Who remembers Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach?

[Hull-onian]

It was great to see the thread resurrected. My husband enjoyed reading all the stories about Paragon Park as he worked there (like half the town of Hull did) when he was a kid. Everyone in town still laments about the loss of such a great place to visit, hang out, eat, and have a good time.

[KevGuy]

Wow, talk about a time warp lol!! I used to ge there as a kid very often myself and miss it as well. Would have been awesome to bring my kids there and have them experience the park. My parent took me there and then later as a teen a bunch of us in my neighborhood would do a walkathon for the March of Dimes from Quincy Ctr. to Paragon Park, and then be rewarded with a day/night all ride pass. I remember all the coasters like the comet and the galaxy. In fact Canobie lake Park in NH has a ride that I swear is the galaxy no kidding, seems to be the exact same thing as I remember from Paragon park. I also used to love the mini golf as well as all the arcades along the beach and playing skee ball and collecting all the tickets to win prizes. I don't think we ever left there with less than 20 stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. One of my aunts used to spend a fortune playing games etc and gave all us kids the stuff she won. I remember one time going really early in the day, then taking a break and going to the beach for a few hours across the street from the park literally. I specifically remember getting knocked down by a wave ( I couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 lol) and getting up to find that the wave had washed all sand into my bathing suite like someone had dumped a shovel full into them ahahahaha!!! Oh the fond memories. My wifes grandmother on her step dads side lived on Sea Foam Ave in Hull I think it is, (Pascar was their family name and they had like 16 kids in the family) right on the beach down the street from where the basketball courts are now too. (didn't know her then unfortunately) I went back to the area 5-6 years ago by chance and saw the carousel house that remains. It was a saturday morning and they had no lie tables set up in there all around the carousel and were having a pancake breakfast there for some reason (don't remember). I didn't eat and was actually waiting to meet someone but it took me back to the old days that day. I don't think I have thought about that place until I saw this thread here today. So thanks for kicking in the memory banks to one of the better times of my life. I think about all the people that were alive back then in the early 70's as opposed to now and get a little melancholy (sp?), but time waits for no one as they say. I heard that the comet coaster was actually sold to a park in Virginia I believe and may still be in operation today.

[paragon]

The Comet still operates as THE WILD ONE at Six Flags in Maryland. They bought it at the auction in 85, it took 23 tractor trailers to move it. They rebuilt it in its original form, along with the original helix ending, a portion of the ride that was lost to fire in the Hull Ma location prior to 1964. It is still consdered a top ten wooden coaster. The book ROLLER COASTER , author name SCHAFER has the Wild One on the cover.

The Paragon Carousel operates from donations, was purchased at the auction by a group and moved to its current home. its open through the summer, available for parties, and open weekends off season. On the site is a plaque dedicated to Paragon Park. They have a website, they always need donations.
The carousel was presented at the auction, in pieces origianlly, until the group got together to keep it in Hull.

The Galaxy coaster, was moved to Salisbury Beach Mass after Paragon Park closed, and stood there for years, and currently resides at Old Orchard Beach in Maine ( one of the last seaside parks in the USA), the Galaxy coaster at Canobie Lake park was not the paragon galaxy, but a sister, both rides operated at the same time. That galaxy sadly, is no longer at Canobie lake park, it was removed two years ago.

[busconv]

What memories this thread brought back...hope it re-awakens and others contribute once again.

In the summers of 1944 thru 1946 I worked on the boats that ran from Rhowes Wharf to the beach as a deck hand and later ran the concession stand. We made two and a half trips a day with some stops at Hull Gut and Pemberton. We would tie up one evening at the beach and the other in Boston. My grandmother was a cook on the boat so, even with wartime shortages, I ate real good. When at the beach we always went to Paragon or walked the beach. I remember well the frozen custard that tasted so good!

It was quite a life for a kid in his early teens, I was 13 in '44. Because we had to pass thru the submarine nets protecting the harbor during each trip all the crew had to be registered with the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine authorities and carry special ID. All of us who were so young acted like the "**** of the walk". We were hired so young as all the older guys were off fighting the war.

I remember well the evening that Japan surrendered. We were just pulling into the dock in Nantasket and heard all the horns and bells ringing. We were given the night off and there were parties everywhere. Lots of girls even for a youngster like me.

Another vivid memory was Ted Williams bringing small groups of kids down to Paragon when the Red Sox were not playing. He paid for everything but when the Boston press found out about it Ted stopped as he did not like publicity and the newspaper reporters always
bothered him.

