s , ▁car n iv als ▁and ▁circ uses . ▁The ▁mid way ▁contained ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁r ides , ▁but ▁other ▁con cess ions ▁and ▁entertain ments ▁such ▁as ▁shooting ▁gall eries , ▁pen ny ▁arc ades , ▁games ▁of ▁chance ▁and ▁shows . ▁ ▁T rol ley ▁par ks ▁and ▁pleasure ▁resort s ▁ ▁Many ▁modern ▁am usement ▁par ks ▁evol ved ▁from ▁earlier ▁pleasure ▁resort s ▁that ▁had ▁become ▁popular ▁with ▁the ▁public ▁for ▁day - tri ps ▁or ▁week end ▁hol id ays , ▁for ▁example , ▁se as ide ▁areas ▁such ▁as ▁Black pool , ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁C oney ▁Island , ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁some ▁am usement ▁par ks ▁grew ▁from ▁pic nic ▁gro ves ▁established ▁along ▁rivers ▁and ▁la kes ▁that ▁provided ▁bath ing ▁and ▁water ▁sports , ▁such ▁as ▁Lake ▁Comp ounce ▁in ▁Connecticut , ▁first ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁pictures que ▁pic nic ▁park ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁and ▁R ivers ide ▁Park ▁in ▁Massachusetts , ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁along ▁the ▁Connecticut ▁River . ▁ ▁The ▁trick ▁was ▁getting ▁the ▁public ▁to ▁the ▁se as ide ▁or ▁resort ▁location . ▁For ▁C oney ▁Island ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁New ▁York , ▁on ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean , ▁a ▁horse - dra wn ▁street car ▁line ▁brought ▁pleasure ▁seek ers ▁to ▁the ▁beach ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁a ▁million ▁passengers ▁rode ▁the