. Its amusement rides were sold in 1994. - Mellissa M. Sources: BobloSteamers.com, Water Winter Wonderland. 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. The boat was taken to Toledo on Tuesday. These homes are 1,250 square feet on the sides, 1,625 in the middle. Residents of the small community live among acres and acres of nature, just steps from water. Thank you again for the information. Part of the experience was the long boat ride to the island. 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). By "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.". 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. The juvenile coyote was gone in another blink of the eye. If youre interested, check out Patrick Livingstons book Summer Dreams: The Story of Bob-Lo Island, published by Wayne State University Press in 2008. Boblo Island was very special. OBSCURIST TOURIST 025 - Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Two twin villa homes on the north end of the island. Required fields are marked *. The plan is to restore it and have it run in the Hudson River Valley. All the passengers who had purchased round-trip tickets were comfortably aboardall, that is, but one. One cant imagine a happy centennial celebration for this historic building . Scattered over the restof the island, there are still a number of structures left from other erasmidst overgrown grass, downed limbs from trees, and more than a few other surprises: At the south end of the island, two pieces of history, although damaged, still stand: In the portion of the island that was once the amusement parkBob-Lo as the babyboomers knew ita number of structures still stand: Unfortunately, despite a private-property-no-trespassing sign . Opened in Orlando in 1976, River Country was Walt Disney's first waterpark. Part of the old water fountain is still there and you can see the Space Needle in the distance. Finally, A young entrepreneur who successfully turned around a floundering amusement park in suburban Seattle bought Bob-Lo hoping to turn it around. Today the community on this island is known as the Marina Resort Community. The 1991, the boats ceased their 81-year run, and the park closed in 1993. So sad. The island is mainly a place where people can live in serenity. Kathi. (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 price is a little over $300k. - LJ. One of these survived to become a souvenir stand for the amusement park. Bob-Lo Park (Sometimes seen as Boblo) was established as an entertainment destination in 1898 by the Detroit,Belle Isleand Windsor Ferry Company. $19 million in debt, John's brother Randy forced Boblo Island into court-appointed receivership in 2004. The dock is gone and the passageway is mostly surrounded by weeds and overgrown grass. Of more concern than strangers arriving by ferry would be the boats that pull up and anchor around the island on summer days. I loved going there as it was much smaller than Cedar Point so riding the rides didnt take so long. If all this talk of Edgewater Park has sent you into a nostalgic funk, never fear: the video below, posted Though many of the amusement park structures have been torn down, you might still hear a passing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike! Ferry passengers could be going to the island to patronize the restaurant. How to get to Boblo Island: I can forward them to you if you would like. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Narrated by Motown legend Martha Reeves, the movie "Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale" is finally in theatres. The park was sold but never got up and running again so all the rides and boats were sold. The ferry runs 365 days a year, departing every 20 minutes. Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park. He wore a variety of colorful clothing, including a large hat with 'Captain Bob Lo' on the peak, and was typically equipped with binoculars for navigation purposes. If I had mega-millions I would invest in restoration of the island and the amusement park. I, too, went there every year as a child from Detroit. [1] Screamer, a double corkscrew; Nightmare, an indoor all-dark ride; and Sky Streak, a steel out-and-back design, were its three roller coasters. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in a notable 1948 decision construing the scope of the commerce clause. Claire or the Columbia, but no cellphone cameras documented that embarkation and carrying a Kodak Instamatic simply would not have been cool. These steamers could carry more than 2,000 passengers from Detroit to the island. On that visit, the very air between the Wild Mouse and the Whip was fraught with hormones dancing to a Top Ten soundtrack which included Sitting on the Dock of the Bay and Grazing in the Grass.. 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. 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). The goal of developers is to someday populate the entire island with neighborhoods. The park has been closed since 1993 DETROIT - Say the name "Boblo" to anyone who grew up around Michigan, and their eyes will light up. This is the structure that once housed the Boblo Island Amusement Park bumper cars. (Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com). I just would like to see whats there and for my family to share it with me. The first amusement park rides were moving by 1910. 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. . Bois Blanc Island (Ontario) Who owns Boblo Island? The people of Detroit, Michigan characterized it as that city's Coney Island. Its a shame that Boblo Island had to close. This is the living space inside one of the single family homes. The company had just been sold to a group from Texas who ran a small park. Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. Today, We take a look at the history and destiny of an iconic Detroit Metro Area former amusement park; Bob-Lo Island. They created a destination to keep themselves busy on the weekend. McLeans Mansion (Holly Lea): The historic building that was saved by the local community from demolition, The ruins of Richmond Castle: one of the oldest Norman fortresses in England. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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). Loved going to Bob-Lo as a kid. Thank you again!! By Edward Pevos of MLive - epevos@MLive.com. [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. A miniature railroad was built around the island in the 60s, along with a upgraded dock area. Photojournalist Seph Lawless has taken pictures of 10 abandoned theme parks around the US. [26] KPMG found there was no money left to continue supplying basic services. Its entrance is at Vernon Boulevard and Main Street in Astoria. Can you go over to the island any time? [10], With no buyers materializing, Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan, was retained to sell the property at auction on February 10, 1993. Ive been talking to friends who also loved Boblo and I am going to do further study. It was a terrible idea to put a roller coaster in there. The restaurants 2013 grand opening was May 24th. http://bit.ly/2cIo6Ny (Video by Alex Atwell), VINTAGE BOBLO: Throwback video of the old Boblo boat and Boblo Island. For many in this part of Michigan, this boat resides in fond memories of trips to Boblo Island. The biggest surprise during my visit to Bob-Lo came from a different sort of stranger than the type Id been envisioning when I was watching the girls swim in the river. After Memorial Day Weekend in 1997, park rangers learned that the arch had collapsed. The plan is to restructure the whole island and populate it with luxurious houses. The far end of the island is now all luxury homes. 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. By their very nature, amusement parks are places of fun, relaxation, excitement, and recreation. St. Clair Shores (1950-60s) & never went to the park. Once known as Bois Blanc Island, Boblo lies on the Detroit River on the Canadian side. Each boat could hold about 2,500 passengers. See more ideas about island, amusement park, boblo boat. The fire could not be contained and destroyed the historic mahogany woodwork and upper decks. The rides were sold in 1994, but as we discovered via YouTube, a number of the park's structures still stand on the island. Today it is overgrown: The Powerhouse, which looks like small limestone chapel, that provided electricityto the Carousel: The Dance Pavilion a 35,000 feet steel and limestone building designed by Albert Kahn and John Scott and completed in 1913. After 1796, British interests controlled the island and it was the staging point for the first local action in the War of 1812. By 1910 the first amusement park rides, the carousel, ponies and a dancing pavillion were available. A tri-plex home. Along with homes, there are also property lots for sale in which people can build homes on. 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