Amusing America The San Francisco Public Library celebrates the golden age of saltwater taffy and boardwalks with this multimedia ode to amusement parks past. By 1900 most American cities had booming populations with disposable incomes, new electric trolley car systems, and plenty of undeveloped land. In New York this resulted in Coney Island, and in San Francisco it gave birth to Cliff House and the Sutro Baths. Using San Francisco as a case history, this exhibit traces the rise of early roller coasters, the birth of the Nickelodeon (named after its admission price), and the advent of the world fair. It concludes in the forlorn and neglected Fifties, when abandoned carnival grounds provide inspiration for a generation of disaffected Beats. Still, Disney World has nothing on this stuff. (in Entertainment > Amusement and Theme Parks)
