When Long Island became a suburban paradise after World War II, ambitious entrepreneurs created dozens of amusement parks to help families unwind. The Nunley family built a park in Baldwin in 1939, and it was so successful that they opened Nunley's Happyland in Bethpage just a few years later. Westbury's Spaceland fascinated youngsters with dreams of becoming astronauts, and Frontier City in Amityville was heaven on earth to fans of the Wild West. Today, historic parks like Deno's Wonder Wheel Park in Coney Island and Adventureland in Farmingdale still delight children and remind parents of happy memories of their own. Local author Marisa Berman explores the decades of fun and laughter from Long Island's historic amusement parks.
Marisa L. Berman is a historian and nonprofit professional and has worked at numerous museums and cultural institutions across Long Island and New York City, including the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center & Archives, the Queens Historical Society and the Nassau County Museum Division. She has conducted numerous speaking engagements throughout New York on various aspects of local history. Berman is currently pursuing a doctorate at St. John's University.