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Luna Park (Coney Island, 1903)

February 04, 2023

Luna Park was an amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The park was located on a site bounded by Surf Avenue to the south, West 8th Street to the east, Neptune Avenue to the north, and West 12th Street to the west. Luna Park opened in 1903 and operated until 1944. It was located partly on the grounds of the small park it replaced, Sea Lion Park, "the first enclosed and permanent amusement park in North America", which had operated between 1895 and 1902.[2] It was the second of the three original, very large, iconic parks built on Coney Island; the other were Steeplechase Park (1897, by George C. Tilyou) and Dreamland (1904, by William H. Reynolds).[3] At Coney Island's peak in the middle of the 20th century's first decade, the three amusement parks competed with each other and with many independent amusements.

Luna Park
Luna Park entrance, early 20th century
LocationConey Island, Brooklyn, United States
Coordinates40°34′37″N 73°58′44″W / 40.577°N 73.979°W / 40.577; -73.979Coordinates: 40°34′37″N 73°58′44″W / 40.577°N 73.979°W / 40.577; -73.979
StatusClosed
OpenedMay 16, 1903[1]
ClosedAugust 13, 1944
OwnerFrederic Thompson,
Elmer "Skip" Dundy

Luna Park's co-founders Frederic Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy had created the "A Trip To The Moon" ride, which had been highly popular during the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, and operated at Steeplechase Park in 1902. Luna Park opened on May 16, 1903, and it was highly profitable until Dundy died in 1907. Thompson then operated the park alone until 1912, when his lease was canceled. The Luna Amusement Company owned the park from 1911 to 1939; during the Great Depression, creditors foreclosed on Luna Park twice. The park was leased to a syndicate in 1940 and continued to operate during World War II. Over the years, the park's owners constantly added new attractions and shows.

The western half of the park was destroyed by a fire in August 1944 and never reopened, while the eastern half closed in September 1994. Although some rides on Surf Avenue continued to operate after 1944, much of the site remained closed for several years; the entire site was redeveloped as the Luna Park Houses between 1958 and 1962. Though another amusement park named Luna Park opened nearby in 2010, it has no connection to the 1903 park.

Luna Park in 1905

Development

Between about 1880 and World War II, Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the United States, attracting several million visitors per year.[4] Sea Lion Park opened in 1895[5] and was Coney Island's first amusement area to charge entry fees;[6][7] this in turn spurred the construction of George C. Tilyou's Steeplechase Park in 1897, the neighborhood's first major amusement park.[6][8]

Background

In 1901, Frederic Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy had created a wildly successful ride, called "A Trip To The Moon", as part of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, New York. The name of the fanciful "airship" (complete with flapping wings) that was the main part of the ride was Luna, the Latin word for the moon.[9][10] The airship, and the park that was subsequently built around it, may have been named after Dundy's sister in Des Moines, Luna Dundy Newman.[9][11] George C. Tilyou, the owner of Steeplechase Park, invited Thompson and Dundy to move their attraction to Steeplechase for the 1902 season.[10][12] The ride performed poorly during that season, which was extremely rainy.[13] Thompson and Dundy opted to establish their own amusement park at the end of the season, following a disagreement with Tilyou.[12][13]

 
Luna Park under construction in January 1903. This picture was taken on the day Thompson and Dundy executed Topsy the elephant (standing in the middle of this image).
 
Map of Luna Park in 1906

Thompson and Dundy agreed to take over the site of Paul Boyton's 16-acre (6.5 ha) Sea Lion Park in August 1902.[14][15] As part of the deal, they leased some land from Frederick Kister, and they also leased a strip of land on West 12th Street for 25 years.[16] Sea Lion Park had several centerpiece rides, but the bad 1902 season and competition with Steeplechase Park had prompted Boyton to leave the amusement park business.[11] Thompson and Dundy also leased the adjacent site of the Elephantine Colossus Hotel,[11] which had burned down in 1896.[17] This gave them 22 acres (8.9 ha), all the land north of Surf Avenue and south of Neptune Avenue, between West 8th and West 12th Streets.[18]

