Playland (New York)
Encyclopedia
Playland, often called Rye Playland and also known as Playland Amusement Park, is an amusement park
located in Rye, New York
. Run by Westchester County
, it is the only government owned-and-operated amusement park in the United States
.
along the Long Island Sound
was the site of a growing collection of recreational developments, including hotels, resorts, and "amusement areas". Local residents concerned about what a County report described as "unsavory crowds" induced the Westchester County Park Association to purchase two existing theme parks, Rye Beach and Paradise Park, and planned a local-government-sponsored amusement park in their stead.
Frank Darling, a veteran park manager with experience at Coney Island
and the British Empire Exhibition
at Wembley, was hired to design and run the new park, called Playland. Construction commenced in September 1927 and was completed in six months. A design firm was commissioned to decorate the entire park in the Art Deco
style.
The park began operation on May 26, 1928. The original design included a boardwalk
, ice-skating rinks, a swimming pool, and two beaches, as well as amusement park rides, some of which are still in use.
Built in 1929, the Dragon Coaster
serves as the park's mascot
and appears in the Playland logo. The Dragon Coaster is one of roughly 100 wooden roller coaster
s still in operation in the United States.
The "Ice Casino", built in 1929, originally contained a main ice rink as well as a full dance floor on the second floor that functioned as a dance hall through the 1940s and '50s. It also had a full service fine-dining restaurant and an outdoor café. It had smaller dining rooms upstairs for upscale private dinners. A renovation in the 1970s added a kiddie rink as well as a mid-sized ice rink. A renovation to the main ice rink that included a new surface, boards and glass was completed in 2007 for the Empire State Games.
Playland is home to the "Grand Carousel," a 1915 Mangels-Carmel. It has four rows with 48 jumpers, 18 standers and three chariots. It was originally in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Playland when the park opened in 1927. The Grand Carousel has a rare band organ built by the Gavioli company in Italy. The organ enclosure features two male figures that strike bells in time to the music while the central female figure moves a baton. The Grand Carousel contains designs including those on the horses that are completely hand-carved and painted by Charles Carmel from Brooklyn, New York. The horses possess many unique traits that include elaborate "fish scale" blankets, inlaid gemstones, armor and lolling tongues on several.
Playland is also home to one of only three "Derby Racers" still in existence. The Derby Racer was built in 1927 for Playland by Prior & Church with horses carved by Marcus Charles Illions, a turn of the Century New York carousel horse carver. The Derby Racer rotates at 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) - three times the speed of a normal carousel. The horses move back and forth as well as up and down, simulating a true gallop as it races around the track. The other "Derby Racers" are located at Cedar Point
, in Sandusky, Ohio; and Blackpool Pleasure Beach, in Blackpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom.
The Dragon Coaster, Playland Amusement Park's iconic attraction, is a wooden roller coaster which was opened in 1929. Designed and built by amusement ride creator Frederick A. Church (also the co-inventor of the Derby Racer) the Dragon Coaster has approximately 3400 feet of track and is approximately 85 feet tall at its highest point. It has a tunnel along its span, a common feature of wooden roller coasters from the 1920s. The tunnel resembles the body of a dragon and the opening of the tunnel resembles a dragon's mouth, it has eyes that light up and it blows steam from its nostrils. Playland Park removed the classic Prior and Church trains in 1989 and replaced them with Morgan trains because the P.T.C.s did not have up-to-date safety technology such as lap bars and other items. The Dragon Coaster is still in operation to this day and is classified as one of the park's seven "classic" rides.
In 1927, construction began on the Airplane Coaster, overseen by Frank W. Darling. It was originally thought that the Traver Engineering Company had been responsible for the construction of this ride; however, in 1983 the original blueprints, signed by Fred Church, were discovered in an attic at the park, disproving the Traver Company misconception. Known originally as "Airplane Dips," its name was changed to "Aero-coaster" and then finally to Airplane Coaster. The ride was dismantled in 1957.
Playland is also home to the Kiddie Coaster, built in 1928. It is an ACE
Coaster Classic.
In 1966, a fire claimed some of Rye Playland's attractions, including the original Bumper Car ride, and the "Magic Carpet" Fun House.
Playland was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1987.
