I don't recall going to Carson City, New York, but I noticed the sign said it was 2 miles north of the "Game Farm". I can definately remember going to the Catskill Game Farm. What I remember most about the Game Farm was the parking lot. As you parked, a guy would follow the line of parking cars and slap a Catskill Game Farm bumper sticker on your car after you walked away. Well, Pop Pop saw that, and waited for the guy to get to our car, where he proceeded to tell him to stay clear of our car...or else! Ah, the things you remember from childhood...

My husband and I took our two children to Carson City every August for years. I think it was about 1985 until it closed. They have great memories of it. Does anyone remember the train where you got held up and told " Give me your Bubble Gum". My kids loved the gun fight and going into all the buildings, ie the jail, the doctor's office. They also loved the horse ride around the corral. We also went and saw the can can show each year. And we couldn't leave without going through the gift shop so my son could get a holster and gun. What fun! It's a shame that both Carson City and Caskill Game Farm is gone. We also always stopped on rte 32 to ride the go carts on the way up. That's all overgrown now. Also, does anyone remember the "MYSTERY SPOT"? Still do not know what that was. Give me your input.

I too saw that sign just this weekend! I commented to my husband that we should take our daughter up there some time this summer. Here I am looking it up and I came across this page. I am so sad now that it's closed. Everything that's fun like this is closed now. Another piece of our childhood gone.

I remember Howe Caverns from when I was small and lo and behold they are still there. We are definitely going there.

I used to go to Carson City, Mystery Spot and the Catskill Game Farm all the time when I was a kid. It's really sad that these places are closed now. A part of my childhood is gone and there's nothing here for future generations. There was also a place for you to mine your own gold (I think it may have been part of Mystery Spot) but that too is gone. Mystery Spot had your requisite crooked house and ball rolling in the opposite direction, and yes you were right in your description of Carson City being 'schlocky' and 'overpriced'. The train and stagecoach robberies were always for bubble gum, haha. But ah, I'm getting nostalgic :)

Wow!

I'm 45ish now, but my dad took the family up the Catskills every summer. We stayed at the Edgemere House just up the hill from the town of Catskill, and I remember going to Carson City a number of times. We also did the Catskill Game Farm and Howes' Caverns too. I remember taking the lift to the top of Hunter MT in the middle of the summer just to do it.

I try and give my family now memories that will last as long.

Great stuff!

Mark

Does anyone have photos of the men that use to put on the shows?

Does anyone have photos of the men that use to put on the shows?

yeah, I'm 45 too and my parents took me and my older brother upstate every August. I remember the gunfights at Carson City and the catskill Game farm. My daughter is 5 now. When she was born I wanted to give her the same good times of the beauty of upstate New York too. I did take her when she was 9 months old to the game farm, it was nostalgic for me, I didn't remember it so well afterall, what I remember most was how crowded it was back then. Well another year had passed and I wanted to take my daughter again, but by then I discovered they had closed up due to financial reasons. All I can say is that I gave it a shot, but then they closed. I remember at carson city, my father was getting restless waiting for the indian actors to begin their show. But my mom was stubborn, she wanted us kids to see it and she wouldn't budge. We used to stay at the Red Ranch Motel so many times. Well, while driving up a couple of years ago with daughter, I saw that the huge dairy farm that I remembered as a kid was still there on the other side of the road from the motel, amazing!

We have a summer home upstate and I have been going to this areas since 1982. yes most of these cool areas are closed now. I loved Carson City...the train around the town with the robbers. One took my cowboy hat but then gave it back. And they chased down billy the kid and dunked him in the water. and the stage where then can can girls would dance. all great childhood memories...and i loved to get a toy gun to take home!

I can't believe I came across this blog! I grew up in Catskill, NY and my first summer job my senior year in high school (1975) was working in the tourist attraction of Carson City and Indian Village. I was a cashier in the gift shop in the Indian Village. Now here I am working in the REAL Carson City!

The new Catskills for us for many years was in Kerhonksen, Pinegrove Dude Ranch. They made us feel like family for many years. It was like the ole days at the Edgemre, but it got very expensive in recent years. Now we pack up and head to the Lake George area. Lake Luzurne, Lake Vanare specifically.

The area has lots of history and lots of hokey things to do too!

Carson City was built in 1958. The main building was an old, out of business, Catskill boarding house named Lorraine Lodge. I have lots of pictures and postcards from the early years. In its heyday it was a great place...and very affordable to bring the kids. Those were the years when the "western craze" was in full swing. Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans were all popular with the children of that era. Walking through the gate at Carson City was like stepping back in time, back to 1880 and the "wild" west.

Carson City was the brainchild of Arthur Gillette and as the previous writer stated, built in 1958. Mr. Gillette sold Carson City in 1979. It may have been "schlocky and over-priced" after 1979 but before that it was an affordable, great place to bring the kids, have fun and live the dream of all little boys (in the 50's and early 60's anyway) - to be a cowboy. And what fun it was. Don't forget Hopalong Cassidy was also v ery popular then. But, it was also a lesson in history and American culture. Billy the Kid, the OK Corral, Boot Hill and can-can dancers were all part of American legends. Stage coach robberries were happened all the time. The Indians were American Indians, performing their native dances, dressed in native costume. Back in the early days, Carson City was filled with antiques from the wild west era including a carriage stall. The inside of the bank, courthouse, school, jail and geneal store were recreated with real fixtures and furniture from an old bank, schoolhouse, etc. , I too have many pictures from the early days at Carson City including the time when Gabby Hayes paid a visit to the Catskills.

there is stil wild west shows that go on i know i am in them we are call the spirit of the old west we do train rob in coopertown ny and we tell everyone about the west everything we have on is from 1865 to 1871 we do after the war but what we was looking for was a town like carson city but i see it is gone now alot come to the train to see us all the guns are cap and ball just like then if yous like to come and see the west again please do it is alot of fun or if there is anything left of carson i would like to know thank you

My parents were just talking about this and I looked it up to see. Their memories talked of many things that the others above have stated. I know they were there before 79 and said it was inexpensive. I had hoped to take my kids there. It is sad when things end.