The entrance to Revere’s Wonderland amusement park is shown on a postcard of the time. Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library / Tichnor Brothers Collection | Public domain

What: Wonderland Amusement Park Opens
Where: Revere
When: May 30, 1906 

• In the grand sweep of history, transit-oriented development is nothing new in Boston, as epitomized by Revere’s former Wonderland amusement park.  
• Built to take advantage of Revere Beach’s popularity as a destination for riotous entertainment – July 4, 1904 festivities included the staged crash of two steam locomotives – and the cheap train fares to Boston, the park sat on not quite 26 acres of land a short distance from the water. 
• Wonderland lasted only a few short years before it fell victim to its own managers’ too-aggressive efforts to create better and more spectacular attractions each year. But Revere’s status as “New England’s playground” endured long after, with roller coasters, dance halls and more lining the beach for decades to come. 

To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Banker & Tradesman is highlighting significant moments in the history of Massachusetts’ real estate and banking industries. To suggest a topic, email editorial@thewarrengroup.com.

“Old timers, who never saw such a crowd at the beach before on Memorial day, accounted for the great success of the enterprise on the ground that it cost but five cents to go from Boston to Wonderland.” 

— The Boston Globe, May 31, 1906