This abandoned amusement park can be found in southern Ontario
Ontario adventure seekers and those wanting a nostalgic look into the past will be happy to learn that their province is home to a surreal abandoned Victorian-era amusement park.
Situated in Bois Blanc Island, Ont., just above the mouth of the Detroit River, people living in Detroit and Windsor areas viewed Boblo Amusement Park as their Coney Island since its opening in 1898.
The fun ended, however, when the park, unable to compete with larger and more modern theme parks, shuttered its doors in 1993.
The passageway to the amusement park from the Boblo Island docks. (Michael R Stroller/Flickr)
More than two decades later, the excited shrills of children being whirled on rides, the glowing Ferris wheel lights and the soft scent of French fries and candied apples in the air, have now all been replaced by an eerie silence and emptiness.
Many of the park's rides, over the years, were sold to other amusement parks following the closure, but some parts of the famous site remain, including a massive dance hall that now sits abandoned.
Some of the former park's structures were also demolished in recent years, including the main tower, dubbed the Space Needle. The relic was torn down in a controlled demolition in 2021.
At the time, the developer said it was demolished because "health and safety concerns."
In 2018, a floating piece of nostalgia was gutted by fire when flames roared through one of two historic steamships that once ferried people to the island from U.S. side.
The SS Ste. Claire caught fire while docked at a marina east of downtown Detroit.
Police and fire officials said it was doubtful the aging vessel could be salvaged.
"It's an iconic piece of history ... a lot of history," police Chief James Craig said at the time.
Meanwhile, amid weeds and grass, an abandoned bumper car area, an old theatre and the decaying ferry entrance, remain.
People can visit the island by getting a ferry ride from Amherstburg, but should be cautious of trespassing laws in the area.
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