Freedomland U.S.A.

Freedomland U.S.A. (often shortened to Freedomland) was a theme park dedicated to American history in the Baychester section of the North Bronx in New York City, United States. Freedomland was built on marshland owned by the Webb and Knapp company, of which William Zeckendorf Sr. was the major owner. Zeckendorf announced his plans for Freedomland in May 1959. The park, conceived and built by C. V. Wood, consisted of over 40 attractions arranged in the shape of a large map of the contiguous United States. Groundbreaking ceremonies for Freedomland occurred in late 1959, and Freedomland opened to large crowds on June 19, 1960.

Because of Freedomland's $65 million construction cost, the park faced financial issues; by the end of the 1961 season, Freedomland had $8 million in debt. To generate revenue, the park added more exhibits and conventional amusements. By 1963, further financial issues led the owners to sell off a portion of Freedomland's site to a pension fund of the Teamsters, as well as close off a section of the park. Even though Freedomland's planners anticipated that the park would eventually be developed into a full-time amusement area, Freedomland closed permanently at the end of the 1964 season, filing for bankruptcy on September 14, 1964.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, part of the Freedomland site was redeveloped as the Co-op City housing development. The Bay Plaza Shopping Center was built on another part of the site. Many Freedomland attractions and design features were auctioned or sold to other parks, and many of these rides no longer exist. While little physical evidence of Freedomland remains, several media works commemorate the former amusement park.

Creation

Freedomland was conceived and built by C. V. Wood, a Texan who had worked in the planning, construction, and management of Disneyland, which opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955. After Disneyland's opening, Wood's relationship with Walt and Roy Disney became strained because of various disputes, and he was ousted from Disneyland management by early 1956. He soon became involved in the creation of other amusement parks across the United States under his company Marco Engineering. Wood had devised plans for an American-history theme park as early as 1957, in conjunction with Milton Ted Raynor, who later became president of Freedomland Inc. Early the next year, a site was selected: a portion of a plot owned by Webb and Knapp in the northeast Bronx section of New York City. originally marshland fed by Rattlesnake Creek and the Hutchinson River. This led to a profusion of mosquitoes during certain periods of the year.

Webb and Knapp's principal owner, William Zeckendorf, announced the plans for Freedomland on April 30, 1959. Webb and Knapp subsidiary National Development Corporation (NDC), along with IRC subsidiary Freedomland Inc., were created to operate and manage the theme park. Wood and IRC president Peter De Met announced further details of the proposed park at a press conference that May. According to Wood and De Met, the park was to cover and would fit up to 32,000 visitors. for 50 years. IRC issued about one million shares, which were then sold to NDC and Freedomland Inc. and the stock offering was quickly oversubscribed; this raised $17 million. Under the terms of the lease agreement, the park was to pay an annual rent of $600,000 for the first five years, $750,000 for the next ten years, and $1 million thereafter.

Construction

A groundbreaking ceremony for Freedomland was initially planned for July 4, 1959, coinciding with Independence Day, but ultimately occurred on August 26, 1959. The ceremony featured a helicopter ride over the premises for the park's backers, special New York City Subway train for attendees, and various performances. Fifty bulldozers, representing every U.S. state, were exhibited at the groundbreaking ceremony. Some of land were excavated to create of canals. Frederic V. Schumacher was hired as the park's general manager in September 1959. In addition, Ellington and Co. was hired to manage advertising for the park, Sylvester Weaver Jr. oversaw radio and television coverage of the park, while Douglas Leigh was hired as the park's lighting consultant. Allen Hixon was hired in early 1960 to design the park's layout.

The construction contractors had finished the foundations of 15 structures by November 1959. On March 24, six small unfinished buildings were destroyed by fire and were razed; this did not affect progress on the rest of the park. The burned structures were reused as props for Freedomland's Chicago Fire attraction. Freedomland's opening was originally set for June 1, 1960. The opening was postponed to July 1 so the park could be ready for the expected crowds, then rescheduled again to June 18 due to high excitement generated by the marketing campaign. Journalists were invited to preview the park on April 28, 1960, and the park's managers arranged for the popular TV series The Ed Sullivan Show to be broadcast from there on June 18.

