I just cried when I looked at the Diving Bell. I’m 80 years old. My mother and I went in there when I was 10. I was scared, and I wondered how I was going to breath. But soon, I was ok with it, and then when it came up fast, and bounced on the water, I was overjoyed. My mother died 2 years later, when I had just turned 12. She was only 28. When I got older I use to go there not just to ride the Diving Bell, but when I did, I did it to be in my mother’s space once again. Thank you for posting this. I saved it!
What a sad and beautiful presentation. Thank you. These days are gone. These were from the heyday of our country and enjoyed by the families and vets of our two great wars.
I asked my 92 year old great great grandfather where he met my noni and he told me it was at a skating rink at a place called playland at the beach... What a cool story and here I am obsessed with the place now... thanks for the video
I'm so glad you know about Playland! It was old even when I was a child, but it was special. So sad that it was torn down and nothing was built there for years!
Thanks for Posting. I grew up at ocean beach since 1953. I went to playland almost daily. Loved the Funhouse, bumper Cars, and They had a slot car tract out at the beach in the 1960's. Liked The Limbo also. I have That Alpine Racer Roller coaster Car In my back yard as of now in 2017. When Playland was going to be torn down, it made me upset, why the city would let us lose our History and culture? I went in the marines in July, 1971. Great memories , and sad to see the cities landmarks disappearing one by one.
I also went there as a kid but not as much as you please post more stories of playland and the slot car track and what other mischief that you got into living so close
I grew up in The City [gradusted St. Gabriel's in 1959, S.I. in 1963], lived at 32nd and Rivera, and moved to East Coast after high school. Enjoyed many fun times at Playland: the arcade games, Skee Ball, Diving Bell, Fun House slide on potato sacks, bumper cars, and the guy who made hamburgers on the corner of Fulton: a Greek gentleman [George?] who whistled while he worked his magic, grilling onions for the burgers. Sorry to see it all go, but it was all run down, needed heavy restoration, had acquired a bad rep... but, Mr. Castro, your photography preserved its last days and Fauré's Pavane Opus 50 was the perfect bittersweet soundtrack. Thank You, sir.
Yes the funhouse was wonderful! The diving bell had real sharks in it's tank you could see from the portholes, and the plunge up at the end was thrilling. I certainly remember Sutro's too.
I went to Playland a half dozen times before it closed. The last time I wasn't older than 12 or 13. I didn't go there during last several years before it closed. With 1 or 2 exceptions, it gives me nostalgic memories. I remembered a lot about it, but the photography here makes it a lot more clear and vivid. Laffing Sal was always fun to watch. The Fun House was a treasure of fun, including the hall of mirrors, giant slide, and spinning circle.
My parents took me there since the fifties. It breaks my heart to see what has happened. It feels like part of my childhood has been taken away. I had such great times there. I miss it all.
this place was ours. our disneyland of the bay area. i have such fond memorys of playland. it brings tears to my eyes seeing these photos. it was such a magical place. but i would never go on the spooky ride. it was scary enough just on the outside. thank you for the memorys.
I never had the pleasure. I was 12 in '72 and lived in San Jose. But I did get to visit that Santa Cruz Boardwalk several times back then, which was very similar, especially the funhouse. I played skeeball and fascination, and played on some old arcade machines that looked 100 years old even back then! I've been to that beach many times since, and never knew where the park was until now.
These are fantastic images! Thanks so much. So evocative, like giant folk art. Too bad some of it wasn't salvaged or preserved. But at least you have the photos!
Beautiful! I saw Playland when I was young! We visited San Francisco from San Jose. I moved to San Francisco in 1984 and lived there till 1990. The Fauré is perfect!
Almost too sad.... having spent my childhood at 26th and Balboa...I remember all of this, never thinking that it would end. Thank you for a lovely few minutes and a return to a time when things were so much more innocent and safe. Great video!!!!
San Francisco is done. The Nordstrom Center on Market St. downtown is shutting down due to out of control lawlessness. The last to go will be Union Square, and that's on its last leg.☠️🪦
Fabulous pictures because you show the reality of the closure by showing actual footage of the deconstructed entertainment center. Sad, oh so sad that there is an expiration date for everything, even historical sites!
