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I recall 2 ways of getting into Ravenhall with out paying. The exit turnsatl on Surf Ave was bent so if you had a lookout and small frame hold your breath and squeeze thru. The other was to know the mark of the day that people had put on there arm when they came thru the exit under the board walk. The mark was put on your arm and read under an ultrvilet ligt when you wanted to return to the pool area from the beach. A neibor girl I think her name was Maria had one of the pencils so the trick was to find the mark or number of the day putit on your arm and you were in. Just another stumble down memory lane.

Just came upon your site re: Ravenhall. Brought back fond memories of my youth. It was where I first saw a steamroom. To go out on the beach you had to pass under the boardwalk and have your hand stamped with a purple marking. I still have 8mm movies taken at Ravenhall -- which I am in the process of having put onto a CD. Those were great times for a "Brooklyn Kid"

so many years of my life was spent at raven hall with my sister joan and cousin arline. There would never be another place like it. There are so many memories which I can never forget. When we heard raven hall went on fire, it was like our world came to an end. I remember the men from the polar bear club, the handball I used to play, and so much more. I can go on and on but it could never express the memories I had at raven hall.

My brothers Bob and Alan posted above - our Aunt Dora ran the office at Ravenhall in the 50s, and our Uncle Bernard was one of the beat cops in that part of town, so we of course felt a bit of "ownership" - so wonderful to share memories of the place … the meatball and veal cutlet sandwiches from the stand just inside the fence; the sandboxes; the high bars; the handball courts where our uncles played endlessly through the summer … ; the steam rooms (where I panicked because I couldn't breathe in all the steam); the labyrinthine locker rooms; the feel of the sand under foot; and of course the pool !! those fabulous diving boards - I actually did dive from the lower boards, and worked up my nerve to jump off the high board a few times (around age 6 or 7 !) … hearing the lovely Puerto Rican divas singing to their guitar accompaniment on the pool deck … going out onto the beach, eating knishes, hot dogs, pistachio soft ice cream cones … and those french fries!!!! not to forget the Tuesday night fireworks seen from the boardwalk … oh my, oh my, oh my …

truly, a time machine.I remember Ravenhall and Washington baths and working in Canarsie schools and moving to the Island. Didn't know anyone was still around and checking the computer. I just became a great grandmother for the third time. WOW

So here i am almost 60 years later after having spent the best couple of summers of my life at Raven Hall Pools. Impossible to forget those wondrous days. i still have a few black and white photos taken there . Had so much fun and joy romping in the huge pool playing with friends and a few off duty life guards. Specifically, I recall Ted and Sal. . I sure remember having a huge crush on Sal, . and still have some photos of him as well. Tall, very slim, black straight hair and nose. We thought we were so hysterical.... Id sit ( stand?) on Sal's shoulders while he was walking underwater across the pool . Only i was visible to onlookers. Great times. The hi diving board was awesome and frightening but at that young age I did manage a couple of those dives , as scared as i remember feeling. Would never do it today. I actually learned to box with some rhythm on those ???,, forgot the name. They were located up front nearby the street. ( surf ave, i believe ) , There were two or so ping pong tables along the way leading to the beach sand under the boardwalk. I held a season pass each summer. I recall posting two huge pictures on my locker walls: one of Van Johnson and another of Montgomery Clift. The women's solarium upstairs was a bit embarrassing for youngsters back in the day. Most of the "old" ladies played cards sitting there all in the nude. Funnier , small holes were drilled/made in the wood fence which separated us from the men's solarium. We heard The guys had a field day peering in at the nude women. Often, we'd run out to the beach meeting our friends on the sand at Bay 15 .( "OUR" bay) The only NON fun day was the one time i took my little brother with me, against my mom's better judgment. How right she was . I went for a swim in the ocean while my friends promised not to take their eyes off my active 3 year old brother. I truly wanted to die when upon my return , Baby Brother Paul was gone from the blanket. Too long a story, but his antics made the front page of the Daily news paper .,,, Paul is shown sitting on a police officer's desk, licking an ice cream cone while wearing an officer's huge hat . Yup, still have that newspaper. Raven Hall, The best of times for the young me . Very fondly remembered.

I also have some memories of Raven Hall. I grew up in East NY, Brooklyn back in the 50's. I don't think there was another public pool close to where we lived but in either case my Dad would take us to Raven Hall probably on a Sunday (or maybe it was Saturday's?). It was a long drive back then but I remember I couldn't wait to get there. We would start off in the locker room where we had a locker. Did I wear a wrist band with a key? I seem to remember that. I remember my Dad would play a little handball, but he always I mean always went to the baths. My Mom would make lunch and we would picnicked somewhere. Where that was I can't remember but I do remember her sandwiches, usually bologna, something that wouldn't spoil..like tuna or egg salad. I have a memory that from reading the comments I don't see that anyone else has shared. That is, I vividly remember a rope put around my waist and being thrown into the pool as a teaching aid in learning how to swim. I think I must have been around 5 years old so this would be around 1952. I have an image of either swimming toward sunlight or drowning, Does anyone else remember this or did I dream this up? Other than that moment I have great memories of family outings...all the way to Coney Island!! Oh yes and the Hot dogs from Nathans. None better..

