Whalom Park recreated on a smaller scale delights those seeking nostalgia

LEOMINSTER – Many years ago, when Whalom Park entertained with rides along the shores of Lake Whalom, ringing with the shrieks coming from its wooden roller coaster or offering a quiet afternoon with its walking paths, it was a place for fun that deserved the phrase it was affectionately known by - “a whale of a time.”

This weekend, a modest take on Whalom Park made for “a whale of nostalgia” in the minds of the hundreds who chose to spend the tail end of last week taking to a carousel or the scrambler rides at Doyle Field.

Coined Whalom Weekend, the amusement park, which some would also say was closer to a carnival, was put together by New Whalom Cooperative, a group dedicated to preserving the Whalom Park experience, that looked to celebrate Whalom Park’s 130 anniversary by building the ride park for the weekend.

Built in 1893 by the Fitchburg and Leominster Street Railway, Whalom Park featured rides, which included the Pirate’s Den, bumper cars, a ferris wheel, a giant slide, the Tumble Bug, the Whip, a Tilt-a-Whirl and the famous Flyer Comet roller coaster, as well as a boardwalk, mini golf, an arcade, a restaurant and a world-renowned ballroom.

It was closed in 2000, when it was torn down to be replaced with a 240-unit condo project.

Scott Lanciani, president of the New Whalom Cooperative, said the goal this past weekend was to recreate the experience, starting from the peppering of the park with artifacts that have survived from the park, to offering no charge for entry.

"That’s what Whalom Park was like,” said Lanciani. “That's what all the people remember, especially the older generation.”

The temporary park used rides provided by Manuel Amusements, among others, a twist, a scrambler, a small roller coaster and a puppet show with Whalom Park puppets and marionettes – some with the looks of Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson and his guitar, Trigger.

Saturday, children ran through them often letting out laughs – a show of an enjoyable time.

Yet, it was the adults who pointed with a hint of serendipity at the park’s remaining artifacts, such as a clown statue perched on a bench with its legs in an ankle-to-knee pose. The clown figure was quickly recognized by those who pointed at it as if struck by a happy memory.

That was the case for Sam Smith, a Pepperell native for whom Whalom Park was the go-to place for a fun afternoon starting in the 1980s.

“Whalom was a very community- and family-oriented place,” said Smith. “You don’t get that anymore.”

Smith remembered the Turkish Twist and the Black Widow rides, but the Flyer Comet wooden roller coaster was the “classic” which because of its age made for an even better time for Smith and his friends.

“It was an old school roller coaster so it was exciting because like we would always say, ‘Woah, you don't know if it’s going to give out,’” said Smith, laughing.

Rosa Serrano, of Fitchburg, sold cotton candy in the 1980s at Whalom Park, while her children roamed about using the rides.

On Saturday, she was at Doyle Field with her son Michael Ramos and his 3-year-old granddaughter Alana, holding tickets for the twist ride after taking photos with the clown statue.

When the park closed in 2000, she said it was “one sad day.

“Being here brings back memories,” said Serrano. “It makes me wish I could go back in time to relive the park.

“That’s why we also brought my granddaughter here to take pictures, so she says in the future, ‘Oh my god, my grandmother also has a photo with that clown.’”

The clown’s name, by the way, is Jo-Jo and it was added to the park sometime in the 1960s, according to Bill Tyler, the curator at the Lunenburg Historical Society, where the remaining artifacts from Whalom Park are shown in an exhibit.

A pair of roller skates from Whalom Park’s skating rink, one of the three heads of the chicken mascot, and even an ashtray are part of the collection that Tyler had put out in an impromptu museum for people to walk through.

Post cards with lush greenery landscapes of Whalom Park with images of park goers dressed in Victorian era clothing were for sale.

“By preserving these artifacts you’re preserving people’s memories,” said Tyler, “especially for the younger generation…anybody under 23 doesn't remember it or even know anything about it.

“This is good to have so we can say, ‘This was here.’”

Lanciani, who is 47 and a former employee at Whalom Park, doesn’t want the park to remain a memory.

He said the hope is to have a permanent small-scale version of Whalom Park, but that idea remains in the planning stages.

“When the park closed, nobody had a say in it closing because it was a private business,” said Lanciani. “We were all brokenhearted.

“You can tell by the lines that formed to get in here this weekend that there’s a need for something like the park.”

The Whalom Park Weekend was held Friday from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. and Saturday from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.

It will also be open Sunday from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: ‘A whale of a time’: Whalom Park recreated on a smaller scale in Leominster