OLYMPIC PARK

July 30, 2000

Hi Guys

Do you all remember Olympic Park ? My class(1950) went there for our graduation trip....

Memories!

www.theolympicparkmuseum.com/photos.htm

Regards

Bob Manning
manningbob@att.net

July 30, 2000

Bob, Thanks for the e-mail, I remember going to the Park as a youngster in the late 50's early 60's. We would go swimming at the pool.

Last year at this time I was in Copenhagen. Tivoli Gardens is built right in the middle of the city. It is a very old amusement park. It reminded me a lot of Olympic Park.

Again thanks. John

John D. LeGates
delfiascocorp@hotmail.com

Aug 4, 2002

For me going to Olympic Park was as exciting then as going to Disney World is for kids today. I can still remember the excitement I felt as we drove up the street towards the main entrance. A day at Olympic Park was a major event.

Me, Jimmy, Janice parents, plus we would take my Aunt and Uncle along. One car all of us squished in, but who cared? To give you an idea of how much we looked forward to it...if it started to rain or even looked like it was going to rain we would gather up all of the religious statues in the house and strategically place them in every window. We thought Our Lady would for sure know how important this outing was and would clear the skies for us. It worked enough times that we felt very certain of its validity.

I bet no one out there thought of using holy water to make the needles on the Christmas tree stop falling off. Janice did and that worked too!

Sure sounds nutty now but back then prayer, statues and holy water could remedy anything. By the way, on the CJS classmates message board Camille Facciponte mentioned Bill Van Tassel helping her get over her fear of rollar coasters at Olympic Park so I passed along the web address of the park in a reply.

Mary Robinson-Rossetti, Class of 1961
e-mail: jerzey@bellsouth.net

Aug 13, 2002

I went to CYO Day camp for 2 years and everyday we went swimming there in that huge pool for one hour. Later after 8th grade, we got on the 90 Grove Bus to the Irvington bus station on Springfield Ave (It's on top of the Long GS Parkway) underpass at exit 142A. Transfered to the bus that went to 43rd st where Olympic Park was. Spent the whole day 1st the pool, then eats, games and rides.

jim giblin, Class of 1962
e-mail: jagiblin@earthlink.net

Sep 17, 2002

Remember the mirrors just inside the entrance? I loved them .I also remember taking a trolly to get there, can anyone else ,or am I confusing that with another place?

Kathy Washington Tompkins, Class of 1959
e-mail: ktomp@comcast.net

Sep 25, 2002

Hi Kathy,
I didn't take a trolley to get to Olympic Park, or at least I have no memory of taking a trolley. I do however remember the mirrors. The one I particularly enjoyed was the one that made me taller and thinner. Funny how something as simple as a mirror could amuse us. Do you remember the fun house with the room that made you feel like you were walking up hill and everthing was off kilter It was a great place.
Melba

mary, Class of 1961
e-mail: jerzey@bellsouth.net

Nov 3, 2002

Mr Bassel (spelling) was the band leader. Remember them playing in the Gazebo?

The Wild Mouse! The scariest ride in the place.

Sally Malia, Class of 1961
e-mail: Yodersam@cs.com

Jan 10, 2003

my memories are very similar to that of Jim Giblin's .my 2 brothers and I on the 90 grove with a pocket full of the weeks choir money (coffee for mr. klick the sign man, coffee for the guys at d&h tool,to the store for granny,whatever it took to scrape up the cash to make the trip.it was awesome!

gene voinski, Class of 1964
e-mail: gvoinski@aol.com

Aug 11, 2003

How about the Circus with High wire acts and animal acts. The largest fresh water pool in the world. The Zipper, Merry Mixer, The Wild Mouse, The Wooden Coaster. I lived on Stuyvesant Ave. and use to go to sleep at night listening to the roller coaster climbing followed by the screems. It was a simpler time!

Tom Kuleba, Class of 1972
e-mail: wbocatom@aol.com

Apr 6, 2004

Olympic Park was the place to go in the summer. The strip tickets from the grocery store. The running piglets. My very first ever ride was on the "Doodle Bug" scared me to death. I remember getting cooked on the "beach" by the pool.

Running thru the cold shower from the locker room to the pool. The Waffle/ice cream sandwiches (fresh home made waffles). Joe Basile and his band at the free circus. The penny arcade. The Merry-go-round with the brass ring and automatic band. I could go on and on...

Arthur Dixon, Class of Union High School "58
e-mail: aedixo@aol.com

May 1, 2004

I didn't attend your school, but graduated from IHS in 1947. I lived on Springfield Ave near the park, and then on Stuyvesant Ave at Chancellor Ave. Yes, Kathy, there were trolley cars that ran from Newark, up Springfield Ave, almost to Maplewood. The trollies were run by an electric pole that connected to an electric wire above the cars. When the car reached the end of the line at Springfield Ave at Irvington/Maplewood, the conductor had to get out of the trolley, and reconnect the electric line so the trolley could go back down to Newark. There were also cobblestones on Springfield Ave back then, and double-decker buses also.

Guess you all know about the Olympic Park book called "Smiles"! My idea of heaven is another Olympic Park on the other side.

Lois Sullivan, Class of 1947
e-mail: sulliclan@hotmail.com

May 8, 2004

Lois, thanks for sharing your memories of the cobblestone street and about the trolleys. I have vague memories of riding the trolleys and walking on the neat cobblestone streets holding my grandfathers hand. I couldn't remember exactly where that took place but thought they were in Newark or near hoboken. Papa and I would take the train to the Ferry in Hoboken and then take the Ferry to points across the river. Mary

Mary Robinson-Rossetti, Class of 1961
e-mail: jerzey@bellsouth.net

May 10, 2004

Olympic Park lives.....the Merry-Go-Round is alive and well living in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World...right behind Cinderella's Castle...always puts a smile on my face when I see it....

Mark Dunbar, Class of 1966
e-mail: the4mds@aol.com

Nov 8, 2004

Whenever I think of Olmpic Park I cannot get the memory of the "Octopus" ride from my mind.After a nice day of swimming at the pool my friends and I had a nice lunch.Then I had the brainstorm to hit a few rides.One of them the "Octopus".What a mistake,talk about sick.To this day,no rides that go around.

However the Park was a part of my life in those days.We would take the #94 Stuyvesant bus back and forth.Sometimes spend the 10 cents fare and have to walk.(lived in Newark,Vailsburg) I remember the trolley Tracks at the Park,not the trollies themself.....Great Memories ,J.V.F

John V.Fardella, Class of 1963
e-mail: jfardella@hotmail.com

May 16, 2005

Olympic Park: Joe Basile wearing his faux Sousa uniform, leading countless choruses of march tunes while strange goings-on took place at the free circus. Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, being heckled by the guy on the "Dump Him in the Water, Three Balls for a Quarter" platform, hitting the bulls-eye and dumping the poor unsuspecting soul a dozen or so times to the delight of onlookers. Dog poop all over the place. Girls in fuschia bikinis.

Lou

P.S. I'm not a grad, but several friends are.

Lou D'Antonio

Jun 30, 2005

ok down another lane: going down to the stadium in Newark for the fireworks. A bit of heaven.

Kathy Washington Tompkins, class of 1959
email: ktomp@comcast.net

August 30, 2010

I remember going to Olympic Park with my grandfather who was a security guard. He was a retired from the Newark Police department.

He would get tickets in strips and it would be for Crippled Childrens Day...(Not politically correct today)$.10 cents a ride with ticket.

Enjoyed every minute in Olympic Park. Remember the Miss Olympic Park Contest at the pool? Diving boards and sand. Great place. Parents didn't have to worry like today.

Does anyone remember the roller skating ring that ws there? Many times we would go there.

calthy, Class of 1963 EOH
e-mail: ccallas332@hotmail.com

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