01-05-2025
Fans Fear a 'Heartbreaking' Summer as Iconic N.Y. Amusement Park Playland Faces Uncertain 2025 Opening
A local government legal battle is jeopardizing the future of a nearly 100-year-old theme park in New York
County officials in Westchester County, N.Y., are at odds with the management company Standard Amusements after theme park managers alleged that the local government did not honor its contracts and construction obligations. The county denies these claims
Rye Playland is 96 years old and has been open every summer since since 1928, expect for 2020 during the COVID pandemic
A historic New York theme park is in jeopardy after its management said that it may not be able to run it this summer — and longtime fans are in uproar.
Rye Playland is a historic, 96-year-old, 280-acre amusement park that sits along the Long Island Sound in Rye, N.Y.— located about 30 miles outside Manhattan — that has been open every summer (other than 2020) since Calvin Coolidge was president and has even been featured in movies like Tom Hanks' Big and Fatal Attraction.
Officials in the state's Westchester County are uncertain of the park's future, according to reports from Gothamist and Fox 5 NY, as the park's management, Standard Amusements had accused the county of improper conduct when it comes to their contract.
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Playland, Westchester County and Standard Amusements had a privatization deal that allowed the county to own the land that the park sits on while the company operates the park, per the outlets. Although Standard Amusements had signed a 30-year contract to manage Playland, the company has accused Westchester County of failing to finish construction and meet contractual deadlines — but the county is denying these claims, trigging a local government controversy.
County officials are now speaking out about the deal, which they called "one-sided" and said that local taxpayers have been left to deal with the fallout. Westchester County communications director Catherine Cioffi criticized former county executives for brokering the deal that has cost taxpayers $125 million and left the park in "heartbreaking" condition, despite initially being promised as $30 million, in a statement to Gothamist.
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'This is exactly what happens when someone with a radical ideology, no real experience, no financial skill, and no understanding of how budgets and contracts are built seeks an executive position,' she said.
County Executive Ken Jenkins added during his "State of the County" address last week that he planned to open the theme park this week despite the controversy, according to the outlets, although he did not share specific dates.
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"Playland is more than just a park; it is a cherished treasure, the crown jewel of Westchester — a place where memories are made, and community thrives," Jenkins said, per Gothamist. "Despite the legal challenges we face with Standard Amusements, on a bad deal handed to us by a previous administration, a deal that I ultimately voted against because it requires the county to repay all of Standard Amusements' investments, my intentions remain to open Playland for the 2025 season."
The park typically opens on Mother's Day, which will be Sunday, May 11, 2025.
The county also accused Standard Amusements of failing to properly conduct several safety checks, but the company denied those allegations to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News.
'As managers of Playland, Standard Amusements prioritized both the improvement and maintenance of rides to the highest standard, including the winterization of rides after the end of the 2024 season consistent with both previous years and industry standards," a spokesperson told the outlet in a statement. "This is yet another baseless claim from the County to try to distract from its own failures to prioritize Playland.'
Locals in Westchester County have shared their disappointment more than anyone — as visiting the park has been a generations-long tradition for some families.
"It would be heartbreaking," a Rye resident told Fox 5 of the prospect of the park not opening.
"My husband's birthday is on Mother's Day, and [Playland is] where we were going to be," local grandmother Kathryn Burke, who wrote a book on a history of Playland in 2008, told the Journal News. "I don't think that's happening this year."
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