1. The legendary Cyclone, opened on June 26, 1927, and this beloved wooden roller coaster is a National Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(c) travelincousins.com
2. The Brooklyn Cyclones, are the first professional baseball franchise in Brooklyn since the Dodgers moved to the West Coast in 1958.
(photo credit: brooklyn cyclones)
3. Nathan’s Famous has been serving up hot dogs since 1916 and the original location on the corners of Surf and Stilwell Aves in Coney Island is open year round.
(c) travelincousins.com
4. The NY Aquarium is home to more than 300 marine species of birds, fish, mammals and reptiles, in addition to the rockin’ Sea Lion Celebration at the open-air Aquatheater.
(c) travelincousins.com
5. Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the U.S. on a cold water plunge with proceeds supporting local charitable organizations.
(photo credit: coney island polar bear club)
6. The Mermaid Parade takes place annually at Coney Island in June when folks come to dress up like a mermaid or maritime character in the Nation’s largest art parade celebrating ancient mythology and seaside culture.
The Mermaid Parade on Coney Island (photo credit: coneyisland.com)
7. The best views of Coney Island’s beach and skyline can be had from across the water on historic Steeplechase Pier, which is 1,040-foot-long and newly restored and is open year round.
Steeplechase Pier (photo credit: LTL Architects)
8. The Coney Island Circus Sideshow, known as the Coney Island Freak Shows during less civilized times, located by the Seashore featured 10 captivating performances from the likes of The Human Gumby contortionist and the sword-swallowing Betty Bloomerz.
(photo credit: coneyisland.com)
9. The Coney Island Museum (Coney Island USA) was founded by Dick Zigun in 1980, and he remains the artistic director since developing and producing a number of different programs including New York City’s best loved summer programming, which include the Mermaid Parade and the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. It is open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Coney Island USA (photo credit: coneyisland.com)
10. Long before it was known as "Coney Island", this area was known by the Lenape Indians as the “land without shadows.” The Dutch re-named the sandy ocean-side section of southeast Brooklyn, Konijnen Eiland or “Rabbit Island,” for the large population of furry mammals that inhabited the land along the pristine coastline.
A 1776 nautical chart showing the collection of islands and shifting sand that eventually became present day Coney Island. (photo credit: wikipedia.org)
11. As New York City grew into a cosmopolitan center in the 1800s, Coney Island had a powerful impact on revolutionizing the concept of an urban beach resort, with the first hotel, The Coney Island Hotel, being built in 1829.
The Coney Island Hotel built in 1829 (photo credit: untappedcities.com)
12. . The earliest carousels (as we know them today) were created in Coney Island, as was what is widely considered the first modern roller coaster in 1884, called The Gravity Switchback Railway.
The Gravity Switchback Railway at Coney Island (photo credit: alchetron.com)
13. In 1903, Sea-Lion Park became the first Coney Island amusement park, joined that same year by Steeplechase Park, with its signature Steeplechase Horse ride as well as the original Luna Park, which earned the nickname, “Electric Eden,” because of its over 250,000 lights brilliantly illuminating the park at night.
(photo credit: elegran.com)
14. The original Luna Park closed in 1946, followed by Steeplechase Park in 1964 and Astroland amusement park held the torch from 1962 through 2008.
Astroland (photo credit: wikipedia.org)
15. Coney Island is home to three rides protected as New York City landmarks listed in the National Register of Historic Places: The Wonder Wheel (1918); the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster (1927); the towering Parachute Jump (1938), closed in 1968 but still standing since its debut at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
Coney Island Wonder Wheel (c) travelincousins.com
RSS Feed