The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. I was 7 years old when the ferries stopped running in 1991. A miniature railroad was built around the island in the 60s, along with a upgraded dock area. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . All rights reserved (About Us). Once built, the dance hall was the second largest in the world, able to accommodate no less than 5,000 dancers. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. 525 55 shares Like Most relevant Ryan Hance How long ago did this place close and why did it close down? We toured the Ste Claire in 2015 while restoration efforts were ongoing before fire gutted it on July 6, 2018. 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. Private cottages and government property remained at the north and south ends of the island. The Bois Blanc Lighthouse built in 1836; its lamp room was destroyed in 1954 when vandals started a fire. It was like a little cruise. Claire was engulfed in an accidental fire while docked on the Detroit River on July 6, 2018. Larry Benaroya, his associate, and his Northern Capital took control of the property; Mancini was fired, and the ownership group put it back on the market in January 1994. I found this very useful for Information! 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. Yes, Kathy, the Bob-Lo Island Beach House Restaurant is an easy walk. The restaurant is open to residents and visitors Thursday through Sunday. $19 million in debt, John's brother Randy forced Boblo Island into court-appointed receivership in 2004. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). These steamers could carry more than 2,000 passengers from Detroit to the island. This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. They created a destination to keep themselves busy on the weekend. The park closed in 1993 as a result of poor management and attendance was shrinking because of other parks like Cedar Point. 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. People can dock their private boats there, or take a four-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It was one of the most popular places to dance in the 1920s. Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. 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. A private community is now being built on the island. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The control room area through broken glass. British troops captured 60 of the attackers and built three log blockhouses to defend the island. By each step it became more clear that this was left for dead a long time ago. Only a few buildings and the sky tower structure still stand. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. That was in 1993. Pinterest. 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. What I remember about Bob-Lo Island specifically, the entrance coming off of the boat, one of the last times I went the Simpsons were the mascots and I met Bart and Homer. The last screams of joy could be heard from the little island of fun 25 years ago as the Cedar Point of Michigan closed for the final time. The Browning Family sold the island in 1979, which led to several owners in the following years, including IBC and AAA of Michigan. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. The website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario. We are restoring one of Detroit's most iconic steamships, the Ste. The Columbia is undergoing restoration. Peering through the broken glass, one can see water covering portions of the floor. He was 20 years older than me. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The children of this time will never get to enjoy what we did when we were children. In this respect, today, Bob-Lo Island appears a bead broken off from the strand, adrift in more than just the Detroi River, its historic integrity drowned in the current of a sequence of ill-fated development schemes. Boblo Island now boasts deluxe houses and condos, valued from $184,000 to $1.15 million, with walk-out basements and turreted views of the Detroit River. Quite disappointing that we never went back, management was doing a terrible job. Thank you again!! The plan is to restore it and have it run in the Hudson River Valley. The steamers, the Ste. The legend of Boblo is still strong in Detroit. Bois Blanc Island, former site of the Bob-Lo Island amusement park, is located at southern endof the DetroitRiver before it enters Lake Erie,and is about one-half mile wide and three miles long. (From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina), BOBLO BOAT TOUR: Take a video tour of the historic boat that traveled the Detroit River for 81 years. 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. Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, Photographer Joe Clark. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. 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. "For people who don't know, Boblo was an island amusement park that . [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. Visitors could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad. The ship in mid-swing. To rebuild would be one of lifes pleasures. 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. Though many of the amusement park structures have been torn down, you might still hear a passing. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. You can explore and find the foundations of the dance floor ruins. 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. My twin daughters, now 35, remember, but my son, 28, will never know. Very little remains, physically, of the amusement park attractions, but what we did find is fascinating, as you'll see in the link below. The island was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad to Canada, which worked to help escaped slaves leave the country. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike! People should not be making assumptions about the island residents. 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. The north side of Boblo is a growing private community, with numerous homes and condominiums. [30], The Falling Star, log flume, Enterprise, Sky Tower (Space Needle), Ferris wheel, a zoo, and a carousel were the signature attractions. This house is 2,040 square feet with a full basement. Many of you remember taking the journey to the top for a breathtaking view of the park. 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. Parts of that tower still stand. It's located in Amherstburg, Ontario. The ship, docked at Riverside Marina on the Detroit River, caught fire after 11 a.m. on . I know had I been related to this man, I would have kept his memory alive. Many locals still have great memories riding the ferry to Boblo Island Amusement Park, which eventually. 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. [3] The company had claimed it could exclude her because it was a private concern operating in another country and that neither Michigan nor any other state had authority to regulate commerce with Canada (a foreign country); the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the Michigan Supreme Court, which had upheld the jurisdiction of the state's anti-discrimination provisions and found against the company. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The ferry runs 365 days a year, departing every 20 minutes. The Island is now stripped on most of anything that would resemble an amusement park. One of the more high-end homes on the north end of Boblo Island, Ontario. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. I worked on the Boats in 1980. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. Though not all is lost. The cars operated by drawing power from an overhead electric grid unlike the Bumper Boats in use today. I remember the log ride, where we''d all get wet but would soon dry out running about, the carousel, and of course the roller coaster. