Salem Willows

Salem Willows
Location Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates Coordinates: 42°32′6.08″N 70°52′10.11″W / 42.5350222°N 70.8694750°W / 42.5350222; -70.8694750
Website http://willowsarcade.com

Salem Willows is an oceanfront neighborhood and amusement park in Salem, Massachusetts. It is named for the European white willow trees planted there in 1801 to form a shaded walk for patients convalescing at a nearby smallpox hospital.[1]

The area became a public park in 1858, and in the twentieth century became a summer destination for residents of Boston's North Shore, many of whom escaped the heat of the city on newly popular streetcars. Many establishments on Restaurant Row, the park's north side, served fresh seafood, while a carousel with carved flying horses was another special attraction at an amusement park called Kiddieland that survives to this day with a few other rides that are for children only, as well as a miniature golf course. Although the last of the original restaurants closed in the 1960s, there are still numerous take-out stands to choose from. An ice cream stand near the ocean is one of those stands.

It has two large arcades that also offers a batting cage, air hockey, several pinball machines and bumper cars.[2] There is an eatery between the arcade's two game rooms. There are two small beaches located on the Willows which is a common place for tourist to go and see the surrounding cities and towns. The beaches are also a common place to watch the 4th of July fireworks since you can see three sets of fireworks; Salem, Beverly, and Marblehead. The Willows also has a famous popcorn stand, Hobbs, which is known around the North Shore as one of the best places to get popcorn and/or ice cream and/or chicken wings.

References

  1. ↑ Robinson, John (1891). Our Trees: A Popular Account of the Trees in the Streets and Gardens of Salem, and of the Native Trees of Essex County, Massachusetts, with the Location of Trees, and Historical and Botanical Notes. Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute. p. 86. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  2. ↑ www.willowsarcade.com
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