Olympic Park in Irvington NJ  and Palisades Park NJ near the George Washington Bridge were great amusement parks that closed in the 60's. Forerunner to the mega-parks of today. Millions of people went to these parks for over a hundred years and suddenly they're gone, did you ever go to them, have any memories?

Hot Wax     

You're a Newarker? Where in? I'm in N. Essex County, of partially Weequahic descent.

I knew there used to be a big amusement park in Irvington, before it became an incredibly unsafe town. I'd enjoy hearing more about it!

You're a Newarker? Where in? I'm in N. Essex County, of partially Weequahic descent.

I knew there used to be a big amusement park in Irvington, before it became an incredibly unsafe town. I'd enjoy hearing more about it!


hi ya'doin' velvetoneo, it's a little late right now to over such a big topic I'll get back to you soon, ok? and Irvington wasn't always a gang run town, only resently, it was really a nice place until a about the 1970's. It seems like when Olympic Park closed town changed, But I'll get back to on it, I have to get up early tomorrow and I'm hitting hay now. HW   

hi ya'doin' velvetoneo, it's a little late right now to over such a big topic I'll get to soon, ok? and Irvington wasn't always a gang run town, only resently, it was really a nice place until a about the 1970's. It seems like when Olympic Park closed town changed, But I'll get back to on it, I have to get up early tomorrow and I'm hitting hay now. HW 


Yeah, my great-grandmother lived in Irvington through the '70s, I think.

Yeah, my great-grandmother lived in Irvington through the '70s, I think.


Hello again Velve', Where to start? there's so much about Olympic Park that spanded from 1887 to 1965, there's a book written about the history of the park and it's origin that's very popular in the our area's book stores titled "SMILE" a Picture History of Olympic Park by Alan A. Siegel. It covers it's beginings to the the final days of the park, it's very interesting reading. I think you can get it at your Library, if not at your local book store, if not I can get you a copy from a personal source.

I'll get back to you on some personal memories of the Park...again it's late for me and have to get up in a couple hours.

Oh yeah! I'm originally from the Ironbound section of Newark...commomly known as "Down Neck" , lived on Merchant Street off of Ferry Street (where the resent movie "War of the Worlds" was filmed) and went to Wilson Ave. grammar school before moving to Union in 1953, but always was in Newark because all of my family lived there and we were a close Italian family that the Union move couldn't separate, so I did a lot of my growing up in Newark as well as Union. Now all of the family are dead and the cousins are spread all over the country and Newark is only a memory...all good memories! I drive through from time to time and reminisce the old days, and as I always reminded of..."Change" is the only thing that doesn't change in life...and we move on!

back at you. HW     

My grandfather grew up on Shanley Avenue in the Jewish section of Newark, and then worked in East Orange and then Millburn as a psychiatrist and president of the NJ Psychoanalytic Association for years. My mom grew up in South Orange...I've always been interested alot in the history of Newark, it's a neglected and highly important city that I live 5 minutes from and yet don't know enough about, I feel.

My grandfather grew up on Shanley Avenue in the Jewish section of Newark, and then worked in East Orange and then Millburn as a psychiatrist and president of the NJ Psychoanalytic Association for years. My mom grew up in South Orange...I've always been interested alot in the history of Newark, it's a neglected and highly important city that I live 5 minutes from and yet don't know enough about, I feel.


I'm sure your Grandparents went to Olympic Park a few times in their lives and your parents also must have gone through the "Tunnel of Love" when they were dating or did a picnic or two poolside. If any of your family elders grew up in the same area as your grandparents, I'm are sure they all went to the Park a few times in their lives and could tell you about it also. Maybe Olympic Park had an influence on your Grandpop when he was a kid to become a Psychoanalytic or maybe some of the Olympic Park patrons that got their brains scrambled from the those spinning rides were your Grandpop's patients.

One time I went, it was 100 degees that day and the park was loaded with hot sweaty stinking people, I was hot and dizzy most of the day from the heat and those spinning rides and after I ate a big soft pretzel with mustard and washed it down with a warm Yoo Hoo, the last thing I remembered when I got strapped into the Round Up was that the world was spinning in the opposite direction when it platform rose up on a pitch, and that did the trick! out of my mouth like a cannon blast everyone on that ride got their share of my puke all over them and passed out for a while too or maybe they all knocked me out for puking on them!...I wasn't the first one to puke from spinning rides and won't be the last.

I'll be back. HW 

Olympic Park in Irvington NJ  and Palisades Park NJ near the George Washington Bridge were great amusement parks that closed in the 60's. Forerunner to the mega-parks of today. Millions of people went to these parks for over a hundred years and suddenly they're gone, did you ever go to them, have any memories?

Hot Wax     


I was going to start a thread about Palisades but then I thought there might be one already....here it is! 

