CoasterGallery.com -- Astroland

Astroland Amusement Park
Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
Coney Island
Brooklyn, New York

People have been visiting Coney Island and Brighton Beach, located not too far from New York City, since the 1830s. In the last one hundred years, a large number of parks have operated on the island. Three of the most notable parks are these: Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and Dreamland Park. In 1897, George Tilyou opened Steeplechase Park. It featured the famous Steeplechase Horse Race which had eight wooden horses on tracks. In 1903, Frederick Thompson and Elmer Dundy opened Luna Park which had over 250,000 electric lights. Since electricity was still very new, it was an astonishing sight to visitors! Only one year later, William Reynolds opened Dreamland Park just down the beach from Luna Park. Dreamland had one million lights and many attractions, but it never had the popularity of Luna Park. Dreamland closed after it was completely destroyed in a fire in 1911. Luna Park also burned in a 1944 fire. Steeplechase Park burned in 1907, but it was rebuilt and operated until 1964. The land was later sold to Fred Trump (Donald Trump's father) who then sold it to New York City. Much of the land once occupied by these various parks now is home to housing developments.

Currently Astroland (which opened in 1964), Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, and many independent vendors operate rides on Coney Island. But since much of this land was sold in 2007, its days as an amusement park may be drawing to a close. Some of the rides remained for a couple of summers while development plans were debated and litigated, but 2010 may see only the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel remaining.

Nearly fifty coasters have operated at the various parks of this area! Click here for descriptions of many of the defunct coasters:

Big Apple

Cyclone

Sea Serpent

Wonder Wheel