The latest coaster to be installed is "Super Flight," in which the rider lies on their stomach, in a caged car with three other people, all in a single row. Cars are released one at a time, allowing multiple cars to be at different spots on the coaster at the same time. The coaster contains two 360 degree turns; giving the riders a zero-gravity experience.
Until the beginning of the 2002-2003 NHL season, the New York Rangers
hockey
team practiced at the Playland Ice Casino. Currently, the hockey team from Manhattanville College
, located in nearby Purchase, New York
, plays its home games at Playland.
There were a total of 11 proposals submitted for the RFP:
- Boardwalk Arts of Rye http://boardwalkarts.blogspot.com
- State Fair Group of Bellville, NJ http://stfair.com/
- TPC Rye, a division of Paidia Co. of Baton Rouge, LA http://www.paidiaparks.com/playland.html
- Central Amusements International of Boonton, NJ http://www.zamperla.com/
- ASATI/Stonehill, a joint venture of Air Structures American Technologies of Rye Brook and the Stonehill Group of Westport, CT http://www.asati.com/
- Standard Amusements of New York City
- Valentine Creative Marketing of Rye
- American Skating Entertainment Centers of Elmsford http://www.asecenters.com
- Sustainable Playland of Rye http://sustainableplayland.org
- Q Properties of Norwalk, CT http://www.sonofieldhouse.com
- Playlandwatch.org (no address) http://playlandwatch.org
" style performance. In 2008, dance shows included 'I Hear America Singing' a mix of new pop songs and 'Summer Cruisin' a mish-mash of 50's and 60's songs.
There is also strolling entertainment including kids dance and singing shows, costumed characters and drum acts that occur multiple times a day.
Playland offers fireworks on Wednesday and Friday nights.
, Westchester County and the Westchester County Parks Department. The free concerts are usually on Thursdays and Fridays in July and August.
In 2007, Plain White T's performed on July 31, Bowling for Soup on August 9, and Teddy Geiger on August 23. The Plain White T's attracted a very large and happy young crowd.
In 2008, four free concerts were scheduled at Rye Playland. On May 24: the new Menudo performed. On July 18: Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, George LaMond, Kim Sozzi, and DJ Serg performed. On August 7, second runner up on American Idol Elliott Yamin performed. Finally, on August 14, British pop star Natasha Bedingfield performed to a capacity crowd despite the rainy weather.
In 2010, Shontelle preformed for a very large, young crowd on August 4, 2010.
Past free concerts at the park include Joan Jett, Lifehouse, Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles, Daniel Bedingfield and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
Mind Scrambler
Ye Old Mill
Accidental Drowning
Television
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
located in Rye, New York
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
. Run by Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, it is the only government owned-and-operated amusement park in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Playland's waterfront area of Westchester County, New YorkWestchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
along the Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
was the site of a growing collection of recreational developments, including hotels, resorts, and "amusement areas". Local residents concerned about what a County report described as "unsavory crowds" induced the Westchester County Park Association to purchase two existing theme parks, Rye Beach and Paradise Park, and planned a local-government-sponsored amusement park in their stead.
Frank Darling, a veteran park manager with experience at Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
and the British Empire Exhibition
British Empire Exhibition
The British Empire Exhibition was a colonial exhibition held at Wembley, Middlesex in 1924 and 1925.-History:It was opened by King George V on St George's Day, 23 April 1924. The British Empire contained 58 countries at that time, and only Gambia and Gibraltar did not take part...
at Wembley, was hired to design and run the new park, called Playland. Construction commenced in September 1927 and was completed in six months. A design firm was commissioned to decorate the entire park in the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style.
The park began operation on May 26, 1928. The original design included a boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
, ice-skating rinks, a swimming pool, and two beaches, as well as amusement park rides, some of which are still in use.
Built in 1929, the Dragon Coaster
Dragon Coaster (Playland)
The Dragon Coaster, Playland Amusement Park's iconic attraction, in Rye, New York, is a wooden roller coaster that was opened in 1929. It was designed and built by legendary amusement ride creator Frederick A. Church, who also was the co-inventor of the Racing Derby, another famous early 20th...
serves as the park's mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
and appears in the Playland logo. The Dragon Coaster is one of roughly 100 wooden roller coaster
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
s still in operation in the United States.
