Playland at the Beach
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Playland at the Beach was an amusement park in San Francisco, California. The park operated from the early 1900's to September 4, 1972.
History
Playland at the Beach began in the 1880s as food stands and carnival games near Ocean Beach in San Francisco. In 1912, Arthur Looff and John Friedle built a carousel and later added rides like Shoot-the-Chutes and the Big Dipper roller coaster. In 1921, the site formally opened as Chutes at the Beach.[1]
By the mid-1920s, George and Leo Whitney began buying up concessions. In 1928, they renamed it Playland at the Beach. The park grew into a full-fledged amusement zone featuring rides, arcades, a fun house (with Laughing Sal), restaurants, and midway games.
The park thrived from the 1930s to the 1950s, specifically during World War II and the Baby Boom. George Whitney acquired nearby landmarks like the Cliff House and Sutro Baths.[2]
The decline began after the Big Dipper was torn down in 1955. George Whitney died in 1958, and his son’s attempts to modernize the park, including the creation of “Fun-Tier Town,” failed to reverse waning attendance. Crime, neglect, and a cultural shift accelerated the park’s deterioration.[3][4][5]
Playland closed permanently on September 4, 1972, and the site was later filled with condos. The carousel was auctioned for $45,000 now operates at Yerba Buena Gardens, and other memorabilia appears across San Francisco.[6]
Former roller coasters
| Class | Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
| Roller | Alpine Racer | Unknown | Wood | 1959 | September 4, 1972 | Scrapped |
| Roller | Big Dipper | Arthur Looff | Wood | 1922 | 1955 | Scrapped |
| Roller | Bob Sled Dipper | Frederick Church, Charles Loof | Wood | 1921 | 1929 | Scrapped |
| Roller | Figure-8 | Unknown | Wood | 1920 | July 1922 | Unknown |
| Roller | Hi-Miler | Miler Manufacturing | Steel | 1971 | September 4, 1972 | Relocated to Ray Cammack Shows midway |
| Roller | Roller coaster | Miler Manufacturing | Kiddie | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | Kiddie Coaster | Bradley & Kaye | Kiddie | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | World's Largest Portable Roller Coaster | Miler Manufacturing | Steel | 1970 | 1972 | Unknown |
Closed attractions
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
| Aeroplane | Traver Engineering Company | Flying Machine | 1920 | 1927 | Unknown |
| Astro Wheel | Chance Rides | Skydiver | 1967 | 1968 | Unknown |
| Bashing Bagels | Unknown | Dodgems | 1968 | September 4, 1972 | Unknown |
| Boat Ride | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Scrapped |
| Bubble Bounce | Frank Hrubetz & Co. | Waltzer | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Caterpillar | Unknown | Superbob/Musik Express | Unknown | 1962 | Unknown |
| Calypso | Mack Rides | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Chutes | Unknown | Shoot The Chute | 1920 | 1950 | Scrapped |
| Crazy Dazy | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. | Teacups | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Mad Mine | Pretzel dark ride | Unknown | 1958 | September 4, 1972 | Scrapped |
| Diving Bell | Unknown | Diving Bell | 1940 | September 4, 1972 | Scrapped |
| Dodger | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | September 4, 1972 | Scrapped |
| Ferris Wheel | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | September 4, 1972 | Unknown |
| Fly-O-Plane | Eyerly Aircraft Company | Fly-O-Plane | 1940 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Flying Coaster | Aero-Affiliates | Flying Coaster | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Frolic | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Kid Train | Unknown | Miniature Railway | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Kid Ferris wheel | Unknown | Ferris Wheel | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Hey Dey | Allan Herschell Company | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Laff in the Dark | Unknown | Unknown | 1936 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Limbo | Pretzel dark ride | Unknown | 1958 | September 4, 1972 | Scrapped |
| Lindy Loop | Spillman Engineering | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Merry-Go-Round | Charles Looff | Unknown | 1913 | September 4, 1972 | Relocated to Yerba Buena gardens |
| Loop-O-Plane | Eyerly Aircraft Company | Loop-O-Plane | Unknown | 1968 | Unknown |
| Meteor | Frank Hrubetz & Co. | Unknown | 1968 | 1970 | Unknown |
| Merry Mix Up | Traver Engineering Company | Waveswinger | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Octopus | Eyerly Aircraft Company | Octopus | Unknown | September 4, 1972 | Unknown |
| Paratrooper | Frank Hrubetz & Co. | Lifting Paratrooper | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Racing Derby | Prior and Church Company | Derby Racer | 1947 | 1954 | Scrapped |
| Red Bug | Unknown | Go-Karts | Unknown | Unknown | Scrapped |
| Ridee-o | Unknown | Superbob/Musik Express | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Rock-O-Plane | Eyerly Aircraft Company | Rock-O-Plane | Unknown | September 4, 1972 | Unknown |
| Roll-O-Plane | Eyerly Aircraft Company | Unknown | Unknown | 1968 | Unknown |
| Rocket Speedway | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Rotor | Chance Rides | Rotor | 1952 | 1955 | Unknown |
| Rot-O-Jet | Kasper Klaus Company | Jets | 1955 | 1964 | Unknown |
| Round Up | Frank Hrubetz & Co. | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Scrambler | Eli Bridge Company | Scrambler | Unknown | September 4, 1972 | Unknown |
| Sea Planes | Traver Engineering Company | Flying Machine | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Skylark | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Sky Wheel | Allan Herschell Company | Sky Wheel | 1968 | 1969 | Unknown |
| Space Copter | Unknown | Unknown | 1960 | 1961 | Scrapped |
| Strato-Ship | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Swingin Gym | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Tilt-a-whirl | Sellner Manufacturing | Tilt-A-Whirl | Unknown | September 4, 1972 | Unknown |
| Tumble Bug | Traver Engineering Company | Tumble Bug | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Whip | W.F. Mangels Company | Whip | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Twister | Chance Rides | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Whirlpool | Unknown | Unknown | 1920 | 1930 | Scrapped |
References
- ↑ Project, Western Neighborhods. "Playland-at-the-Beach". www.outsidelands.org. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ "Playland - FoundSF". www.foundsf.org. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ "The bold thrills and sad death of Playland, S.F.'s seaside amusement park". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ applessgrape (2010-03-16), Playland Park Opening Day 1958, retrieved 2025-06-16
- ↑ "Playland at the beach - Rides". playlandatthebeach. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ Bartlett, Amanda (Aug 8, 2021). "'We kind of took it for granted': The story behind SF's iconic amusement park, Playland at the Beach". sfgate. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
External links
- Playland at the Beach on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
