Historic Amusement Parks of Baltimore

On Friday, July 8th, the Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF) and Baltimore Heritage are hosting a Zoom presentation on the Historic Amusement Parks of Baltimore as part of their Virtual Histories Lunchtime Series. Beginning at 1pm, guest presenter John Coleman will share the rich history of the bygone amusement parks and beach resorts from the 1870s and stretching into the late 20th century that Baltimoreans eagerly traveled to reach by boat, streetcar, train, or automobile. Viewers will recognize such popular amusement parks as Gwynn Oak, Carlin's, and Tolchester Beach, but also learn of Riverview Park (as shown in image above from the Baltimore Sun archives). Billed as "The Coney Island of the South," Riverview Park featured one of the region's first roller coasters, a roller rink and live entertainment. A couple of fires in 1909 and 1915 may have contributed to its demise and it was brought to auction in 1929 to be razed for the Western Electric Co. Cable Factory complex at Point Breeze (between Canton and Dundalk). Be prepared to delight in the stories and historic images of this popular summertime pastime from days of yore. About Our Presenter John P. Coleman is author of Historic Amusement Parks of Baltimore: An Illustrated History and is a member of the National Amusement Park Historical Association. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from the University of Baltimore and currently is a senior software engineer with CSG International.