Palace Playland - Old Orchard Beach, ME - Amusement Parks on Waymarking.com

Old Orchard Beach in southern Maine is a resort town not far from Portland, and is about 2 hours from Boston, Massachusetts. Not only does it have a great beach, but there is a pier and amusement park that represents the last of ocean-side amusement areas in New England.

Old Orchard Beach has a long history of being a resort and amusement spot. There is record that in 1820, when this portion of Massachusetts broke off and became the state of Maine, the first Publick House (inn) was established in Old Orchard as a place to stay on the coach ride to Portland. In 1837, E. C. Staples agreed to take in boarders in his farm, and later, he built the first boarding house in Old Orchard Beach. In 1842, the railroad came through Old Orchard Beach from Boston to Portland, and, later, the Grand Trunk Railroad built a line from Montreal, Canada. The first amusement park rides were installed in 1902 with roller skating, merry-go-round, rides, games, and refreshment stands. An electric railway (trolley) service began from Portland in 1903. In 1907, a great fire wiped out the resort, but it was quickly rebuilt. There were other fires and storms that destroyed parts of the amusement park, the nearby pier, or the hotels in later years. On the beach, there were car races that drew international attention.

Today, Palace Playgrounds operates the amusement area. There are 24 rides you can take, include a roller coaster, Dodge 'em (bumper cars), a carousel, tilt-a-whirl, and a ferris wheel. There are rides for kids, families, and adults. There is also an arcade that has pinball machines, video machines, and skeeter balls. There are also some carnival booths such as races.

Check out the web site for details.

Sources:

Palace Playland:
(visit link)

OldOrchardBeachMaine.com (History):
(visit link)

Date Built: 01/01/1902 Open Dates: From: 04/15/2009 To: 10/15/2009 Open to the public?: yes Main Attraction: Arcade, various rides

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