Today, 24 years after the park was closed and 118 years after its grand opening, little remains as a reminder of the islands history. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. 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. 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. Here's what we saw as we recently explored the amusement park area. steeped in history is open for business. I wish that the people that bought this island could restore it. A street sign shows people where they are as they arrive on the island. Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of. BOBLO Island poster. By 1742, a French mission among the Hurons was established. "Yeah, she's 110 years old, but she's well-built and she survived," said boat co-owner, Ron Kattoo. Claire V can fit up to 16 vehicles as well as pedestrians and cyclists. The middle section of the island was developed as a park. The park was closed for the 1933-1934 seasons due to the Great Depression. The homes come with all appliances. [2], Though it was not looking for a buyer, the Michigan AAA sold Boblo Island in 1988 to the International Broadcasting Corporation, a Minneapolis-based concern that owned the Harlem Globetrotters and Ice Capades. The old Dance Hall sits majestically abandoned on the center of the island. Visitors could travel between rides and attractions using a mini railroad. At about 34-square miles, the island is 12 miles long and six miles long. 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. People quit coming in the 1980s, then the money for upkeep is not there. http://bit.ly/2cIo6Ny (Video by Alex Atwell), VINTAGE BOBLO: Throwback video of the old Boblo boat and Boblo Island. In 1991, those boats were sold and smaller ferries took people from Gibraltar, Mich., to the island, as well as Amherstburg. - Bonnie, Oh! The Boblo Island Beach House Restaurant is located along the western shore of the island by the marina. [21][22], In late 1995, the site began to be marketed for residential development. There were several trips from Detroit each day, but only two stops in Wyandotte. 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. [18], In 1994, John Oram, an Iraqi immigrant to the United States who owned car stereo businesses, purchased the Boblo Island site. It is slated to include a luxury hotel, international shops & restaurants, a 107-berth boat dock, and a pier large enough to accommodate lake cruise ships along with The S.S. . A woman leans against the fence in the foreground to take a picture of the ride. The passageway still exists showing Gilbraltar, Michigan to the left and Amherstburg, Ontario to the right. Remember, the island is in Canada, so you can't just cross over from the U.S. and dock there. Both doors are were chain locked. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). Explore. . In 1949, the island was threatened by bankruptcy. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Residents of the small community live among acres and acres of nature, just steps from water. Exploring and discovering those remains is a thrill in its own right. Even the words scrawled across its portal announced simply "Eastwood Park.". By 1910 the first amusement park rides, the carousel, ponies and a dancing pavillion were available. A combined force of British and Native American soldiers in canoes surprised and overpowered an American vessel en route to Detroit. As well as some great stories, it includes some good photographs from all of the islands incarnations! The abandoned amusement park was a p. For many people the best ride of the day was on the Bob-Lo Boat that took visitors to the island. I am only 12. Claire or the Columbia, but no cellphone cameras documented that embarkation and carrying a Kodak Instamatic simply would not have been cool. The place is oozing history. 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). . Given that the island was known as the Boblo Island Amusement Park from 1898 1993, Id say, overall, it was a pretty successful run. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. The Bobl-Lo Island of today? Colorful picnic tables near Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin. And I stood and looked across the river, and what I remember is no longer there, and Im 54 years old . The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Not fair to blame millionaires when often it is a corporation that can run out money after 5 or 6 bad years. Required fields are marked *. These steamers are the oldest passenger steamers in the United States of America, currently anchored at the Great Lakes Steel Dock in Ecorse, Michigan. Our world today, especially with the pandemic, needs what we all once had back in this society. The beautiful wood flooring should never have been ripped out. 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. . 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. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. The far end of the island is now all luxury homes. These steamers could carry more than 2,000 passengers from Detroit to the island. Anyone remember how much fun the dance floor was and how beautiful the boats were. I would bring back the lost souls and add life to the island again. I was born and raised in Wyandotte, Michigan. Well I would say as a resident (who by the way is not a mega millionaire), that we dont mind having company on the island and share it with those who want to come out. Both vessels are bound for Boblo Island. Watch. [14], The 1993 season proved bumpy and was marred by miscues including disputes with island residents and the Canadian Coast Guard, compounded by the leader of Enchanted Parks, Michael Moodenbaugh, being seriously injured and breaking his spine in a car accident in Toledo, Ohio, in September. It's just a stone's throw from historic Amherstburg, Ontario, which is a 30-minute drive from Windsor. When was the last time yousailed down the Detroit River toBob-Lo Island, to summertime? It's a place for those looking to surround themselves with nature, including the more than 50 different species of birds. Courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, Photographer Joe Clark. Today the community on this island is known as the Marina Resort Community. [7] Though one expert felt that Boblo was too big to fail outright and could be turned around,[8] By June, however, no firm offers had been made for the park. Check out recent photos from one of the Boblo boats. The ruins of what remains can be seen via the waterway that separates both Michigan and Ontario, but for many, the memories of this once-bustling park are what truly keep it alive. [25], American investors were scared away after the September 11 attacks, which hurt the financial outlook for the development. Valentine and Sons United Publishing Company - This image is part of the Canadian Copyright Collection held by the British Library, and has been digitized as part of the "Picturing Canada" project. How to get to Boblo Island: Gone are the roller coasters, but there are plenty of haunting remnants from Boblo Island Amusement Park, which delivered thrills and family fun from 1898 to September 30, 1993. A tri-plex home. 