Opening

When announced, Freedomland was supposed to cost $15.5 million, funded by Freedomland Inc.'s stock issues. the land was valued at $30 million and the scenery another $33 million. Advertisements were found as far away as from the Bronx, and several contests and promotions for Freedomland were held in the greater New York City area. Several advertising taglines were devisedfor Freedomland, including "The World's Newest and Largest Outdoor Entertainment Center", "The World's Largest Entertainment Center", "The World's Largest Family Entertainment Center", and "The World's Largest Outdoor Entertainment Center".

On June 18, 1960, Freedomland was dedicated with a ceremony in front of the Chicago-themed railroad station; about 25,000 people attended the dedication, which raised funds for local youth programs. The following day, June 19, the park officially opened. By 2:05 p.m., Freedomland stopped selling tickets due to traffic jams on highways and local roads leading to the park. Ultimately, the park recorded 61,500 visitors, one-third less than the expected maximum capacity, and closed at 9:00 p.m., three hours before its intended closing.

On opening day, one security guard was quoted as saying that the drinking fountains were non-functional, the restrooms were few and far between, the concessionaires were poorly equipped for operation, and many exhibits were not yet painted or decorated. The park had a much smaller crowd on its second day of operation when it had an average of 15,000 visitors throughout the day. Satellite City and the Chicago Fire were not operational until a few weeks after opening day, the former due to "electrical difficulties". In total, Freedomland was only 85 percent complete at the time of its opening. Patrons could also buy coupon books for nine rides, which cost between $2.50 and $3.50. At some point during the first season, adult admission was increased to $1.50. The designers added decor such as vintage building advertisements and a night-lighting system. As conceived, the park also focused on history from a narrow era, between roughly 1850 and 1900.

The park could accommodate up to 32,000 visitors at once or 90,000 visitors per day. Performance programs were designed to be interactive: for instance, children were enlisted to participate in fighting a reenacted Great Chicago Fire.

None of the rides on opening day were traditional amusement park attractions such as roller coasters. and alcoholic beverages were banned in Freedomland. Furthermore, the presence of several highways, such as the New England Thruway, made the site accessible from the surrounding New York metropolitan area, whose population exceeded 10 million.

A two-passenger double Von Roll (VR101) sky ride, the Tucson Mining Company Sky Ride, traveled between the Old Southwest and Old Chicago sections of the park.

Little Old New York (1850–1900)

The Little Old New York section, at the north end of the park, was closest to the main entrance and contained an information booth, stroller rental, and lockers. It depicted New York City as it appeared in the late 19th century. Attractions included:

{| class="wikitable"

! width=20% | Attraction name !! width=70% | Description !! width=10% |

| Horseless Carriage || An antique car ride in a 1909 model Cadillac through the New England countryside. ||

| Horse-drawn trolley || Operated on tracks and traveled from New York to the Old Chicago area. ||

| The Bank of New York || A working bank branch that doubled as an exhibit about currency. || F&M Schaefer Brewery, an old-fashioned brewery sponsored by Schaefer Beer; Kandy King Candy Shop; Lipton's Inn and Lipton's Tea House;

Attractions included:

{| class="wikitable"

! width=20% | Attraction name !! width=70% | Description !! width=10% |

| The Chicago Fire || At scheduled times, a Chicago building would "burn" and the flames were extinguished by character actors portraying firemen along with volunteers from among park guests using the vintage 1800s water pumper. The attraction was based on the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. ||

| Chippewa War Canoes || An attraction where guests paddled one of five 19-passenger canoes led by Native American guides. Operated 1960–1961. ||

| Great Lakes Cruise || A boat ride along the Great Lakes on one of two 110-foot, 400-passenger sternwheeler boats with calliopes. ||

Restaurants and refreshments included the Brass Rail Stockyards Restaurant, a steak restaurant. This was the largest restaurant in Freedomland with over 300 seats.