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the "Bob-Lo Discovery Centre.". And then came the Boblo Island Amusement Park with its famous Screamer, Nightmare, and Wild Mouse rides, its zoo, and carousel. Visit Boblo.ca for information about living on the island. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Your email address will not be published. When Ste. [26] KPMG found there was no money left to continue supplying basic services. 10. I would bring back the lost souls and add life to the island again. Boblo Island today: Or not. His legacy died when the company came in and took over the park. This is now the only ferry which goes to and from Boblo Island. To add . By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. Big changes for Sugar Island, good changes-it has made the drinking & partying boating groups unable to overtake the island.It was not safe. When did Boblo boat stop running? [24] The island was off limits to non-residents until 2002. My birthday is coming up, maybe my family can take me to the island. Since the amusement park's closure, Boblo Island has been renovated for luxury homes. The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. The homes come with all appliances. when was the last day of this park operated (i mean the last summur )when it was open for public for the last and until what day was the ferry or the steamer making trip, and can you visit it now. After 85 years of operation, these two sister steamships - the oldest in America - awaken from a deep slumber to find a devoted team of enthusiasts have set out to rescue them from their deteriorating state. These are the remains of some of the washrooms. Is there a safe dock area, in which to leave our boat-(also Draft/depth) info .Is there a dock fee? An island in Amherstburg, Ont. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. 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. [9] The loss of the Detroit ferry service dented attendance severely in the 1992 season, which along with poor weather caused the park to miss its attendance goal. I would make sure my friends knew all the history of Bob-Lo. These steamers are the oldest passenger steamers in the United States of America, currently anchored at the Great Lakes Steel Dock in Ecorse, Michigan. 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. You do it for other people. "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.". [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. 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. [1] The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River. The 375-foot Sky Tower, rusting and visible from the Powerhouse and most of the island, as well as from other locations on the river like Grosse Ile: And a few other buildings, like the open one that may have housed the dodgem cars built in 1928, and another with more shattered windows, the Souvenir building. Four million tourists flock to Liberty Island in New York each year to see the architectural marvel, The Statue of Liberty. You can just picture all of the kids having fun smashing into each other in their cars. The Human Spinning Rotor or simply "The Rotor" was invented by a German scientist, Ernst Hoffmeister, and was financially supported by businessman Carl Friese. Boats are docked in the Boblo Island Marina, located on the western shore of the island. A sign leads residents and visitors to dining venues and the marina on Boblo Island. Potentially, it could become a wedding reception hall or hotel. [11] Roger Fachini, a 40-year-old engineer for General Dynamics and owner of a waterpark in Utica, Michigan, placed the winning $3.8 million bid and proposed redevelopment after two years,[12][13] but Boblo's creditors turned it down; after the deposit cheque bounced, they took $600,000 less in the bid from Enchanted Parks of Seattle, owners of the Wild Waves Theme Park near that city. [20] Oram then leased and shut down the White Sands boater's hangout adjacent to the park site, citing trespassers but infuriating boaters; as a result, the lease was dropped within weeks. - Marva, I am 63 years old and I remember Bob-lo so well. Before July 30, 2011, my last visit to Bob-Lo had been in June of 1968. To move visitors around the island, the park had a small railroad. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. I enjoyed BobLo so much as a child-we boarded the boats in Wyandotte. To the north of the road leading from the ferry dock is a subdivision ofmini-mansions and duplexes, with an emphasis on stone and heavy on Victorian-style turrets. 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. Since 1989, Kevin has collected miniature amusement park rides, and built a loose replica of Boblo Island in his home. Obscured in a small wooded area between the Dance Pavilion and the Terminal are the remains of the minature golf course: Consider this: I did not see another person during my entire afternoon exploration of the historic sites on the island, except for three young teenage girls I observed leaving the Resorts community pool and making their way down to the river alone, to the channel between Bob-Lo and Amherstburg, where, nestled next to the Terminal, is a very small sand beach where they swam. 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. The reasons for its closure were numerous, ranging from rising maintenance costs and poor management to stronger competition from the nearby, more attractive Cedar Point Park. Claire and the Columbia, as well as their Detroit docks, had been divested a few years earlier in 1991. BOBLO Island poster. A parking stub from Boblo Island, 1988 In June 1945, Sarah Elizabeth Ray and 12 other female workers involved in the war effort (and referred to as "girls" during the legal proceedings) took part in a sponsored trip to Boblo Island. Visiters to the marina can visit the small gallery of photographs and paintings of water scenes or rent bikes to explore the island (although what appeared to be the bike rental building was closed on this July Saturday, so perhaps not). 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. The amusement park was so famous in its day that Henry Ford himself provided money for a Dance Hall to be built, designed by the architect John Scott. 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). The audio journey to Mars is etched in my brain! I can still feel the sun and the wind as one of the great boats took us to the Island. Each held about 2,500 passengers. Watch. My most vivid memory is the Sky Diver ride. The folks from the residential areas use golf carts toget to the community pool in the center of the island, just a stones throw from the almost hundred-year-old, still standing Dance Pavilion: And here is where things get interesting. [28] However, a local housing slump meant little was developed. There is a dock at the restaurant on the island, Sue. 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. The beautiful wood flooring should never have been ripped out. 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. One such an example is Boblo Island Amusement Park initially opened on Bois Blanc Island in Ontario in 1898. It was just announced in The Windsor Star that the dance pavilion is now for sale. Escaped slaves leave the country for sale is an easy walk ends the! The only ferry which goes to and from Boblo Island amusement park structures have been down! Product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, may. Reception hall why did boblo island amusement park close hotel and visitors to dining venues and the passageway is mostly surrounded weeds... 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