Freedomland U.S.A.
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Freedomland U.S.A. (usually called Freedomland) was a
theme 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 ...
dedicated to American history in the
Baychester Baychester is a neighborhood geographically located in the northeast part of the Bronx, New York City. Its boundaries are East 222nd Street to the northeast, the New England Thruway (I-95) to the east, Gun Hill Road to the southwest, and Boston ...
section of the northeastern Bronx in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. Operating from 1960 to 1964, Freedomland was built on marshland owned by the
Webb and Knapp Webb and Knapp was a real estate development firm. The company is most famous for developing the Roosevelt Airfield, which was the launching site of the transatlantic flights of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. It was also the firm at which ...
company, of which
William Zeckendorf William Zeckendorf Sr. (June 30, 1905 – September 30, 1976) was a prominent American real estate developer. Through his development company Webb and Knapp — for which he began working in 1938 and which he purchased in 1949 — he developed ...
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 Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood Jr. (December 17, 1920 – March 14, 1992) was an American developer of theme parks and planned communities. He was the chief developer of Disneyland and then, through his own company, Marco Engineering, he developed oth ...
, and consisted of over 40 attractions arranged in the shape of a large map of the contiguous United States.
Groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are ...
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 The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the un ...
, 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 Co-op City (short for Cooperative City) is a cooperative housing development located in the northeast section of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by Interstate 95 to the southwest, west, and north and the Hutchinson River ...
, the world's largest co-op housing development. Also built on the site were the
Bay Plaza Shopping Center Bay Plaza Shopping Center is a shopping center on the south side of Co-op City, Bronx, New York City. In addition to various department stores and shops, such as Macy's, JCPenney, Staples, and Old Navy, it has a multiplex movie theater, several ...
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 Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood Jr. (December 17, 1920 – March 14, 1992) was an American developer of theme parks and planned communities. He was the chief developer of Disneyland and then, through his own company, Marco Engineering, he developed oth ...
, a Texan who had worked in the planning, construction, and management of
Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...
, which opened in
Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
, 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 Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions t ...
,
Fantasyland Fantasyland is one of the "themed lands" at all of the Magic Kingdom-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world. It is themed after Disney's animated fairy tale films. Each Fantasyland has a castle, as well as several gentle ri ...
, and
Frontierland Frontierland is one of the "themed lands" at the many Disneyland-style parks run by Disney around the world. Themed to the American Frontier of the 19th century, Frontierlands are home to cowboys and pioneers, saloons, red rock buttes and gol ...
.


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 The Hutchinson River is a freshwater stream located in the Bronx, and Southern Westchester County, New York. The river forms in Scarsdale at Brookline Road and flows 10 miles (16 km) south until it empties into Eastchester Bay in ...
. This led to a profusion of mosquitoes during certain periods of the year. The International Recreation Corporation (IRC) was incorporated in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
in April 1959 to oversee development of the proposed park. Webb & Knapp's principal owner,
William Zeckendorf William Zeckendorf Sr. (June 30, 1905 – September 30, 1976) was a prominent American real estate developer. Through his development company Webb and Knapp — for which he began working in 1938 and which he purchased in 1949 — he developed ...
, 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. William Zeckendorf Jr. (October 31, 1929 – February 12, 2014) was an American real estate developer. Son of William Zeckendorf Sr., he was the second of three generations of one of New York's great real estate dynasties. While keeping a lower pr ...
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 The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for garbage collection, recycling collection, street cleaning, and snow removal. The DSNY motto "New York's Strongest" was coined ...
'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 Turner Construction is an American construction company with presence in 20 countries. It is a subsidiary of the German company Hochtief. It is the largest domestic contractor in the United States as of 2020, with a revenue of $14.41 billion in ...
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 Arrow Dynamics was an American manufacturing and engineering company that specialized in designing and building amusement park rides, especially roller coasters. Based in Clearfield, Utah, the company was the successor to Arrow Development (194 ...
, souvenir manufacturer Enco National Corporation, concessionaire The Brass Rail, and sternwheeler manufacturer
Todd Shipyards Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...
. 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 Douglas Leigh (May 24, 1907 – December 14, 1999) was an American advertising executive and lighting designer, and a pioneer in signage and outdoor advertising. He is famous for making New York City's Times Square the site of some of the worl ...
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 Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
; 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 Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...
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 The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
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 Set construction is the process undertaken by a construction manager to build full-scale scenery, as specified by a production designer or art director working in collaboration with the director of a production to create a set for a theatric ...
. 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 The ''Amsterdam News'' (also known as ''New York Amsterdam News'') is a weekly Black-owned newspaper serving New York City. It is one of the oldest newspapers geared toward African Americans in the United States and has published columns by s ...
'', 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 The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
. 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 sponsorship Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is k ...
s, 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 The Pelham Bay Park station is the northern terminal station of the IRT Pelham Line of the New York City Subway. Located across from Pelham Bay Park, at the intersection of the Bruckner Expressway and Westchester Avenue in the Pelham Bay neighb ...
, served by the , and the Gun Hill Road station, served by the . Furthermore, the presence of several highways, such as the
New England Thruway Interstate 95 (I-95) is part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida, to the Canada–United States border near Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, I-95 extends from the George Washington Bridge in New Yor ...
, made the site accessible from the surrounding
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
, whose population exceeded 10 million. Express bus service was provided from
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, as well as to the Pelham Bay Park and Gun Hill Road subway stations. For the wealthy, Flotair operated a
seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their technological characteri ...
service that could reach Manhattan in five minutes.


