A LITTLE AMUSEMENT

Back in my olden days, there weren't the plethora of amusement parks like we have today.  Disneyland opened when I was in elementary school, but it was on the other side of the country.  We didn't have a local place like Lagoon.  But we did have Glen Echo Park.

Glen Echo Park was located in suburban Maryland.  Looking back on the place, it was small and charming.  But it had everything that a kid or teenager would want for fun and amusement.  We probably made at least one trip a year to Glen Echo Park.  I seem to remember that some of those outings were related to church activities.

 The rides were fun, but probably by today's safety standards, quite dangerous.  There was a ride called "The Whip".  One called the "Cuddle Up". There were roller coasters, bumper cars, an airplane ride, swimming pool with a sandy beach, a midway and picnic areas.  There was also a fun house with a large wooden slide that you rode down on while sitting on burlap bags.  In the fun house, there was also a large spinning table top like thing.  To get your fun and thrill, you sat down on this thing and tried to stay on it as it spun faster and faster.  There were probably some injuries as kids went flying off, unable to hang on.  I remember a mirrored maze where you could easily loose your way.

The bumper cars were really fun.

The Cuddle Up was probably a favorite of teenagers "in love".

The midway with the Airplane ride in the middle. "The Whip" is in the lower right corner.

I never went on this big roller coaster.  I was too chicken. I still don't like roller coasters.

But my very favorite ride was the carousel.  The carousel was wonderful.  When you rode the carousel, on every rotation, you passed a device that was loaded with metal rings.  As you passed the device, a carousel rider would reach out and grab a ring.  The ring machine was loaded with plain metal rings and one brass ring.  If you were lucky enough to grab the brass ring, you got a free ride.

From what I could find online, Glen Echo Park was closed in 1968.  But through the efforts of a local foundation, many elements have been or are in the process of being restored.  The carousel was one of them. Isn't it beautiful and charming?

Glen Echo was a delightful place.