ZEPHYR roller coaster PONTCHARTRAIN BEACH, New Orleans, 1982

[Rich8951]

I remember the Haunted House at the beach. At the end of the ride you went through a tunnel that was a spinning tube. If you looked at it just right when you were riding through it, YOU would seem to be spinning while the tube was standing still!

[anim8orman72]

She was a beauty...rode that sucker in my youth. Great times!!!

[condocreations]

What great memories this video resurrects...Thanks for sharing!

[crickett48]

that's when a roller coaster was really a true and fun ride. Loved that wooden coaster.

[Sulizon]

I remember this ride. The very back of the coaster used to lift off the tracks as it went down each hill. Worked here from 1977-1980

[crescentrose]

we lived on the end house next to UNO and could hear the screams and clank clank of the Zephyr all summer long. Rode this baby many times. THANKS SO MUCH for the memories!!!!

[therunningpiano]

unfortunately, i'm not old enough to have ever been here. but I did ride the mega zeph in jazz land (six flags) countless times. a tribute to the zephyr, perhaps? there must be a curse on new orleans, because our amusement parks always seem to disappear.

[lordzaphodbeeb]

Great video. I grew up in New Orleans, and went to the Beach almost every weekend. I was so sad to see it close. The Zephyr, one of the best coasters ever made.

[SkyAngel1959]

I lived in New Orleans from 1981-1985,and this was a great place to go to.But this coaster is 1 more wicked ride,but i loved every moment of it.

[ridgerunner721601]

I grew up in Lake Charles, 200 miles west of New Orleans, but I remember when I was a kid we'd visit relatives who lived in Kenner and Metairie and would go to the Beach. I sure do miss those days and those terrific rides.

[AnisetteLeRoux]

The Zephyr, wow I so remember that. I loved going to Pontchatrain Beach for that reason and the haunted house of course. Damn, thoses were the days. or just going to the Lake Front to hang out. Thanks for this vid.....

[NOStorytales]

I can still smell the rails and hear the clank clank as the cars pull up the big hill. And I can see all the hands go up as everyone laughs and screams as we go over the hill and plunge downward. I've made a couple of videos of my memories growing up in new orleans if anyone wants to take a look at them...memories of what it was like in the 50's and 60's. nostorytales is my page. thanks for this ride thru time!

[ddspivo]

Thank you for capturing this great memory!!

[comicb00kguy]

Thanks for sharing this! The Zephyr was my favorite ride at Pontchartrain Beach. I was in high school when we lost the Beach to greedy developers who wanted to build condos there. There were miles and miles of lakefront available. Why close down an institution? I always liked riding in the front on the Zephyr- riding in the back was a lesson in whiplash!

[sjtom57]

There's something so right about riding a woodie in a wooded setting rather than an empty lot. Nice vid.

[phoenixone100]

that was my favorite ride!

[bayou432]

A portion of the wooden framework of the roller coaster is at Veterans Park in Kenner on Williams Blvd adjacent to Kenner City Hall. Don't know how long it's been there, but first saw it there when I visited in 1997. It covers part of the kiddie train track that was there until about 3 years ago when some overweight female rider caused it to fall over at a turn on the track and she filed a lawsuit claimng the city of Kenner was responsible for injuries. city decided not to fight it.

[smclean2004]

Thanks for sharing. I was born a year after this park closed so I have no clue what it was like. Wish I were there to see it. Thanks for posting!

[CanyonTide]

Man, that was one rickety old ride! I remember throwing my neck out on it....what a blast! hehe

[jamesbond504]

im wondering what new orleans would have been like if they wouldnt ve knocked it down 

[driveinnut]

thanks BATT family for killing my childhood fun land---you BASTARDS!!!

[chuckuufarlee]

I remember my dad riding the Zepher, getting sick as a dog! he would ride those type of rides, just for the hell of it! To go to Pontchartrain Beach was a reward for good grades in school. Disney world didn't have shit on PB!!!!!

[chuckuufarlee]

I have too may memories of Pontchartrain Beach. That was like Coney island in New York!! My favorite was the Wacky shack. I was to chicken to ride into that two story haunted house. it had the cars with ethe grim reapers draped around them, like they were holding you. My dad offered me $20.00 to ride that thing and I was like "Fuck that", It had to be scary as fuck for a kid in those days to turn down $20.00, lol. I miss that place.

[AdrenalineAddict610]

VERY nice layout!

[leekis1]

im 79 years old and i still remember my first ride on it..........scary

[utubefavorsdems]

Fun times! Katrina really messed up the New Orleans area.

[xeromyhero]

Thanks for sharing the memory. I rode this when I was about 7 years old. We moved away from Metairie back in 1980. I seem to remember a hurricane causing some severe damage to the amusement park later on... a fire or something. Thanks again!

