Summer is for making memories. From carnivals to beach trips to lazy days sitting poolside, it can seem like the fun never ends — especially here on Long Island, where nature’s beauty is just a short drive (or walk!) away. For kids, summer meant heading off to camp, while for others, it was a chance to perfect their hula hoop technique.
For their parents, there were warm nights dancing under the stars at Jones Beach. And over the years, the hairstyles and clothes may have changed, but the same spirit of fun and adventure endures today for a new generation of Long Islanders. So take a walk down memory lane here, or at the Vintage Newsday Instagram account, which you’ll recognize by the circular photo at left of Newsday’s first female photographer, Edna Murray, circa 1945.
There you’ll find more scenes from Long Island’s past, all curated by Newsday’s librarians. — Kim Predham, LI Life Editor SUN WORSHIP, 1960s STYLE. Thousands flocked to Jones Beach to claim their patch of sand on May 24, 1964.
Credit: Newsday/Alan Raia ROUND AND ROUND. Riders catch a cool breeze on a hot summer day at Rockaways’ Playland in Queens in 1984. Credit: Newsday/Ken Sawchuk MONKEY BUSINESS.
Westbury Drive-In Theatre ran five "Planet of the Apes" movies on July 12, 1973, introducing cars full of fans to the newest, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes." HOOPING IT UP. Marlene Alter, 10, of Roslyn, getting in on the Hula Hoop craze in 1958, the year Wham-O toy company popularized the p.