The "Ice Casino", built in 1929, originally contained a main ice rink as well as a full dance floor on the second floor that functioned as a dance hall through the 1940s and '50s. It also had a full service fine-dining restaurant and an outdoor café. It had smaller dining rooms upstairs for upscale private dinners. A renovation in the 1970s added a kiddie rink as well as a mid-sized ice rink. A renovation to the main ice rink that included a new surface, boards and glass was completed in 2007 for the Empire State Games.
Playland is home to the "Grand Carousel," a 1915 Mangels-Carmel. It has four rows with 48 jumpers, 18 standers and three chariots. It was originally in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Playland when the park opened in 1927. The Grand Carousel has a rare band organ built by the Gavioli company in Italy. The organ enclosure features two male figures that strike bells in time to the music while the central female figure moves a baton. The Grand Carousel contains designs including those on the horses that are completely hand-carved and painted by Charles Carmel from Brooklyn, New York. The horses possess many unique traits that include elaborate "fish scale" blankets, inlaid gemstones, armor and lolling tongues on several.
Playland is also home to one of only three "Derby Racers" still in existence. The Derby Racer was built in 1927 for Playland by Prior & Church with horses carved by Marcus Charles Illions, a turn of the Century New York carousel horse carver. The Derby Racer rotates at 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) - three times the speed of a normal carousel. The horses move back and forth as well as up and down, simulating a true gallop as it races around the track. The other "Derby Racers" are located at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
, in Sandusky, Ohio; and Blackpool Pleasure Beach, in Blackpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom.
The Dragon Coaster, Playland Amusement Park's iconic attraction, is a wooden roller coaster which was opened in 1929. Designed and built by amusement ride creator Frederick A. Church (also the co-inventor of the Derby Racer) the Dragon Coaster has approximately 3400 feet of track and is approximately 85 feet tall at its highest point. It has a tunnel along its span, a common feature of wooden roller coasters from the 1920s. The tunnel resembles the body of a dragon and the opening of the tunnel resembles a dragon's mouth, it has eyes that light up and it blows steam from its nostrils. Playland Park removed the classic Prior and Church trains in 1989 and replaced them with Morgan trains because the P.T.C.s did not have up-to-date safety technology such as lap bars and other items. The Dragon Coaster is still in operation to this day and is classified as one of the park's seven "classic" rides.
In 1927, construction began on the Airplane Coaster, overseen by Frank W. Darling. It was originally thought that the Traver Engineering Company had been responsible for the construction of this ride; however, in 1983 the original blueprints, signed by Fred Church, were discovered in an attic at the park, disproving the Traver Company misconception. Known originally as "Airplane Dips," its name was changed to "Aero-coaster" and then finally to Airplane Coaster. The ride was dismantled in 1957.
Playland is also home to the Kiddie Coaster, built in 1928. It is an ACE
American Coaster Enthusiasts
The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...
Coaster Classic.
In 1966, a fire claimed some of Rye Playland's attractions, including the original Bumper Car ride, and the "Magic Carpet" Fun House.
Playland was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1987.
The latest coaster to be installed is "Super Flight," in which the rider lies on their stomach, in a caged car with three other people, all in a single row. Cars are released one at a time, allowing multiple cars to be at different spots on the coaster at the same time. The coaster contains two 360 degree turns; giving the riders a zero-gravity experience.
Until the beginning of the 2002-2003 NHL season, the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team practiced at the Playland Ice Casino. Currently, the hockey team from Manhattanville College
Manhattanville College
Manhattanville College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, located in Purchase, New York. Founded in 1841 it was known initially as Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart...
, located in nearby Purchase, New York
Purchase, New York
Purchase, New York is a hamlet of the town of Harrison, in Westchester County. Its ZIP code is 10577. Its name is derived from Harrison's purchase, for Harrison could have as much land as he could ride in one day...
, plays its home games at Playland.
