Opened in 1896 by the Portland Railroad Company,Riverton was an immediate success as a trolley park. Beautifully landscaped by the same firm responsible for the Boston Public Gardens, the new facility offered rustic walks and bridges, pagodas,canoe and bicycle houses, music at the bandstand, a carousel, moose,deer and elk pens and an open air theater that overhung the Presumpscot River. The focal point was the beautiful two story casino, entirely circled by breezy verandas. Here,light refreshments were available in the cafe and full coarse dinners for $1.00 were served in the handsome dining hall.
In early years, the casino also contained small rooms for non-gambling card games,whist,chess,checkers and dominoes,plus a reading room exquisitely arranged with oriental effects and a smoking parlor where gentlemen could enjoy their favorite cigars. Through the years, the casino served as a dance hall,roller skating rink and motion picture theater, where many of the early Mary Pickford films were enjoyed.
Open air trolleys with bright-colored awnings were brought out of the car barns each spring and spent the warm months transporting fun seekers to the park and back for 20�. The fare included a free performance at the theater and a band concert. Pleasure steamers were available for picturesque 30-minute river cruises.
When private autos became popular and World War I disrupted the easy mode of America, trolley parks like Riverton, fell on hard times.
Sold in 1921 to a syndicate, Riverton reopened in 1923 as a full-fledged amusement park,complete with a parking lot for autos. New features included a Ferris Wheel,Dodgems,heydey,whip,aeroplane swings,frolic,penny arcade and the Riverton Flyer,advertised as the largest roller coaster 'east of Boston'. Unfortunately, the revitalization attempt did not help much and there were only a few good seasons before the park closed.
Over the years, attempts have been made to revive Riverton Park, but to date, it has only been wishful thinking.