Collections of Maine Historical Society. Order a copy at VintageMaineImages.com, item #12150.

The Casino at Merrymeeting Park in Brunswick was just one of the attractions at the amusement park. The park covered 140 acres and housed the casino, a zoo, refreshment stands, an open-air amphitheater and a dance pavilion. The grounds also boasted many miles of woodland walking trails and a pond where guests could go rowing.

The casino was four stories and had a dining room that could seat 100 people. In its 4,000-seat amphitheater they could see vaudeville acts, band concerts and Sunday morning sermons.

The park relied on trolleys to bring visitors and it began to fail when passenger cars became more popular than trolleys. The park closed after the 1906 season and was vacant until 1914. The buildings changed hands many times until they were finally dismantled and the land was developed for other uses.

In commemoration of Maine’s bicentennial this year, The Forecaster is featuring historical highlights and artifacts from our communities’ past 200 years. This feature can be found in print and online every other week.