Old amusement park in Livonia?

**JBMcB** · March-29-15, 11:49 AM

Anyone remember an old, small amusement park in, or near, Livonia? I remember a thread on a now-defunct website talking about it. There was a garden center very nearby that closed a few years ago. Couldn't find anything on WaterWinterWonderland. Did this exist or is my memory fried?

**jcole** · March-29-15, 01:46 PM

You're not thinking of Edgewater, are you? It was at 7 Mile and Berg so relatively close to Livonia.

**JBMcB** · March-29-15, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

You're not thinking of Edgewater, are you? It was at 7 Mile and Berg so relatively close to Livonia.

I don't think so - I've seen the area from Google Earth before, and 7-mile and Berg doesn't look right. There are some two-story apartment buildings near the area I'm looking for. It definately wasn't in the City of Detroit proper, I'm guessing when this place was an active amusement park it was considered the boonies.

**Honky Tonk** · March-29-15, 02:19 PM

[QUOTE=JBMcB;474676]Anyone remember an old, small amusement park in, or near, Livonia? I remember a thread on a now-defunct website talking about it. There was a garden center very nearby that closed a few years ago. Couldn't find anything on WaterWinterWonderland. Did this exist or is my memory fried?[/QUOTE

Have you seen this link? It doesn't list anything in Livonia. Maybe you're recalling something temporary, like a traveling carnival? Something @ DRC?

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/amusement.aspx

**jcole** · March-29-15, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

I don't think so - I've seen the area from Google Earth before, and 7-mile and Berg doesn't look right. There are some two-story apartment buildings near the area I'm looking for. It definately wasn't in the City of Detroit proper, I'm guessing when this place was an active amusement park it was considered the boonies.

Walled Lake? It's a lot further out, near 14 and Haggerty, which would definitely the boonies back then.

**catch22** · March-29-15, 05:03 PM

I'm foggy on the dates, but for some time shortly after Wonderland opened, there was a small, semi-permanent, carnival with a few rides in its parking lot on the Plymouth Road side. It was there for maybe 4 or 5 years. Could that be it?

**Hermod** · March-29-15, 05:33 PM

General the amusement parks [[also called "electric parks") were place at the end of trolley lines as "traffic generators" for the weekends when the commuter traffic wasn't there. Detroit had Jefferson Beach, Eastwood Park, and Edgewater Park. Walled Lake a traffic generator for the Orchard lake line.

**Sailor Rick** · March-31-15, 08:32 AM

Could it of been called "Boofland?" Like the local kid's TV show of the late 50's-early 60's? As a runt, we lived on Detroit's west side, then later Livonia. I recall a few family pictures from that era of us on "kiddie" rides. My mom identified it as the above.

**Smirnoff** · April-02-15, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by catch22

I'm foggy on the dates, but for some time shortly after Wonderland opened, there was a small, semi-permanent, carnival with a few rides in its parking lot on the Plymouth Road side. It was there for maybe 4 or 5 years. Could that be it?

That's it....rode in the small boat[[s) many times, many.....

**old guy** · April-03-15, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

That's it....rode in the small boat[[s) many times, many.....

I miss those types of rides. Not for me so much, but for kids in general. Great photo.

**Honky Tonk** · April-03-15, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by old guy

Not for me so much

Yeah, right. C'mon, fess up.....

**artds** · April-05-15, 06:55 AM

There was once [[circa 1960s) a go-kart type fun center located on the ne corner of farmington road and plymouth road in livonia. There is 2-story aprtments constructed in the early 2000s located there now. Perhaps thats what youre thinking of.

**shovelhead** · April-05-15, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

General the amusement parks [[also called "electric parks") were place at the end of trolley lines as "traffic generators" for the weekends when the commuter traffic wasn't there. Detroit had Jefferson Beach, Eastwood Park, and Edgewater Park. Walled Lake a traffic generator for the Orchard lake line.

Walled Lake Amusement Park was about six miles from the Orchard Lake branch of the DUR and the Northville line did not go north into Novi. It was built around the time that area was promoted as a resort with cottages and the Walled Lake Casino.

**subsidized** · April-06-15, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by artds

There was once [[circa 1960s) a go-kart type fun center located on the ne corner of farmington road and plymouth road in livonia. There is 2-story aprtments constructed in the early 2000s located there now. Perhaps thats what youre thinking of.

I know the Mai Kai, a.k.a. the Omni, a.k.a. the George Burns Theater was on that corner. Was the fun center maybe next to it?

**wilderness** · April-07-15, 07:46 AM

I've a nagging recollection of that Livonia Amusement Park, however the streets and their directions is puzzling me. Perhaps others may help based upon the following: In the mid-60s I went to the Terrace theater [[believe it was on Plymouth and away from the intersection of Plymouth & ?? Just off the shopping center property and on the same street as the Terrace [[however on the opposite side and closer to the intersection) was the remnants of an amusement park. Believe there was still a ferris wheel there.

**Wheels** · April-07-15, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by wilderness

I've a nagging recollection of that Livonia Amusement Park, however the streets and their directions is puzzling me. Perhaps others may help based upon the following: In the mid-60s I went to the Terrace theater [[believe it was on Plymouth and away from the intersection of Plymouth & ?? Just off the shopping center property and on the same street as the Terrace [[however on the opposite side and closer to the intersection) was the remnants of an amusement park. Believe there was still a ferris wheel there.

The Terrace theater is now Bill Brown Colision on Plymouth near Sears st.