Mountain Park LbNA #7838
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jan 10, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Holyoke |
| County: | Hampden |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 5 |
| Found by: | Wascally Wabbit (2) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Nov 5, 2005 |
| Status: | FFFFaFFF |
| Last edited: | Jan 10, 2004 |
The land has been bulldozed.
Mountain Park Quest
Created by the YMCA Questing Club at Lynch Middle School
Mountain Park opened in the late 1890’s on the side of Mount Tom in Holyoke, MA as Western New England’s first amusement park. It operated for almost a century, entertaining adults and children with the Mountain Flyer Roller Coaster, a mini golf course, the legendary carousel, and many more rides. The park closed in 1987 due to competition from nearby super amusement parks. What remains are the remnants of a key part of Holyoke’s history and a fun and mysterious place to explore.
To get to Mountain Park, take Rte 91 to exit 18 and go south on Rte 5. Pass the entrance to Mt Tom State Reservation and then take a right at the light and go up the hill and over the bridge over Rte 91. The road ends there at a barricade and our quest begins.
At the gate you walk straight ahead. Go straight about 50 feet and then you’ll take a left and you’ll see the burned trees and walk straight up the hill until you see the old roller coaster. Wind your way through the ruins of the roller coaster and turn right. Ahead you will see a gazebo straight ahead from the roller coaster. Go in the gazebo and above the spinning old platform hidden in the rafters you will find box #1.
Leave the gazebo and continue on the path and you’ll see the fire hydrant on the left. Next to the fire hydrant you will find an old oil drum. Inside the oil drum you will find box #2.
Walk past the fire hydrant. Pass the remains of the Carousel building that burned down in 2002. The actual carousel can still be ridden at Holyoke Heritage State Park on Appleton St. in Holyoke, MA. Look slightly to your left and you will see some turquoise posts. You will pass through the turquoise metal posts and on to a round concrete platform that is now covered in trees but may have been home to the Tilt-a-Whirl (we’re not completely sure though). Go to the center of the platform find a metal pipe sticking out of the concrete. Turn west and in the base of a small shrub under a metal tin you will find box # 3.
Go back off the platform the way you came, turn to the right. Pass in between the brick pillars and the brightly colored pipes to a line of short turquoise posts. Go to the sixth pole and turn right. Take 30 steps until you come to the archway under which the Mountain Park Railroad Train once traveled. Box # 4 is hidden in the old waterfall/fountain on the side of the archway.
Return to the path and turn right. Walk to the big concrete sign that says Mt Park Golf. This was the entrance to the old mini golf course. Walk up the ramp behind the sign and you will find box #5 behind the letter T. (Box #5 is missing and a replacement is being created by the kids in the questing club. We're going to find a new and improved hiding spot and update the clues very soon.)
We hope you enjoyed exploring Mountain Park. If you’d like more information on the park or to see pictures of the park from its heyday to today check out the following websites:
http://www.mountainparkholyoke.com/
http://www.defunctparks.com/parks/MA/mountain/mountainpark.htm
http://history.amusement-parks.com/MountainPark.htm
http://welcome.to/mountainpark
Mountain Park Quest
Created by the YMCA Questing Club at Lynch Middle School
Mountain Park opened in the late 1890’s on the side of Mount Tom in Holyoke, MA as Western New England’s first amusement park. It operated for almost a century, entertaining adults and children with the Mountain Flyer Roller Coaster, a mini golf course, the legendary carousel, and many more rides. The park closed in 1987 due to competition from nearby super amusement parks. What remains are the remnants of a key part of Holyoke’s history and a fun and mysterious place to explore.
To get to Mountain Park, take Rte 91 to exit 18 and go south on Rte 5. Pass the entrance to Mt Tom State Reservation and then take a right at the light and go up the hill and over the bridge over Rte 91. The road ends there at a barricade and our quest begins.
At the gate you walk straight ahead. Go straight about 50 feet and then you’ll take a left and you’ll see the burned trees and walk straight up the hill until you see the old roller coaster. Wind your way through the ruins of the roller coaster and turn right. Ahead you will see a gazebo straight ahead from the roller coaster. Go in the gazebo and above the spinning old platform hidden in the rafters you will find box #1.
Leave the gazebo and continue on the path and you’ll see the fire hydrant on the left. Next to the fire hydrant you will find an old oil drum. Inside the oil drum you will find box #2.
Walk past the fire hydrant. Pass the remains of the Carousel building that burned down in 2002. The actual carousel can still be ridden at Holyoke Heritage State Park on Appleton St. in Holyoke, MA. Look slightly to your left and you will see some turquoise posts. You will pass through the turquoise metal posts and on to a round concrete platform that is now covered in trees but may have been home to the Tilt-a-Whirl (we’re not completely sure though). Go to the center of the platform find a metal pipe sticking out of the concrete. Turn west and in the base of a small shrub under a metal tin you will find box # 3.
Go back off the platform the way you came, turn to the right. Pass in between the brick pillars and the brightly colored pipes to a line of short turquoise posts. Go to the sixth pole and turn right. Take 30 steps until you come to the archway under which the Mountain Park Railroad Train once traveled. Box # 4 is hidden in the old waterfall/fountain on the side of the archway.
Return to the path and turn right. Walk to the big concrete sign that says Mt Park Golf. This was the entrance to the old mini golf course. Walk up the ramp behind the sign and you will find box #5 behind the letter T. (Box #5 is missing and a replacement is being created by the kids in the questing club. We're going to find a new and improved hiding spot and update the clues very soon.)
We hope you enjoyed exploring Mountain Park. If you’d like more information on the park or to see pictures of the park from its heyday to today check out the following websites:
http://www.mountainparkholyoke.com/
http://www.defunctparks.com/parks/MA/mountain/mountainpark.htm
http://history.amusement-parks.com/MountainPark.htm
http://welcome.to/mountainpark