Vintage photos of American summer vacations
Jacqui Agate
29 March 2021
A journey into the past
We might not be able to visit our favourite vacation spots just now, but we can still take a trip back in time. From photos taken in ritzy Vegas resorts to those snapped on umbrella-packed Florida beaches, we bring you 53 nostalgic shots so you can relive the summer vacations of the past.
A view over Coney Island Beach, New York
Perhaps no place is more synonymous with the American summer vacations of yore than New York's Coney Island, which began attracting holidaymakers back in the 19th century. This pleasure-seeker's playground is captured here in the early 1900s. The large tower in the background belonged to Dreamland, one of the area's three original theme parks.
Women look down from Coney Island's Parachute Jump ride
Fast-forward to the 1940s and Coney Island was as popular as ever. In this aerial shot, hordes of vacationers appear like ants across Coney Islands sands and boardwalk, as a pair of women ride the now defunct Parachute Jump. The ride was part of Coney's Steeplechase Park, which closed its gates in the 1960s.
Beach-goers bury a man in the sand on Coney Island
Despite Coney Island's rich pick of parks and amusements, the beach alone was enough for some vacationers. This photo dates right back to 1897 and captures a group of young sun-seekers burying their friend in the sand.
Kids at the Coney Island Aquarium
In the 1950s, the New York Aquarium opened on Coney Island too, offering families even more reason to vacation here. This image shows a group of delighted children hanging out with a walrus named Ookie, a beloved resident at the aquarium who died in 1962.
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A family buys cotton candy at Coney Island
Coney Island attracted holidaymakers with its bounty of sweet treats too. In this gloriously nostalgic snap, a mother lifts up an eager child, so she can accept a sugary cloud from Jimmies cotton candy shack.
Surfers and sunbathers on a Long Island beach
East of Coney Island, the hotels and resorts of Long Island attracted more wealthy vacationers, who relaxed in upscale areas such as The Hamptons. This dreamy stretch of sand is located close to Southampton. Pictured here in the 1950s are a group of young sun-worshippers, some of them sand-surfing off the back of an ATV.
A couple sunbathe by the pool at a Catskill Mountains resort
Farther up the state, the Catskill Mountains region proved popular with vacationers in the 1950s and beyond. Here a well-heeled couple relax by the pool in a swish resort in New York's Sullivan County in 1953. A man kneels to photograph his family in the pool beside them.
Families make a splash in the Catskills
By the 1960s, even more resorts had mushroomed in this beautiful area of New York state. In this 1960s shot, families enjoy a more laid-back, family-friendly vacation spot named Tony Leone's Resort, which came complete with a slide, swings and picnic benches.
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Dancers at Utopia Lodge in New York
Utopia Lodge, in New York's Greenfield Park, was another popular Catskill Mountains resort. It came complete with a cocktail lounge, a pool, tennis courts and more. Here guests are photographed letting their hair down in the evening, enjoying drinks at the bar and dancing to music from a live band. The photo dates to the 1960s.
Vacationers play lawn games in a Pocono Mountains resort
Like the Catskills, the Poconos was another mountainous region that thrived as a vacation destination through the Forties and Fifties. Swish resorts began springing up during this time, offering pools, outdoor games and evening entertainment throughout the summer. Shuffleboard was the pastime of choice for many vacationers and a young couple enjoy a game in this 1950s snap.
Sunbathers cover the beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Down in New Jersey, Atlantic City was another destination whose shores were full to the brim come summer. This photo was snapped in the Roaring Twenties and sees hundreds of vacationers dot the sands of Atlantic City Beach, cooling off under umbrellas, perhaps after a dip in the ocean.
Vacationers enjoy the Atlantic City Boardwalk
Behind the beach, the Atlantic City Boardwalk, with its hotels, restaurants and casinos, hums with activity too. These vacationers are captured in 1915, several decades after the popular wooden pathway was first completed. The umbrella-topped "rolling chairs" were (and still remain) a popular way to travel around here.
