Historic amusement parks of long island: 118 miles of memories, hardcover/marisa l. berman

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 Nunleys Happyland in Bethpage just a few years later.

Westburys 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 Denos 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 Islands historic amusement parks.