Vintage Film: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 1960s

[@marcocampos2332]

I will forever be grateful this video exists

[@JohnHoulgate]

My family made a trip up to Oakland in either '65 or '66 to visit my Dad's best friend's family. We all had a ball. On one of those trips we went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and all I could remember was going into the big building. They had this big slide for us kids and my mind went blank on those slides. It was like a piece of me was captured and never left Santa Cruz. I lived there for four years during my late 40s and early 50s, but for some reason, a piece of me is still there and that Boardwalk had something to do with it.

[@alonsolaw8380]

U see how clean it was.

[@ernesthofmeister3054]

What?, no film of the scariest ride ever, The Wild Mouse?.......thanks for posting, still visit SCBB and it is run very well and safe!

[@bartonpercival3216]

I rode the wild mouse at the SCBB in the 60's and also the wild mouse out at Playland at the beach in San Francisco. Although it was the same ride as down in Santa Cruz, it had a different name, Playland called it "The Alpine Racer" 👍🌉

[@Ron_Rhodes]

I always wanted to ride those swinging cages but they were gone by the time I was big enough. I did come back as a ride operator in the 70's and I worked the ferris wheel. By myself; I didn't have a ticket taker helping. You had to hold on to the chair in case it slipped when people were getting off, you didn't want them thrown onto their faces, and it did happen. I loved the gas powered cars, you got to run and jump on the moving cars to throw on the brake and pull back on the gas. I also drove the cave train. Last year I rode the Giant Dipper roller coaster (for the last time, ouch). And, I threw 3 rings in a row into the clown's mouth on the merry go round! That was also a nice ride to work on, if you didn't mind the constant music. I also miss the fireworks on the 4th of July.

[@edselsadventures]

Lots of great memories of the boardwalk. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@AScreenwritersJourney]

Thanks for uploading! It's great seeing the things that aren't at the Boardwalk anymore.

[@edselsadventures]

Thanks! I also like seeing the things that still are there!

[@Hegstuffing]

Great to see. Thank you.

[@sly2392]

i really miss the 1960s with my family. once a month we would go to the san francisco zoo then go to the exploritorium in golden gate park, and visit fishermans wharf. those were the good old days. and at least once or twice a year we would go to santa cruz beach boardwalk, it was a little further away. 🏖 🎡 🎠 🪁

[@darrellborland119]

Lived on E.Cliff drive across the Pajaro River from boardwalk...1960...was a retirement community 'till UC came in '69...what memories. thanks.

[@solo8820]

Wow. So you’ve never been to Santa Cruz? Pajaro river is in Watsonville anyone from Santa Cruz would NEVER confuse the San Lorenzo river for a river 20 miles away. 😂 nice try.

[@frankbrown6305]

Back in the sixties a few friends and myself would hitch hike to Santa Cruz , with sleeping bags and a sack of canned food. We would sleep at National bridges park , body surf for two days. Go into Santa Cruz and the boardwalk. Waking early being in the morning ocean water.

[@edselsadventures]

Sounds like a great time. Thanks for watching!

[@bartonpercival3216]

At the 3:16 mark you can see in the 60's how much more beautiful the historic Charles Looff carousel was. It had the nice mirrored panels on the inside of the riding platform that hid the center pole and motor. Also the riding platform was a nice wood vaneer finish instead of the ugly greenish/blue finish it has currently!!! 👍🎠

[@matrox]

Nobody getting shot, nobody getting robbed. I bet they also parked their cars with the windows rolled down too. I was a small kid in elementary school in the early 60s and remember these times well.

[@edselsadventures]

A simpler time indeed!

[@Jrte-m9w]

The equipment (rides) didn’t malfunction back in those days

[@edselsadventures]

And it didn’t cost a family of four 1/2 a week’s pay.

[@alonsolaw8380]

Where are the homeless persons???????