The Boblo boat pictured at 5:03 has been completely renovated and will return to service in Chicago this summer. She is now named Festivus, and will be doing architectural tours and private charters for Chicago Lakefront Cruises.
I was talking to some co-workers about Boblo and it brought me here. We used to go ever summer in the mid 80's. My favorite ride was the Rotor... big cylinder that spun around and the floor dropped down while you were held against the wall with centrifugal force.
Boblo island was one of our favorite amusement parks . And when we could t go to Boblo we went to Edgewater park , they were our second favorite place Togo to . Both places were a blast.
some short-sighted business deal ends a wonderful and meaningful park.... that's the problem with corporate thinking, they must make a lot of money fast and consistently, if not they jump ship.
I heard recently that the tower fell. The dance pavilion is in decay etc. In hindsight, this should have been part of the Metropark system, if international law had allowed. I think most Detroiters and people in the area really had no idea of the continuous changes in ownership. I had a mixed experience with the Boblo system myself. I enjoyed it with my family in the 70's. I actually worked on the Boat (Icing the boat and working the bar at night in '85), and partying on the midnight cruises in the late 80's. I do recall that management was not particularly kind when I was on staff, but I did not realize at the time that there were wider problems. Boblo is part of the heritage of the area. One never knows...with such a history of ownership changes, it might emerge as something else in the future. Great video. Nice employee insights :)
I have nothing but great memories about Boblo. Growing up in the very late 70s and all of the 80s my parents would take us atleast once a year and what I got my license, my friends and I would go without the parents and it was a blast. I was heartbroken when they closed but the sad thing is that island is pretty big and they could have done so much more to be able to compete with Cedar Point. Boblo was big enough to have hotels and campgrounds. Also they could have built the big rollercoasters to compete and I never understood why they didn't try. How cool would it have been to be able to go to Boblo and ride all day then instead of taking the boat home at night you can go to a hotel and have a nice dinner and just enjoy sleeping at a nice hotel. To anyone that read the whole comment I'm sorry it was long but just wanted to say my piece on the matter.
A wonderful place in its day, Boblo was victim to limited corporate vision and even less financial investment. At around 8:15 in this video the interviewee spells it out really well. In the years prior to the Plandemic, Boblo could have been a resurrected Amusement Park mecca. Complete with multiple giga-coasters, 21st century flat-rides and a rejuvenated (already well-built) dancehall turned into a convention facility. Modern hotels on the island and Disney-worthy restaurants serving more than just fast-food. We all know that will never be, yet we all still have our own Boblo memories from the 70s, 80s and early 90s as a time we all hold dear.
Bottom line is our politicians sold all of our jobs to China and continue to do so because people won’t wake up and see it . It will continue until we are all broken and easily manipulated with propaganda
Did boblo have issues when it came to some fights and teenagers that thought it was funny to run back and forth on the boat making people think and feel that the boat might cap size? Lol...yes. There also was racial aspects and crime aspects that were not just black, understand that 1991 a couple years before the park closed was the most deadly year per Capita in America period. The main thing that made boblo island close was well you could drive to cedar point in just a half hour longer than your boat rides at a park that had way better attractions. Everyone loved the initial boat ride but after you spent the day at the amusement park you wanted to go home. So if you missed a ferry back when you wanted to go home, u had to wait for the next one to get back to the parking deck. It made for a long grueling day
I wish this could come back
The Boblo boat pictured at 5:03 has been completely renovated and will return to service in Chicago this summer. She is now named Festivus, and will be doing architectural tours and private charters for Chicago Lakefront Cruises.
I was talking to some co-workers about Boblo and it brought me here. We used to go ever summer in the mid 80's. My favorite ride was the Rotor... big cylinder that spun around and the floor dropped down while you were held against the wall with centrifugal force.
That was my favorite too! If you turned your head at the right time you could almost get a free chiropractic adjustment hahaha
🥰
Boblo island was one of our favorite amusement parks . And when we could t go to Boblo we went to Edgewater park , they were our second favorite place Togo to . Both places were a blast.
some short-sighted business deal ends a wonderful and meaningful park.... that's the problem with corporate thinking, they must make a lot of money fast and consistently, if not they jump ship.
I wish I can bring it back
My mom and dad would take my younger brothers and me to Boblo when we were living in Detroit in the late 60s and early 70s. Great memories.
Miss it always it was a great place to go without not spending lots of money on gas. Friendly atmosphere.
Cedar point
I heard recently that the tower fell. The dance pavilion is in decay etc. In hindsight, this should have been part of the Metropark system, if international law had allowed. I think most Detroiters and people in the area really had no idea of the continuous changes in ownership. I had a mixed experience with the Boblo system myself. I enjoyed it with my family in the 70's. I actually worked on the Boat (Icing the boat and working the bar at night in '85), and partying on the midnight cruises in the late 80's. I do recall that management was not particularly kind when I was on staff, but I did not realize at the time that there were wider problems. Boblo is part of the heritage of the area. One never knows...with such a history of ownership changes, it might emerge as something else in the future. Great video. Nice employee insights :)
Tower is still up, I live in A-Burg
@@tristanmcguire4820 Thanks!
Tower fell.. Luxury homes.. shame
Tower is down now. They took it down on purpose
I have nothing but great memories about Boblo. Growing up in the very late 70s and all of the 80s my parents would take us atleast once a year and what I got my license, my friends and I would go without the parents and it was a blast. I was heartbroken when they closed but the sad thing is that island is pretty big and they could have done so much more to be able to compete with Cedar Point. Boblo was big enough to have hotels and campgrounds. Also they could have built the big rollercoasters to compete and I never understood why they didn't try. How cool would it have been to be able to go to Boblo and ride all day then instead of taking the boat home at night you can go to a hotel and have a nice dinner and just enjoy sleeping at a nice hotel. To anyone that read the whole comment I'm sorry it was long but just wanted to say my piece on the matter.
Awesome!! Thanks!
Nice video
A wonderful place in its day, Boblo was victim to limited corporate vision and even less financial investment. At around 8:15 in this video the interviewee spells it out really well. In the years prior to the Plandemic, Boblo could have been a resurrected Amusement Park mecca. Complete with multiple giga-coasters, 21st century flat-rides and a rejuvenated (already well-built) dancehall turned into a convention facility. Modern hotels on the island and Disney-worthy restaurants serving more than just fast-food. We all know that will never be, yet we all still have our own Boblo memories from the 70s, 80s and early 90s as a time we all hold dear.
So what year did it close and why? bottom line please
Bottom line is our politicians sold all of our jobs to China and continue to do so because people won’t wake up and see it . It will continue until we are all broken and easily manipulated with propaganda
Di foo said picnic dat raciss!!!
Did boblo have issues when it came to some fights and teenagers that thought it was funny to run back and forth on the boat making people think and feel that the boat might cap size? Lol...yes. There also was racial aspects and crime aspects that were not just black, understand that 1991 a couple years before the park closed was the most deadly year per Capita in America period. The main thing that made boblo island close was well you could drive to cedar point in just a half hour longer than your boat rides at a park that had way better attractions. Everyone loved the initial boat ride but after you spent the day at the amusement park you wanted to go home. So if you missed a ferry back when you wanted to go home, u had to wait for the next one to get back to the parking deck. It made for a long grueling day