Jack: It seems like only yesterday.......spending our hard earned allowances in there on the cotton candy and rides along with sunny days at the pool. Glad you had a camera to document some of it.

said 2002.10.05 at 19:26:53 PDT

i was one of the "maplewood gang" and i remember going into the park many times before it closed with free passes because we lived right next to the park. i also remember going into the park after it closed with a lot of my friends,some of them "borrowed&qu ot; things from the park.

said 2002.10.06 at 03:57:46 PDT

I loved the photos of Olympic Park. I lived & grew up in that park! Growing up in hte 50 & 60's my child hood memories include many many happy days & nights at that park

said patbyrne47 2003.07.12 at 10:44:45 PDT

Jack: I enjoyed these photos and can remember as a child going to visit my grandparents in Irvington and driving down Springfield Ave, always looking down 43rd Street to see the arch!

said justpeachiekaren 2004.01.27 at 15:26:53 PST

My father used to take me there once a year in the summer for years. it was something special we did together. I seem to remember a "caterpillar& quot; ride where a hood closed over you as the ride progressed and then lifted as it ended. I miss that park and God, I miss my dad. I hadn't thought about that place in years.

said ptrgl 2004.04.23 at 07:39:17 PDT

Thank you so much for your album. Like many others, I (and my brother) have only the fondest memories of Olympic Park. It was truly a most special place. That said, I must admit, seeing these pics was a tad bittersweet for me. What was disquieting was the degree to which Nature had reclaimed the park after only two years.

said ssstreaks 2004.06.05 at 11:48:26 PDT

Ed Thompson. I worked in the park in the fifties. Boat ride, dart stand.Drove the train around the back of the pool. Had some great times with all the cute girls. Really sorry to see it go. Thanks for pictures and the memeries. Ed

said ed324u 2004.09.04 at 11:00:13 PDT

Thank you for the walk thru. I never thought I would never see it again. My Father worked at Tuscan Dairy 40-77. He would take us back in the fifties with the free ticket that Tuscan give out. (That's when U.S companies were really family) That Time has gone. My old nieghborhood is long gone to the dust heap - Newark - Can never go back there - might not come back. Anyway Thanks for the memories God Bless

said foxbat008 2004.10.01 at 18:13:39 PDT

I used to go to Olympic Park in the early 50's especially in the winter to roller skate. The rink was smaller than Dreamland or Twin City but more convient for me to get to. I lived off 10th street and Springfield Ave and took the 25 Springfield bus. I think at least 3 people were killed by falling off the roller coaster on the first drop down. They were standing up and not holding on. When were these pictures taken? Is there any remains of the park today?

said frankforest100 2004.12.17 at 14:38:15 PST

Yep! I grew up there also. Just about lived in Olympic Park. I just spent 5 days back in N.J visiting friends I haven't seen in 15-20 years. Heartbreaking to see these photos. I lived above the Notty Pine Tavern on the corner of Sanford and Sprigfield aves. Would love to see more pics before the park closed.

said larry2157 2005.04.23 at 14:11:19 PDT

So many people remembering! I loved the sno-cones and the circus acts. Yeah, the skating rink too! Good to know that it hasn't really disappeared and the pool with a beach! Gosh, it was great! I lived on Sanford Ave. also; 1045. And remember the fireworks on the Fourth of July? They were the best!

said seabrkcall 2005.05.19 at 12:30:56 PDT

As a kid growing up in Newark, the higlight on Sundays would be Olympic Park. The rides, pool, and bumper cars, and wild mouse were the best part of my childhood. Thanks for the great times.

said Terrance41 2005.12.19 at 16:47:26 PST

I'm writing this while watching the PBS special on Amusment Parks. I'm still in touch with Lois (Simon) Hector whose parents (Charlie & Nelly) owned the Mechanical Horse & Pony rides.Our mothers were cousins.My family spent most Summer days @ OP while growing up in S. Orange. I still remember the Birch Bear @ The Picnic Grove.I snuck into The Fun House; got scared & ran out crying. "Smiles" brought back lots of memories.Later on, I lived down the street in Stuyvesant Village & shopped @ the Hostess Store where the Chancellor Ave entrance stood.Great Adventure & Palisades Park can't compare to OP in friendliness & warmth.

