The above clip, which runs nearly eight minutes, is from May 14, 1932, and depicts New Jerseyans -- men in suits, ties and hats and women in dresses -- walking around the park, carnival barkers wooing park-goers, along with roller coasters and other rides. He cites an example in July 1946, where eight black and two white people entered the park together; the white people were allowed to purchase tickets while the black people were prohibited from doing so. It was located atop the New Jersey Palisades lying partly in Cliffside Park and partly in Fort Lee. It's narrow, but long and is a picture taking must. By the 1920s, the nearby town of Palisades Park considered changing its name to avoid confusion. The park officially closed to the public on September 12, 1971, and despite attempts to reopen park attractions in following years, remained closed for operations, with rides dismantled and sold to other parks throughout North America. In 1898, before common use of automobiles, the Bergen County Traction Company conceived the park as a trolley park to attract evening and weekend riders. In the foreword of the book, Cousin Brucie recalls, "Palisades was an integral part of our lives. ©1994-2020– Palisades Amusement Park Historical Society – All Rights Reserved. Originally called "The Park on the Palisades" when the Bergen County Trolley Company opened the park in 1898. In 2014, five original cars from the park’s Cyclone roller coaster were also returned to the region and are part of a planned restoration project which will display them publicly as a historical exhibit.

During the late 1960s, the park created local controversy due to the high-congestion traffic it created, the lack of adequate parking facilities to accommodate its high visitorship, and a number of high-profile ride accidents and deaths due to ride disrepair. Palisades Amusement Park was a 38-acre amusement park located in Bergen County, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City. The Palisades Park is a great place for a run with an iconic view of the Pacific Ocean.

He owned an advertising company that put up billboards known as "three sheeters" all over New York City.

History. The park offers views of the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains. Developers wanted to profit by the Palisades' view of Manhattan, and they successfully pressured the local government to re-zone the amusement park site for high-rise apartment housing and condemn it under eminent domain. They did just that. Following action by local community groups, pressure to rezone the amusement park site for high-rise housing led to the park’s sale in 1971 to Texas real estate developer Winston-Centex Corporation. var tld = "com"; The park permanently closed on Sunday, September 12, 1971.[9][10]. This is one book you will want to add to your library! During the next few years, the land was surveyed by a number of builders who made lucrative offers, but Rosenthal tried to postpone the park's inevitable closing and refused to sell. The park, which was on the border of Cliffside Park and Fort Lee, closed in 1971, According to the park's official website, Cliffside Park rezoned the land for high rise development in 1967 and the park's owner, who was in his 70s, eventually sold the land for more than $12 million.

Our journalism needs your support now. In 1907 the park was purchased by August Neumannm the fist mayor of Cliffside Park. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Palisade Amusement Park was a Bergen County institution for more than 70 years.And while the park closed in 1971, recently unearthed footage of the park has brought it back to life. Irving Rosenthal also printed free-admission offers on matchbooks and in other media.

[1][2] The Schencks were brothers who were active in the nascent motion picture industry in nearby Fort Lee, as well as operated the Fort George Amusement Park in New York City, across the Hudson River to the east.

The buildings were subsequently demolished; the rides sold, dismantled and transported to other amusement operators in the United States and Canada. By 1967, Jack Rosenthal had died of Parkinson's disease, leaving his brother Irving as sole owner. There was a hole in the fence behind the amusement park's music stage, which was used by local children to sneak into the park without paying admission.

Though no physical museum site is operated other than the public memorial park, the Palisades Amusement Park Historical Society nonprofit organization offers a variety of public programming connected to the history and legacy of the park, including a weekly public lecture series held at libraries and community organizations throughout the greater New York City region. The park opened under the name "Palisades Amusement Park" until Alvin died in 1909. On August 3, eleven of the CORE group were arrested on trumped up charges, and two were beaten by the police.
This book will make the perfect gift for anyone on your gift list. A companion multimedia PowerPoint presentation showcases photographs and videos related to the park’s history, including ride operations and former employee and visitor testimonials. Subscribe to NJ.com », Jeremy Schneider | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com. In 1908, the trolley company sold the park to August Neumann and Frank Knox, who hired Alven H. Dexter to manage it. Advertisements for the park were frequently printed in the back pages of 1950s and 1960s comic books.

Jack Rosenthal died of Parkinson's disease leaving Irving the sole owner of the park. An overflow parking lot was opened at the bottom of the cliff in Edgewater, and shuttle buses carried visitors up to the park. Three bulldozers revved up on a snow-covered field alongside the Cyclone, the legendary ride that for 40 years had been of the main attractions of Palisades Amusement Park. The park extends over 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the. The public bat, This is a magnificent stroll or run or just sitting on a bench! Palisades Amusement Park ticket booth. The song also incorporated amusement park sound effects. With its two hundred pages and a foreword by the legendary Cousin Bruce Morrow, this oversized coffee table book captures every fond memory of the famous New Jersey fun spot: the vinegar-soaked french fries, the Tunnel of Love, the world's largest outdoor salt water pool, and so much more. [7] Radio and television commercials broadcast in the greater New York area encouraged the public to, "Come on over!" Without family heirs, it was unclear as to who would eventually assume ownership. This best selling book is finally back and now available in a soft cover edition. The "Palisades Park" song generated a surge of park visitors. This week it was clear, and tidy and a pleasure to walk along and enjoy the scenery and sunshine, Preferred Hotels & Resorts in Santa Monica, Hotels near Santa Monica Yacht Harbor Sign, Hotels near Annenberg Community Beach House, Hotels near (LAX) Los Angeles Intl Airport, Hotels near (LGB) Long Beach Municipal Airport, Health/Fitness Clubs & Gyms in Santa Monica, Historical & Heritage Tours in Santa Monica, Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Santa Monica, Canyoning & Rappelling Tours in Santa Monica, Observatories & Planetariums in Santa Monica, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Santa Monica, Boat Tours & Water Sports in Santa Monica, Game & Entertainment Centers in Santa Monica. Rosenthal's bought the park in 1935 after the Schenck Brothers became involved in the movie business.
However, as the park began attracting bigger and bigger crowds in later years, the on-site parking lot became less and less adequate, often rapidly filling to capacity. Though the park was plagued by several fires in the 1930s and 1940s, it became one of the most popular youth tourist attractions in the New York-New Jersey region throughout the mid-20th century, in part due to a saturation advertising campaign in comic books and a popular music pavilion rock-and-roll series. The overflow lot sometimes also reached capacity, and when this happened, motorists were directed to park on local streets anywhere between the nearby George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel several miles south. For those who ever visited Palisades Amusement Park, this book is sure to bring back those cherished remembrances. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/20).