Intra-park transport

Freedomland U.S.A. had a railroad and an
aerial lift An aerial lift, also known as a cable car or ropeway, is a means of cable transport in which ''cabins'', ''cars'', ''gondolas'', or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of one or more cables. Aerial lift systems are frequently employe ...
ride carrying passengers between different parts of the park. The
Narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
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 Edaville Railroad (also branded Edaville USA and Edaville Family Theme Park) is a heritage railroad and amusement park in South Carver, Massachusetts, opened in 1947, and temporally closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The park was onl ...
in Massachusetts and transported back to the Edaville Railroad via truck in between seasons. A two-passenger double
Von Roll Von Roll Holding AG is a Swiss industrial group that operates worldwide. It was founded in 1803. As one of Switzerland’s longest-established industrial companies, Von Roll focuses today on products and systems for electrical applications such ...
(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 Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (french: Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Bruxelles de 1958, nl, Brusselse Wereldtentoonstelling van 1958), was a world's fair held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Brussels, Bel ...
, 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 New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
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 The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, commonly known as BNY Mellon, is an American investment banking services holding company headquartered in New York City. BNY Mellon was formed from the merger of The Bank of New York and the Mellon Fina ...
– 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 Schaefer Beer is a brand of American beer first produced in New York City during 1842 by the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company.The Shaefer Beer Stor The company relocated to Brooklyn in the early 20th century. It went public in 1968 with a $ ...
. * 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 Macy's Herald Square (originally named the R. H. Macy and Company Store) is the flagship of Macy's department store, as well as the Macy's, Inc. corporate headquarters, on Herald Square in Manhattan, New York City. The building's , which includ ...
. There was also a live street show that included a German band, an 1880s
Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
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 The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...
. 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 The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
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 Borden, Inc., was an American producer of food and beverage products, consumer products, and industrial products. At one time, the company was the largest U.S. producer of dairy and pasta products. Its food division, Borden Foods, was based in ...
's mascot,
Elsie the Cow Elsie the Cow is a cartoon cow developed as a mascot for the Borden Dairy Company in 1936 to symbolize the "perfect dairy product". Since the demise of Borden in the mid-1990s, the character has continued to be used in the same capacity for the ...
. * 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 The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...
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 ''Wonderama'' is a children's television program that originally appeared on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1977. The show was revived from 1980 to 1987, and again in 2016. Hosts *Al Hodge (as Captain Video 1955–1956) *Jon Gnagy ...
'' host
Sonny Fox Irwin "Sonny" Fox (June 17, 1925 – January 24, 2021) was an American television host and broadcaster who was the host of the children's television program, ''Wonderama''. Through his career, he had hosted other children's educational and ent ...
,
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's Officer Joe Bolton, ''
Super Circus ''Super Circus'' is an American television program that aired live on Sunday afternoons from 5 to 6pm Eastern Time from 1949 to 1956 on ABC. The show was produced in Chicago by WBKB-TV (today's WLS-TV) through 1955, and its production moved to N ...
'' ringmaster
Claude Kirchner Claude Kirchner (February 11, 1916 – March 8, 1993), was an American television announcer and personality whose 50-year career in radio and television included hosting popular children's programs in Chicago and New York City from 1949 until 19 ...
and
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'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 Jungle Cruise, formally named Jungle River Cruise, is a riverboat amusement ride located in the Adventureland themed section at various Disney theme parks worldwide. The attraction is a simulated riverboat cruise that travels along a waterway ...
. * Santa Fe Railroad station * San Francisco Earthquake – A
dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music and special effects. Appearing as early as the 19th century, su ...
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 A&W Root Beer is an American brand of root beer that was founded in 1919 by Roy W. Allen – A&W root beer's official history and primarily available in the United States and Canada. Allen partnered with Frank Wright in 1922, creating the A&W ...
. * 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 In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stron ...
. * Gunfight – A live street show with actors engaged in a Western gun fight. * Mine Caverns – A
dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music and special effects. Appearing as early as the 19th century, su ...
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
steer Steer, Steers or Steering may refer to: Animals * Steer or bullock, castrated male cattle * Ox, a steer used as a draft animal People * Steer (surname) * Steers (surname) Places * Steer Creek (West Virginia), a tributary of the Little ...
s. * 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 Fritos is an American brand of corn chips and dipping sauces that was created in 1932 by Charles Elmer Doolin and produced since 1961 by the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo. Fritos are made by deep-frying extruded whole cornmeal, unlike the simi ...
. * 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 The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
battle grounds, camps, derailed trains and burning houses. It ended at the surrender at
Old Appomattox Court House The Old Appomattox Court House is a former county court house within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park., has an extensive bibliography which lists manuscript collections, private papers and letters that were consulted, as well a ...
. * Crystal Maze – The world's first glass-walled
house of mirrors A house of mirrors or hall of mirrors is a traditional attraction at funfairs (carnivals) and amusement parks. The basic concept behind a house of mirrors is to be a maze-like puzzle. In addition to the maze, participants are also given mirr ...
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 Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar. * Pirate Gun Gallery – A shooting gallery. * Spin-A-Top – A spinning ride similar to Disney's Mad Tea Cups ride, with 18 "tops" on three turntables. * Tornado Adventure – A
dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music and special effects. Appearing as early as the 19th century, su ...
that simulated driving though a Tornado Alley twister. * Wax Museum perated 1963–1964– A
wax museum A wax museum or waxworks usually consists of a collection of wax sculptures representing famous people from history and contemporary personalities exhibited in lifelike poses, wearing real clothes. Some wax museums have a special section dubb ...
brought from the
Century 21 Exposition The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World's Fair) was a world's fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962, in Seattle, Washington, United States.Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. Restaurants and refreshments included: * Jesse Jewell Plantation House Restaurant – Food-service area that served fried chicken. * Mardi Gras Sidewalk Cafe * Jolly Roger snack area Shops included the Carousel Toy Shop, next to the King Rex Carrousel.