Unfortunately Playland was never an historical site. It’s Hey Day was in the 40’s & 50’s. San Francisco has never looked to save anything of importance. Even letting the famous Fox Theatre on Market Street meet the demolition ball in 1963. Thankfully being a native San Franciscan I have many photos of Playland along with many great memories
I lived on 12th and Fulton just across the street from the Park and I can remember many days spent at Play Land while it was open the rides, ferris wheel, fun house, and all but after they shut it down we found ways into all the boarded up areas and had way more fun, it was completely deserted, we even found a cotton candy machine and figured out how to spin cotton candy on it
My aunts husband, Bill Huber, was Mr. Whitney's building contractor. He built much of Playland. I spent a lot of time there with my cousins etc starting about 1945. My older cousins worked in the games that Uncle Bill owned. Then when the time came, Bill was quite old then but a heck of a strong old guy. He was in charge of tearing it all down. Including the Big Dipper. There are old 8mm movies of it in my cousins possessions. Wish they were mine.
Please tell your cousins to contact western neighborhoods project - they would love to make a copy of those videos and know the history of Bill Huber I am sure. They are the ones who saved a lot of the artifacts from the cliff house auction.
I don't how I missed finding this until now. So bittersweet. Thanks, Bobby. Beautiful work. I only spotted one shot where you could catch a glimpse of our building (I worked at 660 Great Highway during our run as the Family Dog -- after the slotcar track), but that's OK. Every now and again I go back to just spend some time in the vacant lot where we used to be. Your photos are remarkable. You must have been pretty young at the time.
My Father took my Mother and me to Playland the last day it was open. I was eight years old. It was not in very good shape but I had a great time. The Fun House was great! Sal was making her last laugh in front of the place. The slide inside was really high. You couldn't see the bottom from the top. It was the best. There was a man who would blow air up when you walked by. You didn't think we was watching but he was and got you every time. The haunted ride Limbo was good too. There was big witch overhead before you went in with blood hanging from her finger nails. My father tried to take a picture of me in the car and the ride operator got all pissed off because he was going to be in the picture. My father alway said that he must of been wanted by the law. The Diving Bell was in bad shape. The hole with the cement all around it stayed there for years after they tore the place down. The Alpine Racer never sold at auction and was trashed. There was another smaller coaster yellow in color on the other side of the park that sold for $100.00. Playland made people happy and entertained them until the day it closed. This was a big loss for San Francisco. They tore the place down without a permit and the city wouldn't give the developer any permits to build and I heard they went bankrupt. The condos that they built there sold for $64,000. Wouldn't you like to get a condo for 64k today? FYI, the rides that use to be on the roof of the old Capwell Department Store where operated by Playland.
I was 12 when my Dad and I were there on that last day too... We hid in the funhouse after it closed and messed around as long as we could 'till the guards busted us, we then hightailed it to the top of the slide for one last ride, I was the last customer to ride that iconic slide... Y
Thank you very much...So many memories brought back....with family that has since passed...and times with friends; ( So many of them have also passed) I am onyl 66 years old...I remember shaking hands/meeting "Big Frank" (Richard Kiel) (JAWS; 007) Sledge Hammer guy Pale Rider) sponsored by KTVU's Captain Satellite TV Show... back in the early to mid 60's...Thanks again...BTW...Awesome soundtrack...capture the somberness of LOSS & CHANGE
They had this giant wheel that the kids would go on and the wheel would spin and eject the kids in all directions except the one in the center. Imagine having a ride like this today? A team of attorneys would be waiting on the sides waiting for law suits. It was so much fun I still remember it 60 years later.
The trick was to sit in the middle, lick your palms and stick them to the floor. And as it turned faster and faster ...all ya had to do was touch someone..and they would go flying off.... BTW...it was called... The Record !!!
I was 17, and lived two blocks away, one month before they took it down a lot of people stole items from the place, in 2017 I was in my friend's repair shop,in his office he had some hand painted signs from play land on the walls thanks I'm still here 65 years old
Me too. 66 years old, born and raised in the City. Went to Playland many times in the late 50’s and 60’s. I knew a friend who bought the PLAYLAND letters from the sign that was on the South side of the Dogers building. Also had 2 of the large 25 cent signs off the Looff merry go round
My wife, before I knew her, used to live on Balboa St. real close to Playland. She said the Diving Bell had a bell that would ring every time it submerged. It would drive her nuts until closing time.
As a child I spent hours and hours in the Funhouse I went on every ride that you showed there played skee ball, favorite restaurant was the Hot House with desert of Chocolate cream pie from the Pie House next door. Interesting tid bit....the house
Broke my heart to watch. Went many times in 2nd half of 60's. It had seen better days by late '60s. Seedy characters running around and employed there. Last time we went on Diving Bell, operator kept us under for a long time. Still have two slot cars we raced on tracks. Also have Chronicle special supplement when it closed in '72.
