Nunley's
Encyclopedia
Nunley's was an amusement park located on 850 Sunrise Highway, Baldwin
, Long Island, New York which operated from 1939 to 1995.
, on the border with Freeport, New York
, and operated from 1939 to 1995. Happyland was established by William Nunley, a third-generation amusement park entrepreneur, who also operated facilities in Bethpage
, Rockaway Beach
, Yonkers, and Broad Channel
, N.Y.
Nunley's restaurant served pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, the cheese-burger deluxe, pastrami on rye, fountain soda, soft serve ice-cream in vanilla, chocolate, or twists with sprinkles and bags of french fries slathered in ketchup. It was a popular arcade hot spot during the '80s gaming boom, featuring all of the latest games, but also housed classics from generations gone past. There was an old fortune teller, much like the one featured in Tom Hank's movie "Big," pinball, a coin-operated dancing clown band, and a number of Skee ball
lanes.
Nunley's was also a children's amusement park, featuring a roller coaster, little boats atop water, hand pedal cars on a track, a Ferris wheel
, spin tubs, kiddie cars, planes, a miniature golf course, and a Carousel.
Often, the parents of visiting children had ridden the very same carousel when they were small. Children clambered up to the same old-fashioned ticket booth, and sometimes pointed out its most famous resident, a man with white hair, whom they often called Mr. Nunley.
Nunley's underwent a hepatitis B scare in the late '80s when one of the chefs was diagnosed with the disease; no patrons were affected.
The site where Nunley's stood is now home to a Pep Boys
automobile
parts retail store.
and is featured on the original cast recording.
In an episode of HBO's Entourage
, while playing golf by his pool, Eric Murphy makes a reference to his niece playing mini golf at Nunley's as a child, though this reference is chronologically impossible. At the time of the reference (2005), Eric's six-year-old niece would have been born at least four years after Nunley's closed.
, was part of Nunley's Amusement Park in Baldwin, New York
. When Nunley's closed, the carousel was stored in a hangar
in Mitchel Field next to the Cradle of Aviation aviation museum. Long Island
native Billy Joel
wrote a waltz
as a tribute
to the beloved attraction, which he enjoyed riding on as a child. Now residing in Oyster Bay, Long Island
, the singer was unsuccessful in having the carousel moved out of storage and placed in a park in Oyster Bay. It is now on display at a nearby Long Island Museum.
The carousel had a beautiful musical sound that rang out, 41 horses, a stand still lion, and 2 sit down chariots. A wooden arm filled with rings reached out toward the carousel so that passerby passengers could reach out & grab them. The rings were silver & brass. If the lucky person grabbed themselves a brass ring, they were the winner of a free ride on the carousel. Many children rode the carousel waiting for the day that their arms were long enough to grab the rings.
In August 2007, two trucks from Carousel Works in Ohio, the largest manufacturer of wooden merry-go-rounds in the world, will arrive at Museum Row at Mitchel Field and cart away the pieces of historic Nunley's Carousel. When the animals, organ, motor and other parts reach the company's headquarters in Mansfield, Ohio, about 15 employees will immediately go to work on the artifact that has sat in storage for nine years. And in the fall of 2008, a restored carousel is scheduled to be back for reassembly on a new plaza between the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Long Island Children's Museum in East Garden City, New York. And it will be playing a special soundtrack provided by Billy Joel. The singer-songwriter was asked if he would allow his "Waltz No. 1, Op. 2," which is subtitled "Nunley's Carousel" and is inspired by his childhood rides on it, to be played on the restored carousel organ. A Joel spokesman said Joel arranged for David Rosenthal
, his keyboard player, to go into a studio to record the piano composition with a carousel organ-like instrumentation.
The restoration is being paid for with $420,000 from discretionary capital funds controlled by Nassau County Legis. Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin), along with money raised by Pennies for Ponies, a nonprofit group started two years ago by Rachel Obergh, now 9, of Wantagh, New York. So far, 28 of 42 carousel animals have been adopted for restoration for $2,000 each by schools, a Baldwin hardware store, the Lercari family (who owned Nunley's) and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. The county also has budgeted $1 million for a new enclosure for the carousel.
The carousel, built in 1912, was first used in Brooklyn and operated for 55 years at Nunley's amusement park in Baldwin until it closed in 1995. The county purchased the ride for $854,400 in 1998.
As of March 15, 2009, the "caretakers" for the old carousel said that it had just finished being refurbished, and was scheduled to open for rides on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
Fully restored, Nunley's Carousel is now housed in a facility next to the Cradle of Aviation Museum
, on Museum Row near the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island.
is now located in Barnum Island, New York
. The Ferris wheel is once again in full, working condition.
There is a sign near the Ferris wheel that reads:
"Nunley's" is known for providing the region with "big city" shopping in small town America.
An oversized wing chair measuring approximately 5 feet by 10 feet tall has been a joy to the young children in the community when store owners distribute candy at Halloween from the large chair.