The perfect picnic spot
What better place for a picnic than the shortbread-coloured shores of America's East Coast? Here a young family snapped in the 1970s begin to lay out a spread on a bright beach towel. Their print swimwear is unmistakably of the decade too
Two young boys build a sandcastle with their canine companion
Four-legged folks enjoyed the coast as well. Here, on a quieter stretch of the New Jersey shore, two young beach-dwellers build a pawfect-looking sandcastle under the watchful eye of their canine companion. The heartwarming seaside scene was captured in 1934.
A woman enjoys the waters off America's East Coast
New England is another region that has drawn vacationers for more than a century. This shot was taken in the early 1900s and captures a woman squinting from the sun as she cools off in the Atlantic Ocean. Note the conservative swimwear which would have been commonplace for the time.
People of all ages cool off in the sea in Massachusetts
Less than two decades later and America's Atlantic shores look busier than ever. Snapped on a hot day circa 1919, this photo shows a large crowd of women and girls (in similar conservative dress) as they spill into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Massachusetts.
Three elegantly dressed women sit on a Massachusetts beach
These finely dressed sunbathers are also basking on a Massachusetts strand. Set against a backdrop of rugged rocks and powder-fine sand, this trio of women sit on a beach near Marblehead in Essex County in the 1920s.
Sunbathers pepper a beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Arguably Massachusetts' most famous destination, Cape Cod has been drawing in vacationers for more than a century. This photograph, taken at the tail end of the Roaring Twenties, pictures glamorous young sunbathers basking on a beach at Buzzards Bay. The neat waterside houses and patterned umbrellas no doubt brighten the scene.
Umbrellas cover a beach in Nantucket, Massachusetts
Some three decades later, in the 1950s, Cape Cod's popularity with holidaymakers showed no sign of waning. This sandy, umbrella-carpeted beach is actually on Nantucket, a dinky island that lies just off the cape.
A mother and daughter build a sandcastle in St Petersburg, Florida
Of course, the mother of all America's sun-sea-sand destinations, especially through the 1950s and 1960s, was Florida, the Sunshine State. Palm trees rise above the mother and daughter duo in this 1960s snap as they build a castle with St Petersburg's powder-white sand.
Young children build a sandcastle on a beach in Florida
These little beach bums are handy with a bucket and spade too. This heartwarming photograph shows a brother and sister team creating a sandy masterpiece on a Florida beach in 1943.
A family get ready for the beach in Florida's Treasure Island
Close to St Pete, Treasure Island was another sun-drenched Florida city that pulled in the crowds over summer. This lovely 1951 shot shows a family hiring water doughnuts and umbrellas from a little wooden shack, readying themselves for Treasure Island's postcard-perfect beach.
Santa Claus sunbathes on a Florida beach
Even Santa Claus couldn't resist the glorious white sands of the Sunshine State. In this 1964 snap, a curious child gazes up at Saint Nick as he dozes on a deck chair beneath the palms.
Vacationers dine poolside at a hotel in Miami, Florida
Miami mushroomed in popularity in the first half of the 20th century. Glitzy hotels and resorts sprang up here and vacationers flocked to the city's sand-trimmed shores. This photo dates to the 1930s and captures a group of young holidaymakers having lunch by the pool at a Miami hotel.
A young couple at the Eden Roc Cabana Club in Florida's Miami Beach
In the 1950s, Miami was as sought-after as ever, counting the rich and famous among the summer holidaymakers that descended on its shores. Here a glamorous young couple drink cocktails by the pool at the Eden Roc Cabana Club in Miami Beach in 1955.
A man dives off the highest platform at Miami's Deauville Beach Resort
In fact, the 1950s and 1960s are often tipped as Miami Beach's golden era for tourism. Hotels, resorts and other attractions continued to shoot up and celebs, couples and families alike continued to spend their vacation time here. This 1950s photo is taken at Miami Beach's Deauville Beach Resort (then the MacFadden-Deauville Hotel) and sees vacationers gaze up in awe as a man jumps off the highest diving platform.