[rocketman6464]

this was one fast fun ride.!!.....too bad it couldnt have been moved to six-flags....or was it??

[keefmeister77]

Legend had it that someone who raised their arms up while going through the tunnels got 'em chopped off! We raised our arms up anyway. We also used to get off the car in the Haunted House and walk through. And popping the cables on the airplane ride, remember that?

[Thatnoladude]

Awesome!!!

Brings back great memories... thnx for sharing!

[valanator]

Me and my dad rode this on the last day opened,I was 11 and scared as hell,whoo hooo!!!!!!!

[NewOrleansWoman]

this is GREAT !!! I went on the Zephyr ONE time in all my life there--- I loved the Wild Maus and CAlypso the best ! what memories !! did someone you know film this? how cool !

[TRUCKIE504]

wow man i remember the EASTER's here

[supercellcoaster]

Anyone know who designed this? It looks like a Vettel because of the banking transitions, but i dunno.

[itsjustnow]

I WOULD SO GET ON THIS! [even tho im afraid of rollercoasters]

[fanof3lisa]

I was born in 69 at Sara Mayo Hospital and spent my early teen years at this park...I told my mom every hill, tunnel and turn in this video. Thank you so much for the memories!

[duchovny2]

Thanks for the video!

East St. John Class of '85!

[srdelacroix]

Wow......Thanks for posting this great video......A chance to relive some great times with friends, Sherrie and Modena and Tri-Phi sisters at Loyola in 1969!

[Gladdriel]

i wonder if they'll ever re-open?

[matthewsphotos]

What a great ride the Big Zephyr was! I rode it from the late 1950's until the day the park closed in 1983! I remember riding the Ragin' Cajun three times on the last day the park was opened.

[kitten112481]

When Jazzland first opened up in 2000, I was a lead ride operator of the Mega Zeph roller coaster. I got to work with a guy who originally worked as a ride operator on the Zephyr. Very cool to meet him and all of his tales of days long gone. I really hope that they do something with the abandoned Six Flags one day; the city needed it. It's a shame to see it just sitting there.

[bblang4d]

Man! Thanks for giving me another ride,

Great video,Great ride!! THANKS

[MGkings]

WOW that brought back the exact ride memory. How'd you keep the camera focused on the tracks so well? As far as coasters go this was a great one maybe not the biggest but it was one of the best ones built for that time I think. Great job filming the movie it does bring back the moment in time. 5 stars!

[Tifle77]

As a kid I went every summer. I once rode it 33 times in one day. I kept riding until thay finally shut it down. Remember when you had to buy tickets? And then they went to P.O.P. which was "pay one price". All you could ride. Lots of memories. Thanks for posting.

[allencsr]

WOw that brought back so many awesome memories. Going to Ponchatrain Beach was the highlight of all my summers when i was a kid!!!!!Thanks so much for posting

[504662Boi]

I wish I could have rode this ride......Its so sad to kno that the city that I love so much will never be the same way as it once was even though this was ended before katrina

[kent504]

Since the 80's (Really late 60's). New Orleans has been going down the Hill. Still the Most unique city in the world but it really has nothing to show for it.

My mother use to work at PB in the 80's when she was a teen lol.

[BarryAir]

Thanks for posting.......brings back great memories....too bad nawlins is a lost cause .....

[Annietiques]

This was my FIRST roller coaster ride when I was 7 years old in 1961 and I still remember it! The last time I rode it was 1976. What a great coaster this was.......too bad they tore it down.

[Belle0010]

I wish I could have gone to Ponchatrian Beach. We didn't live close enough though. My husband told me about how much fun it was to go there.

[33Keith33]

Thanks for the memories!  It's a shame that Pontchartrain Beach was demolished. New Orleans needs things like this now more than ever especially since Six Flags was destroyed just as it was beginning to take off. Oh well, maybe after Sugar-Ray Nagin is out of office, N.O. will elect someone who will bring something like this back. Keep your fingers crossed.

[Vergadoce]

My favorite ride of all time. I lived for The Zephyr!

[jimmyhd1969]

Classic out and back design.

[FormerTVAddict]

Wow, I have so many vivid memories of this coaster from my youth but never thought I'd ever see actual video footage.. thank you for posting this!!!!

[DebrisYat]

OMG, I got to ride on the Zephyr one last time, (virtually that is)! Thanks a million, gadzillion!

[fncz]

Rode this in late 70's and LOVED the coaster. Great Vettel drops...aaaaahhhhhh

[PHAEDRIDER]

and not to mention GREAT SOUNDTRACK.. it's wierd, but i dont feel as alone is this world as i did before i saw and heard some of your videos..

[PHAEDRIDER]

one of the favorites in my postcard collectiom