Pontchartrain Beach

Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park located along Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana. The complex included rides such as the wooden roller coaster Zephyr, multiple swimming areas, and leisure facilities that stretched along the waterfront, offering a range of entertainment options for families.

The park opened in 1928 at its first location near Bayou St. John before moving to Elysian Fields Avenue, where it remained until closing in 1983. Over five decades, it grew into a major recreational destination for the region, drawing visitors from across Louisiana.

The name refers to the lake, which itself was named after a 17th-century French minister. Swimmers enjoyed the brackish water of the lake, connected to the Gulf of Mexico through a narrow channel, offering bathers a different experience from typical freshwater pools.

The site sat directly on the lakeshore and drew the most visitors on warm summer days, when the water provided relief from the heat. Families often came for a full day to enjoy both the rides and the swimming areas.

Sections of the park served as a filming location for the Elvis Presley movie 'Blue Hawaii,' as the waterfront setting and greenery provided a tropical backdrop. The film scenes helped make the location known beyond Louisiana.