A couple ride a pontoon pedal boat in Miami Beach, Florida
There was plenty more beyond the pool at Miami's glittering resorts, and those who could bear to tear themselves away would be richly rewarded. Here a young couple ride a pedal boat in the waters around Miami Beach's glamorous South Beach neighbourhood in the 1940s.
A couple drink in the view on Florida's Sanibel Island
Beyond the buzz of Miami, Florida had plenty of quieter tourist spots too. Destinations such as Sanibel Island, a Floridian barrier island that juts into the Gulf of Mexico, offered a more sedate escape through the 1950s and beyond. A couple enjoy the shade of a palm tree in this 1955 photo taken on a Sanibel Island strand.
Tourists take a boat ride in Florida's Cypress Gardens
Another draw for tourists to the Sunshine State was Winter Haven's Cypress Gardens. Often tipped as Florida's first major tourist attraction, the site was a theme park and botanical garden that opened in 1936. In this 1940s photo, visitors take a boat ride along the plant-fringed canals, which were punctuated with "Southern Belles": women dressed in colourful crinoline dresses.
A performance at Florida's Cypress Gardens
Alongside the "Southern Belles" and sunny blossoms, Cypress Gardens' famed water-ski show was another crowdpleaser. Beginning in the 1940s, and first introduced to entertain visiting Second World War soldiers, the show saw the skiers perform elaborate routines involving pyramids and acrobatics. Performers are snapped here in 1957.
A family water-skis at Cypress Gardens
Eventually Cypress Gardens was hailed as the "Water-Ski Capital of the World" and tourists would come to enjoy the sport for themselves. Even showbiz heavyweights such as Elvis Presley came here to make a splash during the park's heyday. This water-skiing clan was snapped in the 1950s.
A family relax around the pool at Cypress Gardens
Those who preferred things at a slower pace could relax around Cypress Gardens' patio and pool areas. Papped in 1956, this family enjoys a poolside cook-out under the Florida palms.
A mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida
Another popular Sunshine State attraction was born in the 1940s. In this decade, Newton Perry built an underwater theatre at Weeki Wachee Spring, western Florida, and trained women to perform synchronised routines some six feet (1.8m) below the water's surface, using special hoses to breathe. The show was an instant hit and vacationers travelled from around the country to see the "mermaids" for themselves. This photo dates to 1949.
Sunbathers gather around Florida's Weeki Wachee Spring
While the mermaid shows were the main draw, vacationers also contented themselves with sunbathing around the spring and taking relaxing boat rides on its calm waters. Here holidaymakers gather beside the water in 1952.
Sun-seekers at Big Ridge Lake in eastern Tennessee
Vacationers in Tennessee had plenty of natural wonders to enjoy too. Here holidaymakers can be seen around Big Ridge Lake, with its bathhouse, beach, diving tower and string of vacation cabins. This photo dates to the 1930s and shows the lake and its surroundings abuzz with swimmers and sunbathers.
A group of women wade in the ocean off Santa Catalina Island, California
Over on the west coast, the Golden State pulled in its fair share of vacationers too. Spots such as Santa Catalina Island, a sun-drenched isle off the Southern California coast, attracted holidaymakers in search of a seaside getaway. A group of young women are snapped here as they paddle in the Pacific Ocean during a 1932 trip to the island.
Beachgoers bathe in Lake Michigan
While plenty of sun-seekers made their way to the coast, others made a splash in America's Great Lakes. This 1973 shot shows youngsters swimming and paddling in Lake Michigan, off Chicago's South Side shores.
Tourists take a boat ride around Santa Catalina Island, California
This photograph was taken some two decades later and shows the continued popularity of the Southern California isle. Here, in 1954, tourists clamour to see the view on a boat ride that skirts the island.
A family pose before Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland, California
Come the 1950s, California's tourism industry would change forever. Disneyland opened its gates in 1955, and a trip to the mammoth park, with its rides, Sleeping Beauty Castle and string of beloved Disney characters, became a favoured vacation for many American families. Here a family stands before the fabled, fairy-tale castle in the 1950s.