I wish there was someplace in San Francisco like that still - some fun place for kids and adults. They recently put a beautiful Ferris heel up in gg park, so evidently there still some sort of demand for things like that. Bring back the small-scale amusement park!
'All good things must come to an end' Playland at the beach, Sutro's baths, Sutro's heights, Sutro's Cliff house, Golden Gate park, S.F Zoo etc.. Sad days when nobody seems to care anymore about what we grew up with and having it all disappear right before the camera lens. too bad more people didn't care and it could've lasted a lot longer for a new generation to enjoy.
This is very well produced, great job, and, super depressing. The Cliff House announced it will permanently be closed as a result of Covid and Gavin Newsom's draconian Covid rules. San Francisco, like the state of CA is following the likes of Playland at the Beach.
Mindless fun . mom used to treat us to a visit to Playland. I remember the fun house fun . that was fun. The laughing lady ..... I can hear the laugh even now. Pacific Ocean across street. All condos now I guess.
Thank you for the memories, especially the Diving Bell. I had a teen-age crush on Dick, who operated it - '2nd floor lingerie' and 'please don't open the windows.' I'm so much older now and maybe a bit claustrophobic. I don't don't if I could get in the Bell again. Great shots!
The last few years there seemed like it was pretty run down by then....The pictures of everything show a lot of peeling paint and wear and tear .....Its the fate of so many amusement parks over the last 40 years.....seems like all that ever goes up on these properties once they,re torn down are condos and gated communities....all the fun is gone today in this lawsuit society and everyone hiding inside behind their computers and smart phones. That's why no one comes out to these type of places nowadays and they all close up.
The ride mechanic before Playland's demise told me the park's sad state of affairs was caused by "everybody watching the boob tube." Technology can be one mother of nostalgia, for better or worse.
Laurel Height’s kids used to ride our bikes over to GG park and head West to Playland, have some fries and soda, go play the horse races, loved Citation, then maybe some Fun House ride the disc and try to make it to the other side of the barrel, call it a day and try to stay ahead of the fog going East. The fog usually ended around Masonic.
2:22 - 2:30 The three males moving a car off the tracks -- at first view I thought they were workmen; on 2nd viewing they appear to be trespassers vandalizing the place. Which is it? BTW, the accompanying music throughout is wonderful and appropriate. Thank you, "Bobby Castro," for sharing this 'time capsule' montage of Playland at the Beach's years-too-soon demise.
Since this closed from what I read Labor Day, 1972, I so wish they would’ve filmed an episode from the (Streets of San Francisco) here. I think the show came out in 72’ so that means this place was up and running probably while they were filming the show for the first year.
There is a new video on RU-vid called "Destruction of Playland" and it shows the very last few rides of the Looff merry go round operating, and also actual scenes of the wrecking crew tearing down parts of the Fun House and the giant slide!!!! 👍
Wow this cool, thank you! I got to go once and the diving bell is one of my earliest memories of anything, great to see pictures of it. And I’ve never seen pics of the original its it ice cream store, very cool (@ 1:50)
We can all thank Diane Feinstein for the loss of Playland. She was the driving force and the vote to tear down Playland rather than upkeep like Santa Cruz Boardwalk 70 miles away. She made sure to pave the way for her Husband to build Overpriced Condominions..she made a Fortune.....more backdoor politics.....
Thank Feinstein for having it torn down. Her husband was the one who had development interest in our Playland. He built Condos most Native San Franciscans could not afford then or now...
now the land is replaced by restaurants, apartments and stuff. there is like a bus loading stations where they have like a few post of clowns and stuff talking about what once stood there
Yes, I went to that area in 1996 when they dedicated that area when the clown statue is. Underneath that area is a time capsule with lots of memrobelia and Playland trinkets that we’re brought there by many Playland fans
I remember when KRON Ch. 4 would sign off at 2:00am with that music. It's Pavane Op. 50. It is such haunting music. Yes kids, the tv stations did sign off each night. They figured if they stayed on you wouldn't go to work in the morning. Hell, I worked nights then and I got screwed out of watching tv when I got off work. Poor little ol' me.
1972 I was just out of High school 1971 I had no job and used to go to San Francisco and never got a chance to come see playland .......Hum ? that was some 50 years ago
I remember my brother and I going there till they closed it down. It started to look so decrepit and unsafe. Nonetheless loved the slide and the bell diver!