| Cavalry Rifles || A shooting gallery. ||

| Fort Cavalry || A log-by-log replica of a U.S. Army stockade. ||

| Mule-Go-Round || A merry-go-round pulled by western mules. ||

| Horse-Drawn Surreys || A transportation ride to the Southwest area. ||

| Santa Fe Railroad station || A railroad station. ||

| Seal Pool || A display of actual Pacific harbor seals. ||

Restaurants and refreshments included Chun-King Shangri-La Restaurant, located in the replica Chinatown, A&W Root Beer, an exhibit and restaurant sponsored by A&W Root Beer, operated only from 1962 to 1964.

| Casa Loca || A walk-through crooked house that appeared to defy the law of gravity. ||

| Gunfight || A live street show with actors engaged in a Western gun fight. ||

| Texas Longhorns || An actual herd of steers. || There was also the Santa Fe Opera House and Saloon, a soft drink bar that featured a 30-minute stage show with a four-piece band, showgirls, singers and comedians. Some of New York City's radio disc jockeys and program hosts would broadcast from the stage. There were two souvenir shops: the Mexican Market and the Western Trading Post.

| Civil War || A horse-drawn correspondents wagon under a flag of truce brought park guests through recreations of American Civil War battle grounds, camps, derailed trains and burning houses. It ended at the surrender at Old Appomattox Court House. ||

| Crystal Maze || The world's first glass-walled house of mirrors maze. ||

| Danny the Dragon || A tram-like ride on the tail of a long fire breathing dragon through Storybook Land. Freedomland had a green Danny and a red Danny. ||

| Kandy Kane Lane || A children's play area with a helicopter ride, a swan boat ride, a toy fair and a sand pile. ||

| Popeye Museum || Museum themed to the cartoon character Popeye. Operated 1962 only. ||

| Pirate Gun Gallery || A shooting gallery. ||

Restaurants and refreshments included Jesse Jewell Plantation House Restaurant, a food-service area that served fried chicken.

| Braniff Space Rover || A simulation of a space journey in a 250-seat theatre designed to appear as a spaceship. ||

| Moon Bowl || A stage and dance floor that featured celebrity performers and guests. Operated 1961–1964. ||

| Moving Lake Walk || An automated moving sidewalk across a man-made lake. The lake was removed and replaced by the Moon Bowl for the 1961 season, but the sidewalk remained. ||

|colspan=2| Special exhibits about modern science and industry. ||

In addition, the developers planned to build the Freedomland Inn just south of the park, with between 300 and 600 rooms.

Operation<span class="anchor" id="Operations"></span>

1960 season

thumb|Freedomland USA plaque in present-day Co-op City

Due to Freedomland's high construction costs, it was $7 million in debt on its opening day, the park ultimately saw 1.5 million visitors, a statistic that was never surpassed in subsequent seasons. Freedomland's managers had planned to operate the park from May 15 to October 15 of each year.

On August 28, 1960, three armed men stole the day's receipts of over $28,000; the thieves, identified as employees, were arrested two weeks later. Freedomland had failed to pay the city a 5% amusement tax totaling $148,200, which was paid that October. The 1960 season was also marked by several incidents involving patron injuries, including a stagecoach overturning that injured 10 people in June and a train ride that injured two boys when it overturned in October. Meanwhile, Turner Construction and Aberthaw Construction placed a $3.648 million mechanic's lien on the park in November 1960. The various lawsuits and liens left the park in debt. During the 1960 season, Webb and Knapp bought a 40% share in the project, only for the stock to drop from $17.50 to $6.25 a share. By that August, Zeckendorf had hired two men to replace Raynor and Wood, who had resigned from the park. Zeckendorf also hired Art K. Moss, a marketing expert, who cut costs by decreasing the $150,000 weekly payroll by 20% and forbidding employees from collecting overtime.

