Restoring Playland’s Historic Rides.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I have some exciting Playland news to report: This week, the Board of Legislators unanimously approved financing to complete restoration of two of the park’s famous rides, the Derby Racer and the Carousel! 

Both rides are National Historic Landmarks.

Playland is undergoing a great renewal. There's a new energy surrounding the park. The first new ride in 11 years has been installed. Season attendance is up significantly from the recent past. And the County is embarking on these rehabilitation and restoration projects.

Upon completion, the county expects to recover a significant portion of the costs from insurance for the Carousel.  In addition, the county will receive around $465,000 in Historic Preservation Grant money for the Carousel project from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

The Carousel had a sprinkler system that was working as designed at the time of the fire and protected the public and the structure below the roof.  But the fire -- which began in the ride's electrical system -- spread to a copula and the upper portion of the roof, above the sprinkler system. The new design will rebuild the structure, add new fire breaks in the roof to inhibit the spread of fire in the future, replace the sprinkler system and install new electrical systems.

The Carousel is expected to reopen next season.

It's so exciting to see the County fully committed not only to bringing Playland back to its past glory, but also building a bright, new future for the park.   I’m looking forward to seeing you at Playland this summer – maybe you can join me on Friday, August 2 to see the 1980s tribute band Jessie’s Girl!

Sincerely,