Voted the World’s Best Seaside Park

All Memories

Yetta Haber, “Miss Santa Cruz”, 1925

Yetta Haber was crowned “Miss Santa Cruz” in 1925 when she was just 16. Yetta also competed in the state’s second “Miss California” beauty pageant; the popular contest was held

Boardwalk’s Fun House

The Boardwalk’s Fun House was a wild and crazy place for kids from 1925 to 1971. The Fun House included a large wooden slide, a turning barrell, a spinning disk,

Wild Mouse

The Wild Mouse (1958 – 1976) was a popular and scary Boardwalk ride. With really sharp turns and no railings, it felt like you were going to shoot right off

The Salinas Family, 1969

The Salinas family (Pat, Maria, and Ronnie, and niece Jennifer) next to the old bandstand. We moved from San Jose to Santa Cruz two years later.

Jet Star, 1972

Remember the Jet Star? The metal coaster opened in 1972 and closed in 1991, located where the Hurricane roller coaster is now. Seating was pretty cozy, great for dates!

Grandma Van on the Beach, 1906

The back of my great-great grandmother’s photo reads: “Today the 21st of February, 1906, I, Ellen Rand Van Valkenburgh, born in Maiden Lane, New York City, June 14, 1827. Came

Bulgy, 2010

Was this your first ride? Bulgy is a classic ride for small kids. Bulgy opened in 1973 and is still going strong. It used to be in a different Boardwalk

Flying Cages, 1960

In the 1960s, the Flying Cages gave riders a real work out… you used your weight to rock the cage to make it move. If you were big and strong

Please Pass the Lotion, 1956

This picture was taken in 1956, the girl on the left is my mother. The Boardwalk is still one of my family’s favorite places to go. I have two children

Boardwalk’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt, 1947

The Boardwalk’s annual Easter Egg Hunt became a little TOO popular and was eventually discontinued. In this 1947 photo, thousands of kids scramble to find tiny treasures buried in the

Growing Up at the Boardwalk, 1950

My parents, Pep and Hope Mealiffe, fulfilled their long time dream by moving to Santa Cruz in 1947 when I was 2 years old. They purchased the Dolphin Court on

Beach Street Revival, 1983

The Beach Street Revival had street rod outings, car shows, surf music, fifties costume balls, hula hoop contests, and classic car parades. Traffic went both directions in this 1983 photo.

Fireball, 2007

Spring Semester 2007 at San Jose State had just ended and one of my best friends and I wanted to start the summer off right. After driving Highway 17, we

The Lost Boys, 1987

The 1987 vampire movie The Lost Boys has many great Boardwalk scenes! Actors and friends Corey Haim and Corey Feldman “The Two Coreys” get a lot of laughs with their

What can we help you find?

Sign up for a monthly round-up of the latest Boardwalk discounts, special events, and insider news!