Daily News from New York, New York • 160

SUNDAYS NEW; NASSAU-SUFFOLK SUPPLEMENT Of 2 Nassau- II Sections Suffolk NEW YORK'S PICTURE NEWSPAPER New York, N.Y. 10017, Sunday, April 26, 1970 Copr. 1970 News Syndicate Co. Inc. Playlairnd AglilHteir Foir 412x11 FunniYeair 175 Million Have Visited Rockaway Thrill Center Since Geists Took It Over 1 'Jm 0' 'XSpfSJ -60 TnX PuHing things in shape.

Christine iy V.n fS Hansen (r. A) and Denise Zawol -l Wf" 9 hair-raising reflections from frA mirror. Girls (V-) try scooters. I 4. -SilX 3 im I i-T-fT--- i along a 2' i -mile stretch of the Rockaways.

This resulted in the demolition of half of Playland's rides and a ttrac tions, including the pool, arena, dance pavilion and scenic railway. Undaunted by his development, Geist rebuilt, refurbished, and reshaped Playland with rides geared to modern tastes. First to be built was the park's present roller coaster, a complex structure with 135,000 bolts holding the precision engineered framework. Son Took Over in '63 On Geist's death in 1903, his son Richard L. Geist, born the year his father bought the park, took over operation of the amusement center.

Richard learned the business from the ground up, working at various times as a ride operator, cashier, public address announcer, promotion man and right-hand aide to his father. He inaugurated the park's weekly children's contests and beauty competitions, toured Europe in search of new rides, further modernized Playland and launched promotions that won him an award this year from the amusement park industry. An estimated 175 million fun seekers have visited Playland since its operation by the Geist family. Since World War II it has maintained a policy of 50r( discounts on rides for servicemen and women in uniform. After a $250,000 renovation and re-furbishinj? program during the winter, Rockaways' Playland Amusement Park has reopened its 65 rides and attractions for its 42d season under the management of the Geist family.

The block-square Rockaway Beach fun center is the last major amusement park in New York City, following: the demise of Steeplechase Park and Luna Park. It was 70 years ago that George Tilyou, founder of Coney Island's Steeplechase, opened an amusement park on the site of the pr esent Play-land with a steeplechase ride and a 40-foot boardwalk as the major attractions. In 1903, L. A. Thompson, designer-builder of scenic railways, bought the park, renamed it the L.

A. Thompson Amusement Park, and added a scenic railway, a carousel and other attrac tions. Geist Added Features In 1928 a Queens attorney, A. Joseph Geist bought the park and launched an ambitious expansion program. He added a 165-foot-long swimming pool, an fight arena, a menagerie and a dance hall.

In 1938, the city took over the major beachfront strip area, 200 feet back from the boardwalk Long Island girls find kiddie police car is Just the ticket to go places in an emergency. I W.jw: For sheer comfort there's nothing like a magic carpet. Girls go up, up and away. No creep 'n no cut-ins, no collisions, no air pollution. Many a haunted house creaks and groans.

Stephanie Strange gets a scare, meeting a hant in person, though Playland's zombie seems to have an amiable disposition. George Tilyou founded the Queens amusement park 70 years ago. Now it's bigger..