Here is a good place to put some rides

It's not a museum or anything, but it is a beach.

Largely dormant for more than 30 years, Pontchartrain Beach could be in line for a rebirth next year as a natural recreation area under a proposal by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.

The plan, which was first proposed before Hurricane Katrina, essentially marks the culmination of the foundation’s efforts to clean up and improve the water quality in the basin, a pivot from the “Save Our Lake” campaign long synonymous with the organization to an outreach and educational effort aimed at reconnecting New Orleanians with the lake.

They want to open the area to public access, which is fine because it ought to be public space anyway.  But then they want people to go there and get in the water. Which is gross. 

Employing lifeguards would make the foundation legally responsible should something happen, and given the murkiness of the water along the lakefront, it could be difficult for one of them to see if a swimmer was in trouble, Williams said.

To protect swimmers, the foundation does plan to erect signs in the water to alert people to dangerous spots, areas where the beach drops off and other dangers, said John Lopez, who works for the foundation.

“It’s basically a safe beach, but it has hazards like any water body,” he said.

"Basically a safe beach." Okay well that's not the most reassuring thing to say. On the other hand, it's as fine a compliment as one can give any beach, I guess.  Natural bodies of water are nasty in general. Plus there are animals and such living in them. I never understand why people swim in them on purpose.

But this is especially the case with Lake Pontchartrain which is so full of trash and urban runoff that it's only marginally safe for swimming on certain days. In fact, according to Save Our Lake's own website, if the beach were open today, the fecal coliform levels in the water would be unsuitable.

Maybe just put the rides back in so people will have something to do.