Possible closure
In August 2010, Westchester County, the owner and operator of Playland announced they would be sending out RFPs (requests for proposals) in order to solicit ideas for the possible redevelopment of Playland, in an effort save the county money. Playland has been costing the county of Westchester anywhere between $3 million and $5 million annually to operate for the last decade. The county is trying to determine the best use for the land, whether that means it should remain an amusement park or become a more passive park. Westchester County has affirmed their commitment to keeping the Playland site public park land and there will be "no condos" at Playland according to county executive Rob Astorino. In recent years the park's attendance has dipped due the recession, poor weather and the park now charging an admission fee. As it stands now, it will likely be after the 2011 season before any major changes can take place at Playland, if any at all. Any redevelopment of the park would require a majority vote from the county's board of legislators as well as New York State. On February 2, 2011, PlaylandWatch submitted the first proposal in response to the Westchester County RFP.There were a total of 11 proposals submitted for the RFP:
- Boardwalk Arts of Rye http://boardwalkarts.blogspot.com
- State Fair Group of Bellville, NJ http://stfair.com/
- TPC Rye, a division of Paidia Co. of Baton Rouge, LA http://www.paidiaparks.com/playland.html
- Central Amusements International of Boonton, NJ http://www.zamperla.com/
- ASATI/Stonehill, a joint venture of Air Structures American Technologies of Rye Brook and the Stonehill Group of Westport, CT http://www.asati.com/
- Standard Amusements of New York City
- Valentine Creative Marketing of Rye
- American Skating Entertainment Centers of Elmsford http://www.asecenters.com
- Sustainable Playland of Rye http://sustainableplayland.org
- Q Properties of Norwalk, CT http://www.sonofieldhouse.com
- Playlandwatch.org (no address) http://playlandwatch.org
Free entertainment
Playland features entertainment performances on its main stage on the north side of the park towards Manursing Lake. 2006 included the dance show Oh-Zone as well as Magic and Spice featuring magician Brendon Yancey. In 2007, it had New York Nights and Shakin' at the 'High School Hop'; a "GreaseGrease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
" style performance. In 2008, dance shows included 'I Hear America Singing' a mix of new pop songs and 'Summer Cruisin' a mish-mash of 50's and 60's songs.
There is also strolling entertainment including kids dance and singing shows, costumed characters and drum acts that occur multiple times a day.
Playland offers fireworks on Wednesday and Friday nights.
Concert series
Playland features a free concert series every summer that is sponsored by tri-state radio stations, Pepsi, CulinArt, Manhattan Beer DistributorsManhattan Beer Distributors
Manhattan Beer Distributors is a metro New York based beverage company. Manhattan Beer Distributors is the fourth largest beverage distributor in the United States, and the largest single market beer distributor in the country.-History:...
, Westchester County and the Westchester County Parks Department. The free concerts are usually on Thursdays and Fridays in July and August.
In 2007, Plain White T's performed on July 31, Bowling for Soup on August 9, and Teddy Geiger on August 23. The Plain White T's attracted a very large and happy young crowd.
In 2008, four free concerts were scheduled at Rye Playland. On May 24: the new Menudo performed. On July 18: Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, George LaMond, Kim Sozzi, and DJ Serg performed. On August 7, second runner up on American Idol Elliott Yamin performed. Finally, on August 14, British pop star Natasha Bedingfield performed to a capacity crowd despite the rainy weather.
In 2010, Shontelle preformed for a very large, young crowd on August 4, 2010.
Past free concerts at the park include Joan Jett, Lifehouse, Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles, Daniel Bedingfield and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
Emergency services
The Westchester County Police provide security year round. However the park is only patrolled 24/7 by an officer from April to October. In addition to county police, the park also employees seasonal park rangers to help. Playland has its own EMTs but paramedic and ambulance services are provided through Port Chester - Rye - Rye Brook - Emergency Medical Service. The Rye Police Department provides policing services throughout the winter. The Rye Fire Department handles all fire and rescue call at Playland.Deaths
Dragon Coaster- In 1988, an 8-year-old girl choked to death while chewing gum on the ride.
Mind Scrambler
- On May 22, 2004 a 7-year-old girl from New Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
was killed when she fell out of the ride after she opened her restraining bar.
- On June 29, 2007, a 21-year-old female park employee from White Plains, New YorkWhite Plains, New YorkWhite Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
was killed when the ride was started by a second employee while the victim was still assisting guests with their safety restraints. Park officials stated that a safety precaution (put in place after the 2004 Mind Scrambler incident) was not followed. A report issued by the State's Labor Department on August 24, 2007 stated that the ride operators were running the ride improperly. The ride owner was cited for providing inadequate training. Due to this incident the Mind Scrambler was closed.
