One of those blockhouses remains, and is open for touring. My husband is on the Grosse Ile Historical Society BoardI have pictures of Sugar Island in its heyday. Each historical society serves as a bead on a rosary linking current and future generations to the past, acts as a tool to support prayers of keeping the memories alive, keeps a link to the human roots of a distinctive place that has meant many things to many people over the years. The company was busy during the week, moving people and goods up and down the river. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers Page 51", "Historic Boblo boats land role in Transformers 4", "Boblo Island boat owners hopeful for restoring of damaged boat: What's next for the SS Ste Claire? This is private property and the doors are chain locked. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. Electric Park was the dream-come-true of Arthur C. Gaukler, a. Claire, which used to take passengers to Boblo Island, sits on the Detroit River in August 2015. Claire and the Columbia, as well as their Detroit docks, had been divested a few years earlier in 1991. Morale among the employees both on the Boats and the Island was at an all-time low according to some veteran workers. [16] Moodenbaugh later sued Benaroya and others for attempting to sell the park while he lay in a "virtual coma". Bois Blanc Island, commonly called Boblo Island, is an island in the Detroit River on the Canadian side of the border and is part of Amherstburg Skip to content Menu Poison ivy now grows in the ring of mature trees in front of the Lavatory building, where I imagine the men in hatsretiring for a smoke while they await their dates inflapper attireto emerge from The Ladies Room.. The little that remains of the park is covered with vegetation or has been demolished. These are the remains of some of the washrooms. It's located in Amherstburg, Ontario. Most of the homes on the island also come with a large amount of property. -Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park 1898-1993 Thanks . From the top deck of the SS St. Claire, passengers watch the SS Columbia (built in 1902). YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Boblo Island closed for essentially the same reasons as many other urban amusement parks closed. One of the three original blockhouses still stands on the southern end of the island. The homes come with all appliances. Although I had $8.00 in Canadian currency in hand to pay the ferry toll, I rode the ferry without being charged and with no questions asked. By each step it became more clear that this was left for dead a long time ago. I agree with Maureen. . Boblo Island was an amusement park that was open for nearly 100 years. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. Given that the island was known as the Boblo Island Amusement Park from 1898 1993, Id say, overall, it was a pretty successful run. Plus it was a place where the 400-pipe, 4-meter high, self-playing orchestra was housed. "I have all the amenities of city life that I need within walking distance in Amherstburg, and all the amazing amenities the island life brings me.". Why not this man who gave everyone joy in life with their families? 2y Julie Enmei Bondy Please dont judge us without knowing us! Between my concerns for the submerged rocks of the river and the mortar of history I was climbing over, I thought, what a wonderful place this island would be to explore if you were a kid or teenager and what a nightmare it poses for parents or grandparents of those explorers! [32] The dance hall was the second largest in the world, holding 5,000 dancers at full capacity[31] and featured one of the world's largest orchestrions from the Welte company: a 16 foot tall, 14 foot wide, self-playing Wotan-model orchestrion with 419 pipes and percussion section. Getting to the dock in Detroit early in the morning, the anticipation of boarding the boat, the ride on the river, the views, the fact I could play an arcade game on a boat blew my small mind. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It's sister boat, the Columbia, was built in 1902. The Nightmare (ride), Falling Star, Wild Mouse, Sky Streak and Screamer were the signature rides. Kathi. By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. I can only imagine the dangers of the dilapidated buildings, to say nothing of concerns about strangers. I worked on the Boats in 1980. Its maybe a five-minute ride, no more than 10 minutes with the docking. To move visitors around the island, the park had a small railroad. Colorful picnic tables near Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin. Boblo Island Amusement Park was a beloved amusement park that began operating in 1898 and ran for almost 100 years. The park closed in 1993 as a result of poor management and attendance was shrinking because of other parks like Cedar Point. And then came the Boblo Island Amusement Park with its famous Screamer, Nightmare, and Wild Mouse rides, its zoo, and carousel. A model of existing and future residential properties and harbor on Boblo Island at the Boblo Discovery Centre in Amherstburg, Ontario. steeped in history is open for business. what a fun and exciting place. Part of the experience was the long boat ride to the island. These luxury dwellings were erected. Interestingly, the islands history starts long before the amusement park was even planned. | 5401 Woodward, Detroit, MI 48202. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike! Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. The kitchen and dining space of the tri-plex. Claire and the SS Columbia offered ferry services to all those wishing to travel to Boblo Island. Plants and overgrown grass fill the dirt paths near the Space Needle. [30], The Falling Star, log flume, Enterprise, Sky Tower (Space Needle), Ferris wheel, a zoo, and a carousel were the signature attractions. It is completely grown over with weeds and trees. The remnants of Boblo Island Amusement Park: Its too bad they couldnt have it ready for this year to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We need to preserve what we have left, just for historys sake. