Long before modern theme parks and smartphones, there was Lincoln Park—where generations of SouthCoast families made memories that have never really faded.
When it opened in 1894, Lincoln Park wasn’t an amusement park at all. Built by the Union Street Railway Company in North Dartmouth, it was a peaceful picnic grove along the trolley line between Fall River and New Bedford. Families gathered beneath towering pines, sharing homemade lunches while children laughed and played from sunrise to sunset.
As the years passed, Lincoln Park grew into something magical.
By the 1920s, it had become the SouthCoast’s favorite amusement park, where the excitement of summer seemed to last forever. The roar of the Comet roller coaster, the music of the carousel, the flashing lights of the midway, bumper cars, the Ferris wheel, Tilt-A-Whirl, the fun house, and the penny arcade became part of childhood for countless local families. For many, a trip to Lincoln Park wasn’t just an outing—it was the highlight of the summer.
The memories didn’t end when the rides stopped. The park’s ballroom kept Lincoln Park alive year-round, welcoming big bands, entertainers, comedians, and political figures. From Jimmy Dorsey and Connie Francis to The Three Stooges, and even presidential hopeful John F. Kennedy and George Wallace, the ballroom became a destination all its own.
But like so many treasured places, time eventually caught up. The roller rink closed, the bowling alley closed (Duckpin!)
New highways changed travel habits. Larger amusement parks drew visitors farther from home. Financial struggles mounted, and after nearly a century of laughter, Lincoln Park closed its gates for the last time in 1987.
Some pieces survived. The beloved carousel still turns today on Fall River’s waterfront near Battleship Cove, giving a new generation a small glimpse of the park’s magic.
Much of the rest was lost forever. A series of devastating fires during the 1990s destroyed nearly everything that remained—including much of the iconic Comet roller coaster. Eventually, the land that once echoed with screams of excitement and carousel music became a residential neighborhood.
But for those who grew up here, Lincoln Park was never just an amusement park.
It was first dates. Family traditions. Winning a stuffed animal on the midway. Riding the Comet for the first—or hundredth—time. It was the smell of popcorn, the glow of carnival lights on warm summer nights, and the feeling that childhood would last forever.
Some places disappear, but the memories never do.
What’s your favorite Lincoln Park memory?