Construction and opening

Dundy was charged with raising capital for the project, while Thompson was responsible for the park's layout and architecture.[11] The Brooklyn Daily Eagle initially estimated that Thompson and Dundy would spend $200,000 on renovating Sea Lion Park.[15] Ultimately, the men spent $700,000 (although they advertised it as $1 million) totally rebuilding the park and expanding its attractions.[19][20] Wall Street financiers and Coney Island speculators each contributed half of the project's cost.[11] By November 1902, Thompson aimed to open the park by May 2 of the following year.[21] Topsy the elephant, who had been bought that season by Boyton to add to the menagerie of animals at Sea Lion Park, was involved in demolishing some of the old rides. During an October event that involved Topsy hauling the airship Luna from Steeplechase to its new location, handler William Alt was arrested for disorderly conduct after assaulting the elephant with a pitchfork and then turning it loose to wander down Surf Avenue.[22][23] In an organized publicity stunt, Thompson and Dundy announced they were going to hang Topsy and sell tickets to the event. Following an intervention from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Thompson and Dundy agreed to more a humane method of poisoning, electrocuting, and strangling the elephant in a smaller private affair that was captured in the short film Electrocuting an Elephant.[24] Thompson and Dundy ultimately electrocuted Topsy, then killed her using cyanide, in January 1903.[25][26]

Thompson and Dundy planned to add new rides including a flower garden, a German village, and a Trip to the Moon attraction.[22] The lagoon and the Shoot-the-Chutes attraction were the only parts of Sea Lion Park to be retained.[11][12][22] Early plans called for Luna Park to include a tower with 38,000 lights.[15] The park's original rides and attractions also included an infant incubator, a Shoot the Chute ride, a three-ring circus, and a Fire and Flames show that employed over a thousand performers.[27] Luna Park unofficially opened on April 5, 1903, with a live show.[28][29] The same month, Leo Wyent and George M. Foley sued to prevent Thompson and Dundy from issuing a concession that would allow a third party to sell cigars and alcoholic beverages at the park.[30] Thompson and Dundy planned to sell alcoholic beverages at one location in the park, the German Village.[28]

Calling itself "[t]he heart of Coney Island",[31] Luna Park turned on its lights on May 16, 1903,[32][33] at 8 p.m.[32][34] The park's gates opened five minutes later[34] to a crowd of 45,000 guests.[35] It featured 39 shows[36] and initially contained 53 buildings.[37] Admission to the park was ten cents.[38][39] An additional fee was required for some rides, ranging up to 25 cents for the most elaborate attractions, although the park also hosted free shows.[39] Luna Park was accessible from Culver Depot, the terminals of the West End and Sea Beach railroad lines.[40] Its general manager D. S. Smith had arranged for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) to operate express trains directly to Park Row Terminal in Manhattan during the park's operating hours, terminating directly at Luna Park's main entrance;[28][29] this arrangement continued until 1909.[41] The park was extremely popular, recording 142,000 guests on Independence Day in 1903.[38] Thompson and Dundy had recovered 90 percent of Luna Park's construction cost less than three months after its grand opening.[42]

 
The Dragon's Gorge
 
Main Lagoon
 
Entrance, seen in 1913

Operation

1900s

 
Interior of Luna Park, 1905 with the "Electric Tower" in the foreground

Because of the success of Luna Park, competition for visitors ramped up on Coney Island.[43][44] Former state senator William H. Reynolds announced plans in July 1903 to build a hippodrome rivaling Luna Park,[45] and Reynolds opened a third large-scale park, Dreamland, the next year.[46][44] Reynolds wanted Dreamland to surpass Luna Park in every way.[46] As such, Dreamland featured several times as many lights as Luna Park, an even bigger central tower, more refined architecture, and (according to one source) more "high-class entertainment".[20] At Coney Island's peak in the mid-1900s, Luna Park, Dreamland, and Steeplechase Park competed with each other and with many independent amusements.[47]: 147–150 [48] Dreamland survived until 1911, when it was destroyed in one of the many conflagrations that were common on Coney Island during the early 20th century.[49]

