Pontchartrain Beach
Encyclopedia
Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park
located in New Orleans, Louisiana
, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain
. It was founded by Harry J. Batt Sr. and later mananged by his son, Harry J. Batt Jr. It opened in 1928, across Bayou St. John
from an existing amusement resort at Old Spanish Fort
. Pontchartrain Beach's original location is the present-day lakefront neighborhood of Lake Terrace
. In the early 1930s, subsequent to the construction of a seawall extending from West End to the Industrial Canal
that created a new shoreline for Lake Pontchartrain, Pontchartrain Beach was moved to a new location at the lake end of Elysian Fields Avenue
, a location formerly offshore of Milneburg
.
The park was originally racially segregated
and earmarked for "Whites Only"; another lakefront resort was reserved for "Coloreds", Lincoln Beach
. Pontchartrain Beach was integrated in the early 1960s, leading to the closure of Lincoln Beach.
Pontchartrain Beach included a beach
, amusement rides (including a large roller coaster
, the Zephyr
), and concession stands. The park featured live music concerts, including many local musicians and touring national acts such as Elvis Presley
.
Other rides included the Zephyr Junior, Smoky Mary, The Wild Maus, Musik Express, Log Ride, The Ragin' Cajun (a modern, looping steel coaster), The Bug, Paratrooper, Calypso, "The Airplanes", Haunted House, Ghost Train, bumper cars, Ferris wheel
, the Monster, Trabant, Sky Ride, Hard Rock, Galaxie, Laff in the Dark, Magic Rainbow, Red Baron, and many others. In addition to rides, there were also the summertime shows which changed every few years (Skipper & Dolly dolphin show, Great American High Dive Show, Merlin's Magic Rainbow Show). For a few years there was also a fairly large petting zoo with many farm animals and a huge red barnhouse.
Just outside of "The Beach" gates was the "Bali Hai" south seas "Tiki" style
restaurant. Another popular restaurant was the Ship Ahoy, which featured hamburgers and seafood.
Pontchartrain Beach was closed September 23, 1983, due to decreasing attendance, rising insurance costs, pollution concerns in the lake, and the impending competition of the 1984 World's Fair
.
Several of the rides ended up in Gulf Shores, Alabama
, at a small amusement park - including the Airplanes and many Kiddieland rides - which was subsequently wiped out by Hurricane Ivan
in 2004. The Ragin' Cajun moved to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
in 1984 and opened as Steamin' Demon
.
The land formerly housing the park is now occupied by the University of New Orleans Research & Technology Park
, home to the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) and the UNO Advanced Technology Center office building.
30.032°N 90.062°W
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
located in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
. It was founded by Harry J. Batt Sr. and later mananged by his son, Harry J. Batt Jr. It opened in 1928, across Bayou St. John
Bayou St. John
Bayou St. John is a bayou within the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.The Bayou as a natural feature drained the swampy land of a good portion of what was to become New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain...
from an existing amusement resort at Old Spanish Fort
Spanish Fort, New Orleans
Spanish Fort, also known as Old Spanish Fort, Fort St. Jean, and Fort St. John, is a historic place in New Orleans, Louisiana, formerly the site of a fort and later an amusement park.-The fort:...
. Pontchartrain Beach's original location is the present-day lakefront neighborhood of Lake Terrace
Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks, New Orleans
Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the city's Gentilly District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Lake Pontchartrain to the north, the Industrial Canal to the east, Leon C. Simon Drive, Elysian Fields Avenue, New...
. In the early 1930s, subsequent to the construction of a seawall extending from West End to the Industrial Canal
Industrial Canal
The Industrial Canal is a 5.5 mile waterway in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The waterway's proper name, as used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and on NOAA nautical charts, is Inner Harbor Navigation Canal...
that created a new shoreline for Lake Pontchartrain, Pontchartrain Beach was moved to a new location at the lake end of Elysian Fields Avenue
Elysian Fields Avenue
Elysian Fields Avenue is a broad, straight avenue in New Orleans named after the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. It courses south to north from the Lower Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain, a distance of approximately . The avenue intersects with Interstate 610, Interstate 10, and U.S....
, a location formerly offshore of Milneburg
Milneburg
Milneburg is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Gentilly District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Leon C. Simon Drive to the north, People's Avenue to the east, Filmore Avenue to the south and Elysian Fields Avenue to the west...
.
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
and earmarked for "Whites Only"; another lakefront resort was reserved for "Coloreds", Lincoln Beach
Lincoln Beach amusement park
Lincoln Beach was an amusement park in New Orleans, Louisiana, functioning from 1939 through 1965. The park was for the area's African American population during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation....
. Pontchartrain Beach was integrated in the early 1960s, leading to the closure of Lincoln Beach.
Pontchartrain Beach included a beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, amusement rides (including a large roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
, the Zephyr
Zephyr
Zephyr may refer to:* A light or west wind* Zephyrus, one of the Anemoi and the Greek god of the west wind* Zephyranthes, a plant genus whose species include the zephyr lily* Zephyr , a well-known graffiti artist from New York City...
), and concession stands. The park featured live music concerts, including many local musicians and touring national acts such as Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
Other rides included the Zephyr Junior, Smoky Mary, The Wild Maus, Musik Express, Log Ride, The Ragin' Cajun (a modern, looping steel coaster), The Bug, Paratrooper, Calypso, "The Airplanes", Haunted House, Ghost Train, bumper cars, Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, the Monster, Trabant, Sky Ride, Hard Rock, Galaxie, Laff in the Dark, Magic Rainbow, Red Baron, and many others. In addition to rides, there were also the summertime shows which changed every few years (Skipper & Dolly dolphin show, Great American High Dive Show, Merlin's Magic Rainbow Show). For a few years there was also a fairly large petting zoo with many farm animals and a huge red barnhouse.
Just outside of "The Beach" gates was the "Bali Hai" south seas "Tiki" style
Tiki culture
Tiki kitsch culture is a 20th-century theme used in Polynesian-style restaurants and clubs originally in the United States and then, to a lesser degree, around the world...
restaurant. Another popular restaurant was the Ship Ahoy, which featured hamburgers and seafood.
Pontchartrain Beach was closed September 23, 1983, due to decreasing attendance, rising insurance costs, pollution concerns in the lake, and the impending competition of the 1984 World's Fair
1984 Louisiana World Exposition
The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. It opened on Saturday, May 12, 1984 and ended on Sunday, November 11, 1984...
.
Several of the rides ended up in Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores, Alabama
-External links:*...
, at a small amusement park - including the Airplanes and many Kiddieland rides - which was subsequently wiped out by Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 2004. The Ragin' Cajun moved to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom
The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom is an amusement and waterpark located in Queensbury, New York. It is advertised as being located in Lake George, New York...
in 1984 and opened as Steamin' Demon
Steamin' Demon
Steamin' Demon is a steel roller coaster located at The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom in Queensbury, New York.-Ride experience:The ride is located at the front of the park in the Ghosttown area, although the theme of the coaster doesn't match the rest of the park section. The single blue train...
.
The land formerly housing the park is now occupied by the University of New Orleans Research & Technology Park
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
, home to the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) and the UNO Advanced Technology Center office building.
External links
30.032°N 90.062°W