Bay Curious Amusement Parks of Yore: Playland-at-the-Beach and Idora Park
Aug 28, 2025
Christopher Beale, a KQED reporter, takes us on a nostalgic journey through the beloved amusement parks of the Bay Area. He shares the rise and fall of Idora Park, detailing its community impact and the shift in leisure activities over the decades. Listeners will delight in enchanting memories of Playland-at-the-Beach, from its iconic attractions like Laughing Sal to the creation of the 'it's it' dessert. Beale captures the bittersweet legacy of these amusement parks, reflecting on how they shaped joyful childhood experiences for generations.
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Parks As Transit-Driven Development
- Idora Park was created in 1904 to boost weekend trolley ridership and local development around North Oakland.
- The Realty Syndicate used leisure destinations as a strategic tool to increase land value and transit use.
Idora's Cheap Admission And Sudden End
- Idora charged about 10 cents admission in its early days, roughly $3 today, for access to landscaped grounds and exhibits.
- The Realty Syndicate unexpectedly subdivided and sold the park land in 1928, and Idora was dismantled rapidly in 1929.
Playland Grows Along Trolley Lines
- Playland at the Beach grew around trolley lines to become a major West Coast entertainment destination by the 1920s.
- Early attractions like Loof's Hippodrome and independent concessions helped the area evolve organically into Playland.
