Around 15,000 families reportedly came out to Playland for its season opener on Memorial Day weekend — even though two-thirds of the amusement park’s rides were closed to patrons.
Westchester County offered free admission and parking all weekend to kick off Playland’s 2025 season, and to entice attendees to visit the largely shuttered park. Officials counted attendance by car each day and reported more than 2,000 cars on May 24, over 5,000 on May 25, and nearly 6,000 cars counted on May 26.
“We feel it was the people’s park this Memorial Day weekend,” Peter Tartaglia, county parks deputy commissioner, said in a press conference this week.
Last weekend, about two-thirds of Playland’s rides were closed for its opening – including the popular Dragon Coaster and the Derby Racer. Eight of Kiddyland’s 21 rides, and just five of the park’s remaining rides were operable over Memorial Day weekend at the historic Rye-based park.
“We understand that not every ride is open, that we are getting back on our feet,” Tartaglia said during the press briefing. “Going forward we ask that the public has patience with us.”
He added that the county will continue to open more thrill rides when it is safe to do so, but offered no timeline of when any additional rides would be operable. Four rides have already been shut down for the entirety of the season, officials said.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, a Democrat, said staffers worked late nights and early mornings to make sure 13 rides were ready by opening day, noting the “tremendous amount of work to get us to this place.”
Last year, Playland opened for the season on May 18. Catherine Cioffi, the county’s communications director, did not provide the number of visitors Playland welcomed during its opening weekend in 2024.
The Record has submitted a Freedom of Information Law request for 2024 attendance figures at the waterfront park.
The county has re-assumed management of Playland Park – following its fallout with for-profit management partner Standard Amusements, which announced in late January it would be exiting their 30-year management contract after three years.
Since Standard’s exodus, Westchester County officials have been scrambling to get the park’s rides up to code.
In April, the county declared an “emergency situation” at Playland in order to hire an Italian ride manufacturer — Zamperla, Inc. — with a no-bid contract to inspect, repair, and maintain the rides at Playland. The $1.7 million deal with Zamperla runs through Sept. 30, according to Lohud.
The company runs Luna Park on Coney Island, and owns 11 of the rides at Playland.
Meanwhile, Playland is currently operating under reduced hours, only open from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Officials said they plan to expand hours as summer approaches.
Admission is free, but the county plans to begin charging $10 for parking this weekend.
