Rediscover the magic of the Enchanted Forest in this history of Maryland's Storybook Park, the first children's theme park on the East Coast. The history of the Enchanted Forest is one of magical beginnings. When it first opened in 1955, Ellicott City's storybook land became the first children's theme park on the East Coast. Young visitors could climb aboard rides like the Little Toot tugboat, Mother Goose and Ali Baba or encounter animals like peacocks and burros. Upon its closing in 1989, Marylanders who cherished memories of the Enchanted Forest were deeply disappointed. However, many of the park's beloved figures were moved to nearby Clark's Elioak Farm, where they were restored and displayed to the delight of new generations. Even today, the farm is a popular destination that evokes the whimsical spirit of the iconic park. Local author Janet Kusterer and Martha Anne Clark of Elioak Farm trace the park's history through vintage images and interviews with the Harrison family, former employees and visitors. Join Kusterer and Clark to rediscover the magic of the Enchanted Forest.

From Ferris wheels to roller coasters to tunnels of love, everyone has a favorite amusement park memory. For nearly 130 years, many of those memories have been made at Maryland's amusement parks. Today, only five exist, but throughout history, nearly three dozen have been part of Maryland's landscape. Images of America: Maryland's Amusement Parks offers a glimpse of those parks and how they helped millions quench their thirst for recreation. Maryland's first recorded amusement park, Cabin John Park in Montgomery County, opened in 1876, serving as a training ground for such industry luminaries as Scenic Railway and roller coaster pioneer L.A. Thompson and carousel carver Gustav Dentzel. More than a century later, Maryland's oldest park, Trimper's Rides and Amusements in Ocean City, is a virtual museum of amusement park history with operating rides dating to 1902. Some favorite parks, including Glen Echo, Gwynn Oak, Pen Mar, Tolchester Beach, and The Enchanted Forest, did not last as long, but their memories live on through more than 200 images in this volume.

The first kiddie parks in North America were born in the lush forests of the Adirondack Mountains in the 1950s. These parks brought to life the characters of beloved fairytales, legends, and nursery rhymes through live performers, animated figures, and themed mechanical rides. Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks contains images of some of the Adirondacks' most popular kiddie parks: Storytown U.S.A., Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks, the Land of Make Believe, Magic Forest, and Santa's Workshop. Each park is home to various fantasy-themed amusements built to accommodate children rather than adults. Four of the five parks are still in operation and continue to entertain new generations of children every year.

Take an adventure into the abandoned structures of the American mid-Atlantic region through 560 startling photos and compelling text. These surreal images were captured in abandoned power plants, mental asylums, military bases, prisons, hospitals, schools, and cathedrals. Explore St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore's Westport Power Plant and American Brewery; St. Mary's College in Ilchester, Maryland; Pittsburgh's Saints Peter and Paul Church; the Maryland Point Observatory military installation; Lorton Prison in Virginia; and the Enchanted Forest amusement park in Ellicott City, Maryland. Anyone who has ever wondered what happens to buildings when an organization closes its doors and turns out the lights for the last time will be fascinated by these images. Exploring these forgotten locations, according to the author, is like "being in another world, a surreal dream where people just disappeared and left everything behind."

Forest Glen, Maryland, a sleepy suburb of Washington, D.C., has weathered the arrival of the railroad, construction of a summer resort, development of a fashionable girl's finishing school, and the establishment of a U.S. Army base. Throughout these times there has always been a close-knit community of homes and people that were often overshadowed by the many diverse events and changes that prevailed here. The focal point of the community--one of only a few extant eclectic architectural follies in the United States and consisting of many international styles--is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the National Park Seminary Historic District.

A contemporary thriller by the bestselling author of The Old Willis Place. Two 13-year-old boys, Arthur and Logan, set out to solve the mystery of a murder that took place some years ago in the old house Logan's family has just moved into. The boys' quest takes them to the highest and lowest levels of society in their small Maryland town, and eventually to a derelict amusement park that is supposedly closed for the season.