Last vestiges of South Shore summer entertainment mecca demolished. What is being built

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08-03-2025

Richard Green can look out of his condo in Hull and witness the town's transformation before his eyes – and lens.
Crews over the past week have worked on tearing down the remaining relics from the era of Paragon Park, the amusement park that defined summer for many, to make way for a new apartment and commercial project called Paragon Dunes.
'The future is bright still down here,' said Green, a drone photographer who has been documenting the demolition on social media from his Atlantic Hill condo, where he has lived for 17 years. 'They're not putting in a graveyard or gas station. They're (putting in) housing. People want to come to our town.'
From Green's vantage point, bright orange and yellow excavators could be seen knocking down the ornately muraled walls of what was most recently known as Paragon Boardwalk and organizing the resulting debris with ease. It's here where the lines blurred between Paragon Park and competing Funland.
Don't worry, the iconic Paragon Carousel and museum are staying put.
Day 3 demo ~ Old Paragon Park ~ at the end of clip the stuck dump truck gets a gentle nudge from the excavator…
Posted by Richard Green on Thursday, February 27, 2025
More: Paragon Park was once known as 'The Playground of New England'
Last year, after much debate, the Hull planning board signed off on plans from Procopio Companies to build 132 apartments and 9,300 square feet of commercial space at 189 and 193 Nantasket Ave. This parcel was the outer area of the park's complex, which first opened in 1905.
The park's characteristic rollercoaster has been gone since 1985, but the strip along Nantasket Avenue –known as Amusement Row, which included Funland – continued providing entertainment for all ages for nearly four decades since.
At various times, there was a roller-skating rink, a water slide, a seasonal flea market and mini golf course, longtime Hull Historical Society member Chris Haraden wrote in a historical overview for the Hull Times. Food options ranged from ice cream shops to saltwater taffy, Joseph's Pizzeria to Joe & Nemo's hot dog stand. Fascination attracted gamblers and thrillseekers, and Funland transformed into Dream Machine following a blaze.
It was Paragon Park that brought Haraden's family to Hull, he told The Patriot Ledger, with his grandfather working at the amusement park in the 1930s. And it was working at Dream Machine that led Haraden to meeting his wife of 28 years.
Employees worked any number of odd jobs at Dream Machine, whether it was making change, fixing the Skee-Ball machines, giving out prizes for tickets or serving ice cream.
But if you were working there, chances were your friends did, too.
'You didn't mind working,' Haraden said. 'You were getting paid to hang out with your friends.'
Haraden spoke about this time with an air of bittersweet nostalgia. In the summer back then, this area was usually lively and it wasn't uncommon for businesses to be open past midnight.
But he recognizes that the times and economy have changed.
'There's not that same energy level,' Haraden said. 'It's hard to say something like what used to be is still viable. If it were, people would still be doing it.'
Just like Paragon Park brought in an era of Hull being an entertainment destination, perhaps the new development will help the town 'find a new vision,' he said.
'Something new will happen, and hopefully it will be something that will make the town better,' he said.
Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Paragon Boardwalk torn down to make way for apartments in Hull