By the early 1980s, the lake was incredibly polluted, and crowds were declining in the area. On Thursday, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East voted to approve the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation's request to lease the beach. Add to Cart. It was founded in 1928, across Bayou St. John from an existing amusement resort at Old Spanish Fort. There are numerous pilings left from the old swimming area and pier.. Mega Zeph was inspired by the old Zephyr roller coaster at the closed Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park that was next to Lake Pontchartrain by the University of New Orleans. What I like about the cards are the classic flat rides and color mix of architecture on the midway. The area is all commercial-use now, but it began as port area, then resort, then an important part of the city’s contribution to the war effort in the 1940s. This old amusement park just couldn’t compete with slick theme parks like Astroworld and Disney World, as well as the World’s Fair, which came to New Orleans in 1984. Originally called “Jazzland,” it sought to build on the tradition established by the beloved Pontchartrain Beach Park, which ceased operation in 1983. The Zephyr and Pontchartrain Beach closed for good after the 1983 season due to declining attendance. Joseph Zambo Real vanilla ice cream cones that actually had a taste. Postcard courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1930s. And when. Current Top 100 rank: None: Height: 68 feet / 20.7 meters: Track length: 2,300 feet / 701.0 meters It closed in 1964 and remains abandoned. Who remembers visiting Pontchartrain Beach? It was founded by Harry J. Batt Sr. (grandfather of American actor Bryan Batt) and later managed and owned by his sons, Harry J. Batt Jr. and John A. Batt. September 23, 1983, for a gala event. The last day of "Public Admittance" was September 5th, 1983 Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. In 2000, a theme park began operation in New Orleans East. Reporter Paul Murphy. Kenner acquired its various Pontchartrain Beach relics from the theme park’s owners, the Batt family, in the 1980s, when Aaron Broussard was the city’s mayor. In 1964, the Civil Rights Bill became law, ending legal segregation. 1956-1964: Lincoln Beach Amusement Park was opened in 1956 and was a popular attraction for African Americans in New Orleans. Accessible to the public. 4. Ship Island. Pontchartrain Beach was among those hard hit. It was already one of the least-profitable parks for the company, now they're jumpin' ship. His father, Harry Batt, Sr., retired in 1970, and Harry Batt, Jr., and his brother, John Batt, served as President, and Vice President, respectively, until the lakefront park closed, in 1983. The Lake Pontchartrain Foun­dation is hard at work trying to reopen the old Pontchartrain Beach now under the control of the University of New Orleans. 3 The stage was operational until the beach closed, but its use had been reduced to a weekly radio station promotion and 4th of July special by the 1980's. Ship Island, which is actually two separate islands, is … 3. Pontchartrain Beach - New Orleans, Louisiana. You can get the background on the Battle of New Orleans (1815) between the British Army and the United States, while “We Love You, New Orleans!”, is a showcase for New Orleans signatures like Sidney Bechet’s sax, memorabilia from the closed Pontchartrain Beach amusement park and a sign from the old K&B drugstore chain. Printed on the most comfortable tee we could find with a distressed print for a vintage look and feel. Complain to the City Council. After years of neglect, the tunnel that was once a … Pontchartrain Landing is luxury casual living at its finest with a swimming pool, hot tub and daily shuttle to the French Quarter. NEW ORLEANS -- Fenced off and largely abandoned for years, Pontchartrain Beach will soon welcome back those looking for a place to enjoy the sun or … Ponchartrain Beach (UNO) Pontchartrain Beach is closed again, sorry. Pontchartrain Beach was know for its large boardwalk, sandy beach and numerous rides. 29.951066 -90.071532 Close Modal 12 24 36 All. and Bayou St. John in 1928 (just a stone's throw from the old Spanish Fort Amusement Park). It was the first park I ever visited, and the home of the first. Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. From the show Louisiana Living. Poster of Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park. Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. The following year, I had the awesome experience of working at the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition (the last world's fair to date). There were a number of small flat rides, a log flume as well as many traditional fairground rides as seen in Alfa Smartpark’s other amusement parks. I have intensely fond memories of Pontchartrain Beach, and especially the Zephyr. Lincoln Beach-1948 While Pontchartrain Beach would continue to grow into a major beach and amusement area, colored bathers had few options other than water hoses to find relief from the heat. We went there (beach and amusement park) with cousins (Ricky and Johnny) of Mom and Dad in 1954. After Pontchartrain Beach closed, the Ragin’ Cajun was repainted and sold to Six Flags’ Great Escape park in Queensbury, New York, which renamed it the Steamin’ Demon. ... as it did when it closed … Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. The nearby Pontchartrain Beach was for Whites only until 1964. Despite its uniqueness in the Deep South and the memories it created, the beach’s facilities, accessibility and amusements had never reached the level of Pontchartrain Beach. Bryan Batt doesn’t remember exactly when it closed. The only SANDY launch actually IN the City of New Orleans with 4 old concrete piers to give some flat water. There are a few beaches in Louisiana that have become surfing hubs: Pontchartrain Beach, on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, offers a novelty wave for the ages. It closed for good in 1983, leaving New Orleans without an amusement park of its own. Where: Ship Island, Mississippi. Condominiums were planed for the site after the closure of the park, but they were never built. 