The Mad Tea Party ride at California's Disneyland
America's love affair with Disney continued into the 1960s and, of course, well beyond. This 1960s photograph shows tourists enjoying one of Fantasyland's whimsical attractions: the spinning teacups of the kaleidoscopic Mad Tea Party ride were inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
Holidaymakers relax around a resort pool in Las Vegas, Nevada
Away from the coast, Las Vegas was the pleasure-seeker's vacation spot of choice. Plush hotels and resorts sprang up in Sin City in the Forties and Fifties, as the legendary Strip continued to develop. Here, well-heeled holidaymakers let their hair down around the pool at this Vegas resort in 1955.
Vacationers sit poolside at the glitzy Hotel Flamingo in Las Vegas
The legendary Flamingo Las Vegas (still in operation) was one of the ritzy hotels to open during this period. Then tipped as a "playground of the elite", the hotel boasted a palm-dotted patio, a vast pool and plush accommodations. This aerial shot was taken in 1949 and sees glamorous vacationers sun themselves beside the water.
A group of men play water polo at Hotel Flamingo, Las Vegas
Flamingo Las Vegas' affluent guests weren't afraid to make a splash though. Here a group of young men play a game of water polo in the pool, as other guests look on from the patio. The shot was taken circa 1950.
Crowds gather on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
The Aloha State has long been a top place for a seaside getaway too – and an enduring hot spot has been Waikiki Beach, a glorious sandy strand hemming Honolulu's Waikiki neighbourhood. Possibly taken circa 1930, this photo shows beach-goers gathered before the beautiful Moana Surfrider Hotel.
A Florida family get ready for a road trip
By the 1950s, car ownership had surged and many Americans chose to hit the road during their vacation time. This young family are striking out to the coast from Tallahassee, Florida, armed with beach balls, water doughnuts and plenty of luggage.
A family relax with their travel trailer in Florida
By the 1950s, so-called "tin can tourism" – which began to gain in popularity in the early 1900s – was booming too. Many families would head for the coast or the woods, picnic packed and trailer in tow. This family, pictured in 1966, have parked up their trailer on the coast of Monroe County in southern Florida.
Two women sunbathe at a Hollywood Beach trailer park
As road-tripping with a motorhome continued to gain in popularity, RV parks such as this one in Hollywood Beach became more and more commonplace across the States. Here two young women laze on the site's pristine lawn in 1953.
Families play in the sea in Hollywood, Florida
Plenty of Americans chose to pair a classic beach vacation with a trip in their trailer or motorhome. Photographed in 1953, a row of RVs line this beach in Hollywood, southeastern Florida, where families relax on the sand and kids float on inflatables in the Atlantic Ocean.
Vacationers in the White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
Some families eschewed the coast in favour of a woodland escape, opting for forested campsites or trailer parks like this one in New Hampshire. In this 1937 photograph, families enjoy the natural swimming pool at the Dolly Copp Forest Camp in the White Mountain National Forest. You can make out a huddle of motorhomes and trailers parked in background.
A family park up in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
America's national parks have also long served as summer vacation spots for adventurous travellers. This family, photographed in the 1950s, have parked up their trailer in a wonderfully scenic spot in Grand Teton National Park. They look out across Jackson Lake, the mighty Teton range jutting towards the sky.
A family take in the view at Yellowstone National Park
Staying within Wyoming, Yellowstone, America's oldest national park, has also welcomed campers and holidaymakers for more than a century. Captured in 1955, this young family looks out onto Tower Falls, a dramatic cascade that drops down for 132 feet (40m). Here are more of the world's most beautiful waterfalls.
A young couple drink in views of the Grand Canyon
Farther south, the Grand Canyon has been a top road-trip pitstop for decades, drawing vacationers in their droves come summer. This couple stand on a scenic overlook and gaze out in awe as the spectacular rocks roll out beneath them. The photo dates to the 1940s.
A couple look out to Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite National Park, California
This nostalgic photograph snaps another pair of national park road-trippers. Taken in 1938, it captures a young couple off California State Route 41 in Yosemite National Park. The 620-foot (189m) Bridalveil Fall thunders down in the background.
Now see what family vacations looked like the decade you were born
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