One of the furniture stores is located in the historical Kress building in downtown Elizabethton. Interestingly and coincidentally, the beautiful architecture of this building can be credited to the same Sibbert that manufactured the "Nunley's" carousel horses mentioned above. This location is called "Nunley's Furniture Plaza".
Another "Nunley's" furniture store is located in a converted car dealership building. The plate glass windows make a perfect display for drive-by window shoppers. The building was originally built for a gas station and grocery store of the 1940s called "Southland Service". The gas station had a cafe and a "Pan Am
" sign was erected on the premises. Today, this location is known as "Nunley's Uptown".
Yet, another "Nunley's" furniture store is located in an old "chair factory building". A chair factory was in operation in this location on Hwy 19E in Elizabethton during the 1950s. This store is called "Nunley's at the Chair Factory".
An additional location in downtown Elizabethton is called "Furniture Plaza". This location, at 512 West East E Street, was an A&P grocery store in the mid 1900s.
Baldwin, Nassau County, New York
Baldwin is a hamlet located in the town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 24,033 at the 2010 census.Baldwin is also a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road....
, Long Island, New York which operated from 1939 to 1995.
History
Nunley's Amusement Park was located on Sunrise Highway in Baldwin, NYBaldwin, Nassau County, New York
Baldwin is a hamlet located in the town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 24,033 at the 2010 census.Baldwin is also a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road....
, on the border with Freeport, New York
Freeport, New York
Freeport is a village in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 42,860 at the 2010 census. A settlement since the 1640s, it was once an oystering community and later a resort popular with the New York City theater community...
, and operated from 1939 to 1995. Happyland was established by William Nunley, a third-generation amusement park entrepreneur, who also operated facilities in Bethpage
Bethpage, New York
Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States, as well as a census-designated place with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet...
, Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach, Queens
Rockaway Beach is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located on the South Shore of Long Island. The neighborhood is bounded by Arverne to the east and Rockaway Park to the west...
, Yonkers, and Broad Channel
Broad Channel, Queens
Broad Channel is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It occupies the southern portion of Rulers Bar Hassock , which is the only inhabited island in Jamaica Bay. The neighborhood stands on Big Egg Marsh, an area of fill approximately 20 blocks long and 4 blocks wide...
, N.Y.
Nunley's restaurant served pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, the cheese-burger deluxe, pastrami on rye, fountain soda, soft serve ice-cream in vanilla, chocolate, or twists with sprinkles and bags of french fries slathered in ketchup. It was a popular arcade hot spot during the '80s gaming boom, featuring all of the latest games, but also housed classics from generations gone past. There was an old fortune teller, much like the one featured in Tom Hank's movie "Big," pinball, a coin-operated dancing clown band, and a number of Skee ball
Skee ball
Skee ball is a common arcade game and one of the first redemption games. It is similar to bowling except it is played on an inclined lane and the player aims to get the ball to fall into a hole rather than knock down pins...
lanes.
Nunley's was also a children's amusement park, featuring a roller coaster, little boats atop water, hand pedal cars on a track, a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, spin tubs, kiddie cars, planes, a miniature golf course, and a Carousel.
Often, the parents of visiting children had ridden the very same carousel when they were small. Children clambered up to the same old-fashioned ticket booth, and sometimes pointed out its most famous resident, a man with white hair, whom they often called Mr. Nunley.
Nunley's underwent a hepatitis B scare in the late '80s when one of the chefs was diagnosed with the disease; no patrons were affected.
The site where Nunley's stood is now home to a Pep Boys
Pep Boys
The Pep Boys — Manny, Moe & Jack , branded as Pep Boys Auto and commonly abbreviated as Pep Boys, is a full-service and tire automotive aftermarket chain....
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
parts retail store.
Pop Culture References
Billy Joel's instrumental piece "Waltz # 1 (Nunley's Carousel)" appeared in the Broadway musical Movin' OutMovin' Out (musical)
Movin' Out is a jukebox musical featuring the songs of Billy Joel.Conceived by Twyla Tharp, the musical tells the story of a generation of American youth growing up on Long Island during the 1960s and their experiences with the Vietnam War...
and is featured on the original cast recording.
In an episode of HBO's Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, while playing golf by his pool, Eric Murphy makes a reference to his niece playing mini golf at Nunley's as a child, though this reference is chronologically impossible. At the time of the reference (2005), Eric's six-year-old niece would have been born at least four years after Nunley's closed.
Nunley's Carousel
The carousel, manufactured in 1912 by Stein & Goldstein of BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, was part of Nunley's Amusement Park in Baldwin, New York
Baldwin, New York
Baldwin is the name of some places in the U.S. state of New York:*Baldwin, Chemung County, New York *Baldwin, Nassau County, New York...
