Jones Beach represents a new kind of park in the 1920s. Located on Long Island it functioned as a regional park for people living in Manhattan. It was only accessible by automobile via limited access parkways. The beautiful but somewhat fragile beach site was carefully designed to provide well-planned facilities that would serve the needs of families. From the large parking lots paths led to large recreational buildings that provided restaurants, cafes, creches, and changing rooms for both sexes. These buildings provided direct access to the most stable beach areas. Jones Beach was a park designed for recreational uses. While undisturbed natural areas could have provided opportunities for passive contact with Nature, in the 19th century tradition, this was not a major objective. The park was also socially exclusionary, since buses could not negotiate the low underpasses. Poor families that did not own cars could only travel to distant areas by train or by bus.

The buildings at Jones Beach established new standards of excellence in the provision of facilities in public parks. Indeed, they were not that dissimilar from what might be found in private country clubs. The buildings were beautifully crafted in masonry with generous terraces, and were conceived as palaces for the people.

Brief History of The Jones Beach Amphitheater