LUNENBURG, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — If you grew up in central Massachusetts, you might have fond memories of Whalom Park, which closed down around two decades ago. Thanks to one local resident, Whalom Park fans will soon be able to relive the good old days.
For 107 years, the sound of rickety roller coasters, popcorn machines, and kids' laughter filled the air at the amusement park on Lake Whalom, which Scott Lanciani remembered fondly.
"It means a lot to me and a lot to other people," he said. "When it closed, I think a piece of everyone closed with it... It was one of my happier times with the family."
Lanciani worked at the amusement park until it closed on September 4th 2000. Since then, he has become a collector of Whalom Park memorabilia.
"These are some roller skates from 1945, with the original wooden wheels from that era," he told WBZ NewsRadio. "And I have two original coaster cars from the rollercoaster."
Lanciani, who is now the President of the New Whalom Cooperative, said he was planning to show his collection this summer at a few pop-up events, but they were all canceled due to COVID-19.
His long term goal is to open a museum and entertainment center that would preserve the park's memory.
WBZ NewsRadio's Matt Shearer reports:
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(Photo: Matt Shearer/WBZ NewsRadio)