35 vintage photos of amusement parks that show how glamorous they used to be

Erin McDowellJan 13, 2024, 03:45 IST

These photos of amusement parks from the 1930s to the 1970s show you what a day at the theme park used to be like.Orlando/Three Lions/Getty Images

Amusement parks are popular destinations today, but they used to be much more glamorous.
Back in the day, people dressed up to visit amusement parks.

Everything seemed more glamorous back in the day. from flying to hotel bars and shopping malls.

Even amusement parks, which are arguably unglamorous today, were places that called for dressing up years ago.

We rounded up 40 photos of amusement parks around the world taken from the 1930s to the 1970s to show you what a day at the park used to be like.

Keep scrolling to see vintage roller coasters, slides, bumper cars, and more.

Sarah Schmalbruch contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Amusement parks were a little simpler back in the day.

Two women visiting an amusement park in 1953.Ed Ford/AP

It didn't take nearly as much to scare or thrill people.

A woman poses with a stuffed ape in 1950.Orlando/Three Lions/Getty Images

Funhouse mirrors were all the rage in the 1950s.

A woman looking at herself in a funhouse mirror in 1956.Robert Kradin/AP

As were various forms of bumper cars.

Bumper cars at the Palisades Amusement Park in 1956.Sherman/Three Lions/Getty Images

These may look like bumper cars but they were actually part of the flying-saucer ride at Disneyland circa 1962.

A flying saucer ride at Disneyland in 1962.Ed Widdis/AP

An amusement-park visit was an occasion that called for dressing up.

A family visits an amusement park around 1955.Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images

Regular people dressed up, and so did famous people. Here, Elvis Presley poses on a wagon at Knott's Berry Farm in California.

Elvis Presley poses on a wagon at Knott's Berry Farm in California around 1955.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Celebrities were often photographed at amusement parks.

Actress Jayne Meadows and TV and radio personality Steve Allen in 1954.Ed Ford/AP

Even royalty occasionally made a visit to a park.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the Empire Exhibition at Bellahouston Park in 1938.AP

So did athletes.

Rose Queen Barbara Hewitt escorts the Purdue Boilermakers as they visit Disneyland in 1966.George Brich/AP

Models provided inspiration for artwork at the parks.

Two models pose for the art director at the Rockaway Playland Amusement Park around 1950.Orlando/Three Lions/Getty Images

Many of the early amusement-park rides were fairly tame.

The Swiss sky ride at the New York World's Fair in 1964.AP

Big slides always made for a great time.

The Astro ride at Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, England, in 1969.AP

This Coney Island ride from 1946 provided great views of the boardwalk and beach below.

Coney Island in 1946.Keystone/Getty Images

Carousels were always an ideal choice for little kids.

A merry-go-round in Lincolnshire, England, in 1933.Fox Photos/Getty Images

Other rides provided more of a thrill, like the Parachute Jump in the 1950s.

The Parachute Jump at Coney Island in 1952.AP

For those with a need for speed, there were, of course, roller coasters.

Coney Island's wooden coaster, the Cyclone, in 1978.Ira Schwarz/AP

In the early days, roller coasters were made of wood.

The Jackrabbit in Kennywood Amusement Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, in 1938.AP

Throughout the years, coasters evolved and became more streamlined.

The view from the Screamin' Eagle at the Six Flags in Eureka, Missouri, in 1976.Fred Waters/AP

The Tidal Wave at Marriott's Great America Amusement Park in Gurnee, Illinois, was billed as the world's tallest roller coaster when it opened in May 1978.

The Tidal Wave at Marriott's Great America Amusement Park in Gurnee, Illinois, in 1978.Charles Knoblock/AP

Later that year, Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, introduced the Colossus, which they said was twice as big as any previous roller coaster.

The Colossus at Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, in 1978.Nick Ut/AP

Water rides provided relief on hot days.

Two people go down Magic Mountain's Jet Stream ride in 1977.George Brich/AP

The White Water Rampage was introduced to the Six Flags in Gurnee, Illinois, in the '80s.

The White Water Rampage at Six Flags in Gurnee, Illinois, in 1984.Charles Bennett/AP

Just as it is today, upkeep of the rides back then was essential. Although, it was done without the technology that we now have access to.

Coney Island's Wonder Wheel in 1952.Robert Kradin/AP

Besides rides, amusement parks used to offer impressive acts.

The Wallenda family forms a human pyramid as they do their high wire act at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey in 1962.AP

Here, a facial contortionist named Alfred Hyland gets into character at Glasgow's Empire Exhibition.

A facial contortionist at Glasgow's Empire Exhibition in 1938.Fox Photos/Getty Images

Some acts were geared more towards adults.

A performer at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1947.Froeling/AP

Animals were also used in performances.

George "Tornado" Smith clips the claws of his pet lioness, Briton, at Kursaal Amusement Park in 1936.Fred Morley//Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Sea creatures like dolphins were also frequently exhibited at amusement parks.

A keeper dressed up as a bear feeds a jumping dolphin at an unidentified amusement park around 1960.Keystone/Getty Images

Often, attractions were advertised by a fairground barker, who enticed visitors to see or do certain things thanks to the help of a microphone.

A young employee at Palisades Amusement Park around 1956.Sherman/Three Lions/Getty Images

As is the case today, part of the fun of amusement parks was the food and drinks you'd enjoy while there.

A snowball cart at an amusement park circa 1955.Nocella/Three Lions/Getty Images

Hot dogs were a park staple from the start.

A man eats a hot dog at an amusement park in 1952.Keystone Features/Getty Images

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, park employees sometimes ate amongst props.

An employee poses in an amusement park's prop room in 1967.Bob Scott/AP

Disney World's Magic Kingdom first opened in 1971.

Disney World's Magic Kingdom in 1972.Charles Bennett/AP

Many of the original Disneyland rides have also changed since the park opened.

People ride on the Alice In Wonderland ride at Disneyland on September 15, 1973, in Anaheim, California.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

No matter your age, theme parks used to provide fun for the whole family — with a slightly more glamorous feel.

Visitors at Coney Beach Amusement Park in Porthcawl, Wales, in 1939.Fox Photos/Getty Images

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