Thompson and Dundy were constantly changing the park's attractions.[50] Ahead of the 1904 season, Thompson and Dundy expanded Luna Park by 16 acres (6.5 ha),[51][52] bringing its total area to 38 acres (15 ha).[43][53] The expansion included replicas of additional locales,[54] a Japanese tea garden,[55] a replica of a Himalayan mountain above the Coney Island Creek,[56] and a $250,000 reproduction of the Delhi Durbar.[55][56] Thompson and Dundy also added several shows, including "Night and Morning", as well as a series of pageants hosted on a 700-foot-wide (210 m) stage.[57] A second deck was added around the central lagoon, increasing the park's capacity by 70,000.[43][52] George Kessler of the Sea Beach Land Company agreed to buy the land under Luna Park in June 1904 for over $1 million; the sale did not affect Thompson and Dundy's lease of the site.[58][59] Kessler initially took an option on the site; he decided to exercise his option in September 1904.[60] At the time, Luna Park had already accommodated two million guests.[61]

For the 1905 season, L. A. Thompson (who was not related to Fred Thompson) added a scenic railway-style roller coaster to Luna Park,[62][63] replacing the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction.[63] Luna Park added several shows ahead of the 1906 season,[64][65] as well as two slides.[66] Dundy died in early 1907,[67] leaving Fred Thompson as the sole operator of Luna Park.[68] The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said that Dundy's death "was a severe blow to Mr. Thompson".[69] Nonetheless, Thompson continued to make improvements to the park, employing four elephants and 700 men during the off-season.[70] For the 1907 season, Thompson added a carousel called the Ocean Wave;[71] in addition, he expanded the ballroom and lagoon, and he relocated the entrance away from the elevated train lines.[72]

Coney Island had reached its peak popularity by the late 1900s.[73] The park employed over 2,000 people each season, and it accommodated five million guests a year.[74] The park had sold 31 million tickets in its first five seasons,[73] leading Thompson to say in early 1908: "I believe this surpasses everything in the history of amusement enterprises anywhere in the world."[70] Some of the attractions were replaced with ten live shows during the 1908 season,[75] including Trip to the Moon.[76] Thompson added another live show in 1909,[77] and he also continued to offer novelties, including elephant rides (which attracted guests such as actor Douglas Fairbanks).[50] That year, New York City mayor George B. McClellan Jr. attempted to prevent the park from staging live shows on Sundays, claiming that the shows were illegal;[78][79] a New York Supreme Court justice granted an injunction in July 1909, allowing Luna Park to host shows on Sundays.[80]

1910s

By October 1910, the New York State Banking Department wanted to place Luna Park into receivership because the firm of Thompson and Dundy had gone bankrupt. However, the park's lawyers contended that the firm was no longer in control of Luna Park.[81][82] A New York Supreme Court justice ultimately declined to appoint a receiver for the park.[83][84] For the 1911 season, Thompson added attractions and shows such as Sinking of the Maine and the Monkey Music Hall.[85] The Luna Amusement Company, headed by Barron Collier, took over the park about the same year.[86][87] The park's scenery-storage building, a restaurant, and two rides burned down in a large fire in December 1911, several months after Dreamland's destruction, although the rest of the park remained undamaged.[88][89] Thompson ran Luna Park until March 1912, when the Sea Beach Land Company and Charles C. Overton moved to evict Thompson;[69][90] the eviction was finalized the next month.[91][92] For the 1912 season, the new operators added attractions such as the Kiss Waltz and the Turkey Trot.[93]

Thompson left for San Francisco in 1913,[94] and Oscar Jurney was appointed as the new general manager, working at Luna Park until the end of 1917.[95] For the 1913 season, the new operator added various attractions, including a show called Fire and Sword, as well as two mechanical rides.[96][97] The following season, the operators added a dancing pavilion and numerous other attractions such as a diving tank.[98][99] The dance pavilion was so popular that a second level was constructed prior to the 1915 season, and the park began screening movies the same season.[100] Also during the 1915 season, the park's managers added an "Oriental Village", featuring Arab, Egyptian, and Turkish villagers, and a "village of midgets", featuring little people.[100]