1961 season

During the 1960–1961 off-season, Webb and Knapp considered developing a shopping center along Freedomland's peripher and constructing the proposed motel. Freedomland continued to experience financial troubles: before the beginning of the 1961 season, it was $8 million in debt. This led the IRC to propose that Zeckendorf sell the leaseholds on several Manhattan hotels to Freedomland Inc. in exchange for a $16.35 million mortgage note. As part of the plan, Webb and Knapp would give the park a $3 million cash loan, and it would purchase the lien that the construction contractors had placed on the park. Zeckendorf also unsuccessfully attempted a merger with Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino. Yonkers Raceway's owners declined, though the IRC did purchase a controlling interest in the raceway that October.

The park operators initially predicted that the park would reopen in May 1961; Admission fees were raised to $2.95 for a park-wide entrance ticket, and pay-per-ride admission was abolished. The new attractions, which included a live show called Colossus, The Freedomland Inn ad not started construction. and visitors stayed for an average of 7 hours and 48 minutes. The improvements included a 5,000-seat arena and a midway-themed area with children's rides, Freedomland charged $3.50 admission during the 1962 season. The park also offered concerts, which featured acts such as Louis Armstrong, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Benny Goodman, and Paul Anka.

Following these changes, paint company Benjamin Moore & Co., which sponsored an exhibit in Satellite City, sued Freedomland in September 1962, seeking $150,000 in damages. The company sought to void its lease for exhibit space, citing "historical and educational" changes to the park's character. The New York Supreme Court ruled against Benjamin Moore. Concessionaires also started complaining of high rents, which had increased to , a price that many vendors could not pay with their low profits. Total admission for 1962 was estimated at 1.4 million. Admission had been reduced to one dollar. As Webb and Knapp's financial troubles increased in the 1960s, the firm placed the site of the proposed Freedomland Inn for sale at an auction in July 1963, with a minimum asking price of $2 million. The site, covering , Zeckendorf also sold off adjacent plots of land. The park closed for the season on September 29, 1963.

In total, Freedomland earned a combined $3 million from admissions during the 1962 and 1963 seasons. Freedomland still had a large amount of debt, and Webb and Knapp faced serious financial troubles of its own, prompting the firm to write off its entire investment in Freedomland in 1963. The company also sought to sell its lease of the land. That December, Zeckendorf obtained a $25 million mortgage loan from a pension fund of the Teamsters Union. Zeckendorf secured the loan by giving the Teamsters Union his lease of the park's site, among other sites; Zeckendorf was also considering ways to keep Freedomland open year-round, proposing ideas such as a ski slope, a horse-racing track, a bowling alley, and a series of Christmas events.

1964 season

Freedomland's fifth operating season began on May 16, 1964, with the park operating only on weekends until June. By then, the San Francisco-themed area already had been walled off. For several months prior to the start of the 1964 season, there were rumors that Freedomland would be moved to Florida, where it could operate year-round.

In July 1964, the IRC acquired Webb and Knapp's stake in Freedomland Inc. National Development Corporation president Hyman Green, who owned 20 percent of the NDC, bought the remaining 80 percent stake from Zeckendorf. The transactions were intended to reduce Webb and Knapp's large debt, which it had incurred after writing off $17.9 million in investments in IRC and Freedomland Inc. At the time, Green said he expected Freedomland to make a profit during the 1964 season, even as it had lost money year-to-date.

Demise

Bankruptcy

thumb|alt=Aerial view of Co-op City, which was built on the site of Freedomland's parking lot|[[Co-op City, Bronx|Co-op City was built on the site of Freedomland's parking lot.]]

On September 13, 1964, Freedomland closed for the season. Within three days, Freedomland Inc. had filed for bankruptcy. At the time, Freedomland Inc.'s liabilities were $27 million, about three times its $9 million in assets. The largest creditors, in order, were the IRC, the NDC, Zeckendorf, and the Internal Revenue Service. Freedomland had never earned a net profit in each of its five operating seasons; if it were downsized , Freedomland estimated that it could make a $25,000 profit if it were to reopen in 1965. Freedomland never reopened, and its attractions, buildings, and other features were auctioned and sold during 1965. This was part of a decline in New York City's amusement industry in general, as the city's traditional amusement area of Coney Island had declined simultaneously. Freedomland was only open for three or four months a year, so its capacity was much lower than Disneyland's, which had 6 million guests in 1964.