I grew up on Staten Island and remember going to Palisades a few times.  To me it was so far away and it was a big deal to get to go there.  Once, on my birthday, we went to Palisades and then to the Bronx Zoo.  I was one exhausted little kid when that was day was over.  Unfortunately, I was pretty young and my memories of the park are fuzzy.

I was going to start a thread about Palisades but then I thought there might be one already....here it is! 

I grew up on Staten Island and remember going to Palisades a few times.  To me it was so far away and it was a big deal to get to go there.  Once, on my birthday, we went to Palisades and then to the Bronx Zoo.  I was one exhausted little kid when that was day was over.  Unfortunately, I was pretty young and my memories of the park are fuzzy.


Hi CeeKay, It was a far trip to Palisades Park for us also but my parents managed to take one day out of my fathers summer vacation and took us kids to the park and did it faithfully for a few years. I was about eight years old when I first went, what I can remember was the swimming pool, it looked like an ocean to me it was so big and it had a wall at one end that was water fall runnining all the time and us kids would play all day under it. There was a radio station, I think it was WABC had a Rock and Roll show that played out of there a couple days a week. It was a clean park with a lot of rides and wheels of chance, one time my old man was coaxed up onto a stage where some huckster was guessing your age and weight for prizes,the guy guessed wrong on both accounts and he won a Swiss Alpine hat with a 2 foot feather stuck in it which I proudly wore rest of the day...it was cool then! and I think free hot dogs and sodas for the family. As we got older we stopped going and then they closed it up a few years later and I felt that loss and now only have faint memories of those days we had at Palisades Park.

Did you ever go to Olympic Park in Irvington NJ? it was just over 4 miles from the Gothals Bridge, much closer to Staten Island.

HW

Did you ever go to Olympic Park in Irvington NJ? it was just over 4 miles from the Gothals Bridge, much closer to Staten Island.

HW


Well now, there's a funny thing.  I don't recall ever going to Olympic Park.  Hmm.  Nope.
I only remember Palisades....Gaslight Village (near lake george?)....Coney Island.
That's it for me!
(Oh -- but I do remember the pool at Palisades now that you say it....but it's very vague).

Well now, there's a funny thing.  I don't recall ever going to Olympic Park.  Hmm.  Nope.
I only remember Palisades....Gaslight Village (near lake george?)....Coney Island.
That's it for me!
(Oh -- but I do remember the pool at Palisades now that you say it....but it's very vague).


You missed out on a good thing. Check out Google on "Olympic Park Irvington NJ" it has an interesting history.

HW

Link to phots taken of the fomer Olympic Park in 1967, long after the closure:

http://community.webshots.com/album/51720910hrynZy

My mother remembers going there, but her parents never let her swim in the pool (They insisted she'd get polio). I remember our family driving past the long-closed site as a child. The sight of fading paint images of clowns on the battered exterior wals were the stuff of Stephen King novels. I also remember the roller coaster standing precariously behind those thick white walls.

The area was finally raized in the 1970's and is now the site of an office park.

I vaguely remember a trip to Gaslight Village in New York State, but I was about 3 or 4.

Link to phots taken of the fomer Olympic Park in 1967, long after the closure:

http://community.webshots.com/album/51720910hrynZy

My mother remembers going there, but her parents never let her swim in the pool (They insisted she'd get polio). I remember our family driving past the long-closed site as a child. The sight of fading paint images of clowns on the battered exterior wals were the stuff of Stephen King novels. I also remember the roller coaster standing precariously behind those thick white walls.

The area was finally raized in the 1970's and is now the site of an office park.

I vaguely remember a trip to Gaslight Village in New York State, but I was about 3 or 4.




My mom worried about the locker room and told me not to let any old men help me put on or take off my bathing suit and tell the cops if one asks me.

palisades sounds vaguely familiar.  my dad was born in newark (1948) and lived in irvington probably until at least 1966.  i'd kind of like to go see his hometown, but i'm not allowed to go there due to how the area is today.  even my dad won't go there unless it's absolutely necessary.

they took family vacations at seaside heights when it was still somewhat classy. ;)

palisades sounds vaguely familiar.  my dad was born in newark (1948) and lived in irvington probably until at least 1966.  i'd kind of like to go see his hometown, but i'm not allowed to go there due to how the area is today.  even my dad won't go there unless it's absolutely necessary.

they took family vacations at seaside heights when it was still somewhat classy. ;)


Your dad was right about Irvington, it was a gang infested city that control the streets, but it's being cleaned up with new politians in office, they're only kids who are "want a be" gangstas' who gave the whole city a bad name but not true it's a good city with good people living there. It's a 100% better today after the gangs are being shut down.

Do you remember Olympic Park in Irvington and did you ver go there? 