Prior to the 1917 season, the Luna Park Amusement Company acquired additional land, which was used as a parking lot.[101] In addition, the park's managers installed the Top, a massive steel structure that was designed to resemble a spinning top.[102][103] The toboggan and burro rides were destroyed in a fire in August 1917,[104][105] and a set for a mountain range burned down in March 1918.[106] As a result of the first fire, the toboggan and burro rides were rebuilt.[101] During the 1918 season, Luna Park's managers added several attractions pertaining to World War I, including a simulated battlefield.[107][108] The next year, Luna Park installed more war-related attractions,[109] and Henry Miller was appointed as the park's general manager.[86] The park also added shows such as the Darktown Follies and A Trip to Me-Lo-Die, as well as attractions including the Frolic, Over the Top (a variant of the Virginia Reel), the Tanks, and Treat-'em-Rough.[50]

1920s

For the 1920 season, the park's managers added several funhouse-style attractions,[50] including a tall slide and a children's figure-eight slide.[110] The park also added novelties such as the Pig Slide, a Shoot the Chute-style attraction that featured small pigs rather than people.[111] The park's shows during the early 1920s included China's Fairy Fountains, a monkey orchestra, dancing ponies, and trained leopards.[50] Luna Park added more shows in 1922, such as trained lions, trained tigers, "Skia the Perfect Woman", and "Trip to China".[112][113] By 1923, the park had over 100 attractions, including nine theaters and 23 rides.[114] The opening of the Riegelmann Boardwalk, the same year, caused patronage at Luna Park to increase.[115] Arthur Jarvis was appointed as the park's general manager in 1924.[50] Under Jarvis's management, the park added a roller coaster called the Sky Chaser,[115] and it built a picnic grove, a grandstand, and an athletic field.[116][117] In addition, two entrances to Luna Park were constructed to serve the new attractions.[116] During the same season, actress Mary Pickford sponsored the construction of a play area for children who had gotten lost.[118] Jarvis soon made further changes, including replacing the carousel and installing the Custer Cars, Skooter, and Tumblebug rides.[50]

The 1925 season saw the addition of a Samoan village, an Egyptian village, and a wild-west show.[119] Shows such as hula performances and the Charleston Chateau were added during the 1926 season, at which point the park was expanded to 50 acres (20 ha).[120][121] In addition, the park added a saltwater swimming pool in 1926.[122] Herbert Evans, the park's longtime amusement manager, was rehired in 1928 and immediately announced plans for additional rides at Luna Park.[123] Evans indicated that he would reduce the park's admission fees, relocate several shows to Surf Avenue, give four free-admission shows per day, and replace the underused athletic field with a parking lot.[124] The park spent $250,000 on improvements ahead of the 1929 season,[125] installing attractions such as a court of nations.[126]

1930s

 
Luna Park and Surf Avenue, 1912

Ahead of the 1930 season, Luna Park's managers installed a large cyclorama depicting Richard E. Byrd's Antarctic base,[127] and they installed a Lindy-Loop ride.[128] Rex D. Billings was appointed as the park's general manager the following year.[129] For the 1931 season, the park added attractions like a Dodge 'Em ride, a dark ride called the Pretzel, and a South Pole panorama.[130] Luna Park struggled financially in the early 1930s, having been unable to profit from children's rides, cockroach racing, marionette shows, or roller skating.[50] To attract visitors, Luna Park reduced admission fees for many attractions.[131] During the Great Depression, three of the park's creditors filed a bankruptcy petition against Luna Park in 1933, asking a federal court to place the park into receivership.[132][133] The proceeding was a "friendly receivership", which allowed the Luna Amusement Company to continue operating the park.[134] At the time, the park reportedly had $1.25 million in liabilities and had incurred a net loss during the preceding three seasons.[133][134]

Billings made several modifications to the park before the 1933 season, including installing a skating rink in the Fun House and adding a beer garden.[135] Every year, Luna Park had traditionally opened on the Saturday closest to May 15,[136] but the receivership proceeding had delayed the opening of the 1933 season by one month.[50] Luna Park was largely closed during 1934, amid a poor season for Coney Island's amusement-ride industry;[137][138] half of the rides were gated off, and the park did not host any live shows.[138][139] Prior to the beginning of the 1935 season, the park's operators added a variety of rides and attractions,[140][141] spending $70,000 in total.[142] The manager, Charles R. Miller, reported that Luna Park's revenue during 1935 was at its highest level in six years, in part because of the presence of new basketball and handball courts, a large swimming pool, and new shows.[141]