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. Michelle, I interpret Roys use of the phrase mega-millionaires as being in service of describing the island developers, not the residents. Bois Blanc has been part of Canada since 1787. [1] The "Bob-Lo boats" boats were sold in November 1991. Not fair to blame millionaires when often it is a corporation that can run out money after 5 or 6 bad years. The ferry is run for the island residents, their guests, and prospective buyers of lots in the Triamico Development Affiliates marina resort community. However, there is a public restaurant, the Bob-Lo Island Beach House, on the west side of the island by the marina (ferry docks at the east side). On that trip, my companions on the Bob-Lo Excursion Line steamer were other ninth graders from Livonias Holmes Junior High. Following the war, British forces garrisoned at Fort Malden in Amherstburg, across the river from Bois Blanc, and strengthened their position by building three blockhouses on the island. I believe the unfortunate combination of being a Canadian island with almost all American history is the reason its not being cherished by people in Canada. He previously worked for Ringling Brothers Circus and captivated children with adventurous tales and knock-knock jokes until his retirement in 1974, at the age of 90. Bois Blanc Island (Ontario) Who owns Boblo Island? How to get to toronto island park? Boblo Island is accessible by a 16-car ferry that departs from the dock next to the Bob-Lo Island Discovery Centre, which is at 340 Dalhousie St., Amherstburg, ON. Most people just drive their vehicles onto the ferry from Amherstburg and are home in a few minutes. My most vivid memory is the Sky Diver ride. The man that made it did it to bring families together and spend time with their children. Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. We toured the Ste Claire in 2015 while restoration efforts were ongoing before fire gutted it on July 6, 2018. The people of Detroit, Michigan characterized it as that city's Coney Island. As one can use motor vehicles only in the northern residential tip of the island, if you plan to explore the island, you may want to bring a bike with you. Or not. Claire, former Boblo Boat", Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bois_Blanc_Island_(Ontario)&oldid=1136092735, All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 18:24. A tri-plex home. Boblo (or Bob-Lo) sparks memories for many adults who spent summers riding the ferry to Boblo Island, visiting its amusement park or just enjoying a picnic. I recently visited the island to see that the old Theatre still stands. For many people the best ride of the day was on the Bob-Lo Boat that took visitors to the island. [18], In 1994, John Oram, an Iraqi immigrant to the United States who owned car stereo businesses, purchased the Boblo Island site. Claire V can fit up to 16 vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists. I learned this and most of what I know about the history of Bob-Lo Island from 1670 2006 in the book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island by Patrick Livingston (published in 2008 by the Wayne State University Press in Detroit as a part of their Great Lakes Books series): How does Bob-Lo Island appear today, Saturday, July 30, 2011? Why did Boblo Island shut down? [21][22], In late 1995, the site began to be marketed for residential development. The ferry runs every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. ), Thank you so much for the great information. The park opened in 1898 and closed its doors for good on September 30th,1993 as a result of poor management, rising maintenance costs and declining attendance thanks to more attractive parks in the region like Cedar Point. - Marva, I am 63 years old and I remember Bob-lo so well. The park has been closed since 1993, but the legend of Boblo is still strong. The boat was taken to Toledo on Tuesday. From Queens, you can get there via the Roosevelt Island Bridgethis is the only way to walk or drive onto the island. Wild grapevine has made it to the second floor balcony of the gallery. Flags at the Amherstburg Dock. The Carousel Building, built in 1905 to house the first amusement ride on Bob-Lo Island, served as a convention hall and later, the roller-skating rink (beginning with the 1940 season) before ending up as a theater. So sad. - Sally. On the far side of the ride, people wait in line. We live on the east shore of Grosse Ile, we would love to take our boat to eat at the restaurant. Hundreds of small amusement parks went out in 1980s as families all went to super amusement parks like Cedar Point and Six Flags and did not visit small ones often. There appears to be no such organization, which may not be so surprising. http://bit.ly/2cIo6Ny. . When did Boblo boat stop running? Photojournalist Seph Lawless has taken pictures of 10 abandoned theme parks around the US. The park closed in 1996 after several personal injury lawsuits were filed against it. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Boblo Island looks much different today, and if developers reach their goals, it will be almost unrecognizable to past thrill-seekers. Only one blockhouse remains today. It was finally decided in 1949 to officially re-name the island and the park Bob-Lo, in a matter of simplification (today it is still referred to by both names on maps of the area). . The passageway still exists showing Gilbraltar, Michigan to the left and Amherstburg, Ontario to the right. The amusement was a given. Each year the largest gathering was sponsored by the St. Andrews Society of Detroit, which would often draw more than 10,000 visitors to their Scottish Games. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. I had the pleasure of delivering a load of stuffed animals to the Park in the early 1990s, was a trip i will never forget, driving my Freightliner truck and a 48 foot trailer onto the wharf to make the trip across the river in the middle of the night over to the island then driving around the the park, having to stop and wait for the park benches to be moved for me to able to get truck and trailer around the turns stopping here and there to off load these stuffed toys into little electric carts for the arcade games before the park opened the next day, Friday of a May 24 weekend. We also traveled from past to the present on the island, which was a must-visit destination for families for decades. Its sad that my kids will never be able to go there and ride the same rides I did as a kid. On the south side of the road leading from the ferry dock is a five-story condominium: Between the river and the condominium is a trail which heads south along the islands perimeter and allows a walker orbicyclist to view a number of historical structures, including the Sailors Monument, which still graces the eastern shore of the island: The commemorative plaque affixed to the Sailors Monument reads: Dedicated to 134 years of American-Canadian friendship across 4500 miles of unfortified border, protected only by the mutual respect and understanding one nation holds for the other. In 1991, those boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, Mich., to the island, as well as Amherstburg. Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. The old Dance Hall sits majestically abandoned on the center of the island. Its sister. I grew up visiting the island and Im hoping to return to explore it again someday. I do hope that someone will come along and restore the park back to its prime, so we can get families and the community back together again, and we can share our memories with the generations to come. As well as some great stories, it includes some good photographs from all of the islands incarnations! Hard to believe it was an big destination, it seems too small to support an amusement park. What a wonderful goal, Andrew! Action Park in New Jersey is known as the most dangerous amusement park in the country, six people passed away from 1980 to 1987. Since 1989, Kevin has collected miniature amusement park rides, and built a loose replica of Boblo Island in his home. On a summer day in 1945, Sarah Elizabeth Ray stood up for something because she wasn't allowed to sit down. From 1984 to 1985 there were 26 head injuries and 14 broken bones reported. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. Even the words scrawled across its portal announced simply "Eastwood Park.". What a shame, all gone because some mega millionaires wanted more money. This amusement park, while once the delight of both kids and adults until the early 90s, has been abandoned for more than two decades. The scion of one of Seattle's wealthiest and most philanthropic families, Benaroya was bankrolling Moodenbaugh's dream to resurrect the Boblo Island Amusement Park near Detroit. All rights reserved (About Us). The 18-mile boat ride was carried out by the famous ships: the Columbia, built in 1902, and the Ste. The island is a five-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit. . There is a dock at the restaurant on the island, Sue. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. Though many of the amusement park structures have been torn down, you might still hear a passing. The Boblo Island amusement park closed in the 1990s after a century of operation. The Island is now stripped on most of anything that would resemble an amusement park. Millions of Americans and Canadians share memories of riding the Swan Boats or the train that circled the park. [19] He vaguely proposed a casino, hotel, and other development. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. You will find even more information in: Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, by Patrick Livingstone (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2008); Bob-Lo: An Island in Troubled Waters, by Annessa Carlisle (Royal Oak, MI: Momentum Books, 2005); and for more photographs, Bob-Lo Revisited, by Bill Rauhausuer (Chicago: Lorentz, 2003). The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. The British also built a lighthouse in 1836 which operated until 1959. In June of 1999 Oram announced that he wished to recreate the amusement park on the mainland near Amherstburg, Ontario. OBSCURIST TOURIST 025 - Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. The Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant is located along the western shore of the island by the marina. the building is not secure, given that one-quarter of a large window in the front is broken in, metal strips hanging from its frame. Each held about 2,500 passengers. By In 1991, the two Boblo boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, MI., to the island, as well as to and from Amherstburg, Ontario. Departing from the foot of Woodward Avenue, whereHart Plazais now, theColumbiaandSte. In 1993, after nearly 100 years in the business of entertainment, it was decided that the park was to be closed. I agree, Jennifer, very sad. Loved going to Bob-Lo as a kid. The far end of the island is now all luxury homes. "Living on the island feels like being on vacation everyday," said Gena Boschin, a former Tennessee resident who lives on the island and works in Amherstburg. This is the inside of the 1,250 square foot tri-plex home. Bob-Lo was such a fun place and figures so prominently in many peoples childhood summertime memories! 272 acres. BOBLO Island poster. Suddenly, without any warning, there was a relatively large mammal in the middle of the trail, directly in the line of my front bike tire. One step on the old dock, and I saw an old run-down white platform, no life, no care in worldlike everyone was evacuated and told not to come back.