Freedomland U.S.A. 60th Anniversary Featured In Book Give-Away

Are you a baby boomer? Then, you just might recall Freedomland U.S.A., the American-history theme park in The Bronx that opened 60 years ago on Father’s Day (June 19, 1960).

The park featured seven themed areas – Little Old New York, Old Chicago, The Great Plains, San Francisco, Old Southwest, New Orleans and Satellite City. Attractions included vintage steam trains, fighting the Chicago Fire, cowboy shoot-outs and dark rides that recreated the San Francisco earthquake, a midwest Tornado and a pirate ride that had design connections to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. The Moon Bowl, a band shell that featured the world’s largest outdoor dance floor, presented the leading music entertainment of the day, including Paul Anka, Louis Armstrong, Chubby Check, The Four Seasons and The Lennon Sisters along with swing and jazz orchestras.

The history of Freedomland is documented in a new book, Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History, published by Theme Park Press. The 300+-page tale provides the entire story from conception to bankruptcy of one of the most innovative and beloved theme parks in America. The book includes first-time interviews with park employees and never-before published photographs. Freedomland U.S.A. was conceived and built by C.V. Wood. Known to many as Woody, he was Disneyland’s first employee and he brought Walt Disney’s imagination to life by leading the team that built that park.

Famadillo.com, which includes information about travel, seasonal trends, toy and book reviews, technology as well as other relevant topics for families, is giving away six copies (one for each decade since the park’s debut) of Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History. The give-away ends on July 31, 2020. Click here for details.

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Schedule a presentation about Freedomland U.S.A. with vintage film, photos and memorabilia. Contact Freedomlandusa@yahoo.com .
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Despite Freedomland's popularity, its unique history-themed attractions and the many celebrities who appeared at the park, America's theme park lasted just five seasons (1960-1964). Unknown to the creator of the park and the general public at the time, landowner William Zeckendorf, Sr., local politicians, city planners and construction unions considered the park a “placeholder” until property variances permitted significant development on the extensive Bronx marshland. The variances provided the green light for the construction of Co-op City, the largest cooperative housing community in the world.

To learn more about Freedomland, visit the Facebook page Freedomland U.S.A. – The World’s Largest Entertainment Center. Freedomland also can be found on Twitter and Instagram.