▁" Gr and ▁National " ▁roll er ▁co aster , ▁" No ah ' s ▁Ark " ▁and ▁the ▁Cas ino ▁building ▁to ▁name ▁a ▁few . ▁ ▁De pression ▁and ▁post - World ▁War ▁II ▁decl ine ▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁De pression ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁saw ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁am usement ▁park ▁industry . ▁War ▁caused ▁the ▁aff lu ent ▁urban ▁population ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁sub ur bs , ▁television ▁became ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁entertain ment , ▁and ▁families ▁went ▁to ▁am usement ▁par ks ▁less ▁often . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁factors ▁such ▁as ▁urban ▁decay , ▁crime , ▁and ▁even ▁des eg reg ation ▁in ▁the ▁gh ett os ▁led ▁to ▁changing ▁patterns ▁in ▁how ▁people ▁chose ▁to ▁spend ▁their ▁free ▁time . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁older , ▁traditional ▁am usement ▁par ks ▁closed ▁or ▁burn ed ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁Many ▁would ▁be ▁taken ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁w reck ing ▁ball ▁to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁sub urban ▁housing ▁and ▁development . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁Ste e ple ch ase ▁Park , ▁once ▁the ▁king ▁of ▁all ▁am usement ▁par ks , ▁closed ▁down ▁for ▁good . ▁The ▁traditional ▁am usement ▁par ks ▁which ▁surv ived , ▁for ▁example , ▁Ken ny wood , ▁in ▁West ▁M if fl in , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁and ▁C ed ar ▁Point , ▁in