Aunt Helen, 1920
This is a my aunt Helen Kearney (left) at the Santa Cruz Main Beach in 1920. She later became the head of the Berkeley library System. She lived to be
Me & Karen, 1962
This photo with my cousin Karen was taken in the Arcade Photo stand.
Santa Cruz or Bust
Every year, for the past 45 years, my family has been going to Santa Cruz for vacations. My parents didn’t drive so we would all get on a Greyhound bus
Ruth, 1940
I came across this photo of my Grandmother Ruth while going through her photo album after her passing in 1987. I believe that is was taken shortly after my families
“Model T” Meets Giant Dipper, 1955
This top photo is of my 1927 Ford Model T with hopped up “Merk” engine taken in front of the Giant Dipper around 1955. A 1949 or 1950 Hudson and
Aqua Archery, 1926
Free entertainment has a long history at the Boardwalk. This 1926 photo of “Aqua Archery” is a fine example of the wild things that went on at the beach. (How
Marini’s
The Marini family has been making their famous saltwater taffy at the Boardwalk since 1915! You can still watch them make more than a dozen flavors of taffy in their
Vitalis Hair Spray, 1970
The Giant Dipper was featured in a Vitalis hair spray commercial in the 1970s, (Unfortunately they called our ride the BIG Dipper.) Nice hair dude!
“Sudden Impact” at Boardwalk, 1983
Remember Dirty Harry? Here’s Clint Eastwood at the Boardwalk when he directed and starred in the 1983 movie Sudden Impact, filmed in Santa Cruz and San Francisco.
Walking the Boardwalk’s Sky Glider Cable, 1976
In August 1976, performers Steve “Unique” McPeak and Stephen Wallenda walked the thousand-foot length of the Boardwalk’s Sky Glider cable!
Giant Dipper’s “Train”, 1984
The Giant Dipper’s “train” has been replaced several times over the years, but as you can see in this 1948 photo, it’s still the same sweet ride!
Midget Racers Ride, 1928
Check out the sporty 1928 race cars on the Boardwalk’s Midget Racers ride. Does anyone know more about this fun-looking ride?
Casa Del Rey Hotel, 1911
The Casa Del Rey hotel opened in 1911. The grand hotel was located in (what is now) our parking lot and was connected by a pedestrian bridge to the Cocoanut
The Fun House
The Fun House (1925 -1971) was a magical place for generations of kids with its giant wooden slide, tricky mirrors, a tumbling walk-through barrel, and a fast spinning throw-the-kid-off disc.
Boardwalk’s Cottage City
This circa 1903 photo (top) shows the Boardwalk’s Tent City which preceded the Cottage city (lower right). Summer visitors could rent a cottage by the day, or week. One-room cottages
Autorama Ride
Buckle up! How many kids remember the Boardwalk’s Autorama ride? Shown in this 1966 photo, the Autorama is very similar to Disneyland’s Autotopia. In fact, Walt Disney visited the Boardwalk
