 cars for guests and 1,800 for employees. The park also included 35,000 shrubs. Freedomland's operators also acquired 80 burros, 200 horses, six stagecoaches, canoes, and saddles to make the park seem more realistic. At Freedomland's opening, there were 41 attractions, as well as performances reenacted by over 2,000 cast members. The park also had its own fire department, as well as a dedicated police department with 110 officers. Freedomland hosted a competition for its official hostess, "Miss Freedomland", every season; according to the ''New York Amsterdam News'', these hostesses "have gone on to lucrative careers in fashion and television modeling".

The programs were designed to be interactive: for instance, children were enlisted to participate in fighting a reenacted Great Chicago Fire. None of the rides on opening day were traditional amusement park attractions such as roller coasters. As attendance failed to meet the operators' expectations, generic fairground attractions were added to the park in subsequent opening seasons, and the park had 45 rides and over 200 performance programs by 1962. Like at Disneyland, many of Freedomland's attractions received corporate sponsorships, and alcoholic beverages were banned in Freedomland.

Transportation

The site was accessible from the rest of the city via the New York City Subway's Pelham Bay Park station, served by the , and the Gun Hill Road station, served by the . Furthermore, the presence of several highways, such as the New England Thruway, made the site accessible from the surrounding New York metropolitan area, whose population exceeded 10 million. Express bus service was provided from Manhattan, as well as to the Pelham Bay Park and Gun Hill Road subway stations. For the wealthy, Flotair operated a seaplane service that could reach Manhattan in five minutes.

Intra-park transport

Freedomland U.S.A. had a railroad and an aerial lift ride carrying passengers between different parts of the park. The Narrow gauge Santa Fe Railroad traveled between the Chicago and San Francisco areas of the park. The ride was approximately six minutes in duration and consisted of a loop stretching about . Two locomotives named Monson No. 3 and Monson No. 4, as well as passenger coaches and flatbeds, were leased from the Edaville Railroad in Massachusetts and transported back to the Edaville Railroad via truck in between seasons.

A two-passenger double Von Roll (VR101) sky ride, the Tucson Mining Company Sky Ride, traveled between the Old Southwest and Old Chicago sections of the park. The ride used gondolas manufactured by Gangloff Cabins, supposedly obtained from the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and designed as replicas of ore cars. Sixty-four gondolas were used. The attraction was the company's first Double Von Roll 101 sky ride. The attraction contained two extended cables, although guests perceived these as four cables, two traveling in each direction. For the 1960 and 1961 seasons, the sky ride was a round trip only, but starting in 1962, guests could board at Chicago.

Little Old New York (1850–1900)

This section was geographically located at the north end of the park, and depicted New York City as it appeared in the late 19th century. Little Old New York was geographically closest to the main entrance, and as such, contained an information booth, stroller rental, and lockers. Attractions included:
* Horseless Carriage – An antique car ride in a 1909 model Cadillac through the New England countryside.
* New York Harbor tug boats "Totsie" and "Pert" – A boat ride from New York Harbor.
* A horse-drawn trolley that operated on tracks and traveled from New York to the Old Chicago area.
* The Bank of New York – A working bank branch that doubled as an exhibit about currency.

Restaurants and refreshments included:
* Borden's Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor
* F&M Schaefer Brewery – An old-fashioned brewery sponsored by Schaefer Beer.
* Kandy King Candy Shop
* Lipton's Inn/Lipton's Tea House
* New York Coffee House
* Welch's Grape Juice Bar – A beverage bar located near the New England vineyard.
Shops included a print shop to purchase vintage-style posters, apothecary shop, glass blower shop, and other stores. The stores were generally separated internally, like actual shops on city streets, but unlike in Disneyland where the shops were connected to each other. Macy's recreated its original Manhattan store, Macy's Herald Square. There was also a live street show that included a German band, an 1880s Tammany Hall speech, political pep rally, campaigning suffragettes, and a New York gangland robbery of the Little Old New York Bank.

Old Chicago (1871)

This section was located on the western border of the park, south of Old New York. One of the main geographical features of Old Chicago was an imitation of the Great Lakes. This water body was deep, covered a surface area of , and could hold .

Attractions included:
* The Chicago Fire – At scheduled times, a Chicago building would "burn" and the flames were extinguished by character actors portraying firemen along with volunteers from among park guests using the vintage 1800s water pumper. The attraction was based on the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
* Chippewa War Canoes perated 1960–1961– An attraction where guests paddled one of five 19-passenger canoes led by Native American guides.
* Great Lakes Cruise – A boat ride along the Great Lakes on one of two 110-foot, 400-passenger sternwheeler boats with calliopes.
* Indian Village – A teepee village with Native Americans creating handicrafts for sale and showcasing traditional dances. It was moved to the Great Plains "after a few seasons".
* Santa Fe Railroad station
* State Fair Midway perated 1962–1964– A series of more typical amusement rides added during the 1962 season. These included a Meteor Monorail roller coaster from Mack Rides; an Astro Ride; a Bumper Scooter; a go-kart track; and a Wiggle Worm. A kids' section was included, with a junior Santa Fe train, as well as several other rides for small children. A dock was added for the New York Harbor Tug Boats.
Restaurants and refreshments included the Brass Rail Stockyards Restaurant, a steak restaurant. This was considered the largest restaurant in Freedomland with over 300 seats.

