The smell of fried food and thrill of hurtling down a speedy locomotive ride are among the simple pleasures people have enjoyed through the years at local theme parks.

The Bay Area is home to a number of amusement parks with longstanding histories.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is among the oldest. It dates back to 1865. It first opened as a bathhouse before the construction of a boardwalk, and later added an amusement park.

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Rides weren’t introduced until 1908 when thrill-seekers could enjoy a four-minute roller coaster on a wooden track. The Giant Dipper, the Boardwalk's historic wooden coaster, was introduced in 1924 and still operates today. More than 60 million people have careered through its twists and turns.

But not all parks have had success stories.

San Francisco’s Playland-at-the-Beach opened to the public in 1926 but ultimately closed in 1972. When the park shut down, it was demolished to make room for condominiums, the Chronicle’s Peter Hartlaub wrote.

The park may be gone but its beloved merry-go-round, formally known as the Zeum Carousel, can still be enjoyed at Yerba Buena Center. Today it’s known as the LeRoy King Carousel.

Take a look at the slideshow above to see pictures of Bay Area theme parks through the years, some defunct and some still going.

Follow Susana Guerrero on Twitter and email her at sguerrero@sfchronicle.com