Boblo Island

I have similar, yet oddly separate :), memories of King's Island. I wonder if it will be there when my kids are old enough to go?

The island you point out on your google map is actually not Boblo Island. Strangely enough, Boblo Island doesn't even appear on the street map version of google maps.
If you wanna see Boblo, scroll south one click and click the Satellite button. Boblo Island will appear directly west of Amherstberg.
The brightly colored building in the center is the old Pavillion Dance Hall.
BTW, I just stumbled across this blog when I was looking up info on the park. Do you happen to remember the "Falling Star". It was a suspended basket with about 40 seats on the end of a long support. The support would swing vertically into the air but the basket would stay parallel with the ground the entire time.
That was the first ride with a height requirement I was able to pass.

I just wanted to make a comment about the posting by Jeff, though I doubt he will ever read this.

My re-interest in Boblo Island was recently peaked by a radio ad for "The Nautical Nightmare." They have taken the old Boblo Boat "Ste. Claire" and made a haunted house out of her, complete with a spooky story about the ship disappearing one Halloween night 50 years ago. (www.nauticalnightmare.com)

I started wondering what had happened to the island, the boats and all the old rides. I don't remember much about the park or why or when it closed. And what I do remember about the boat and island, is very limited. I remember the ride to the island; being out on the water, feeding french fries to the seagulls and running around with my friends. I remember one time my sister fell on the stairs of the boat and scraped her knee on the way to the island.

And I remember the "Falling Star" it is the only ride from the park that I do remember. If memory serves, it was one of the first rides to the left after you got off the boat and came onto the island, at least from the Detroit side.

I would like to check out "The Nautical Nightmare". I think it would be great to see the old boat again. Maybe it will help my memory come back!
They have the "Ste. Claire" open during the rest of the year for daily tours. I think I will go back for the sake of nostalgia and I will take my son with me when he is old enough and tell him about the trip to the island. Maybe my sister's memory is a little better than mine and can help me with some of the details.

do you know where this haunted boblo boat takes place?? i work on the ferry that goes back and forth, but i never heard about a haunted boat

The "haunted" Boblo boat is located at Belanger Park in River Rouge, MI. Google Nautical Nightmare, that's the name of the event on the boat. Runs through the end of October '05.

Wow, I am 30 years old and Boblo Island was a huge part of my childhood. Dancing on the boat on the way to the island... I used to go to Boblo just for the dance show. I had a huge crush on this guy named Steve that danced.. I remember that there also was a guy named Glen. I specifically remember one of the songs, footloose I believe, and he would come off the stage and kiss an audience member on the cheek. I used to leave an empty seat open next to me just so he would kiss me! And he was probably like 15 years older than me.... I miss Boblo just for those shows...

The post above mentions the "Falling Star" which was one of my favorite rides on the island - that ride is now at Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon. I rode it a few years back and I loved it just as much as I did back in the Boblo days! My Aunt took us to Boblo every summer and I remember her hysterical laugh as our stomachs dropped every time we went around on that ride! I'm going to take my nieces on it when they're tall enough but it won't be the same with out the boat ride to Boblo!!

To correct Mr. Josh Rowe, Boblo Island is at the mouth of the Detroit River not the St. Claire and the Boblo boats NEVER cruised the Detroit River in April. Revenue service began Memorial Day weekend and ended Labor Day every year. Annual maintenance began mid April preparing the boats for summer. Oh & an additional item. Children under 12 rode the boats free on Mondays from Detroit and Tuesdays from Wyandotte during July & August, thus Mondays 10am & 11am boats were crowded!

Boblo Island hosted the annual Scottish St. Andrews Day festival on a Saturday in early August until the 1970's. Of course as kids we couldn't wait to get on the rides after picnicing on the island. Scottish games, dances & visiting the clan booths just as today at the Livonia site of the festival. You could roller skate to organ music dance in the pavilion eat & ride the rides of walk the island. The highlight was the 90 minute boat ride viewing the sights along the river. I do hope the restoration of the Ste. Claire is a done deal for a new generation of Detroiters. May 2010 is the date!!!

An interesting website called the Roller Coaster Database has some information of the whereabouts of a few of Boblo's coasters and their relocation. I've included the link here. The Sky Streak is in aGuadalajara, Mexico amusement park called Selva Magica, and been renamed Titan. The Screamer is in Vancouver Playland and is called Corkscrew, and the Falling Star ride is now at Michigan's Adventure..still called the same. I am very much looking forward to seeing the St. Claire plying the Detroit River under steam again! Cheers!

Here is the link! ( I forgot to include it in my above post!)
http://www.rcdb.com/pd187.htm

i so miss going to boblo as a kid that was the funnest memories i had now the kids have nothing that great to do it is a shame i sure miss the days my husband and i used to ride the boat together sitting on the back of the boat talking as the sun went down after a day of fun i sure miss the good ole days

I live in a sub. of Detroit and prob. visited boblo over 20xs. I miss the mine ride, I ams scared of roller coasters but could always handle that one, and the indoor rollercoaster, a newer addition to the park. Also the fact that you could take a cooler and eat lunch by the river with the big boblo letters on the grass. I also of coarse loved the boat- the dancing(I learned the hustle)and the ride where the floor dropped from under you(road runneror coyote or something). The park stayed open with boats only leaving from Canada, and when I was 17 it closed. I am still sad.COME BACK BOBLO, I HATE CEDAR POINT!