1939: Pontchartrain Beach is moved to Milneburg. They closed the doors once and for all in 1983. Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans that included a wooden roller coaster called the Zephyr along with many other rides and amusements. Lincoln Beach closed that year, and Pontchartrain Beach was now open to all. The closing of Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park in New Orleans, La.. Sept. 1983. Once much beloved by area families, the beach has been closed for more than 30 years, but now it may be making a comeback. “Lincoln Beach is historic and has been closed for a too-long period of time,” Green says. The Lighthouse Bar and Grill has live music and great food specializing in BBQ and local cuisine with a friendly staff. Pontchartrain Beach boasted some of the most modern and daring rides manufactured by American and European builders. No, we’re not talking about Six Flags. Although Pontchartrain Beach closed in 1983, the restaurant stayed open for a few more years. Promotional Photo of the beach, July 4, 1946. courtesy of Craig Trentecosta. Exactly. And yeah, Six Flags is trying to get out of their lease for the site. 1 Item. The park was located on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain at Elysian Fields and Lakeshore Drive. Enter at your own risk! 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. They had the wooden rollercoaster. 'The Beach' closed in 1983 and is now the location of the UNO Technology Park. Pontchartrain Beach Label from public data source Wikidata Sources found : Work cat: 2017060399: Batt, B. Pontchartrain Beach, 2018: ECIP summary (lakefront New Orleans amusement park opened in 1928 and closed in 1983) For 55 years, Pontchartrain Beach was a popular attraction for New Orleanians to spend their days. Located just north of the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Park, the site was the home of the Pontchartrain Beach amusement park for 44 years. The park also featured live music from local and national acts, … Finally, in 1938, a wealthy real estate investor and international fruit magnate, known as Sam “The Banana Man” Zemurray, decided to deed land to […] Years ago, there were talks and even plans to reopen Pontchartrain Beach. In 1983, I had the great fortune to work at Pontchartrain Beach during the last summer before it closed forever. The Beach was my "home park" as a child, until it closed in 1983. Pontchartrain Beach: Memories of the Midway. Part of this collection is our Pontchartrain Beach design inspired by the New Orleans Amusement Park which closed it's gates in the summer of 1983. The only "swimming beach," that I knew of, was at Pontchartrain Beach, a closed amusement park.. Now, there is only the sea wall. As green-blue algae swirls in the Mississippi Sound, twelve beaches across Hancock and Harrison County remain closed to the public, according to a report from the Sun Herald. The desegregated Pontchartrain Beach, meanwhile, adopted a business model aimed at maintaining as much of its white customer base as possible through racially laden measures designed to discourage black patronage. The entry port was moved to a pavilion at Veterans Memorial Park in Kenner, where it still can be seen today. Its a shame it's closed now, I wander if it never closed how it would be today. Posted. UNO has closed public access to Pontchartrain Beach. Mr. Batt explains, “All good things must come to an end. And then Pontchartrain Beach ended up closing as well, partially because whites resisted its integration. Pontchartrain Beach was closed on September 23, 1983, not long before the 1984 World's Fair came to town. The area at Elysian Fields and the Lakefront was swampland when the French established New Orleans near the Miss… the Zephyr. The sandy beaches are currently closed to swimmers while the site undergoes renovations. Attendance dropped dramatically, and Lincoln Beach closed in … When Pontchartrain Beach closed, it left hundreds of thousands of customers with years of memories, along with ticket stubs, souvenirs from … Well, that and “Milneburg Joys.” Edward Branley is the author of New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line , Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans , and Maison Blanche Department Stores , in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series. Just like that, the need for Lincoln Beach vanished. These 8 Photos Of New Orleans’ Bygone Amusement Park Will Have You Longing For The Good Old Days. quote: The Pontchartrain Beach clown is a thing of nightmares. 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 original theme park included a number of roller coasters including the wooden Mega Zeph, based on the Zephyr which once stood at the Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park (it closed in 1983). Now New Orleans and Mandeville are linked by road for the first time. At the rear of the photo is the aircraft beacon, atop the Zephyr's highest hill, that could be seen from miles around. The Mega Zeph was inspired by the old Zephyr roller coaster at the closed Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park that was located next to Lake Pontchartrain by the University of New Orleans.