Joe’s Playland
Joe’s Playland, Salisbury, MA
I found myself in nearby Salisbury, MA this afternoon and some magic light happened.
Salisbury is a coastal beach town on the Massachusetts border with New Hampshire. When I was a little kid in the 60s, Salisbury was the place to be. It had a small amusement park, complete with a rollercoaster aptly named the Wildcat. The Wildcat was closed permanently in 1973 after a 45 year old woman either fell or jumped to her death from the top of the ride’s first drop, 75 feet high. The wildcat was demolished in 1975.
Salisbury’s dive bars and sleazy strip clubs also made it a destination for college kids and other degenerates.
Today, this little beach town is still a draw. There is still plenty to do for the kids when they are not swimming and burying themselves in the sand, including arcade games at Joe’s Playland.
For the degenerates, the dive bars are still there, but the sleazy strip clubs have been replaces by a high-end “Gentlemen’s Club” — You gotta love progress.