Two Iconic New England Amusement Parks Have Been Sold

One of the things I love most about being a dad is sharing the same experiences I had in my childhood with my kids.

When I brought my son to Fenway Park for the first time, I watched his face as we walked through the tunnel and emerged into the Emerald City of Baseball.

When we visited Disney World as a family, my favorite moment wasn't Space Mountain or Thunder Mountain, but the warm memories that rushed back when we took to flying on the Peter Pan ride, or even just riding on the monorail. I guess that's the definition of nostalgia.

Closer to home, nostalgia is always at the forefront when it comes to a family trip to Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire.

It was my first amusement park experience. My parents brought me there when I was three years old and I have the picture with Humpty Dumpty to prove it.

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Story Land Has Been Sold

News of the sale of Story Land broke this week in the world of American amusement parks. According to Theme Park Insider, the owner of Dollywood is about to take on the largest expansion in its history. Herschend has signed an agreement with Parques Reunidos for Herschend to acquire Palace Entertainment's U.S. properties.

Included in this sale are two familiar names to New England families. Story Land will now be owned by Herchend, and also included in the sale will be another iconic New Hampshire amusement park, Water Country.

Water Country via Facebook

Changes Coming to Story Land and Water Country?

New ownership is expected to keep most of the acquired properties fairly unchanged using words like "historic and beloved properties" and "family traditions."

As encouraging as those words are, the company was speaking in broad brush terms. In reality, they offer no guarantee that changes could be coming to any of the parks.

Hopefully, they will all be positive and packed with improvements.