Around the bandstand special comedy performances where often held, such as those by a pack of Keystone Cops.
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Nearby the Palace Theater had continuous showings of silent movies including those featuring Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. A big part of the charm of the park was its entertainment which utilized a two-way stage that, with seating for one thousand, allowed for vaudeville acts to perform outside during nice weather and inside the Opera House when the weather was inclement. The park was designed in part by Arto Monaco, who owned the popular Santa’s Workshop and Land of Make Believe in Essex County. While Storytown closed at 5:30 pm, Gaslight Village didn’t get rolling until about that time and was open until 10:30 pm. Its “Gay Nineties” theme was actually more popular among adults then children, perhaps by design. Of course Gaslight Village was well known for its “ yesterday’s fun today” radio and television commercials. What many don’t know is that Gaslight Village was briefly located at what is now Smoke Rise Campground in Pottersville, NY, about 25 miles north, a location that had a long history of roadside attractions. Owing to the success of Storytown (now known as Six Flags Great Escape), Charley opened Gaslight Village in 1959 on the site of the former Delaware and Hudson Railroad‘s Lake George rail yards (where the turntable stood). He later went on to build the Tiki Resort (one of America’s last original Tiki bars), a short lived wax museum, the Sun Castle resort, and more. “Charley” Wood.Ĭharley already owned a number of other investments, including Holiday House on the shores of Lake George, and Storytown, U.S.A., an amusement park with a Mother Goose rhymes theme (later expanded with Ghost Town, a western boot-hill theme, and Jungle Land, an animal park) which he opened in 1954. Gaslight Village in Lake George, NY was opened in 1959 by Charles R.