Your dad was right about Irvington, it was a gang infested city that control the streets, but it's being cleaned up with new politians in office, they're only kids who are "want a be" gangstas' who gave the whole city a bad name but not true it's a good city with good people living there. It's a 100% better today after the gangs are being shut down.

Do you remember Olympic Park in Irvington and did you ver go there? 

personally, i've never been there, but the name sound familiar to me.

personally, i've never been there, but the name sound familiar to me.


Go to Google and pull up Olympic Park Irvington NJ, you might enjoy some of the entries on the park and Irvington where you Pop grew up.

HW

palisades sounds vaguely familiar.  my dad was born in newark (1948) and lived in irvington probably until at least 1966.  i'd kind of like to go see his hometown, but i'm not allowed to go there due to how the area is today.  even my dad won't go there unless it's absolutely necessary.

they took family vacations at seaside heights when it was still somewhat classy. ;)


Xtine, Seaside Heights even in the 60's was never "classy", but it was the best resort in NJ for teenage kids to hang out at. We leave Friday nights and come home Monday mornings. We'd sleep under the boardwalk, in our cars, but most times we scrape together $5.00 and flop in some old ladies cellar or her garage not to break any loitering laws and get locked up by the S S H police, they were mean bastards to deal with, so we kept cool about it and just wanted to have weekends of fun...almost every weekend in the summers of 64' and 65'. No, Seaside wasn't really classy but it was the coolest place to be at on summer weekends. I was down there resently after almost a 10 year lapse it looked the same smelled the same but it lost alot of it's honky tonk appeal...too classy!!

HW 

I remember going to Palisades Park when I was a kid.  What I remember most is always trying to win a goldfish by getting a ping pong ball in the fish bowl.  There are a bunch of high rise condos on that site now.

I remember going to Palisades Park when I was a kid.  What I remember most is always trying to win a goldfish by getting a ping pong ball in the fish bowl.  There are a bunch of high rise condos on that site now.


Yeah! and if you won a fish it usually died before you got home anyway...you lose for winning! 

I sure do remember Olympic Park! Grew up in Elizabeth and trips to Olympic Park were a real treat in my youth....My favorite:  the 'Coaster'..  The first drop from the front seat is unforgettable and I can still feel the rush!  My second favorite:  The "Whip".  My Mom took me on that one and I urged the guy to put us into a spin!  We were in a spin that lasted like forever.  I thought my Mom was turning blue from not being able to catch her breath....and of course the  "Looper"..  I was just watching a show on old amusement parks and one of the parks had a "Looper".  I  wonder if it was the "Looper" from Olympic Park since the current parks bought up the rides from the parks that closed!  I always lost the change from my pockets on that one!  Thanks for reminding me of those great days, seconded only by nightly trips over the Gothals Bridge to the Pine Room on Forrest Ave on Staten Island!  Fun times!

I sure do remember Olympic Park! Grew up in Elizabeth and trips to Olympic Park were a real treat in my youth....My favorite:  the 'Coaster'..  The first drop from the front seat is unforgettable and I can still feel the rush!  My second favorite:  The "Whip".  My Mom took me on that one and I urged the guy to put us into a spin!  We were in a spin that lasted like forever.  I thought my Mom was turning blue from not being able to catch her breath....and of course the  "Looper"..  I was just watching a show on old amusement parks and one of the parks had a "Looper".  I  wonder if it was the "Looper" from Olympic Park since the current parks bought up the rides from the parks that closed!  I always lost the change from my pockets on that one!  Thanks for reminding me of those great days, seconded only by nightly trips over the Gothals Bridge to the Pine Room on Forrest Ave on Staten Island!  Fun times!


Hi Triviagirl, We all had great times at Olympic Park, those spinning rides get me sick now just thinking of them. The last spinning ride I went on was the Octopus with my daughter when she was about six years old, it was in Fairyland, a small kiddie park on RT. 22 in Springfield NJ, it was the biggest ride there and she cried for me to take her on. Well! I gathered up all my manly fatherly courage and against all my better judgement I broke down and took her on. By the 3d wave of the octopus arm, the car started to spin...and spin...aaaand spinnn. It seemed like the ride went on for hours before it finally stopped, when it did, I openned my eyes to see my daughter's face a light shade of green. To scared to scream while on it, she made up for it after she got off, and me, I got sick again that lasted all day and thinking of it now I want to puke.

You mentioned that you saw a "Looper" ride on a special tv program and it could have been the Olympic Park's "Looper", it probably was, if you go Disneyworld in Florida the "Merry Go Round" in Fantasyland is from Olympic Park, theres a nice plaque in front of it giving it's history in Olympic Park...cool!

