Luna Park is an
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
in
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...
,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. It opened on May 29, 2010, at the site of
Astroland
Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City that first opened in 1962. It was located at 1000 Surf Avenue (at the corner of West 10th Street) on the boardwalk. It ceased operations on September 7, 2008.
History
Ast ...
, an amusement park that had been in operation from 1962 to 2008, and
Dreamland, which operated at the same site for the 2009 season. It was named after the original
1903 Luna Park which operated until 1944 on a site just north of the current park's 1000 Surf Avenue location.
The park was designed, developed, and operated by Central Amusement International, LLC (CAI), a subsidiary of the Italian company
Zamperla
Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. is an Italian design and manufacturing company founded in 1966. It is best known for creating family rides, thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The company also makes smaller coin-operated rides commonly found in ...
which built 19 new mechanical rides for the park. There are also interactive games, food and beverage concessions, and live entertainment.
As of 2017, the park's general manager was Fernando Velasquez.
History
In September 2003, Mayor
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
, the
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five Borough (New York City), boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the Mayor of New York City, mayor in a may ...
and
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
Martin Markowitz (born February 14, 1945) is an American politician who served as the borough president of Brooklyn, New York City. He was first elected in 2001 after serving 23 years as a New York State Senator. His third and final term ended ...
formed the Coney Island Development Corporation (CIDC). The corporation released the "Coney Island Revitalization Plan" in 2005, which laid out its plan to preserve and grow the historic amusement area.
At the end of the 2008 season, the Coney Island
Astroland
Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City that first opened in 1962. It was located at 1000 Surf Avenue (at the corner of West 10th Street) on the boardwalk. It ceased operations on September 7, 2008.
History
Ast ...
amusement park closed. In 2009, a traveling carnival operated amusement rides on the Astroland site, renaming it ''Dreamland''. On February 16, 2010,
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
announced the winning bid to develop and operate an amusement park to be constructed on the former site of Astroland in Coney Island would be awarded to Zamperla/Central Amusement International under a 10-year lease.
The new Luna Park was widely advertised across
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in posters, billboards, and advertisements on the side of public buses as part of an advertisement for the attractions at Coney Island. The ads boasted the punchlines "Thrill is nothing without speed", referring to the various thrill rides at the park and "The FUN is back at Coney Island" referring to the Coney Island restoration project. The park opened on May 29, 2010.
Besides the new rides brought in by Zamperla, many older rides from Astroland were incorporated into Luna Park. These included the old park's centerpiece, "Astrotower", which was not operational; another inherited ride was the landmarked
Cyclone roller coaster, which was leased out to Astroland in 1975. Some of the other old spaced themed elements were incorporated into the amusement areas.
On July 2, 2013, Luna Park was evacuated as a precaution due to a problem with the Astrotower swaying; part of the attraction remained closed over the
Fourth of July
Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
. During that time, construction crews worked day and night to dismantle the tower and by July 6 it had been reduced to a four foot high stump with the pieces sold to a local junkyard for scrap.
In May 2014, the
Thunderbolt
A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of lightning when accompanied by a loud thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the 'Sky Father'; this association is also found in later Hell ...
steel coaster opened at Luna Park. It was named after the
1925 coaster that had been demolished in 2000.
In August 2018, the
New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is a nonprofit corporation whose stated mission is to "leverage the city’s assets to create beneficial jobs that drive growth. This ensures equitable and sustainable development across al ...
and the
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolog ...
announced that Luna Park would be expanded. The new rides would be located on a city-operated parcel between West 15th and West 16th Streets, next to the new Thunderbolt coaster. The rides would include a
log flume
A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pre ...
called the Super Flume(Working Title), as well as a circus themed
zip-line
A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bott ...
and a
ropes course
A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in tr ...
called "Sky Chaser" after a naming contest by fans, a family coaster called "Tony's Express"(After Zamperla's Founder, Antonio Zamperla), and possibly a water drop tower. that were originally scheduled to open in 2020.
There would also be a public plaza and an
amusement arcade within the newly expanded amusement area.
These construction projects were placed on hold in early 2020 with the
COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
The first case of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City was confirmed on March 1, 2020, though later research showed that the novel coronavirus had been circulating in New York City since January, with cases of community transmission confirme ...
. Alessandro Zamperla, president of Luna Park's owner Central Amusement International, stated in mid-2020 that he hoped to have these rides open in 2021. The park reopened for the 2021 season, and the expansion started in October 2021.
Description
![LunaParkConeyIsland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/LunaParkConeyIsland.JPG)
Luna Park's entrance is patterned after the entrance to the original 1903 Luna Park and was built on the ground of the former
Astroland
Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City that first opened in 1962. It was located at 1000 Surf Avenue (at the corner of West 10th Street) on the boardwalk. It ceased operations on September 7, 2008.