Freedomland may not have been intended to last long from the outset. William Zeckendorf said in 1970 that Freedomland was a "placeholder" to obtain land variances to permit more lucrative residential and commercial development of the marshland; the durability of the amusement structures obviated the need to undergo a proper monitoring period of 15 to 20 years.

Redevelopment

The NDC indicated in 1965 that it would sell about of its holdings in the northeast Bronx to the United Housing Foundation. In February 1965, the United Housing Foundation announced plans for the Co-op City development, a 15,500-unit housing cooperative, on the site. Even as these plans were announced, Freedomland was still negotiating to operate 30 acres adjacent to Co-op City. By early the next year, most remaining portions of Freedomland were destroyed. and the first residents began moving to the area in 1968. The construction of Co-op City contributed to large areas of salt marsh degradation, exacerbating a process that had started when Freedomland was built. Another proposal during the late 20th century, which called for light industrial development on the Freedomland site, failed when the developer could not obtain funding. Subsequently, Prestige Properties and Development Company proposed redeveloping part of the site as a commercial and office complex in 1990, following the completion of the adjacent Bay Plaza. A small part of the Freedomland development—a tract at the convergence of the New England Thruway and Hutchinson River Parkway, which had been intended for the Freedomland Inn—remained undeveloped until 2012, when an expansion of Bay Plaza Shopping Center opened at the site. Furthermore, most of the attractions were themed on the American frontier, as well as Zeckendorf's grandfather's adventures in Arizona Territory. This led writer Paul D. Naish to state, "The photographed streetscapes at Freedomland have a distinctly generic quality."

Freedomland generally received negative attention from members of the media. For instance, at the groundbreaking ceremony, writer Gay Talese observed that the park, characterized by its backers as the future "'greatest outdoor entertainment center in the history of man'", was to be built on such a "vast wasteland". Time magazine wrote of the simulated attractions in the park, which included "an electromagnetic dragon [and] real buffalo grazing the prairies", as well as so-called "birch-bark Chippewa war canoes" that were actually fiberglass Cherokee ships.

In 1993, The Walt Disney Company proposed developing Disney's America, an American history theme park near Manassas, Virginia. The proposal was similar to the Freedomland concept, but it was abandoned the following year after massive opposition. Russell Miller, one of the critics of Disney's America, found that plan deficient compared to Freedomland. Miller praised Freedomland as "an open-air theatre [that] promised not historical truth but national myth, infused with a spirit", while he questioned whether Disney's America was "a theme park or a bad night on PBS".

Legacy

Site

In nearby neighborhoods such as Williamsbridge, motels built primarily for Freedomland remained operational, despite the dearth of visitor attractions in the northeast Bronx. In August 2013, a plaque commemorating the park was installed near the site of its flagpoles. During mid-2019, remnants of Totsie, one of the New York Harbor tugboats, were placed near the plaque. The remains of Totsie were donated by Rob Friedman, an unofficial archivist of Freedomland history.

A small portion of the former park site, at the northeast corner of Bartow and Baychester Avenues, remains zoned as a C7 district. Such districts are reserved "for large open amusement parks"; Coney Island is the only other such district in the city. The zoning district is a holdover from Freedomland's operation. Due to its C7 zoning, the lot lacked any restrictions for the surface areas of signs located within its limits. The Crystal Maze, Danny the Dragon, an interior diorama of the Mine Caverns, the Tornado dark ride, and the King Rex Carrousel were moved to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom, when it was owned by Charles R. Wood and known as Storytown USA, in Lake George, New York.

Two of the three Santa Fe Railroad stations were moved to Clark's Trading Post (subsequently called Clark's Bears), a family-owned park in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The park obtained Freedomland's Chicago station and the one-room prop station based in the Old Southwest-themed area of Freedomland; it was used for the still-operating White Mountain Central Railroad. Other Freedomland items that appear at Clark's include bricks from Little Old New York, seats from the Braniff Space Rover and street lamps from all over the park. where it supposedly still serves as a restaurant.