Canobie Lake Park is a 59-acre amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire, that has welcomed visitors since it opened as a trolley park on August 23, 1902. It’s one of only a handful of trolley parks still operating in the United States, having survived a brief closure in 1929 before reopening under new ownership in 1932. Today the family-owned park packs 53 attractions onto its lakeside grounds, from a classic wooden coaster to modern steel thrillers.
The park’s crown jewel is the Yankee Cannonball, a wooden out-and-back coaster built in 1930 at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut, and relocated to Canobie Lake in 1935-36, now recognized as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark. Alongside it stand newer additions like Untamed, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter that opened in 2011, giving Canobie Lake a ride lineup that spans nearly a century of coaster design.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Salem, New Hampshire
- Opened: August 23, 1902
- Type: Trolley park / family amusement park
- Size: About 59 acres
- Total attractions: 53, including 4 roller coasters
- Notable coaster: Yankee Cannonball (reopened 1936, Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters) – ACE Roller Coaster Landmark
- Ownership: Owned and operated by three families
A Century of History on Canobie Lake
Canobie Lake Park opened in 1902 as a trolley park, built by a streetcar company to give riders a reason to ride the line out to Salem. Like many trolley parks of the era, it struggled through the Great Depression and closed in 1929, but Patrick J. Holland purchased it at auction in 1931 and reopened it the following year, setting the stage for the park’s long run under family ownership that continues today.
Over the decades the park has become a fixture of southern New Hampshire summers, and it has occasionally stepped into pop culture too, serving as a filming location tied to Stephen King’s novel Joyland and the 2013 film Labor Day.
Coasters Old and New
The Yankee Cannonball anchors the park’s coaster lineup. Designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck of Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, the wooden out-and-back was originally built in 1930 at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut, but closed after just two seasons there. The dismantled ride sat in pieces until 1935, when it was moved to Canobie Lake Park, where sections were trimmed by six inches to fit the new site. It reopened in 1936 as Greyhound and was renamed Yankee Cannonball in 1983. It shares the midway with Untamed, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter that debuted in June 2011 with a beyond-vertical first drop and three inversions, along with the Zamperla-built Dragon Coaster, a steel ride aimed at younger riders.
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Canobie Lake Park FAQs
When did Canobie Lake Park open?
Canobie Lake Park opened on August 23, 1902, as a trolley park in Salem, New Hampshire.
What is the oldest ride at Canobie Lake Park?
The Yankee Cannonball, a wooden coaster originally built in 1930 at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut, and relocated to Canobie Lake Park in 1935, is the park’s most historic ride and an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark.
How many roller coasters does Canobie Lake Park have?
As of recent seasons, Canobie Lake Park operates four roller coasters, including the Yankee Cannonball, Untamed, and the Dragon Coaster.
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