Boater can also dock at the Boblo Wharf on the west side of the island, to eat at the Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. Boblo Island Amusement Park ran from 1898 to 1993. One to pick up, and one to return people. The island is a five-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit. Starting in the mid-1990s, however, it began a tumultuous phase that ultimately ended in its demise. He's been with WDIV since 2013. Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of. The company was busy during the week, moving people and goods up and down the river. In 1949, bankruptcy threatened the island park. . The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans owns the deteriorating dock, which once served as a gateway for ferry passengers heading to the former Boblo Island amusement park. It was great to see all the vintage photos and stories from the good old days of classic boating when wooden boats were the norm, not the exception. British troops captured 60 people and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. The ferry is a short four minute ride to the island. 272 acres. $19 million in debt, John's brother Randy forced Boblo Island into court-appointed receivership in 2004. Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. "For people who don't know, Boblo was an island amusement park that . The 24-year-old Black woman boarded the SS Columbia en route for Boblo Island a Canadian amusement park beloved by Detroiters. A new film tells us. The island is 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide - just 272 acres. Here are some we found on various blogs and forums: I was one of the last generations of people who were able to enjoy Bob-Lo island amusement park. My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/historic-boblo-island-blo_n_1098807.html, http://www.flickr.com/photos/33535417@N05/4112593095/, http://www.boblo.ca/pages/living/restaurant.html, https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina, http://www.rivertowntimes.com/?s=Captain+bobs&submit, http://www.freep.com/article/20140706/NEWS05/307060053/boblo-island-memories-boat-development, http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/05/23/grosse-iles-sugar-island-beach-opens-to-public-saturday/, Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant Houzz Home, Slaves (traveling the Underground Railroad), The south blockhouse, built in 1838 (Update: See. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Newly restored in the Spring of 2013 by the residents of the community, they now offer Blockhouse tours on most Sundays from 1pm - 4pm. -Bob-Lo Island Amusement Park 1898-1993 Thanks . Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park. [6] In February 1992, the park was put up for sale for US$9 million, half of its 1988 purchase price, though it committed to opening it for that summer. It's sister boat, the Columbia, was built in 1902. More than a century later, in the 1920s, the amusement park opened on the sitethen closed in 1966 after the accidental deaths of two young patrons, including one on the spooky circular swing. The restaurant just opened for the season on the 24th, this past Friday. In 1973, the Thunder Bolt coaster was built, which drew long lines. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. To tell you the truth I remember the boat rides to the park more than the park itself. They are 1,405 square feet with a full basement. They operated a Rotor in West Germany at Oktoberfest in 1949. When did Boblo boat stop running? It opened in 1898 as Boblo Island Amusement Park on Bois Blanc Island (not the Bois Blanc up near Mackinac Island, but the one on the Detroit River). Embark on a CRUISE FROM DETROIT for the first time in decades, Stay the night at this ghostly-looking MICHIGAN CASTLE, SECRET VINTAGE COKE MUSEUM inside a Michigan 50's diner. You can find the Boblo Island Beach House restaurant on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina Also the Boblo Island Marina: https://www.facebook.com/BobloIslandMarina You may be able to get the information you need by writing to: BOBLOMARINA@BOBLO.CA You may want to mention youre coming from the States; I dont know the protocol for private boats crossing the international border in the river to dock. The little that remains of the park is covered with vegetation or has been demolished. The park has been closed since 1993, but the legend of Boblo is still strong. Its a wonderful feeling strolling the island, standing next to buildings where 10s of thousands of souls now long departed use to frequent. 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). Flags at the Amherstburg Dock. In 1898, the Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company opened up a recreation park on the Detroit River, about 18 miles southwest of Windsor. In the beginning it was a picnic spot with beaches, athletic fields, bicycle tracks, and a stunning Mangels-Illions carousel. The living space of the Deerview twin villas. There are no hotels. Claire, which used to take passengers to Boblo Island, sits on the Detroit River in August 2015. