tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post1682475527809640530..comments2024-03-24T22:17:35.958-04:00Comments on Great but Forgotten: Freedomland U.S.A. (Amusement Park)Chuck Rothmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10903706448043066253noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-972009581697965942016-04-06T12:41:23.673-04:002016-04-06T12:41:23.673-04:00Went to Fredomland in 1960 or 1961 what I remember...Went to Fredomland in 1960 or 1961 what I remember was seeing the Four Seasons for the first time.The group was on a small stage in town . I was with my girlfriend and Bob Gaudio kept flirting with her,but she went home with me. And not knowing at the time they would be so famous. Jay Andrews now retired in Sarasota FLAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00667809552489996040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-82948122716508872682013-09-02T19:43:10.709-04:002013-09-02T19:43:10.709-04:00uh seems the redirection site went down. plus I ...uh seems the redirection site went down. plus I had to move the site a few times. <br />it now resides on x10host..<br /> so the url is http://freedomlandusa.x10host.com<br /><br />seems it did not go over as nicely as i hoped so I am fixing some coded pages sorry.. but it is for the most part up<br /><br />Rob FriedmanRobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04307191793870113848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-89929543433186237072011-05-16T16:56:34.981-04:002011-05-16T16:56:34.981-04:00by the way it's Rob Friedman.. (not freedman)...by the way it's Rob Friedman.. (not freedman) and the site is back up after being down for about 1.5 years.. you can get there easily with http://welcome.to/freedomland<br /><br /><br />Rob FriedmanRobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04307191793870113848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-82795853212462237422011-03-31T22:05:08.587-04:002011-03-31T22:05:08.587-04:00I lived on Long Island as a child and we went to F...I lived on Long Island as a child and we went to Freedomland 4 times. I've also been to Disneyland once, but I was a teenager by then. I think a lot of folks that say Freedomland was just as good or better than the more lavish Disney parks, has to do with the age you were when you went. I was six the first time and ten the last time. Everything is more magical and exciting when you are that young and I was sorry it closed too. BTW, Frontier TOWN (not LAND as the commentator above said) in the Adirondacks is NOT as good as Freedomland was (If it's still open, which I doubt).<br />I look forward to getting the DVD they just put out. Hope the quality is better than an 8mm film lol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-69295108898326710472011-03-13T10:04:55.739-04:002011-03-13T10:04:55.739-04:00My parents took us to Freedomland many times and w...My parents took us to Freedomland many times and we always enjoyed being there. Just this week \, my mother presented me with a disk that she had made from slides of my childhood. I have about 15 pictures of Freedomland that include: the Chicagoo Fire, 2 large Showboats, the train, Old New York with China Town, the Civil War ride, that high-up overhead ride where you can see the entire park, that world famous cow (what was her name?), Fort Calvary and a few more! What a memory trip !!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-53822220216288475572011-02-18T09:15:35.714-05:002011-02-18T09:15:35.714-05:00I loved Freedomland! My parents to us a few times ...I loved Freedomland! My parents to us a few times and with each visit we discovered something new . I will never forget eating in a 'Southern Pavilion"with all the staff dressed magnificently. We ate fried chicken with HONEY over it! It was delicious.To this very day I serve or ask for honey with Fried Chicken. I remember also going into Casa Loca which was was amazing. They had a pool table that was tilted and the balls rolled the wrong way. Our Mother felt dizzy after seeing that and had to leave the house. It was unforgetable.<br />What a shame that it closed.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17139514886023853891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-17264576494737365202010-11-26T22:36:45.682-05:002010-11-26T22:36:45.682-05:00Freedomland opened on June 19, 1960and closed in 1...Freedomland opened on June 19, 1960and closed in 1964 after five seasons in operation,I have been to disney world eight times,disneyland once, freedomland six times and freedomland was the best,the main reason freedomland closed was pressure to built co-op city which was built on freedomlands huge parking lot, the shopping center was built where freedomland stood,today all that remains of freedomland is the base of the freedomland inn and some of the fur trapper ride,it was a great amusement park.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-85367650343640962672010-06-29T21:24:16.959-04:002010-06-29T21:24:16.959-04:00What date did Freedomland open and what date in 19...What date did Freedomland open and what date in 1964 did it close?TFJMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13272238121987322865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-40439722555132572632010-01-05T14:10:37.670-05:002010-01-05T14:10:37.670-05:00Nice post Chuck.
Here's an old Time Magazine a...Nice post Chuck.<br />Here's an old Time Magazine article discussing Freedomlands troubles as early as 1960.<br /><br />http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,897634,00.htmlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12043873610380390344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-56854775825292890042009-09-20T21:31:53.305-04:002009-09-20T21:31:53.305-04:00Well, I visited Freedomland as a kid and did love ...Well, I visited Freedomland as a kid and did love it, but once I saw Disney, I knew it wasn't in the same class. Good, but it never had the extra effort or imagination that made Disneyland and Disney World successes. Even looking at the rides and pictures, there's really no comparison. Disney, of course, had the advantage of ready-made characters, but Freedomland really wasn't all that much better than Frontier Land in the Adirondacks.Chuck Rothmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10903706448043066253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-7498384610327889912009-09-20T21:05:20.992-04:002009-09-20T21:05:20.992-04:00The common mistake by those who "remember&quo...The common mistake by those who "remember" Freedomland is to try and join in with the critics band wagon of the park and be so sure of what the park lacked just because it closed after 5 seasons. First of all Freedomland was as good as or better than Disneyland compare the years 1960 Freedomland to 1960 Disneyland. Both were very good! Freedomland was not a cheapened Disneyland at all, and as far as the attendance it was very good for the first 4 seasons, and waned in 1964 but still adequate. Freedomland's closing was for one reason and that was to get alot of money quickly for a housing project. Which was part of a building plan in 1959 when Freedomland was announced. Sure, it was tough financially the first year and other years, but it was also that way for Walt and Roy when Disneyland opened and had it not been for a show on ABC Disneyland could have become Co-Op City Anaheim style.<br />Freedomland USA was a well designed and built park that is loved by many of it's fans and deserves not to be looked upon poorly. See www.freedomlandusa.net<br /><br />bpmmagic@yahoo.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305571058310227787.post-90885579529340209612009-06-14T07:32:04.649-04:002009-06-14T07:32:04.649-04:00Good summary of Freedomland, Chuck. I grew up outs...Good summary of Freedomland, Chuck. I grew up outside the park and planned to work there as a cowboy in Ft. Calvary when old enought, but they took the park from me before I was 10. Used to watch the fireworks from my bedroom every night. I have become a total buff on the park and another former Bronxite has just produced a DVD on the history of the park. BTW, Co-op City's buildings were not built on the park. The Bay shooping center adjacent to the apartment complex was home to Freedomland, though a small portion may have spilled over to the apartments area. The parking lot is not coverered by many of the buildings. The remaining undeveloped land at the back of the shopping center has a few remnants of the park among the weeds. This is the concrete dock and one wood piling from the Fur Trappers boat ride, though it is in a heap and looks just like rubble. I did find in this area a foot-by-foot concrete slab that contained small pink tiles that definately did not come from a house or commercial building. The slab is much too thick and the tiles are similar to the style you would have seen at an amusement park at that time. It could have come from one of the many fountains that dotted the park, or from one of the buildings or other attractions. My son kids me and says it is probably from a woman's bathroom. Contact me if you want to communicate about the park.<br /><br />Mike at MRPV57@yahoo.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com