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How L.A. Used To Have Fun: 100-Year-Old Water Slides and Roller Coasters
How did Angelenos used to have summer fun 25, 50 or even 100 years ago? Pretty much the same way we do now.
Angelenos went to the beach, hung out at Disneyland, hopped on roller coasters on local piers and built massive water parks to help them cool down. The only difference seems to be that their bathing suits and summertime clothes left a lot more to the imagination.
Not all of the parks in the photos stuck around—the Pike in Long Beach is a shadow of its former self, the marine park in Palos Verdes was sold off to SeaWorld and the amusement parks in Santa Monica were burned down by constant fires. Fortunately, thanks to photos from the Los Angeles Public Library handpicked by Water and Power Associates there's photos to help jog our collective memory.
If you're interested in learning more about the history, Water and Power Associates has a write-up about each of the parks.
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Vintage Santa Monica: Pacific Ocean Park
LAistory: Busch Gardens in Van Nuys
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