Freedomland Amusement , Bronx New York 1963

[LITEE43]

I remember seeing Stevie Wonder perform at Freedomland when he was known as "little" Stevie Wonder.

[LindaDi40]

I worked here in "Little Old New York" in a candy store from opening day on.....stayed working there for 6 months or so......opening day parade with Pat Boone leading.......many fond memories.......

[TheNyswag]

freedomland is now Co-op city

[bill1154]

Thanks for the memories.

[newrochellephoenix]

Only in the Bronx !

[mjoyg1123]

I was inspired by this video.

[imlavernesmom]

I went there on a Brownies trip when I was 8 years old in 1960, & then the following year my dad took us all there the following summer on vacay. i still to this day have the 8mm film my dad took of an Indian holding up a lady in a stagecoach. i wanted so badly to be one of the kids that got picked to pump the water to put out the Chicago fire...that damn cow!

[paulatubie]

To add to the memories - I can remember that one of the exhibits had a water faucet where the water ran up instead of down. I also remeber my older sisters helping to put out the fire, but I was scared to try because I was so short that I would have been flying up with the pumper bar on the upswing. I figured that someday I'd be big enough to join in, but that day never came. I also loved the Borden Barn and eating colored sugar candy that was sold in what looked like a big bottle cap.

[paulatubie]

Wow - This was great to watch! For anyone interested, the big paddle boat is now docked on the Byram River in Port Chester, NY, near the Greenwich border. Someone bought it and fully restored it. it does not go out to sea because it never was a real working boat and ran on an underwater track back in its Freedomland days. The owner was renting it out for private parties and I photographed a few of them. Now he wants to open it as a club with music, but needs to get approved by Port Ch.

[ccdesan]

Thank Mogg that this pricless footage has been preserved. As short-lived as it was, Freedomland is indelibly imprinted upon my memory. I got to meet the Three Stooges backstage there - a highlight of my young life!

[clemb1able]

I have a 81/2 by 11 memorabilia ad poster of freedom land park that can be framed I'm thinking of putting it on ebay. anyone want - don't know what it's worth. My father worked for Zeckendorff at the time.

[whisperfan1940]

My wife and I was there in 1963, we saw Little Eva, Jerry Vale, Patti Page, and the Les and Larry Elgart Band perform that day.

[rolex452]

I loved this place so dearly. Disney World and the newer parks would never hold the wonder, excitement and fun that this little place had. I'll never forget the good times there.

[tapthatt2012]

nice clip. cool that you had that v/o ad in the beginning.

[sunnygrl]

My mom has some home movies of my family at Freedomland that look just like this.. I don't remember being there (I was in the stroller) but my brother and sisters do. It's hard to imagine there was such an amazing place where nasty Co-Op City is now. Thanks for posting this! :)

[efrem1]

My guess is that the New York Worlds Fair of 1964 did them in. Why go to someplace in the Bronx when one could go to the shiny exhibits in Queens.

[pk1980kls]

Thanks! just finished reading "Boulevard of Dreams" by Constance Rosenblum, about The Grand Concouse and the Bronx... towards the end she mentions Freedomland and i remembered visiting there when i was about 11 or so and what a lovely surprise to find this site. I had such lovely memories of that place, we bought some food, had a picnic outside, got to see Chubby Checker do The Twist, it was a perfect summer Sunday w/my family.

[newrochellephoenix]

PS-some of the rides were bought by Clarks Amusement Park in NH-were I think they still do run ! Mommy Daddy Take My Hand !

[newrochellephoenix]

I remember only going once . It was later all torn down to make way for Co op City,which looked run down within a year of opening -almost like a setting for a sci fi film made in the 70s and set in the far off 21st century . .

[Annettesmusic]

I was just talking about Freedom Land tonight with a friend and wondered why I never went. I knew it wasn't opened long but it always bothered me that I never got to see it. Then I googled it and found your video with the date it opened. Now I know why. It opened three months after my parents moved us from the Bronx. Many thanks to the Modica family for filming and posting this priceless footage. I finally got to see Freedom Land!

All the best,

Annette

[Annettesmusic]

P.S. Is that you Frank, towards the end of the video, with the adorable little girl?

[SLNLive]

Yes the little boy is me. The little girl is my sister.

[norbeckroad]

I remember them giving me bumper stickers when we went in to park, but my dad never let me put them on the car. Disappointing, but I kept them for years and years.

It sure was fun when you were little, and as someone said, the closest we NYers got to the Disneyland experience.

My favorite? The old train!

My friend Stuart and I were so excited by the silver flying saucer. It looked SO cool, but ultimately, was pretty disappointing inside. Just a movie. Not sure what we expected.

