The Abandoned Carousel

#33 – Racism, Riots, and Euclid Beach Park (Ohio)

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 10:00:00 -0000

Racism, Riots, and Euclid Beach Park

Urban theme parks were often shuttered in part due to racist discrimination. This episode of The Abandoned Carousel gives a broad overview of 20th century recreation riots and urban theme park closures, focusing on Euclid Beach Park in Cleveland OH as an example.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/33.

Social Media http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. 1910 Euclid Beach Park image is public domain, via the Library of Congress.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.

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#32 – The First Ferris Wheel

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 10:00:00 -0000

The First Ferris Wheel

George Ferris is credited with the invention of the first Ferris wheel, star of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Ferris Wheel Park, and the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. This is the history of that incredible invention.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/32.

Social Media http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Ferris wheel image is public domain, via the St. Louis Public Library.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.

#31 – Philadelphia Toboggan Company's Carousel #15

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0000

Carousel 15

Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel #15 has been around for 113 years and counting. It's survived at least four parks, two fires, and two malls, and it's been on the National Register of Historic Places twice. Listen to the history of this plucky carousel that could.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/31.

Social Media http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Cover image is by onefish2 on Flickr, CCBY.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.

#30 – Canadian World, Anne of Green Gables, and Lucy Maud Montgomery

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0000

Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, and Canadian World

A fierce woman who made her own way in a time very different from today. Several fierce women, in fact. This is the incredibly interesting story of Lucy Maud Montgomery, her creation Anne of Green Gables, and the Anne-themed "Canadian World" in Hokkaido, Japan.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/30.

Social Media http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel Patreon: patreon.com/theabandonedcarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Green Gables photo by Barney Moss on Flickr, CCBY2.0.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE. Interstitial music is all by Kevin Macleod at incompetech.com: "Simple Duet", "Deliberate Thought", and "Eternal Hope".

Timestamps (0:00:53) - Lucy Maud Montgomery (0:48:02) - Anne of Green Gables (1:29:55) - Canadian World

#29 – Royal Land (Mississippi)

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 11:00:00 -0000

Royal Land (Meridian, MS)

Today's story covers an amusement park mostly lost to time, except for its iconic castle-styled entrance gate. Royal Land operated for two years, but to talk about it, we've also got to cover the drive-in movie theater, Buckwalter Stadium and the Cotton States League, and of course, a train or two.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/29.

Social Media http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Sketch is copyright The Abandoned Carousel and may be used under a CCBY4.0 shared attribution license.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.

#28 – Dinosaur World, or "John Agar's Land of Kong" (Arkansas)

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 11:00:00 -0000

Dinosaur World, or John Agar's Land of Kong (Arkansas)

Today a crumbling pile of concrete in rural Arkansas, this park was once a glimmering roadside haven for the family vacations of decades past. In today's episode, I get into the history of this beacon of a simpler time. On the way, I talk about a history of the US road systems, and the sculpting history of a man called Emmet Sullivan.

Find complete show notes (including a rough transcript, images, and references) for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/28.

Social Media http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Dinosaur photo courtesy of Kirk D @ Secret Fun Blog.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.

#27 – Wobbies World (Australia)

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 11:00:00 -0000

Wobbies World (Australia)

At Wobbies World, there's lots to do...

This week, the story of an oddball transportation-themed park in Australia. Super 80s, with plenty of vintage planes, helicopters, and trams. The park looked far more exciting than it ever was, and I'll get into it. You might even call it Pissweak World.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/27.

Social Media http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.
Sound clips: Pissweak World; Wobbies World 1991 commercial.

#26 – A Town Called Santa Claus

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0000

A Town Called Santa Claus

Season's Greetings! Why, we've got a topically related episode for you today! This is a good one, folks.

This episode covers the towns called Santa Claus: Santa Claus, IN; Santa Claus, GA; and Santa Claus, AZ. There are a few important Santas, like Charles Howard and Jim Yellig; and a few other important people too.

