Bald Hill Ski Bowl

The Bald Hill Ski Bowl in Farmingville was opened in 1965.  Bald Hills Ski Slope was 344 feet tall.  The Ski Bowl was 74 acres located on the northwest part of North Ocean Avenue, now known as the Brookhaven Amphitheater off Bicycle Path.

Bald Hill Ski Bowl was the largest ski area to ever operate on Long Island. Operating from 1965-1980, this area had Long Island’s only overhead cable lift, a T-bar, as well as two rope tows on a vertical drop of 200. The parking lot for the area was on the top, and there was minimal snowmaking. Many Long Islanders learned to ski there.

While the exact reason for closing is not known, changing weather patterns and a lack of snow certainly played a role. The winter of 1980 was one of the least snowy.

Following writeup by Shelby Lyons and Sarah Joscher:

The town of Bald Hill, more commonly known as Farmingville, was once home to a very reputable ski hill, known as the Ski Bowl. The complex was skillfully placed on the highest point on Long Island taking up an area of 69 acres. This land was owned by the town and it was the idea of the Town Parks Department to develop a skiing area. Construction for the Bald Hill Ski Bowl began in December of 1964. The Ski Bowl would include a 850-foot run as well as two other slopes, one for beginners and one for
novices. It also provided an area for sledding. It also contained Long Island’s only overhead lift, as well as a T-bar and two rope tows. In order to provide adequate snow for the slopes, even on days where it did not snow, two snow-making machines were
put in place. The Bald Hill Ski Bowl got its name because the town of Farmingville was once referred to as Bald Hills. This was a reference to the mountainous area contained within the town.

Opening in 1965, the Ski Bowl was instantly a hit, there were over a thousand visitors on opening day. Visitors were able to rent equipment as well as take ski lessons. For adult residents of Brookhaven the cost to take ski lessons was just two dollars and for resident children it was only half of that. The complex was open seven days a week. During the day, it was open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, and from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm during the nights. It provided the visitors with a genuine feel of a real ski area with all of its factors such as the T bar lift, and the authentic German music they played. By 1976, the Ski Bowl had over 5,000 visitors a week.

Currently, the area that was once the Ski Bowl is now the Brookhaven Amphitheatre and Cultural Center. The Ski Bowl was turned into an amphitheater after the Brookhaven Town Board voted to cut the funding of the Ski Bowl after 15 years of operation because of the lack of snowfall. It was turned into an amphitheater because the residents of the town of Brookhaven wanted a cultural center that would provide an area for the performing of musical and visual arts. To raise money for it, a group called the “Cultural center” began a campaign to earn $500,000. They were able to obtain the money through corporate and private donations, as well as federal and state grants. Today, the amphitheater is used for many events including concerts, art shows,
galleries, and local talent performances.