I started this website to share my love of Canobie Lake Park with family, fellow visitors, amusement park fans, and the curious who have not yet paid Canobie a visit. Here you will find a page with before & after photos of the park using old postcard views compared to modern ones taken myself. There is also a page showing current rides and one with musings about the infamous trips to the park we would take every summer with a carload of kids
Through the years, the park has changed with the times and with each owner, but it still retains it's charm and appeal in so many ways. For instance:
1 - The park is not so large you get lost in 5 minutes
2 - The price of admission is still rather reasonable when compared to other parks
3 - The atmosphere is more "old world" than "hi-tech", but there are plenty of modern rides for thrill-seekers
4 - Some of the older rides are still there, helping to keep returning patrons steeped in nostalgia
5 - It's usually not so crowded you have to wait 10 hours in line for rides
6 - That nice view of the lake
7 - Peacocks on parade
8 - Child-friendly, family orientated without being corny
A Bit of History...
Canobie Lake Park was opened in Salem NH in 1902 as a recreation park for the Massachusetts Northeastern Street Railway Company to drum up business. In the days before everyone had automobiles, the only way your could get to the park was by useing their trolley line. People flocked there in summer for wholesome relaxation and entertainment by Canobie Lake, which at the time was a popular vacation spot.
People would arrive at the park via a trolley loop, then walk down landscaped sidewalks to the main entrance, which was flanked by two stone towers and an apple tree. One tower still exists, but now deep within the park, and a new apple tree has been planted in place of the original.
Early attractions consisted of a carousel, outdoor theater, wooden roller coaster, bowling alley, arcade, resturaunts, boat rides, a dance hall, and a large baseball field. Through the years, rides have come and gone, or survive in spirit. There are now three adult roller coasters. Many of the old buildings and landmarks still exist.