Ye Old Mill
- On August 3, 2005, a 7-year-old boy from Norwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
died of blunt force trauma to the head after he climbed out of a boat on the Ye Old Mill ride, where he became trapped underwater by a conveyor belt. The victim's family sued the county that owned Playland, and on March 24, 2009, the defendants were ordered to pay US$1.25 million, as well as create a scholarship in the victim's name. The scholarship will be awarded annually to the Playland employee who exhibits excellence in safety and customer service.
Accidental Drowning
- On July 4, 2006, a 43-year-old man from Queens, New York drowned after walking into a man-made lake that is off-limits to swimmers. An autopsy showed the victim had a blood alcohol level several times the legal limit.
Current coasters
As of March 2009 there are five roller coasters at Playland:- Dragon Coaster-Wooden-Built in 1929–3400 feet of track-80 feet high-Approx 45 mph
- Superflight-Steel (Zamperla Flying)-Built in 2004–1282 feet of track-26 mph-2 inversions
- Crazy Mouse- Steel (wild mouse)- Built in 2003
- Family Flyer- Steel-Built in 2001–262 feet of track-13 feet high
- Kiddie Coaster-Wood- Built in 1928
In popular culture
Film- The 1984 film The Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take ManhattanThe Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets, and also the final film before Henson's death. This film was produced by Henson Associates and TriStar Pictures, and was filmed on location in New York City during the summer of...
features a scene filmed in Playland, although the scene is set in MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. - Playland was the amusement park featured at the end of the 1988 movie BigBigBig is a 1988 romantic comedy film directed by Penny Marshall and stars Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin, a young boy who makes a wish "to be big" to a magical fortune-telling machine and is then aged to adulthood overnight...
starring Tom HanksTom HanksThomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
. The scenes of his date with Susan and at the end of the film where the "Zoltar the Magnificent" fortune teller machine returns the adult Tom Hanks to his original childhood age/state of being were filmed on Playland's boardwalk . - Playland appears in a scene from the film Fatal AttractionFatal AttractionFatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking...
with Glenn CloseGlenn CloseGlenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
. - The park is featured in the Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
film Sweet and LowdownSweet and LowdownSweet and Lowdown is a 1999 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen which tells the story of a fictional arrogant, obnoxious, alcoholic jazz guitarist named Emmet Ray who regards himself as perhaps the best guitarist in the world, or second best, after his idol, Django Reinhardt...
(1999) starring Sean PennSean PennSean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
. - In 2004, the Playland beach was used for the film Tenderness with Russell CroweRussell CroweRussell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, released in 2008.
Television
- "BET Now" taped a series of episodes from around the park including the pool, beach, boardwalk, Double Shot and Carousel on Friday July 25, 2008. The episodes aired the week of July 28, 2008.
- The third episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark, "The Tale of Laughing in the Dark", takes place in an amusement park called Playland, however, it was not filmed at the actual park.
- The Naked Brothers BandNat & Alex WolffNat & Alex Wolff are an American rock-music duo from New York, New York, consisting of brothers Nat and Alex Wolff. The siblings are known for their work on the Nickelodeon television series The Naked Brothers Band, which was created and produced by their mother, actress Polly Draper...
made a free live appearance at Playland on Friday, August 24 at 6pm on the Music Tower Stage. They were taping an episode for the second season of their NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
show. - Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
filmed 1995's "FantasyFantasy (Mariah Carey song)"Fantasy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 12, 1995 by Columbia Records as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream . The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs...
" music video, including appearances on the Boardwalk, the Dragon Coaster and the parking lot. - In 1980, the entire amusement park was used for a storyline on one of Procter & Gamble's soap opera's that they produced - CBS's/ABC's The Edge Of Night.
- On How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, Marshall accepts a job at a law firm in "I'm Not That GuyI'm Not That Guy"I'm Not That Guy" is the sixth episode in the third season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and fiftieth overall. It originally aired on October 29, 2007.- Plot :...
" where his only client will be Tuckahoe Funland, which is a parody of Rye Playland.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in New York
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Westchester County, New York
- Playland ParkwayPlayland ParkwayThe Playland Parkway is a , four-lane, divided road in the New York State Parkway System in the United States, and is assigned Westchester County Route 152. The road is restricted to passenger vehicle traffic. The short stretch of road and low-standard freeway connects Interstate 95/New England...
- Incidents at Independent parksIncidents at independent parksThis is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various independently-owned amusement parks, water parks or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are...