Satellite City – The Future

This section was located at the southeast section of the park. Attractions included: * Blast-Off Bunker – An authentic reproduction of a Cape Canaveral control room in which visitors could witness a simulated rocket launch from start to finish. * Braniff Space Rover – A simulation of a space journey in a 250-seat theatre designed to appear as a space ship. * Moon Bowl perated 1961–1964– A stage and dance floor that featured celebrity performers and guests. * Moving Lake Walk – An automated moving sidewalk across a man-made lake. The lake was removed and replaced by the Moon Bowl for the 1961 season, but the sidewalk remained. * Satellite City Turnpike – A miniature auto ride in futuristic cars. * Special exhibits about modern science and industry. Restaurants and refreshments included the Satellite City Snack Bar, as well as a Coca-Cola soft-drink bar.


Unbuilt areas and attractions

* Florida – An area near New Orleans and Satellite City that would have recreated the Florida peninsula. * Movie Lot – A recreation of a Hollywood set located near San Francisco. * An expansion of the New England section, which would have included a commemoration of the Battle of Bunker Hill, a fishing village, and a
Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in December 1620. The Pilgrims did not refer to Plymouth Rock in any of their writings; the first known writt ...
recreation. In addition, the park would have been supplemented by the Freedomland Inn, an off-site hotel south of the park, which would have had between 300 and 600 rooms. Architect William B. Tabler was hired to design the inn, which would have been directly south of the park, and contained amenities such as a wading pool, an
Olympic-size swimming pool An Olympic-size swimming pool conforms to regulated dimensions that are large enough for international competition. This type of swimming pool is used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is in length, typically referred to as "long cour ...
, a restaurant, and a coffee shop. Ultimately, only a foundation slab was developed; upon the park's eventual demise, some props were dumped over the slab and used as landfill.