Shops included:
* Hallmark Card Shop – A store that sold souvenir postcards. Also served as Freedomland's communication center.
* Relic Shop – A souvenir shop located near the Chicago Fire attraction.

The Great Plains (1803–1900)

This section was located south of Old Chicago. Attractions included:
* Borden's Barn Boudoir – A fully furnished apartment for the Borden Company's mascot, Elsie the Cow.
* Borden's Farm – A working farm exhibit that included horses, cows, sheep, pigs, poultry, corn and hay.
* Cavalry Rifles – A shooting gallery.
* Fort Cavalry – A log-by-log replica of a U.S. Army stockade.
* Fort Cavalry Stage Line – A stage coach ride past a buffalo herd and through the Rocky Mountains that included a mock robbery by actors portraying outlaws. A driver and four horses led each of the coaches, and between four and eight coaches were reportedly used.
* Mule-Go-Round – A merry-go-round pulled by western mules.
* Pony Express – A rider would pick up a message at the office and deliver it to The Old Southwest section for pick-up by the park guest.

Restaurants and refreshments included:
* Borden's Milk Bar – A beverage bar.
* Chuck Wagon Snack Stand – A snack bar.

San Francisco (1906)

This section was located at the south end of the park. Attractions included:
* Barbary Coast – A recreation of San Francisco's entertainment district.
* Chinatown – A recreation of San Francisco's Chinese district, with shops and a Chinese restaurant sponsored by Chun King. There were also two inoperative junks that were built in Hong Kong.
* Hollywood Arena dded in 1961nbsp;– An amphitheater with animal acts and big top stunts, it also featured appearances from New York City children's television personalities such as ''Wonderama'' host Sonny Fox, WPIX-TV's Officer Joe Bolton, ''Super Circus'' ringmaster Claude Kirchner and WNEW-TV's Uncle Fred Scott.
* Horse-Drawn Surreys – A transportation ride to the Southwest area.
* Northwest Fur Trapper – A boat ride adventure through Lewis and Clark territory, similar to Disneyland's Jungle Cruise.
* Santa Fe Railroad station
* San Francisco Earthquake – A dark ride made by Arrow Dynamics, which simulated the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
* Seal Pool – A display of actual Pacific harbor seals.

Restaurants and refreshments included:
* A&W Root Beer perated 1962–1964nbsp;– An exhibit and restaurant sponsored by A&W Root Beer.
* Chun-King Shangri-La Restaurant – Located in the Chinatown recreation.
* Fisherman's Wharf – A snack stand with an actor dressed as an old salt seaman telling stories.

Shops included:
* Indian Trading Post – A souvenir shop.
* Italian restaurant with attached gift shop.

The Old Southwest (1890)

This section was located on the eastern border of the park, north of Old San Francisco. Attractions included:
* Burro Trail – An outdoor ride across the park's Rocky Mountains on actual burros.
* Casa Loca – A walk-through crooked house that appeared to defy the law of gravity.
* Gunfight – A live street show with actors engaged in a Western gun fight.
* Mine Caverns – A dark ride on an underground mine train through lava pits that revealed giant bats and cave creatures. Fourteen ride vehicles were used, with four passengers per vehicle.
* Texas Longhorns – An actual herd of steers.
* Tucson Mining Company – The gondola ride.

Restaurants and refreshments included:
* Mexican Restaurant (Libby's Hacienda, or Libby's Frito House) – A restaurant that served quick service meals, along with several "specials" that included Fritos.
* Santa Fe Opera House and Saloon – A soft drink bar that featured a 30-minute stage show with a four-piece band, showgirls, singers and comedians. Some of New York City's radio disc jockeys and program hosts would broadcast from the stage.

Shops included:
* Mexican Market – Souvenir shop.
* Western Trading Post – Souvenir shop.

New Orleans – Mardi Gras

This section was located north of the Old Southwest. Attractions included:
* Buccaneers – A pirate-themed boat ride based on the original plans for Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
* Civil War – A horse-drawn correspondents wagon under a flag of truce brought park guests through recreations of American Civil War battle grounds, camps, derailed trains and burning houses. It ended at the surrender at Old Appomattox Court House.
* Crystal Maze – The world's first glass-walled house of mirrors maze.
* Danny the Dragon – A tram-like ride on the tail of a long fire breathing dragon through Storybook Land. Freedomland had a green Danny and a red Danny.
* Kandy Kane Lane – A children's play area with a helicopter ride, a swan boat ride, a toy fair and a sand pile.
* King Rex Carrousel – A Dentzel merry-go-round dated to circa 1912.
* Popeye Museum perated 1962 onlynbsp;– Museum themed to the cartoon character Popeye

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases