| Lincoln Beach |
Lincoln Beach served New Orleans' African-American community during the era of
segregation. The land where Lincoln Beach was located was deeded to the city by
Samuel Zemurray in 1938 and purchased within a year by the Levee Board. A bath house
and sand beach were constructed in 1940 and, eventually, some amusement rides were
added. However, the Beach didn't flourish until 1953, when the Levee Board undertook a
major renovation and expansion. The midway was expanded, picnic shelters and a new
bath house were constructed, as well as a swimming pool. Lincoln Beach became a
popular amusement area and many famous entertainers performed there, such as Nat
King Cole, Fats Domino and Ray Charles.
Lincoln Beach closed in 1964. The neglected buildings eventually fell into disrepair and
were allowed to decay, victims of nature and vandals. At various times, plans have been
discussed to bring the property back to life. Recently, demolition of what remained of the
buildings has been undertaken in preparation for development of the area, but I don't
know where those plans stand at this time.
Like its sister amusement park, Pontchartrain Beach, the only visitors to Lincoln Beach
now are the ghosts of times past, splashing in the place where the pool used to be and
strolling under the bright lights of a midway that exists only in faded photos of long ago
summers. -- Nancy
segregation. The land where Lincoln Beach was located was deeded to the city by
Samuel Zemurray in 1938 and purchased within a year by the Levee Board. A bath house
and sand beach were constructed in 1940 and, eventually, some amusement rides were
added. However, the Beach didn't flourish until 1953, when the Levee Board undertook a
major renovation and expansion. The midway was expanded, picnic shelters and a new
bath house were constructed, as well as a swimming pool. Lincoln Beach became a
popular amusement area and many famous entertainers performed there, such as Nat
King Cole, Fats Domino and Ray Charles.
Lincoln Beach closed in 1964. The neglected buildings eventually fell into disrepair and
were allowed to decay, victims of nature and vandals. At various times, plans have been
discussed to bring the property back to life. Recently, demolition of what remained of the
buildings has been undertaken in preparation for development of the area, but I don't
know where those plans stand at this time.
Like its sister amusement park, Pontchartrain Beach, the only visitors to Lincoln Beach
now are the ghosts of times past, splashing in the place where the pool used to be and
strolling under the bright lights of a midway that exists only in faded photos of long ago
summers. -- Nancy
| Lincoln Beach's first bath house, in 1941, just after construction; this building became a restaurant at the time of the 1953 renovation. |
| An aerial view of Lincoln Beach, 1950's. |
| Above, another view of the original bath house, 1941; below, bulkhead in preparation for adding a sand beach. |
| Left, poster featuring Fats Domino in an upcoming appearance at Lincoln Beach, 1960; above, Miss Lincoln Beach was crowned in an event held at the Municipal Auditorium, 1954. Pictured with her is singer, Nat King Cole, who acted as Master of Ceremonies. |
| ~Photos from abandoned Lincoln Beach~ The first three photos below and the photo at the bottom left of this page are courtesy of Infrogmation at Wikipedia Commons. |
| Thanks to Donnell for the photos below (except for the bottom left), taken in 2007. |
| The rusting arrow on Hayne Blvd. still points the way to the abandoned amusement park. |
| Demolition of the swimming pool. |
| Steps leading to the entrance. |
| Empty arcade on the former midway. |
| The link to this page is: http://old-new-orleans.com/NO_LincolnBeach.html Back to Old New Orleans Whispers - Home |
| The photo directly below was shared by Duane Cambre, courtesy of Kuroki Gonzlazes. |