Operations


1960 season

Because of Freedomland's high construction costs, it was $7 million in debt on its opening day, leading commenters to describe it as a "gamble". Schumacher hoped that Freedomland would be as large a New York City icon as
Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
or the Statue of Liberty. Although optimistic projections called for up to 5 million visitors a year, Freedomland would have needed to see two million visitors in its first season in order to
break even Break-even (or break even), often abbreviated as B/E in finance, (sometimes called point of equilibrium) is the point of balance making neither a profit nor a loss. Any number below the break-even point constitutes a loss while any number above it ...
. Toward the end of the season, first-year visitation projections were decreased from 4.8 million to 1.7 million; the park ultimately saw 1.5 million visitors, a statistic that was never surpassed in subsequent seasons. For the 1960 operating season, Freedomland was open seven days a week until September 18, when its operating hours were cut to weekends only for the rest of the season. Freedomland's managers had planned to operate the park from May 15 to October 15 of each year. The last operating day of the 1960 season was at the end of October. On August 28, 1960, three armed men stole the day's receipts of over $28,000; most of the money was recovered when the thieves, identified as employees, were arrested two weeks later. At the end of that September, local news media reported that Freedomland had failed to pay the city a 5% amusement tax totaling $148,200, though the unpaid tax was resolved by the following week. The 1960 season was also marked by several incidents involving patron injuries. On June 25, 1960, days after the grand opening, a horse-drawn stagecoach overturned in the Great Plains section of the park and injured 10 people. Another incident occurred on October 24, 1960, when a children's train ride overturned and injured two boys. Meanwhile, Turner Construction and Aberthaw Construction filed a $3.648 million
mechanic's lien A mechanic's lien is a security interest in the title to property for the benefit of those who have supplied labor or materials that improve the property. The lien exists for both real property and personal property. In the realm of real property, ...
on the park in November 1960. The various lawsuits and liens left the park in debt. During the 1960 season, Webb & Knapp bought a 40% share in the project, only for the stock to drop by almost two-thirds, from $17.50 to $6.25 a share. At one point, local merchants refused to accept checks that had been issued by Freedomland. By that August, Raynor and Wood had resigned from the park's operation, and Zeckendorf hired two men to replace them. Zeckendorf also hired Art K. Moss, a marketing expert, who cut costs by decreasing the $150,000 weekly payroll by 20% and forbidding employees from collecting
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
. To raise money for the park, Zeckendorf proposed selling his leaseholds on three hotels in Midtown Manhattan (the Astor,
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...
, and
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
hotels) to the IRC. Webb and Knapp also considered developing a shopping center along Freedomland's periphery, and they started constructing the proposed motel during the 1960–1961 off-season.


1961 season

At the end of the 1960 season, park operators initially predicted that the park would reopen in May 1961, though the reopening date was postponed by one month. Freedomland continued to experience financial troubles: before the beginning of the 1961 season, it was $8 million in debt. This led the IRC to propose that Zeckendorf sell the leaseholds on several Manhattan hotels to Freedomland Inc. in exchange for a $16.35 million mortgage note. As part of the plan, Webb and Knapp would give the park a $3 million cash loan, and it would purchase the lien that the construction contractors had placed on the park. This plan was approved in June 1961, just prior to the start of the park's second season. Zeckendorf also unsuccessfully attempted a merger with Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino. Yonkers Raceway's owners declined, though the IRC did purchase a controlling interest in the raceway that October. The park reopened on June 10, 1961. Admission fees were raised to $2.95 for a park-wide entrance ticket, and pay-per-ride admission was abolished. To entice visitors, Freedomland started to add more traditional amusement rides, such as the Moon Bowl dance floor, as well as expanded its schedule of performances. The new attractions included a live show called Colossus; in total, the park had 164 events and attractions for the 1961 season. The Freedomland Inn, which had been planned to open in the park's second season, had not started construction. During the 1961 season, over 1.7 million visitors entered Freedomland. The park still had a myriad of issues: for instance, to satiate employees' demands for pay raises, the security budget was decreased, which resulted in people sneaking into the park without an admission ticket. To combat the park's declining reputation, Moss announced that taxicab drivers of New York City and their families would be able to enter Freedomland for free. According to a study conducted by park management, visitors stayed for an average of 7 hours and 48 minutes during the 1961 season.