[wsbtam]

I grew up with two rides brought over from Freedomland after it closed to Cedar Point: Buccaneers (renamed Pirate Ride), and the SF Earthquake/fire ride. Absolutetly LOVED both!!

Sadly, both are now gone: SF Earthquake was retired in 1985, and the Pirate Ride in 1998. Great memories for this Hoosier kid!

[ttalojoj]

I heve a few "still shots" of Freedomland with my Dad. We pumped the Old Fire Truck for the fire wearing a Union Army Soldiers Hat. Saw many Freedom rides at StoryTown aka Great Escape up in Glenns Falls/Lake George.. Thank You to the Modica family.

[nyc1rob]

places like freedomland, palisades amusement park and even kiddie city can never be duplicated again....those were truly the days...i remember them well....

[ATLCoasterMan]

Alot of there rides went to The Great Escape in Lake George,NY

[BRONXGIRL10]

My dad and I went to Freedomland. I remember listening to and watching Jack Lacey broadcasting live when WINS was a music station. Too bad Freedomland didn't remain there. It was a great alternative to Rye Playland. Then Co-Op City may never have been built.

[einsteineye]

did you know there was a notorious robbery of the place using the waterways as a getaway.. the crooks were caught though.. it must've a semi inside job..

[lallysusan]

I do remember the robbery via the waterways. Must research that in the NY Times.

[einsteineye]

got your times snippet..

actually knew one of those guys- i was so surprised! when it happened I had no concept of crime and criminals

[akwaqs]

One of my earliest and happiest memories is the time my folks took my brother and I to Freedomland U.S.A. For us Easterners it was the closest thing to going to Disneyland. Coney Island was kinda scary for us little kids. Freedomland was just right. The next year it was gone. I still have my "Wanted" poster printed with my name from the old-fashioned printing press in the Wild West section of the park.

[marsmoke]

My Dad was in the trucking business, and he took me there before it opened to deliver stagecoaches on his truck. We only lived about two miles away but I dont think we went often enough.

[BigIronOnHipMan]

Loved the nostalgic feel you created when having Rudy Valle sing " As Time Goes By" which, BTW as local Cedar Grooove, NJ legend has it, was written in the old "Robin Hood Inn" as told to me, a few years ago, by The Dutchman...RIP

[RetPD1949]

Went there once. Opening day! Only thing I remembered was operating that faux Fire Engine in the opening sequence. I didn't really like the park, but it is a memory.

[l11432]

Thanks for the wonderful memories!

[martynoed]

Went once, I remember being over the moon, because I saw the 3 Stooges. The only other thing I can remember was watching a Shoot Out at the OK Corral routine.

[fiddlerpin]

My sister and I went to Freedomland in the early 60's with our parents. I distinctly remember the 2 Dragon Train rides. One is shown in the film. I believe one was blue and one was red and they drove you over a concrete road course. Thanks for posting

[Rollman1]

I lived in Brooklyn when that park was open

my folks never took my there :[

I live not far from Cony wi9th its decaing rides.

[johnkilo]

The paddleboats from this park actually was bought by a businessman and was placed in a lake in my town (Moodus, CT). The man died 10 years ago from cancer and the boats have since been sold and dismantled, unfortunately.

[doromc27]

Thank you! I too found this quite by accident. I was about the same age as the little girl in the movie in 1963. I was so angry when Freedomland was torn down and co-op city was built. I knew I wasn't going to Disneyland any time soon, and growing up on Long Island (and having a lot of relatives in the Bronx) Freedomland was as close as I was going to get to it.

[143AC]

I wish that I had seen the NYC based kids tv hosts

and the rock music stars and "The Three Stooges"

at "Freedomland USA"..But I never did see them.

Damn It!

[cretufan]

wow this where i live now

[jspinosa2000]

what a great place it was

[smannoia]

I remember going here all of the years that it was in operation. It was really cool. when it closed my friends and I would sneak in and play in the abandoned park. It was like being in a Science fiction movie where all of the people had disappeared. We really were sad when the finally demolished it and built co op city

[143AC]

I was at Freeomdland once.

I liked it but my father and brothers

hated this place.

I never got to se this place again.

[poemmaker53]

I stumbled on this quite by accident! What memories it brought back to me once I saw The Chicago Fire scene! The Pony Express! My mother, sister Diane and I were visiting our Uncle George and Aunt Estelle and cousins in White Plains and we all went to Freedomland for the day!!! We saw The Kingston Trio there!! This video has brought me such joy. Thanks to whoever posted it. Thank you so much!!!

[gutshamamatsu]

good old days...

[siegpez]

nice video,wish my parents took pictures when they took me there when i was 12.Just as well,the video brings it all back.

[Robert4770]

Hard to believe it was all only there for 4 years