My passions include photography, music, people, teaching, learning, taking risks and asking "I wonder what would happen if I..."
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11 thoughts on “Remember?”
My parents both worked there. Can you tell where this sign is?
Pleasure Island (1959 – 1969) was in Wakefield, just south of Route 128 on Water Street, which is Route 129. It was an 80 acre amusement park founded by William Hawkes of Gloucester, publisher of Child Life magazine, and designed by Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood, a designer of Disneyland. Although I never went to the park, I did use the Pleasure Island Road exit to visit a high tech manufacturing client in Edgewater Park to photograph a reverse asymetrical heliod worm screw drive (photo available in gallery!). It was highly polished stainless steel, and in Gloucester where I shot it, the stainless finish tarnished in about half an hour (so a lot of polishing). Pleasure Island is remembered on line at: http://www.friendsofpleasureisland.org/ and at http://www.wakefieldhistory.org/pleasureisland.html
That was the closes amusment park to this area and our family went often plus there was a go-cart track outside of gate that was neat, for young teenagers. Many happy memories.
I loved Pleasure Island as a child – that great huge slide and the animals that you could pet and feed (I remember when I was about six getting knocked down by a llama that wanted the bag of feed I had). Both sets of grandparents lived in Wakefield, so we went there often. I was just thinking about it yesterday when I drove by Pleasure Island Road on my way to Wilmington.
Hi Fred, not to nit-pick but the park was just North of 128 on what used to be Pleasure Island Rd (Now Audubon Rd) and now is Edgewater Place Office Park.
I used to work there in the building where Cyrk moved when the company left Gloucester.
At that time the underwater rails for the old Moby Dick whale ride were still there, and whenever there were drought conditions the burnt remains of a schooner in the lagoon would become visible. Not sure what’s left there now, other than memories ..
Thanks for the update Kris. Back in the 1980’s, it was still called the Pleasure Island exit. Thank the heavens I don’t have to schlep down there any more. But when I did, I always wondered: “What the heck is Pleasure Island?”
Good Morning Gloucester 
My parents both worked there. Can you tell where this sign is?
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Pleasure Island (1959 – 1969) was in Wakefield, just south of Route 128 on Water Street, which is Route 129. It was an 80 acre amusement park founded by William Hawkes of Gloucester, publisher of Child Life magazine, and designed by Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood, a designer of Disneyland. Although I never went to the park, I did use the Pleasure Island Road exit to visit a high tech manufacturing client in Edgewater Park to photograph a reverse asymetrical heliod worm screw drive (photo available in gallery!). It was highly polished stainless steel, and in Gloucester where I shot it, the stainless finish tarnished in about half an hour (so a lot of polishing). Pleasure Island is remembered on line at: http://www.friendsofpleasureisland.org/ and at http://www.wakefieldhistory.org/pleasureisland.html
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Interesting story, Fred. I saw the sign yesterday at Todd Farm.
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I used to go there as a child.. My Dad actually helped build the Whale that was on site.. Happy Memories.. Thanks.
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That was the closes amusment park to this area and our family went often plus there was a go-cart track outside of gate that was neat, for young teenagers. Many happy memories.
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I loved Pleasure Island as a child – that great huge slide and the animals that you could pet and feed (I remember when I was about six getting knocked down by a llama that wanted the bag of feed I had). Both sets of grandparents lived in Wakefield, so we went there often. I was just thinking about it yesterday when I drove by Pleasure Island Road on my way to Wilmington.
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I remember the exit that said Pleasure Island
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Hi Fred, not to nit-pick but the park was just North of 128 on what used to be Pleasure Island Rd (Now Audubon Rd) and now is Edgewater Place Office Park.
I used to work there in the building where Cyrk moved when the company left Gloucester.
At that time the underwater rails for the old Moby Dick whale ride were still there, and whenever there were drought conditions the burnt remains of a schooner in the lagoon would become visible. Not sure what’s left there now, other than memories ..
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Thanks for the update Kris. Back in the 1980’s, it was still called the Pleasure Island exit. Thank the heavens I don’t have to schlep down there any more. But when I did, I always wondered: “What the heck is Pleasure Island?”
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where is the todd farm located?i love pleasure island,i went there as a child.they do a walking tour twice a year there.I wish it was still there.
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Todd Farm is in Rowley on Rte. 1A. It has a Sunday outdoor flea market Lots of very cool stuff!
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