1962 season

By 1962, it cost $1 million per year to maintain the park during the off-season. Prior to the 1962 season, Freedomland spent $1 million to add and expand its offerings. The improvements included a 5,000-seat arena and a midway-themed area with children's rides, as well as the Astro-Ride roller coaster and a Wiggly-Worm caterpillar ride. The 1962 season started on May 27 of that year. It was open weekends only for the first month, expanding its schedule to seven days a week in late June. Freedomland charged $3.50 admission during the 1962 season. After implementing a system of portable radios, the park laid off 700 of its 3,000 workers during that season. Additionally, visitors who entered after 6 p.m. were charged a reduced price of $2.50. The park also offered concerts, which featured acts such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Benny Goodman, and
Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...
. In the long term, there were plans to make Freedomland into a year-round destination. Following these changes, paint company Benjamin Moore & Co., which sponsored an exhibit in Satellite City, sued Freedomland in September 1962, seeking $150,000 in damages. The company sought to void its lease for exhibit space, citing "historical and educational" changes to the park's character. The New York Supreme Court ruled against Benjamin Moore. Concessionaires also started complaining of high rents, which had increased to , a price that many vendors could not pay with their low profits. Total admission for 1962 was estimated at 1.4 million.


1963 season

The 1963 season started on April 21 of that year, at which point it was open weekends only until that June. Admission had been reduced to one dollar. By that time, the themes of the amusements and events had little to do with history in general, let alone American history. The events advertised at the park included a children's zoo, puppet shows, DJ shows, clown performances, and circus parades. The Meteor single-rail coaster, bumper cars, side shows, a wax display, and a reconstructed carousel from the
Dentzel Carousel Company The G.A. Dentzel Company was an American builder of carousels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. History Its founder, Gustav Dentzel, had immigrated to the United States in 1860, from German ...
were also added during the 1963 season. As Webb & Knapp's financial troubles increased in the 1960s, the firm placed the site of the proposed Freedomland Inn for sale at an auction in July 1963, with a minimum asking price of $2 million. The site, covering , did not garner any bids. Zeckendorf also sold off adjacent plots of land. The park closed for the season on September 29, 1963. In total, Freedomland earned a combined $3 million from admissions during the 1962 and 1963 seasons. However, Freedomland still had a large amount of debt. Webb and Knapp faced serious financial troubles of its own, in part because of declining revenues from its hotels, prompting the firm to
write off A write-off is a reduction of the recognized value of something. In accounting, this is a recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, this is a reduction of taxable income, as a recognition of certain expenses ...
its entire investment in Freedomland in 1963. The company also sought to sell its lease of the land. That December, Zeckendorf obtained a $25 million mortgage loan from a pension fund of the
Teamsters Union The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the un ...
. Zeckendorf secured the loan by giving the Teamsters Union his lease of the park's site, an adjacent plot in Baychester, and a development in Dunedin Beach, Florida. This resolved the park's short-term debt. Zeckendorf was also considering ways to keep Freedomland open year-round, proposing ideas such as a ski slope, a horse-racing track, a bowling alley, and a series of Christmas events.


1964 season

Freedomland's fifth operating season began on May 16, 1964, with the park operating only on weekends until June. In advance of the 1964 season, the park's operators added a haunted castle attraction. By then, the San Francisco-themed area already had been walled off. For several months prior to the start of the 1964 season, there were rumors that Freedomland would be moved to Florida, where it could operate year-round. Staff members were also told that only Little Old New York, Old Chicago, and Satellite City might be open for 1965 and that the rest of the park would be redeveloped. That July, Freedomland stopped booking rock-and-roll bands and started hiring
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
s. In July 1964, the IRC acquired Webb and Knapp's stake in Freedomland Inc. National Development Corporation president Hyman Green, who owned 20 percent of the NDC, bought the remaining 80 percent stake from Zeckendorf. The transactions were intended to reduce Webb & Knapp's large debt, which it had incurred after writing off $17.9 million in investments in IRC and Freedomland Inc. At the time, Green said he expected Freedomland to make a profit during the 1964 season, even as it had lost money year-to-date. Zeckendorf later said that Webb & Knapp's involvement in Freedomland "hurt the financial position of Webb and Knapp more than anything we've ever done." Toward the end of the 1964 operating season, Freedomland was expected to reopen the next year, even though it had only earned $738,000 from admissions. In an indication of its deep financial troubles, ''The New York Times'' reported that Freedomland Inc. had paid its employees with bad checks totaling $60,000.


