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On the Map: Wonderland Amusement Park
What is now the Longfellow neighbor in Minneapolis, used to be a bustling amusement park. FOX 9's Karen Scullin has more on this week's On the Map.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Over a century ago, in what is now a Minneapolis neighborhood nestled between Hiawatha Avenue and the Mississippi River, stood an amusement park filled with breathtaking rides and attractions.
This area, currently known as the Longfellow neighborhood, was once the home of Wonderland Amusement Park, a destination that drew hundreds of thousands of people.
Opening on May 27, 1905, Wonderland Amusement Park was situated on twenty acres of land at Lake Street and 31st Avenue. It boasted a variety of attractions, including a rollercoaster capable of speeds up to 45 miles per hour, a boat ride that ascended a huge hill before splashing into a lagoon, a miniature railroad, a petting zoo, and a 120-foot high beacon tower for visitors to climb and enjoy the view.
One of the park's most bizarre and biggest attractions was an infant incubator, known as the "Infantorium." In this facility, for ten cents, visitors could observe premature babies behind glass being nurtured by the then-new incubator technology. Surprisingly, this kind of attraction was not unique to Wonderland but was also present in other amusement parks around the country.
Despite its initial success, Wonderland Amusement Park only lasted for seven seasons. Factors such as cold weather, ongoing construction, nearby development, and the need for repairs contributed to the park's decline, leading to its closure in 1911.
The park was demolished in 1915, and some of the rides were sold to the Excelsior Amusement Park, which opened in 1925. Today, the only remnant of Wonderland is the old Infantorium, which has been transformed into a residential space.