I last visited the beach area in 2006 during a trip back to the Boston area. It was nothing like I remembered from 60 years earlier. Sad to see what time erases.

[Joeitaly]

sure had a lot of memories of paragon park back in the 70s , sure was a nice place to go for the day and was sad to see it close down and see it was replaced with condos , the park is still in our minds and hearts and will remain there , not many parks around any more , like that one and revere beach as well and up in salsbury beach. i have moved from the boston area out to arizona , but just wanted to look up some things i did when i was a kid and was so glad to found this on here. thanks so much. Joe,,

[paragon]

I've been waiting for this one to pop back up! it was a great place to be a kid! I run the website dedicated to the memories. I also have a large collection of memorabilia from the park.
I hated the Whip ride, but I was a die hard Giant Coaster fanatic!

[bob6572]

Loved the scrambler and the bermuda triangle.

[Hull-onian]

We still have some old photos of Paragon Park and post cards. Not a lot, but enough, that it helps remind us of the fun we used to have there. I wish more intercotee's would find this thread so they can comment on it. If you look Hull/Nantasket up on line, there are tons of photos. It's great. We are truly blessed to living in such a wonderful community. Keep it going.

[paragon]

There's still alot of interest in this old amusement park, I get emails almost every day asking about the park, or where they can get memorabilia.
It was a great seaside park, which created so many memories for those of us who went. Its long gone now, though you can still see some of the remanants here and there. The old track for the turnpike ride is still there, buried under the overgrowth. I'm actually taking my annual winter/birthday trip down to Hull tomorrow, it should be fun. I wish i could post the link to my website.

I see the name above is/was Marchetti, is this the same family who once operated marchetti's restaraunt, opposite the park?

[busconv]

During some of the years of WW II I worked on the boats that ran from Rhowes Wharf to the beach, 1944 and 1945. Because of the schedule we tied up every other night at the beach giving lots of time to visit the area, especially Paragon Park. Had lots of fun there on the rides and in the roller skating rink.
For my grandkids I am writing my life story and wonder if anyone has access to pictures of those boats during that time. I have spent a lot of time on the net trying to locate any without success. In my old age I have even forgotten the names although there were two or three different ones plus the larger one that went to Provincetown on the Cape daily--I only worked on that one twice, filling in for someone who was sick.
It was a wonderful adventure for a young boy, starting when I was 13...they had to use us as all the older guys were off in the service. My Grandmother was the cook on the boat I worked on so I was really lucky, getting a little extra, especially desert!
Any leads to those photos would be appreciated as I would like to include a couple in my story.
Thanks...Bill Creighton

[paragon]

The steamships:
The Nantasket
Betty Alden
Boston Bell
Myles Standish
Mayflower ( land docked alongside GW Blvd and re used as the Showboat nightclub )

I have a link to old Hul photos if you'd like it.

I hope these were the steamships you were looking for.
As a kid, we used to look forward to seeing the "Mayflower" Showboat on the side of the road as you entered Hull, the showboat on the left, and Paragon Park on the right. That was always the beginning of our summer fun!

[busconv]

Thanks, you have jogged this old brain...The Boston Belle ran to Provincetown, the others, I think, made up the local fleet although I believe only two were constantly in use as fuel was in short supply. I worked on the Nantasket or the Miles Standish. I think the others were held in reserve, tied up at the boat landing at the beach. I recall we always docked on the left side as you came into the beach and there was one tied up on the other side of the long dock and there was another on the left side of Rowes Wharf. We always docked or tied up at the harbor end ot the wharf. I did find a couple of postcard repro shots of the Nantasket but none of the Miles Standish. There was one of a Belle but it was a later, more modern, vessel than the one I was on. Great memories this site has brought from the depths of my mind....

[paragon]

Congratulations to the Paragon Park carousel for winning the $100,000 grant from American Express and Partners in Preservation. This grant will help the carousel renovation projects.
The 80 year old carousel is the last remnant of Paragon Park, still in operation today, providing family fun to all who visit.

[jakeybake]

I sure do remember it.

I also remember Riverside Park where Six Flags now sits.

And each year I bring the family back to Canobie Lake Park, which is quite dated but I just have to go back because growing up we had a summer home right down the street on Cobbet's Pond and we would spend night after night at Canobie Lake each summer. The big thing was being old enough to actually walk there.

We used to buy rows of stars and each ride was a certain number of stars and they would punch them out each time you rode the ride.

Some of the original rides are still there. A great trip back in time for me whenever I go.

Jay