Demise


Bankruptcy

On September 13, 1964, Freedomland closed for the season. Within three days, Freedomland Inc. had filed for
Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wheth ...
bankruptcy. At the time, Freedomland Inc.'s liabilities were $27 million, about three times its $9 million in
asset In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that can ...
s. The largest creditors, in order, were the IRC, the NDC, Zeckendorf, and the Internal Revenue Service. The bankruptcy filing nearly caused the collapse of the Teamsters Union, which held the mortgage on the property. Freedomland had never earned a net profit in each of its five operating seasons; if it were downsized , Freedomland estimated that it could possibly earn a $25,000 profit if it were to reopen in 1965. Freedomland never reopened, and its attractions, buildings, and other features were auctioned and sold during 1965.


Causes

Freedomland Inc.'s bankruptcy filings cited competition from the 1964 New York World's Fair as a direct reason for the park's closure. The author Michael Virgintino wrote that the World's Fair was unlikely to be the main reason for Freedomland's bankruptcy, as the World's Fair had been announced in 1959, and many of the fair's visitors only attended that event a few times. Furthermore, the World's Fair had recorded a $2 million loss in 1964, and several amusement attractions at the fair had gone bankrupt during that time. This was part of a decline in New York City's amusement industry in general, as the city's traditional amusement area of Coney Island had declined simultaneously. The actual causes of Freedomland's failure have been attributed to several factors. First, it only operated seasonally, thus reducing potential income; this contrasted with Disneyland, which operated year-round. Disneyland had 6 million guests during 1964, while Freedomland was only open for three or four months a year, so it could only accommodate a fraction of Disneyland's visitation. Second, the marshland was unstable and contributed to damage to many of the structures, requiring additional repair costs. A third factor was Freedomland's weak sense of identity, as people wishing for more traditional attractions could go to other places like Coney Island or Rye Playland. The park's failure may also have been exacerbated by the fact that Webb and Knapp had acquired too many assets, such as hotels, which had also struggled financially in the early 1960s. Another theory holds that Freedomland was never intended to last long from the outset. William Zeckendorf said in 1970 that Freedomland was a "placeholder" to obtain land variances to permit more lucrative residential and commercial development of the marshland; the durability of the amusement structures obviated the need to undergo a proper monitoring period of 15 to 20 years.


Redevelopment

The NDC indicated in 1965 that it would sell about of its holdings in the northeast Bronx to the
United Housing Foundation {{unreferenced, date=September 2019 The United Housing Foundation (UHF) was a real estate investment trust in New York that constructed numerous cooperative housing projects, including Rochdale Village in Queens and Co-op City in the Bronx. Pu ...
. In February 1965, the United Housing Foundation announced plans for the Co-op City development, a 15,500-unit housing cooperative, on the site. Even as these plans were announced, Freedomland was still negotiating to operate 30 acres adjacent to Co-op City. The
New York City Planning Commission The Department of City Planning (DCP) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for setting the framework of city's physical and socioeconomic planning. The department is responsible for land use and environmental review, p ...
approved these plans in May 1965, with no provisions for an amusement park. By early the next year, most remaining portions of Freedomland were destroyed. Co-op City was constructed on Freedomland's parking lot and the Little Old New York and Satellite City themed areas during the late 1960s, and the first residents began moving to the area in 1968. The construction of Co-op City contributed to large areas of salt marsh degradation, exacerbating a process that had started when Freedomland was built. The rest of the park remained decrepit and undeveloped through the 1970s, and some of the park's abandoned buildings remained on site. During the early 1980s,
Bay Plaza Shopping Center Bay Plaza Shopping Center is a shopping center on the south side of Co-op City, Bronx, New York City. In addition to various department stores and shops, such as Macy's, JCPenney, Staples, and Old Navy, it has a multiplex movie theater, several ...
was constructed on the land occupied by five additional themed areas of the park. Another proposal during the late 20th century, which called for light industrial development on the Freedomland site, failed when the developer could not obtain funding. Subsequently, Prestige Properties and Development Company proposed redeveloping part of the site as a commercial and office complex in 1990, following the completion of the adjacent Bay Plaza. A small part of the Freedomland development—a tract at the convergence of the New England Thruway and Hutchinson River Parkway, which had been intended for the Freedomland Inn—remained undeveloped until 2012, when an expansion of Bay Plaza Shopping Center opened at the site.