I think I remember you in the Pine Room sitting with a sister or two...or three. I bought you all a drink or two or three! then we all went to DeNino's for pizza. I'm sure that was you, wasn't it? or was all drunken stuper? help me out here Triviagirl, was it June 21, 1964?

HW
     

Sorry Hot Wax....I wasn't there until 1966!  I still remember the waitress we called Mustang Sally!  Where was DeNino's Pizza?  I did not realize when Olympic Park actually closed.  Amazing!  Guess the old saying still goes "You don't know what you've got until you loose it"! 

Sorry Hot Wax....I wasn't there until 1966!  I still remember the waitress we called Mustang Sally!  Where was DeNino's Pizza?   I did not realize when Olympic Park actually closed.  Amazing!  Guess the old saying still goes "You don't know what you've got until you loose it"!  


Thanks, I didn't think so, but we might have crossed paths just the same because we'd go to the old haunts every so often until about 68'. DeNino's is on Forest Ave. I think it's still there. The best brick oven pizza ever made was there, pizza and brews all night long on Friday nights after the Pine Room and Jimmy's where you got 50 cent shots, his standing only saloon, had no chairs in it only a bar with a brass foot rest pole, his place was on the waterfront.

Yeah, Olympic Park is gone but not forgotten. Get the book "Smile" it's all about the park, it's really a cool book on it's history.

How did I miss this thread. I remember Palisades Park even though I never went. Of course I remember the song but I also remember seeing the commercials for it in the mid 70s.


Well now, there's a funny thing.  I don't recall ever going to Olympic Park.  Hmm.  Nope.
I only remember Palisades....Gaslight Village (near lake george?)....Coney Island.
That's it for me!
(Oh -- but I do remember the pool at Palisades now that you say it....but it's very vague).


We used to go to Gaslight Village all the time (yes, it was in Lake George-well the town, not the lake.  ;) ) We used to go to Storytown, U.S.A. also in Lake George but now it is part of the Great Escape.



Cat

Thanks, I didn't think so, but we might have crossed paths just the same because we'd go to the old haunts every so often until about 68'. DeNino's is on Forest Ave. I think it's still there. The best brick oven pizza ever made was there, pizza and brews all night long on Friday nights after the Pine Room and Jimmy's where you got 50 cent shots, his standing only saloon, had no chairs in it only a bar with a brass foot rest pole, his place was on the waterfront.

Yeah, Olympic Park is gone but not forgotten. Get the book "Smile" it's all about the park, it's really a cool book on it's history.


Actually Denino's is on Port Richmond Ave, off of Forest Ave.. 

It's still there and still has the best pizza...that's one of the things I miss the most about Staten Island.  I wonder if they would Fed-ex a pizza to me here in Virginia.  ;D

Actually Denino's is on Port Richmond Ave, off of Forest Ave.. 

It's still there and still has the best pizza...that's one of the things I miss the most about Staten Island.  I wonder if they would Fed-ex a pizza to me here in Virginia.   ;D




Yes, I forgot it was just off Forrest Ave.,you say they're still there, it's been 40 years since the last time I was there but I probably would find it today without a problem. Yeah, maybe I'll hop over there and check it out for some great pizza...hoping their the same owners, I think it was a son and mother team who owned it when we hung out there. I'll let you know if they'll FedEx you a pie!

I just had a conversation about Olympic Park...I was very young when my father took my brother and I there. :) :)

Hi Larry, do you remember anything of the park or what did your father tell you about it and where did you live then?

Hot Wax

WAS THERE ANOTHER PARK IN NEW JERSEY THAT BURNED DOWN.  IT COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE 20'S 30'S,OR 40'S.
I THINK IT HAD TWO WORDS.  ONE COULD HAVE BEEN LEGGETT.  A STORY WAS TOLD THAT MY FATHER HAD A STAND CALLED"A LOAF OF BREAD A POUND OF MEAT AND ALL THE MUSTARD YOU CAN EAT."

WAS THERE ANOTHER PARK IN NEW JERSEY THAT BURNED DOWN.  IT COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE 20'S 30'S,OR 40'S.
I THINK IT HAD TWO WORDS.  ONE COULD HAVE BEEN LEGGETT.  A STORY WAS TOLD THAT MY FATHER HAD A STAND CALLED"A LOAF OF BREAD A POUND OF MEAT AND ALL THE MUSTARD YOU CAN EAT."


Hi Lou, I don't remember any park burning down, in my lifetime, I vaguely remember a boardwalk pier burning down in the late 50's at the Jersey shore that's like an amusement park, or maybe in another state? maybe google has information on a Leggett park. but I do like the the name of your father's stand...cool!

I remember the song "Palisades Park" by Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon (1962).  I used to hear it on the Little Walter's Time Machine show out of Boston in the early '80s.

Somebody posted this collage on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkNVwV5zquM&feature=related