Oh, and theme parks: Christmas Park, and America's First Theme Park: Santa Claus Land. There's always a theme park.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/26. (If you're using Overcast or another similar app, you can now find dynamic timestamps for the episode in your player!)

Social Media

http://www.theabandonedcarousel.com hello@theabandonedcarousel.com (best way to contact me!) Twitter: @CarouselAbandon Facebook: @TheAbandonedCarousel Instagram: @TheAbandonedCarousel Pinterest: @TheAbandonedCarousel

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Image of Santa billboard from Santa Claus, AZ is public domain.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.
Incidental music includes "Jingle Bells (Calm)", "Deck the Halls (A)", "Deck the Halls (B)" by Kevin Macleod / incompetech.com; and "We Three Kings" by Alexander Nakarada (filmmusic.io).
Effects all via freesound.org: "Jingle Bells" by JarredGibb (CC0); "Jingle Bells" by nfrae (CC0); "Arizona Walking" by kvgarlic (CC0); "Howling Wind in Chimney" by Maurice JK (CC by SA); "Merry Christmas" by metaepitome (CC0); and "Merry Christmas" by maestroalf (CC0).

#25 – Gaslight Village (New York)

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0000

Gaslight Village

Gaslight Village was a shining gem in Lake George, NY, providing summer vacationers with "yesterday's fun today". Though the park was shuttered decades ago, it still holds the hearts and minds of those that knew it. Come find out what made Gaslight Village special in a wide landscape of theme parks.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/25.

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Image of the Opera House is from the collection of Bob Carroll and used with permission.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.
Incidental music includes "Olde Timey" and "Plucky Daisy" by Kevin Macleod / incompetech.com. "The Ballad of Gaslight Village and Frontier Town" by Brian Dorn, Addison Rice, and Jahnavi Newsom (aka The Love Sprockets), used with permission.
Additional audio clips are from the collection of Bob Carroll's Gaslight Village memorabilia and are used with permission. All are available in full on his YouTube page, and include a clip of Warren Boden, the Gaslight Village commercial jingle, audience "boos" from a mellerdrama, and part of the Heckler sketch.

#24 – Disney's Discovery Island (Florida)

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 11:00:00 -0000

Disney's Discovery Island (Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida)

This is the story of a place, abandoned in plain sight at Walt Disney World for over two decades. This is the story of Discovery Island. It had a long history before it became Disney property, hosting fruit farmers and hunting enthusiasts and tax delinquents.

As part of WDW, the island had goals to be a pirate-themed adventure. Instead, the focus became one of nature preservation and bird conservation. The dusky seaside sparrow went extinct here on Discovery Island.

When Animal Kingdom was announced, the writing was on the wall for Discovery Island, and it closed 25 years after its opening. The island remained abandoned, with much rumors and very few insights beyond the trees.

Find complete show notes and references for this episode at https://theabandonedcarousel.com/24.

Credits

Podcast cover background photo is by 4045 on freepik.com. Image by Sam Howitz, CCby2.0.
Theme music is from "Aerobatics in Slow Motion" by TeknoAXE.
Incidental music includes "Virtutes Instrumenti" and "Myst" by Kevin Macleod / incompetech.com; "Sheltered Swan" and "image film 043" by Sascha Ende via filmmusic.io.
Sound effects via freesound.org: Sparrows by Otad; Chipping Sparrow by jpbillingsleyjr; Tropical Island by rich wise; Hades and Thunder by roadie; oiseaux vautour by roubignolle; Myst Book Homage by cosmicembers; "Construction, Jackhammer, Manual, A" and "Roller Coaster Screams A" (Expedition Everest) by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk).

Timestamps (Beta) I'm testing out methods for including clickable timestamps in the notes attached to the podcast. This section may or may not function - I'm working on it! :)

(00:00) Intro (02:15) A Brief History of Walt Disney World (09:00) Discovery Island Before Disney (17:40) Disney's Treasure Island (21:51) Disney's Discovery Island (23:32) Dusky Seaside Sparrow (32:59) Downfall of Discovery Island (39:02) Abandoned Discovery Island (42:59) Rumors About the Future of Discovery Island (49:58) Outro