The first major tourist attraction in the U.S. was Niagara Falls in the mid 19th Century followed by Yellowstone National Park. It was not until after World War II that mass tourism took off. Early tourism can, therefore, be viewed as early 20th Century up to the late 1930s. Several of the leading destinations are listed below.
Coney Island
Coney Island was the largest amusement park complex in the U.S. from the 1880s to World War II. One of the main attractions was the Cyclone roller coaster built in 1927, and it is still in use today. The first photo is dated 1927.
Grants Tomb
Grants Tomb is located in New York City. It was opened in 1897 and is seen here in a 1911 photo.
California Redwoods 1920s
Rollins Pass
Rollins Pass is located on the Continental Divide at an elevation of 11,676 feet near Winter Park CO. It was a three-hour train trip from Denver, where trips in July were advertised as “from sultry heat to Colorado’s North Pole.” The first photo is dated 1910.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is located in Santa Cruz CA. It opened in 1907 and was called “The West Coast Coney Island.” It has been a major tourist destination ever since. The first photo is dated 1912 and the second 1925.
Seaside OR
Much further up the west coast is another beach destination in Seaside OR. Known as the Seaside Historical Promenade–a fifteen-foot-wide walkway along the Pacific Ocean. Also known as The Prom, it includes a turnaround where the street meets the ocean. The Prom is 100 years old this year as is the first photo.
Walloon Lake
Walloon Lake is located on the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It was frequented by Chicagoans, in particular, with the most notable being Ernest Hemingway. He spent many summers at the family cottage, which is still owned by the Hemingway family. The first photo, showing the steamship Tourist, is undated.
Petosky Evening News June 24,1910