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. We were participating in a totally sanctioned, transportation-provided-by-the-school-district Ninth-Grade Skip Day. We would have boarded either the Ste. ", "Small fire breaks out on SS Ste. The place just went completely downhill. 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 website is that of Bob-Lo Island Custom Home Builder, the developer of the Marina Resort Community, Boblos current rendition. Why did Boblo Island shut down? 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. These homes are 1,250 square feet on the sides, 1,625 in the middle. BOBLO ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK entertained people from both Canada and USA for 96 YEARS ! From the U.S. (departing from Detroit) your routeto the ferry would looklike this: The ferry boat captain had to take the Detroit Rivers strong current into consideration in maneuvering the ferry boat to the dock. My concern with respect to Bob-Lo Island is that what structures are left from the islands very interesting history are not being adequately protected. It is now an expensive, gated housing community with a private clubhouse. DETROIT Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. The Columbia is undergoing restoration. - Kathy G. We kids were able to run up and down the stairs on the boat and go to the dance floor. Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park. Anyone . The only other way to get to the island is to dock a private boat. Detroit, Windsor and Belle Isle Ferry Company, From 2018: Old Boblo Island boat catches fire at Detroit marina. A sign leads residents and visitors to dining venues and the marina on Boblo Island. The price is a little over $300k. [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. The juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. We also traveled from past to the present on the island, which was a must-visit destination for families for decades. We live on the east shore of Grosse Ile, we would love to take our boat to eat at the restaurant. You can take a tour of the model homes on Boblo Island on Saturdays and Sundays with an island specialist by calling 519-736-1111. The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the Bob-Lo Discovery Centre. The ride takes about 5 or 10 minutes, instead of the hour it used to take whenone departedon the other side of the border. 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. The Sky Streak Ride, for example, was moved to Selva Magica, a theme park in Mexico, and the Nightmare was initially moved to Six Flags Houston where it was known as the Mayan Mindbender, only to be moved once again to a theme park in Amarillo, Texas. Claire, built in 1910. What remains of the boat after the fire is currently docked at Riverside Marina in Detroit. Captain Bob's Ice Cream & Coffee Cabin is located on the western shore of Boblo Island, and is open for residents and visitors from Thursday through Sunday. The tiny island is located in the middle of the East River, parallel to Manhattan's East 46th to 85th Streets. Claireoffered their own form of entertainment. After 1796, British interests controlled the island and it was the staging point for the first local action in the War of 1812. It's docked in New York. Rides, music, thrills, and lights attracted thousands of visitors year after year. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this site. Interestingly, the islands history starts long before the amusement park was even planned. Yes, I list http://www.boblo.ca as a source where one can get more information in my book Great Lakes Island Escapes: Ferries and Bridges to Adventure (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2016). You do it for other people. 272 acres. Action Park in New Jersey is known as the most dangerous amusement park in the country, six people passed away from 1980 to 1987. You know what I think, I have never been over there. Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. The island is a five-minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit. The earliest historical reference, from 1718, describes 70 Native American families peacefully farming the fertile land. The ferry leaves every 20 minutes from a dock next to the "Bob-Lo Discovery Centre.". 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). To add . What a shame, all gone because some mega millionaires wanted more money. In 1993, after nearly 100 years in the business of entertainment, it was decided that the park was to be closed. Four million tourists flock to Liberty Island in New York each year to see the architectural marvel, The Statue of Liberty. The people of Detroit, Michigan, characterized it as the city's Coney Island. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He's been with WDIV since 2013. [2] After Michigan found Bob-Lo guilty and fined the company, Bob-Lo filed a lawsuit against the state, Bob-Lo Excursion Co. v. Michigan, 333 U.S. 28 (1948). 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. 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. During the Rebellion of 1837, "patriots" from the U.S. invaded the island in 1838. Such a sad and difficult ending to such a WONDERFUL PLACE. Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park. Why is it called Boblo Island? Millions of Americans and Canadians share memories of riding the Swan Boats or the train that circled the park. This photo shows people boarding the SS St. Claire (built in 1910) bound for Boblo Island. This historic boat carried passengers to and from Boblo Island, and amusement park located on the Detroit River. It broke my heart to see the way everything looks these days. 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. The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. Here are some of the homes and what life is like on Boblo Island today. The Island is now stripped on most of anything that would resemble an amusement park. The island was home to a popular amusement park starting in the late 1890s. 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