Whalom Park recreation to return for two weekends this summer: When and where you can go

A small-scale re-creation of Whalom Park — a Lunenburg amusement park that was a favorite destination for generations of local families before it closed in 2000 — proved so successful last year that organizers are bringing it back for two weekends in July and September.

Central Massachusetts residents will have two opportunities to re-experience a “whale of a time” this summer.

“We had a lot of people saying they were on vacation so they couldn’t attend last year,” said Scott Lanciani, president of the New Whalom Cooperative , a group dedicated to preserving and resurrecting the Whalom Park experience. “People kept asking if we could also do one in the fall, so we’ll have two events this year.”

An estimated 10,000 people turned out for last July’s three-day event, which featured a small-scale version of the amusement park at Doyle Field in Leominster, and included several rides that were similar to some of the attractions at the original Whalom Park.

“It was so long overdue to have some kind of celebration for (what) the park was,” Lanciani said.

This year’s three-day events, which are a collaborative effort between the cooperative, Manuel Amusements , and the city of Leominster , will take place at Doyle Field Friday through Sunday and Sept. 13 to Sept. 15, according to Lanciani.

This summer's two weekend events to feature even more attractions

Last year’s event included a carousel, flying swing rides, a giant slide and a Scrambler ride, said Lanciani, who added that this summer’s events would feature some additional attractions similar to those enjoyed at the original park including a Ferris wheel and a kiddie roller coaster.

More: 'A whale of a time'

“(Manuel Amusements) purchased some more rides during the off-season and they plan to bring those with them,” he said.

Those who were around when the original Whalom Park was open recall it fondly as a community amusement park that anybody could go to because of its convenient location, Lanciani said.

“My generation grew up with it and my parent’s generation grew up with it — it was part of everybody’s childhood and then it was gone,” said Lanciani, who is 48 and a former employee of Whalom Park. “We had this gem right in our backyard. It was a great little place to bring the whole family and not kill the budget, and you could go multiple times over the summer.”

The park was also a popular location for picnics and family reunions, he added.

Whalom Park, which was created in 1893 by the Fitchburg and Leominster Street Railway as a way to boost ridership on their trollies, was in continuous operation for 107 years before it closed. At the time of its closing, the park was the 13th oldest amusement park operating in the United States.

The Whalom Park experience at Doyle Field will be further celebrated at the events with a display of vintage photographs of the park and original memorabilia courtesy of the cooperative and the Lunenburg Historical Society, Lanciani said.

More: Reader memories: For many, Whalom Park delivered on its promise of 'A Whale of a Time'

Residents of a certain age will remember that Whalom Park featured a boardwalk, mini-golf, an arcade, a restaurant, a world-renowned ballroom, a playhouse and a roller-skating rink. Rides included the pirate’s den, bumper cars, a Ferris wheel, a giant slide, the tumble bug, a tilt-a-whirl and the famous Flyer Comet roller coaster.

According to Lanciani, the re-creation weekends will become an annual event in the city, but he added that the ultimate goal of the cooperative was to eventually have a small-scale version of the park and a museum dedicated to preserving its history at a permanent location.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Whalom Park recreation to return for two weekends this summer: When and where you can go