In 1957 Richie Hansen, Mike Mahan, Steve Flock and I shared a four person walk in locker at Raven Hall. We played a 100 point four wall handball game, standard for us. They hung around for a few minutes, I walked toward the lockers, steam room, etc. Muscles, he worked there and was it seemed, always working out , weights, bars etc., followed me into the lockers. I was not aware of him, until he reached around me, grabbed my crouch, lifted me up and tried to stuff me in an open walk in locker. I was slick with sweat and sun tan oil, and I'd been working out for two years. I got my foot against the frame of the locker, and pushed off as hard as I could. I broke free and we were circling each other when Richie, Mike, and Steve arrived. Muscles fled. Dainty like. We didn't tell anyone. We were street kids from Brooklyn. We taunted him calling him "Contessa", that was it.
A few years later, I heard that he tried the same thing with a mob guys son. Rumor was muscles was suddenly DEAD.
Outside that incident, we had a great time. Handball, steam, showers, the beach and the Bob Shop(?)under the boardwalk.
Great place.
By the way, Steve's dad was the emergency service NYPD guy who climbed out the top of the Parachute Jump to free riders when it hung up. NYPD eventually had management hire their own guy. Steve's dad was Sargent Charlie Flock.

Those were great days of my preteen and teen years in Brooklyn. Lived on 69th St, 11th Ave. Use to get a locker at Ravenhall Pool every summer. Does anyone remember Sal the Lifeguard? My locker was right near the steam room. Locker 238. what a time, great years.

I too remember that place, used to live in down town Manhattan, Mulberry Street, My mom used to take me on hot summers days to Raven Hall, I just turned 5 the summer of 1962. We took the N train from Canal St and switched over on 59th St Station and took the "Bullseye Express" non stop into Coney. Raven Hall was a magical place. Mom bought me a Donald Duck life preserver and I walked into the saltwater pool where the end of the pool was like a beach front then got deeper as you went in. Being only 5 yrs old mom had to take me with her into the ladies locker room, a large opened courtyard with indoor facilities, funny all the women walk around nude like it was nothing, being a cute blond headed little boy the old ladies would make a fuss over me, all I remember was being at that height where all I saw was ladies butts. Mom's friends husbands/boy friends played handball on the roof I used to sit and eat hot dogs and watch. That's it, all I could remember but was such fun, too bad those days passed and will never return. That was old America, everyone was your friend.

My grandparents Dysart and Mabel Ravenhall owned the bathhouse and pool,their dog Blacky was present. I'm the daughter of her her son Peter.Im living in South Florida ,born and raised here my whole life. They moved to Florida many decades ago. Both are deceased. My grandmother passed away on July 7th 2000 she was 94. She lived with my sister. Right around the corner from me and my mom.

ANYONE REMEMBER THE LEE BOYS, CONEY ISLAND - FROM BAYVIEW AVENUE, WHERE IS CAROL PETROCELLI - VIVIAL CARTER - CLAIRE LEVITZ - EDDIE NATOLI - RONNIE BAROW - JACKIE BARBANELL - VINNIE FORD - BOBBY & MICKEY OTTIONO - JOEY DEPACE - CARMINE - ETC.
FOR THOSE WHO REMEMBER TOMMY FRANCO FROM THE GROCERY STORE - HE PASSED AWAY A FEW MONTHS AGO.
HOPE WE CAN SAY HELLO - IF ONLY BY E-MAIL STAY SAFE AND TAKE CARE.
DAVE LEE

I have early 50's Raven Hall home family movies. Also many family photos. I hope to have the movies transfered from 8mm to MPG.

My dad always went to Raven-Hall in the early 1960's on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This was his "free-time" to relax,as he worked from Monday to Friday in construction. It was sort of a men's only social club that revolved around the pool, steam-room, lockers and club house. Heavily Italian-American on Coney Island and as a kid,my dad would bring me there occasonally to give mom some free time to work around the home. As I recall,it always stunk of tobacco,pipe,and cigar smoke and the locker's always had nude men going in and out of the showers from ages 18 to 80 and beyond !

Mabel and Dysart and their dog Blackie resided there. They were the owners. I'm they're granddaughter and reside in Delray Beach FL

The early to mid 1950’s at Ravenhall ... the best of my childhood memories ... the huge pool and thick straw-type ground covering around the huge pool where I learned to swim ... the tiny sand area outside the locker rooms and steam room ... the luscious ‘meatball sandwich stand’ outside the lockers ... young men punching the the ball ...getting my hand stamped to enter the beach under the boardwalk where there was always a line for hotdogs ... the end of the season Ravenhall party with lots of food, sodas, and music ... all ‘yesteryear.’ At least 3 days a week, my sister, mother, & occasionally aunts, & cousins would take the subway into BROOKLYN from Little ITALY to spend a very warm and enjoyable day at Ravenhalls. We always had a vivid view of the parachutes and it took everyone’s attention one summer day when the parachute stopped ... people were were stuck .. way up high ... for hours.
After a day at Ravenhalls, we would stop at Nathan’s ... I loved the ‘shrimp with tarter sauce,’ FRENCH fries, & orange soda 😋
My days at Ravenhalls hold very special memories that I have always held dear ... it offered everything for the children ... a small room by the smaller pools with books and games ... I played ‘checkers’’ with other children I met in the play room ... I loved my days at Ravenhalls ... and loved it even more when my aunts and cousins would come as well with huge baskets of sandwiches, drinks, snacks all kept cold in a huge food chest. It was glorious ... if I could go back to those years, that is where I would be found😊
Glorious days at Ravenhalls ... unforgettable memories. ♥️