. When Nunley's closed, the carousel was stored in a hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
in Mitchel Field next to the Cradle of Aviation aviation museum. Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
native Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
wrote a waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
as a tribute
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
to the beloved attraction, which he enjoyed riding on as a child. Now residing in Oyster Bay, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, the singer was unsuccessful in having the carousel moved out of storage and placed in a park in Oyster Bay. It is now on display at a nearby Long Island Museum.
The carousel had a beautiful musical sound that rang out, 41 horses, a stand still lion, and 2 sit down chariots. A wooden arm filled with rings reached out toward the carousel so that passerby passengers could reach out & grab them. The rings were silver & brass. If the lucky person grabbed themselves a brass ring, they were the winner of a free ride on the carousel. Many children rode the carousel waiting for the day that their arms were long enough to grab the rings.
Carousel Refurbishing & The Future
There have been attempts by several local schools to refurbish the Nunley's carousel.In August 2007, two trucks from Carousel Works in Ohio, the largest manufacturer of wooden merry-go-rounds in the world, will arrive at Museum Row at Mitchel Field and cart away the pieces of historic Nunley's Carousel. When the animals, organ, motor and other parts reach the company's headquarters in Mansfield, Ohio, about 15 employees will immediately go to work on the artifact that has sat in storage for nine years. And in the fall of 2008, a restored carousel is scheduled to be back for reassembly on a new plaza between the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Long Island Children's Museum in East Garden City, New York. And it will be playing a special soundtrack provided by Billy Joel. The singer-songwriter was asked if he would allow his "Waltz No. 1, Op. 2," which is subtitled "Nunley's Carousel" and is inspired by his childhood rides on it, to be played on the restored carousel organ. A Joel spokesman said Joel arranged for David Rosenthal
David Rosenthal (musician)
David Rosenthal is an American keyboardist, music producer, and songwriter mostly known for working with the English hard rock band Rainbow and Billy Joel...
, his keyboard player, to go into a studio to record the piano composition with a carousel organ-like instrumentation.
The restoration is being paid for with $420,000 from discretionary capital funds controlled by Nassau County Legis. Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin), along with money raised by Pennies for Ponies, a nonprofit group started two years ago by Rachel Obergh, now 9, of Wantagh, New York. So far, 28 of 42 carousel animals have been adopted for restoration for $2,000 each by schools, a Baldwin hardware store, the Lercari family (who owned Nunley's) and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. The county also has budgeted $1 million for a new enclosure for the carousel.
The carousel, built in 1912, was first used in Brooklyn and operated for 55 years at Nunley's amusement park in Baldwin until it closed in 1995. The county purchased the ride for $854,400 in 1998.
As of March 15, 2009, the "caretakers" for the old carousel said that it had just finished being refurbished, and was scheduled to open for rides on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
Fully restored, Nunley's Carousel is now housed in a facility next to the Cradle of Aviation Museum
Cradle of Aviation Museum
The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an aerospace museum located in East Garden City, New York on Long Island to commemorate Long Island's part in the history of aviation. It is located on land once part of Mitchel Air Force Base which, together with nearby Roosevelt Field and other airfields on the...
, on Museum Row near the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island.
Nunley's Ferris Wheel in Barnum Island
The original Nunley's Ferris wheelFerris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
is now located in Barnum Island, New York
Barnum Island, New York
Barnum Island is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 2,414 at the 2010 census.Barnum Island is an unincorporated area of the Town of Hempstead...
. The Ferris wheel is once again in full, working condition.
There is a sign near the Ferris wheel that reads:
-
- Nunley's Ferris Wheel Originally Located on the Freeport/Baldwin Border, Brought Great Pleasure to Long Island Families for Generations. It has Now Been Relocated here at Barnum Island.
Nunley's - Elizabethton, Tennessee
The "Nunley's" name also belongs to a number of family-owned furniture stores located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The "Nunley's" furniture stores have served the Tri-Cities Tennessee region for a half century."Nunley's" is known for providing the region with "big city" shopping in small town America.
An oversized wing chair measuring approximately 5 feet by 10 feet tall has been a joy to the young children in the community when store owners distribute candy at Halloween from the large chair.
One of the furniture stores is located in the historical Kress building in downtown Elizabethton. Interestingly and coincidentally, the beautiful architecture of this building can be credited to the same Sibbert that manufactured the "Nunley's" carousel horses mentioned above. This location is called "Nunley's Furniture Plaza".
Another "Nunley's" furniture store is located in a converted car dealership building. The plate glass windows make a perfect display for drive-by window shoppers. The building was originally built for a gas station and grocery store of the 1940s called "Southland Service". The gas station had a cafe and a "Pan Am
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
" sign was erected on the premises. Today, this location is known as "Nunley's Uptown".
Yet, another "Nunley's" furniture store is located in an old "chair factory building". A chair factory was in operation in this location on Hwy 19E in Elizabethton during the 1950s. This store is called "Nunley's at the Chair Factory".
An additional location in downtown Elizabethton is called "Furniture Plaza". This location, at 512 West East E Street, was an A&P grocery store in the mid 1900s.