History
Ast ...
amusement park. It has 19 new attractions and games. It is the only area on Coney Island where the use of cash to pay for amusements and rides is not allowed; visitors must buy Luna Cards and spend Luna Credits or use an unlimited ride wristband that allows four hours of ride time on select rides. Variations of the Coney Island "Funny Face" logo can be seen throughout the park. The logo, from the early days of George C. Tilyou's
Steeplechase Park
Steeplechase Park was a amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Steeplechase Park was created by entrepreneur George C. Tilyou in 1897 and operated until 1964. It was the first of the three large amusement parks built on Cone ...
, was created about 100 years ago.
Attractions
Luna Park has 36 attractions designed and manufactured by Antonio Zamperla, SpA (
Zamperla
Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. is an Italian design and manufacturing company founded in 1966. It is best known for creating family rides, thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The company also makes smaller coin-operated rides commonly found in ...
), based in
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a th ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Luna Park also operates the
Coney Island Cyclone
The Cyclone, also the Coney Island Cyclone, is a wooden roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Designed by Vernon Keenan, it opened to the public on June 26, 1927. The roller coaster is on a plot of land at the ...
, an official city and national landmark. Six rides, including some from the former Victorian Gardens Amusement Park, were placed in the area where the Wild River was located for the 2021 season.
Thrill Rides
![Thunderbolt Coney Island 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Thunderbolt_Coney_Island_2.jpg)
* Atlantic Aviator
* Brooklyn Flyer
* Clockworkz
* Coney Clipper
*
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...
*
Electro Spin
* Luna 360
*
The Tickler (2010 roller coaster)
*
Thunderbolt (2014 roller coaster)
Thunderbolt is a steel roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. It is located near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street, on the Riegelmann Boardwalk next to the B&B Carousell.
History
A wooden roller coaster named t ...
*
Tony's Express
* Leti's Treasure
* Sky Chaser
Family Rides
* Circus Coaster
* Coney Island Hang Glider
* Coney Tower
*
Lynn's Trapeze
* WindstarZ
Kiddie Rides
![Luna Park Coney Island 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Luna_Park_Coney_Island_2.JPG)
*
B&B Carousell
The B&B Carousell is a historic carousel at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York City. It was built by Coney Island-based manufacturer William F. Mangels 1906–1909, with wooden horses carved by Marcus Illions. The carousel has been relocated ...
* Brooklyn Barge
* Convoy
* Magic Bikes
* Seaside Swing
* Big Top Express
* Speed Boat
*
Tea Party
A tea party is a social gathering event held in the afternoon. For centuries, many societies have cherished drinking tea with a company at noon. Tea parties are considered for formal business meetings, social celebrations or just as an afternoon ...
* Circus Candy
* Fire Patrol
Victorian Gardens Rides
* Rainbowheel
* Aeromax
* Grand Prix
* Mini Mouse
Scream Zone
![Coney Island Scream Zone gate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Coney_Island_Scream_Zone_gate.jpg)
For the 2011 season, an addition called Scream Zone opened that featured four rides.
Since then, more rides have been added in a secondary section.
Rides
![Coney Island Brooklyn Jul 2019 55](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Coney_Island_Brooklyn_Jul_2019_55.jpg)
* Astro Tower (Named after Astroland's Astro Tower)
* Coney Island Raceway - Go-Kart Track
* Endeavor
*
Slingshot
A slingshot is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two natural rubber strips or tubes attached to the upper two ends. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket that holds the pro ...
*
Steeplechase (2011 Roller Coaster) - A Zamperla launching motocoaster with trains resembling horses
*
Soarin' Eagle - A Zamperla "flying" coaster where riders lie on their stomachs and cars go up a spiral lift hill
* Zenobio - A booster-type ride
Nearby Attractions
* Brooklyn Go-Kart - A kiddie version of the Coney Island Raceway, with different owners
* El Dorado's Auto Scooters - Bumper Cars
* Brooklyn Mini Golf
* Swinging Ship
* Coney Art Walls- A collection of public murals with a event venue and a Coney-Island theme, though some of the murals have been vandalized.
*
Maimonides Park
Maimonides Park (formerly MCU Park and KeySpan Park) is a minor league baseball stadium on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The home team and primary tenant is the New York Mets-affiliated Brooklyn Cyclones o ...
– a minor league ballpark that is home of the
Brooklyn Cyclones
The Brooklyn Cyclones are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and play at Maimonides Park, just off the Coney Island Boar ...
*
Nathan's Famous
Nathan's Famous, Inc. is an American company that operates a chain of fast food restaurants specializing in hot dogs. The original Nathan's restaurant stands at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in the Coney Island neighborhood of the B ...
, the original location of the chain
Arcades and Games
* Luna Park Arcade
* Warpzone Retro Darkade - A small arcade featuring retro arcade games.
* There are also many stall games spread through the area of the park.
See also
*
Luna Park
Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Island parks. Luna parks are small-sc ...
, list of parks based on the original Luna Park
References
External links
*
Oral histories about Luna Park (2010-) collected by the Coney Island History Project
{{Coney Island
Coney Island
Amusement parks in New York (state)
2010 establishments in New York City
Amusement parks opened in 2010