While Maine does have a cluster of amusement and water parks in the Portland area, the state is not really known for being a hub of parks.

But this was not always the case.  Back in the day, almost every decent-sized Maine city had some kind of amusement park.  If they did not have their own amusement park, there was one a short journey away.

We've put together this list to highlight some of these parks.  There is a good chance that you have been to some of these parks.  Some of them, however, are so old they predate your grandparents (maybe even your great-grandparents).

9 Closed Maine Amusement & Water Parks

We have put together a list of now closed amusement parks and water parks. Some of these were in operation in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s... Some haven't been around for over a century. ***Keep in mind that some of the information regarding when these places were open and what they offered comes from listener comments and stories passed down by people who visited (or worked at) these parks.

As you can see from our list, in the earliest part of the 20th century, before cars made it easy for people to go wherever they wanted, many decent-sized Maine cities had their own amusement parks.  The towns that did not have an amusement park were often on a trolley line that would take them to those parks.

In many cases, these parks were built and owned by the trolley companies.  These were called "trolley parks" and, believe it or not, there are a few of these left (about a dozen, at least count, including Erie PA's Waldameer).  Because of the lack of automobiles, these parks often had a monopoly on the entertainment business.

So what put these parks out of business?  For the older parks, the biggest thing was the increasing popularity of cars.  Cars made it a whole lot easier to go where you wanted.  You weren't limited to the entertainment options on the trolley or train line.  The other big factor was the increasing popularity of movies.  Instead of spending money on the parks, people chose to spend their disposable income at the theater.

For the newer parks, there were several factors, including the changing interests of children.

So, what parks did we miss?  Let us know by sending us a message through our app or on Facebook.

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