Bronx History at the Bronx Library Center: Discovering Freedomland

Driving down Gun Hill Road in the Bronx, after a stop at The Home Depot or the local Chinese buffet, my father would point towards the Bay Plaza Shopping Center and exclaim "That used to be Freedomland!" The excitement in his voice, and nostalgia for the theme park that once inhabited 85 acres of land on present-day Co-op City, filled me with images of amusement park rides, actors playing out scenes of cowboys and Indians for gasping audiences, and families purchasing cotton candy and peanuts for their little ones.

So, I was taken aback while combing through archives at the Bronx Library Center and discovering a Freedomland advertisement from 1960. The artifact fell out of an old Bronxboro magazine and onto my lap, a blast from the past that rekindled my own nostalgia of days spent with my father discussing Freedomland.

The History of Freedomland

The amusement park was designed and owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood, the self-proclaimed "Master Planner of Disneyland," a developer who also contributed to the construction of Magic Mountain in Golden, Colorado (which later became Heritage Square) and Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Freedomland was designed to simulate the experiences within various time periods and places in American history, including the Old Southwest, Little Old New York, and even Satellite City or, "the Future."

Freedomland cost $65 million to develop and it was built atop a swamp. Wood’s 85 acres of land suffered from swampy conditions that were not considered optimal for building—some Bronxites even referred to the area as "The Dump." 

Wood, however, was not discouraged by the land quality and decided to press on with his park, opening Freedomland to the public on June 19, 1960. It was reported that 65,000 visitors attended the opening day ceremonies.

Unfortunately for Wood and the Bronxites who frequented Freedomland, the amusement park was saddled with multiple lawsuits, including a liability case that arose when a stagecoach turned over and injured several riders. Creative differences between Wood and Freedomland investor Benjamin Moore also led to a lawsuit, culminating in $150,000 of debt for Wood. Freedomland shut down its operations in 1964.   

The Freedomland Land Today

Today, the Co-op City apartments and Bay Plaza Shopping Center stand where Freedomland’s countless exhibitions and rides once lived. One must take solace in knowing that a place once referred to as "The Dump" has been transformed into a beautiful community that more than 40,000 Bronxites call home.

It’s uncertain whether the Bronx can accommodate another theme park in the future, and amusement parks might not even be viable operations for investors, as mobile phone and video technology consume much of our recreational time. However, it’s nice to reminisce, or imagine, what came before us in places we thought we knew everything about.