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. I agree; it would be wonderful if the park could be restored or perhaps, reinvented to serve in a new way of bringing community together! http://boblo.ca/. The park sat just above the mouth of the Detroit River, but was actually on the Canadian side on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. [32], Boblo's Scootaboats, which were very similar to well known Bumper Cars, were a popular ride. 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! All rights reserved (About Us). By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. I wouldnt identify the owners in this suburban retreat as millionaires, but the island has been many things to many people over the centuries: the Ojibwe, the Ottawa, the Potawatomi, and the Wyandot all used the island before it was christened Bois Blanc. Later it was: a camp for European explorers, the site of a French Catholic mission, within reach of a British fort, headquarters for the Shawnee chief Tecumseh during the War of 1812, an invasion site for Canadian patriots during the Upper Canada Rebellion, and more recently, a picnic spot and a dance venue, all before the rise and decline of the amusement park. . Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike! Potentially, it could become a wedding reception hall or hotel. Only about a third of a milea 5 to 10-minute walk, depending on your speedfrom the ferry dock on the west side of the island, east on Bob-Lo Island Boulevard, to the marina on the other side of the narrow island. The steamers, the Ste. Big changes for Sugar Island, good changes-it has made the drinking & partying boating groups unable to overtake the island.It was not safe. - Sally. Claire and SS Columbia sounded their whistles, every Detroit kid knew it heralded the coming of summer and the magic of ferrying over to nearby Boblo Island Amusement Park. 2y Guy Adelini One of my favorite rides! You can explore and find the foundations of the dance floor ruins. [15] Moodenbaugh had hired Liberal MPP Remo Mancini to help market the park. From Queens, you can get there via the Roosevelt Island Bridgethis is the only way to walk or drive onto the island. Pinterest. These are some of the many doors leading to the inside of the old Dance Hall. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. How to get to toronto island park? Before July 30, 2011, my last visit to Bob-Lo had been in June of 1968. Bois Blanc Island was where Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, a Native American warrior, decided to place his headquarters during the War of 1812. Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. But there is new life on the island 23 years after the closing of the amusement park. Visitors could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad. Without Michael's approval the park was closed, the rides sold off, dismantled and shipped away. Most people just drive their vehicles onto the ferry from Amherstburg and are home in a few minutes. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. A tennis court sits next to a home on the island. Many locals still have great memories riding the ferry to Boblo Island Amusement Park, which eventually. We went alot and when my family''s jobs had company picnic it would always be Bob Lo. The price is a little over $300k. Though many of the amusement park structures have been torn down, you might still hear a passing. Im glad you made this comment. Boblo Island was very special. Windsor Mayor Arthur John Reaume wanted the island to be designated a National Park. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . By 1910 the first amusement park rides, the carousel, ponies and a dancing pavillion were available. In 1958 the island was the site of joint Canadian-American war games, addressing a hostile force presence with amphibious units from around the Great Lakes. I would make sure my friends knew all the history of Bob-Lo. It is so cool to see the old dock piers and the beach is sand. . I found this very useful for Information! The passageway still exists showing Gilbraltar, Michigan to the left and Amherstburg, Ontario to the right. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. Once built, the dance hall was the second largest in the world, able to accommodate no less than 5,000 dancers. Some of the most popular rides were "The Nightmare," "Sky Streak, "Screamer," and "Wild Mouse.". Today the community on this island is known as the Marina Resort Community. One reason is competition from larger theme parks. I did notice, however, the last time we went the island had gone downhill quite a bit. The island was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad to Canada, which worked to help escaped slaves leave the country. After the short ferry ride, residents simply drive right onto the island onto Boblo Island Blvd. After Memorial Day Weekend in 1997, park rangers learned that the arch had collapsed. The last day of "Oldies Week" is today (at least for now), and the response from the Woody Boater community was fantastic. Remember, the island is in Canada, so you can't just cross over from the U.S. and dock there. I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. People from all over Michigan, Canada and from as far away as California, have chosen to make Boblo Island their home. Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. I dont think it is sad at all! I, too, went there every year as a child from Detroit. Few physical reminders remain from the amusement park, which closed in 1993, but the island has had a surprising resurgence - as a quiet but thriving residential community. That was in 1993. When I was riding my bike on a trail that runs through the middle of the island, I came upon a T-intersection buried amidst tall, tall grass, with the Carousel Building on my left and the Powerhouse on my right. Cedar Point, which has world-famous roller coasters and a wider range of attractions, is close enough to the Detroit area for a day trip (for the very hardy). If it wasnt for him to have done that for everyone, our world would never have known how peaceful, relaxing, fun, and most of all memorable a park could be. The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the "Bob-Lo Discovery Centre.". The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. ", "Small fire breaks out on SS Ste. A retreat for the wealthy, amidst dilapidated remnants of history and ghosts of the past, with nature ever encroaching. Known as Boblo Amusement Park, it was wildly popular with American tourists throughout much of the 20th century until it closed in 1993. i need a boblo island abandoned amusement park date pic . Opened in Orlando in 1976, River Country was Walt Disney's first waterpark. The tiny island is located in the middle of the East River, parallel to Manhattan's East 46th to 85th Streets. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. The remnants of Boblo Island Amusement Park: Boblo Island Amusement Park was an amusement park which ran from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. I agree, Jennifer, very sad. 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. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. [17], In March 1994, the rides were dismantled and sold off piecemeal to the Pacific National Exhibition and a series of U.S. theme parks, a moment that confirmed the "worst fears" of Malden Township officials; the amusement park paid 25 percent of its taxes. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. I am so sad every time I think about Bob Lo. Photojournalist Seph Lawless has taken pictures of 10 abandoned theme parks around the US. The abandoned amusement park was a p. The Island is now stripped on most of anything that would resemble an amusement park. We also traveled from past to the present on the island, which was a must-visit destination for families for decades. During the mid-19th century, the island was sold in parcels to several private owners who built cottages, stables, and trails. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. Everyone has a memory to tell. Such a sad and difficult ending to such a WONDERFUL PLACE. And I stood and looked across the river, and what I remember is no longer there, and Im 54 years old . Remember it was a time when girls wore dresses and not pants, so we sure had to be careful on the rides (check out the pictures how the girls were dressed). I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. The far end of the island is now all luxury homes. . I enjoyed BobLo so much as a child-we boarded the boats in Wyandotte. Interestingly, the islands history starts long before the amusement park was even planned. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. Now surrounded by tall grass and weeds, the park's historic entertainment theater remains near the center of the island. Not fair to blame millionaires when often it is a corporation that can run out money after 5 or 6 bad years. Most of the homes on the island also come with a large amount of property. 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. Each boat could hold about 2,500 passengers. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. The ferry runs 365 days a year, departing every 20 minutes. Touch device users . It runs every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at a fee of $10 each way. The children of these days dont know anything about Boblo Island and never will. It had e. Would love to know more about your experience working on the Bob-Lo boats. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. I loved going there as it was much smaller than Cedar Point so riding the rides didnt take so long. The existence of such an organization would certainly be complicated by the facts that 1) Bob-Lo is a Canadian island with an overbearing American past, and 2) today Bob-Lo primarily serves asa retreat for the wealthy, who I can imagine would not want people coming to visit the historical remains there,any more than they would want hunters (although if theyown a cat or a small dog, the latter might be welcome if they could take care of the coyote population). Idea to put a roller coaster in there in parcels to several private owners who built cottages,,... This Wikipedia the language links are at the top for a breathtaking view the... Bob-Lo Discovery Centre. & quot ; Bob-Lo Discovery Centre. & quot ; Bob-Lo Discovery Centre. quot! 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