Hanlan's Point is the most westerly of the
Toronto Islands. Originally a
cottage community, one of the first settlers in the area was John Hanlan, after whom the island was named after in 1862. The Hanlan's Point Amusement Park was one of a series of attractions built by the Hanlans in the 1880s. In its heyday the amusement park was one of Toronto's major attractions and included a
roller coaster, a miniature train,
midway,
grandstand, a
vaudeville theatre, dancing pavilion, shooting gallery, tea garden and various rides and games. It is best remembered for having a 40 foot high platform from which
diving horses would leap into
Lake Ontario.
Hanlan's Point Stadium was built next to the amusement park and was the home of the
Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team, both of which were also owned by the ferry company. A fire on August 10, 1909, destroyed the hotel, the wooden stadium and all but five concession stands of the amusement park and did $200,000 in damage. The amusement park and a stadium, now made of concrete, were rebuilt in time for the 1910 season. The park was demolished in 1937 in order to make way for the
Toronto Island airport. Today, the portion of Hanlan's Point which is not occupied by the airport remains a public recreation area consisting of
Hanlan's Point Beach, a
baseball diamond, bicycle and hiking trails, a
tennis court, a
volleyball court, picnic areas,
fire pits and parkland as well as the
Gibraltar Point Lighthouse. ==See also==