Critical reception

The areas were not completely historically or geographically accurate, and primarily depicted events from the late 19th century. A writer for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' stated that the themed lands were "perhaps not quite acceptable to the Geodetic Survey because so many dull places have been left out", and ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine called the park "nothing less than a replica of the continental U.S.A., 833 yds from parkway to shining parkway". Furthermore, most of the attractions were themed on the American frontier, a factor influenced by Wood's and Raynor's respective upbringings in Texas and Chicago, as well as Zeckendorf's grandfather's adventures in Arizona Territory. This led writer Paul D. Naish to state that "The photographed streetscapes at Freedomland have a distinctly generic quality".
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
said of the park in 1961: "I think it was wrong from the start". Freedomland in general received negative attention from members of the media. For instance, at the groundbreaking ceremony, writer
Gay Talese Gaetano "Gay" Talese (; born February 7, 1932) is an American writer. As a journalist for ''The New York Times'' and ''Esquire'' magazine during the 1960s, Talese helped to define contemporary literary journalism and is considered, along with ...
observed that the park, characterized by its backers as the future "'greatest outdoor entertainment center in the history of man'", was to be built on such a "vast wasteland". Historian
Walter Muir Whitehill Walter Muir Whitehill (1905 – 1978) was an American writer, historian, medievalist, and the Director and Librarian of the Boston Athenaeum from 1946 to 1973.Current biography yearbook H.W. Wilson Company - 1961 "The only child of the Reverend Wal ...
described Freedomland as an operation with a "veneer of pseudo history" whose main purpose was to make money. ''Time'' magazine wrote of the simulated attractions in the park, which included "an electromagnetic dragon ndreal buffalo grazing the prairies", as well as so-called "birch-bark Chippewa war canoes" that were actually fiberglass Cherokee ships. However, the magazine also stated that the public did not initially seem to mind these false representations. By contrast, a reporter for the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' wrote in 1962 that "the Bronx is cheering" for Freedomland, even though "there is very little to cheer about in the Bronx". Soon after the park's opening, it also gained a negative reputation among the public: toward its final years, mention of Freedomland was generally said to garner reactions of either "ridicule or apathy". After the park closed, a '' Newsday'' writer called Freedomland a "flop" and said of many of the opening day visitors: "They came. They saw. They left. And most never came back." According to ''The New York Times'', when
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
was being developed in
central Florida Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Gr ...
in the late 1960s, some people expressed skepticism about whether Walt Disney World would be commercially successful, citing Freedomland's quick failure.


Comparison to Disney's America

In 1993,
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
proposed developing
Disney's America Disney's America was a proposed Disney theme park in the early 1990s. A site was selected in Haymarket, Virginia, approximately from Manassas National Battlefield Park and west of Washington, D.C., accessible from Interstate 66. Disney's Ameri ...
, an American history theme park near
Manassas, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...
. The proposal bore large similarities to the Freedomland concept, but it was abandoned the following year after massive opposition.
Russell Miller Russell Miller (born  1938) is a British journalist and author of fifteen books, including biographies of Hugh Hefner, J. Paul Getty and L. Ron Hubbard. While under contract to ''The Sunday Times Magazine'' he won four press awar ...
, one of the critics of Disney's America, found that plan deficient compared to Freedomland. Miller praised Freedomland as "an open-air theatre
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
promised not historical truth but national myth, infused with a spirit", while he questioned whether Disney's America was "a theme park or a bad night on PBS".


Legacy


Site

In nearby neighborhoods such as Williamsbridge, motels built primarily for Freedomland remained operational, despite the dearth of visitor attractions in the northeast Bronx. In August 2013, a plaque commemorating the park was installed near the site of its flagpoles. During mid-2019, remnants of ''Totsie'', one of the New York Harbor tugboats, were placed near the plaque. The remains of ''Totsie'' were donated by Rob Friedman, an unofficial archivist of Freedomland history. A small portion of the former park site, at the northeast corner of Bartow and Baychester Avenues, remains zoned as a C7 district. Such districts are reserved "for large open amusement parks"; Coney Island is the only other such district in the city. The zoning district is a holdover from Freedomland's operation. Due to its C7 zoning, the lot lacked any restrictions for the surface areas of signs located within its limits. This prompted a subsequent landowner to erect a tall billboard on the lot in 2019, although the billboard was controversial. As a result, Co-op City residents proposed changing the lot's zoning to a standard commercial use.


