During segregation, Lincoln Beach was the one place on Lake Pontchartrain In New Orleans where Black people were allowed to swim. Live acts like Fats Domino and Nat King Cole drew crowds to a recreation area that included a roller coaster and swimming pools. But with passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, Black New Orleanians were finally allowed to swim at nearby Pontchartrain Beach. Lincoln Beach closed not long after.
The area fell into disrepair over the next 60 years. The three tunnels that once led locals under the railroad tracks to Lincoln Beach’s shoreline are fenced off and filled with storm water. Visiting the beach has long been prohibited, at least officially, although until recently the rules were rarely enforced.
But in the last few months, would-be visitors have been stopped by security guards, a signal of change on the horizon for Lincoln Beach.
In 2022, the city released a plan to redevelop the recreation area. Last year, it announced nearly $25 million in funding for the project. Then, this spring, Representative Troy Carter, a Democrat whose congressional district includes the beach, announced additional millions in federal redevelopment funds to preserve and revitalize the historic site. The city says it wants to open the beach “in a limited capacity” by next summer.
The city’s commitment comes after decades of work by community members who happened upon the beach and decided to save it.
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