Before my parents bought a house at the Jersey Shore, sometimes we'd go to Palisades park in the summer...
Anyone who spent their childhood within driving distance of Cliffside Park and Fort Lee was sure to know of Palisades Amusement Park.
The park opened in 1898 as a picnic grove, according to the Palisades Amusement Park Historical Society. Ten years later, by 1908, it had a carousel, rides and a wild west show.
As decades passed, the park would only grow. People from across the country would make their way to New Jersey just to experience what the park had to offer.
By the 1960s it was known on a global scale, with advertisements in international publications, said Vince Gargiulo, the historical society’s founder.
“Even a kid in England could be reading Batman and see an ad for Palisades Amusement Park,” Gargiulo said.
The amusement park was known for one thing in particular: the french fries. They sold for 20 cents a serving.
“People still talk about the french fries,” Gargiulo said. “It was served with vinegar, not with ketchup.”
The park closed in 1971 when the owner, who was then 70 years old, sold the land to developers. The destination is now home to high-rise buildings, of course...
Here's an interesting film by the same name
that has little or nothing to do with what
I'm talking about, but it's still pretty good:
...
Some photos and copy courtesy of NJ.com
I grew up in Paterson and could take the '1 Hudson River' bus to PP for a quarter. OH, and the french fries were sold in a brown paper bag. Later when I lived in Maplewood, I was within walking distance to Olympic Park; a smaller version of PP. Had a great roller skating rink we used in the winter.
ReplyDeleteI can still hum the jingle that played on AM radio ads for PP
ReplyDeleteDoes the name Freddy Boom Boom Canon ring a bell? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yoYzWEOuts
ReplyDeleteJoe has a music video of it above. Song was written by Chuck Barris of Gong Show fame
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