Attractions moved to other parks

Many Freedomland attractions and design features were auctioned or sold to other parks. Many no longer exist. * The Crystal Maze, Danny the Dragon, interior diorama of the Mine Caverns, the Tornado dark ride, and the King Rex Carrousel were moved to
The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor is an amusement and water park owned and operated by Six Flags. It is located approximately north of Albany, in Queensbury, New York. It was one of three Six Flags parks not to be officially branded ...
, when it was owned by Charles R. Wood and known as Storytown USA, in Lake George, New York. The Tornado briefly operated at
Kennywood Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just southeast of Pittsburgh. The park opened on May 30, 1899, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family's Monongahela Street Railway. It was purchased in 1 ...
from 1962 before moving to Lake George in 1967. The Crystal Maze building was converted into a concession stand and then an administration building. * Two of the three Santa Fe Railroad stations were moved to
Clark's Trading Post Clark's Bears, named Clark's Trading Post until 2019, is a visitor attraction in Lincoln, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains. It is known for its trained bears and for the White Mountain Central Railroad, a 30-minute, steam-po ...
(subsequently called Clark's Bears), a family-owned park in
Lincoln, New Hampshire Lincoln is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the second-largest town by area in New Hampshire. The population was 1,631 at the 2020 census. The town is home to the New Hampshire Highland Games and to a portion of Fran ...
. The park obtained Freedomland's Chicago station and the one-room prop station based in the Old Southwest themed area of Freedomland; it was used for the still-operating
White Mountain Central Railroad The White Mountain Central Railroad is a short heritage railway at Clark's Bears in Lincoln, New Hampshire, Lincoln, New Hampshire. It is notable as being one of the few places in New England with regular steam locomotive operation, as well as bei ...
. Other Freedomland items that appear at Clark's include bricks from Little Old New York, seats from the Braniff Space Rover and street lamps from all over the park. * One of the two sternwheelers was moved to the
Byram River The Byram River is a river approximately in length,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in southeast New York and southwestern Connecticut in the United State ...
between
Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and other ...
, and
Port Chester, New York Port Chester is a village in the U.S. state of New York and the largest part of the town of Rye in Westchester County by population. At the 2010 U.S. census, the village of Port Chester had a population of 28,967 and was the fifth-most popu ...
, where it supposedly still serves as a restaurant. * San Francisco's Earthquake and New Orleans' Buccaneers (renamed Pirate Ride) attractions were moved to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, in 1966. Both attractions are no longer operational at Cedar Point. * The tugboat ''Totsie'' operated for many years at Quassy Amusement Park in
Middlebury, Connecticut Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,574 at the 2020 census. History Middlebury incorporated as a town in 1807, and named from its central position relative to Waterbury, Woodbury and Southbu ...
. * Other Freedomland objects and attractions were moved to places such as
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...
on the New York-Ontario border and the
Magic Mountain site The Magic Mountain site is an Archaic and Woodland village site in Jefferson County, Colorado dating from 4999 BC to 1000 AD. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The site was named for the property owner Mag ...
in Colorado.
Forest Park Highlands Forest Park Highlands was an American amusement park in St. Louis, Missouri. It operated from 1896 to 1963. Forest Park Highlands opened in 1896 as a beer garden. Sophie Tucker, John Philip Sousa, and Jack Dempsey appeared there. It featured ...
, an amusement park in
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
that closed in 1963, apparently sold its Aero Jet ride to Freedomland, which in turn sold it to
Knoebels Amusement Resort Knoebels Amusement Resort () is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is America's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including three wo ...
in
Elysburg, Pennsylvania Elysburg is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ralpho Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is seventy miles north of Harrisburg. The population was 2,194 at the 2010 census. The area's biggest attraction is Knoebels Am ...
.


Historical commemoration

Freedomland's history has been the subject of several books, including: * Two books were published by Acorn Press in the ''
Images of America Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publi ...
'' series; the second book, ''Freedomland: 1960-1964'' by Robert McLaughlin, was published in 2015. * A detailed book about the park's history, ''Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History'' by Michael Virgintino, was published in 2019. * C. V. Wood's life and contributions to Disneyland are recalled in the book ''Three Years In Wonderland'' (2016) by Todd James Pierce. In 1999, a website dedicated to the history of Freedomland was set up by Friedman. ''The New York Times'' reported at the time that "the site quickly became a lightning rod for Freedomland enthusiasts, receiving 6 to 10 E-mail messages a week with reminiscences and offers of material for its creator's growing collection."


See also

* List of defunct amusement parks in the United States


References


Notes


Citations


Sources

* * * * * *


External links


Welcome To Freedomland Website
* {{RCDB, 5509 1960 establishments in New York City 1964 disestablishments in New York (state) Cultural history of New York City Defunct amusement parks in New York (state) Amusement parks opened in 1960 Amusement parks closed in 1964 Companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Co-op City, Bronx History of the Bronx 1960s in the Bronx Entertainment venues in the Bronx