said Norris1954 2006.01.24 at 23:38:16 PST

As a kid and living in Newark, my Mom & Dad would take my brother and me to Olympic Park 2 or 3 times during the summer usually after much begging. Later, we moved to Maplewood and I worked during the summer for 3 years at the park. These pixs bring a sad tear this old eye, but a memory to my heart.

said Roberte259 2006.03.27 at 16:18:09 PST

WOW, As a kid I went to Olympic Park with my family. I was funny I was riding on the merry-go-round at Disney World and I had the feeling that I had been on the ride before. I asked them where it came from and they said Olympic Park in NJ. The pictures are sad but bring back great memories. Dan

said dbeards 2006.05.03 at 05:52:29 PDT

by a twist of fate I found these pictures and are they sad because I just loved Olympic Park,I always felt angry when I was a kid that all I ever heard was how great Palisades Park was well I guess if you lived in that area it was but for a kid from Newark who later moved to the suburbs Olympic Park was home,who wanted to hear my father when we wanted to go to The Jersey Shore and hear the war stories about the traffic and as for Palisades I went once when I was 11 in 1964 and I thought it was nice it wasnt Olympic Park in my hometown so with Olympic Park who needed the Jersey Shore this place was in my backyard,but back to these pictures as sad as they were they still tell a story of this great place so thank you for them and thanks to Olympic Park and all the people that remember that great place as long as we the many remember it,it will live on forever-----peace

said captaintrips105 2006.05.24 at 12:16:51 PDT

Hey folks,I lived at 36 Harding Terrace in the late 50's,early 60's. If you know the area,you know I was five houses from the main entrance of wonderful Olympic Park! Between the ages of 10 and 15 I pretty much LIVED there in the summer. Memories include the Tumblebug ride (near the entrance)keeping us awake at night-what a problem! Also the great roller coaster on 10 cent day every Wednesday,over and over,the Wild Mouse threatening to dump you into the largest pool in the country;hanging in the arcade waiting for a "tourist" to miss a free game and playing all day for free;the great circus EVERY afternoon (which,at the time,I didn't think was cool),and SO much more. If anyone wants to communicate and share about the great times-which we took for granted at the time- e-mail me at eric_vieth@hotmail.com

said ricky621 2006.06.30 at 13:46:20 PDT

My uncle, Fred Rendfrey and his partner Howard Strouse ran the skating rink for many years. Both are now deceased. What memorable pictures.I remember my uncle telling many stories of the park.

said kingwm3 2007.01.28 at 14:31:54 PST

I grew up in Maplewood, NJ in the 1970's. By then it was all gone but a few reminders still remaned. How do I know? My friends and I used to go bike riding in there back in 1975-78.It was all gone but the sand pit,boats in the water, and the black and white tiled bathroom floor near the front entrance were still there. You could actually feel the history when you were there riding around. Part of my childhood history was KISS, LED ZEPPELIN,AEROSMITH, THE MAPLEWOOD POOL,and bike riding through Olympic Park. A little side note to historians: the carousel found a home at The Magic Kingdom in DISNEYWORLD!!!!! So the next time you go to Disneyworld,look behind the castle at the carousel and remember OLYMPIC PARK!!!

said andyznuff 2007.03.21 at 14:30:59 PDT

Your pictures are so beautiful and have held up so well, if I hadn't hung at the ruins in the late '70s, I would think they were taken recently. Thanks for sharing your memories. The rest of my family enjoyed Olympic park, but I was born in '65, so I never was there.

said gerbear65 2007.07.10 at 08:32:33 PDT

TY Jack for these photos! My dad used to work at Olympic Park as a kid and has shared with us many fond memories of the park! I can't wait to show dad these photos!! TY again maag_pie@yahoo.com

said halo_adjustment 11 months 16 days ago

I lived at 128 40th st. with my mom and dad for years many,memories come to me from that time, i would love to hear from anyone who remembers the fosters, so much has changed. please email me at kaiacat@aol.com

said Fosters128 11 months 13 days ago

these photos bring back vivid stark and bittersweet memories. I grew up/and still live here. I remember the night of the fire......I could see it from by bedroom window which faced down 40th. I can recall the alarms going off, the fear of being so close, and the knowledge of knowing that my Olympic Park would be no more. I went there in my later years, as I'm 2 blocks away, and it was as if the floodgates had opened. thank you soooooo much.

said irvingtongirl 8 months 15 days ago

Jack, Thanks for the photos. I have many fine memories of Olympic Park. Grew up in Irvington and Maplewood and spent many funfilled days at the Park. The pool and Red Cross Swimming lessons were the best! My cousin and I would show up at the gate and run to our lessons at the pool. My Dad who has passed, loved to take movies. I have home movies and photos of the park and rides from the 1960's. While riding on the Carousel in Disney World(1992)with my son, I felt like I had found the Carousel. With a litte research I discovered that it was formaly the Olympic Park Carousel. My photos and movies show the original horses from the 60's as compared to the Carousel changes of today. It's great to know that Disney has taken care of this national treasure! A Carousel book by Frederick Fried is a great resource for photos and history of the ride. Carol

said wellworks 7 months 8 days ago

i have a question.. back around 1968 the nevada diner which was next to olynpoic park burned down is that when there was a fire in the park also. i was only 7 but i remember seeing the diner burnt down..

said mokinmama 3 months 28 days ago

Jack, seeing these pictures brought so many wonderful memories to mind. I went to CYO day camp in Irvington and every dy for the entire summer we would walk to Olympic Park and swim for about 2 hours. I learned to swim and dive in that pool, my mom brought me and my friends swimming their on weekends and I can clearly see, in those pictures, where she sat to keep and eye on us kids in the water. I also danced with my friends at the pool, learned to smoke there and shared an inocent kiss with my boy friend there. I roller skated all winter every Sunday afternoon with my friends and traveled home when it was almost dark and our parents never had to worry, they were such innocent wonderful times. Thanks for the memories.

said sotz1 3 months 14 days ago

Hey, My name is Mark and I am 20 years old. Though I was never around when Olypmic Park was open, I still feel very much a part of it...mainly because I live on the street it once stood, and from what neighbors had told my family over ten years ago, our house was directly across from the roller coaster and that we would have been able to see it practically dead on from my bedroom window. Thank you so much for posting these pictures. It is very interesting for me to see what it looked like vacant and overgrown. It's amazing seeing what stands there now in comparison to what once stood there. I am however proud to say that I respect and love the memory of Olypmic Park, and take much honor in being able to say "my house was once across the street from a roller coaster!" ps: is it true that people had died on the roller coaster?

said marknotbark 3 months 11 days ago

Jack: Memories of Olympic Park returned after seeing a NJN documentary about Palisades Park. My Great Aunt Ray Scharffenberg married a Guenther, of the Guenther Funeral Home Guenther's. Every Spring, our cousin Billy would drive up in his hearse to deliver our season passes to Olympic Park. What fun my sister and I had when we could scrape up the money for the 94 bus to take us to the park. After our Mom died in 1959, we lost contact with the Guenthers. But we have some lovely memories--and that great pool!!!!

said Jund4 1 months 1 days ago

Thanks for the pictures Jack. Growing up in Newark, I have great memories of Olympic Park in the early 60's up until its closing. At 51, I have fond memories of the Flying Fish ride was suspended on the roof of the fun house, the roller coaster which I was too young to ride, Wild Mouse and the Cuddle Up. My cousins lived at the corner of Stuyvesant and Chancellor. From their third apartment you could see the top of the roller coaster. In later years those same cousins and I roamed the closed park. We actually walked through the fun house which was not boarded up. Dangerous, huh? At that time many of the buildings were still intact.

said TonyNewark 8 days ago