Luna Park's operators added more attractions during 1937, including two funhouses and an assortment of flat rides, but they were unable to compete with Coney Island's beach, which charged no admission and was consequently more popular among travelers.[50] The following year, Miller added vaudeville shows and replaced the Streets of Paris attraction with a concert space called Willow Green.[143] Collier owned the park until his death in March 1939.[144] The park had gone into receivership the prior month, when the Prudence Bonds Corporation foreclosed on a $400,000 mortgage that had been placed on the park.[145] Jack and Irving Rosenthal, operators of Palisades Amusement Park, considered taking over Luna Park at that time.[146] The park ultimately reopened in June 1939[147][148] after Harry Meinch, Silvio Pinto, and Walter Burgess leased Luna Park from its creditors.[148] For the previous two seasons, only a small section of the park was open to the public.[149]

Early 1940s

Milton Sheen, the park's manager, announced plans in early 1940 to renovate Luna Park for $100,000.[150] Later that year, Sheen announced plans to relocate at least eight attractions from the 1939 New York World's Fair after the fair closed.[151] Prior to the 1940 season, a syndicate composed of Edward and Harry Lee Danziger, William Miller, and Sheen took over the park,[152][153] signing a ten-year lease in December 1940.[153] At the end of that month, Miller announced plans to relocate 15 attractions from the World's Fair to Luna Park.[154] The plans also included a building for commercial exhibits, a swimming pool, a ballroom, and live shows.[154][155] Luna Park's managers ultimately spent $9 million to rebuild the park and install new attractions.[156] Even after the United States entered World War II, Luna Park was allowed to open for the 1942 season, but the park had to keep its lights dimmed for wartime security.[157][158] Miller continued to operate the park for the 1943 season while his partners, the Danzigers, served in the United States Army. Despite wartime restrictions and increased ticket prices, Luna Park remained popular.[159]

External video
  Coney Island at Night, Thomas A. Edison, Inc., 1905. Available through the National Screening Room at the Library of Congress.

Several concessions were damaged in a fire in February 1944, but most of the park remained untouched.[160][161] After weeks of negotiations,[162] Miller and the Danziger brothers agreed to purchase Luna Park from Prudence Bonds on August 3, 1944.[163][164] The cost was estimated at $275,000; the price included a $125,000 purchase-money mortgage.[165] Miller planned to renovate the park for the 1945 season and rename it Bill Miller's Luna Park.[164][166] Miller and the Danzigers were not scheduled to take title until September 15.[167]

Demise

Fire and aftermath

A fire on August 13, 1944, destroyed much of Luna Park, causing $800,000 in damage.[168][169] Among the attractions destroyed in the fire were the Dragon's Gorge, the Mile Skyway roller coaster, the Coca-Cola tower, and various games and flat rides.[170][171] The western half of the park was completely destroyed, but the main entrance, administration building, swimming pool, and other rides near the park's entrance were not seriously damaged.[171] The undamaged part of Luna Park reopened on August 18[172] and continued to operate until September 15, 1944.[173] Even prior to the fire, the park's business had suffered due to declining patronage and a lack of new attractions.[174] The few rides that survived the fire also operated during the 1945 season,[175] but the interior of the park remained closed.[176] During that season, Prudence Bonds leased the rides along Surf Avenue to Abe Siskin, Phil Pates, and Chick Guelfi,[177][178] who renovated the Ole Opry House attraction into a music hall called Little Old New York.[179]

In the two years after the fire, legal disputes ensued over the park's insurance payout,[180][87] which amounted to $152,000 and was paid to Prudence Bonds.[178] Miller filed several lawsuits, including one to evict Prudence Bonds, whom he claimed had illegally leased the attractions on Surf Avenue to Siskin, Pates, and Guelfi.[178][181] The Brooklyn Municipal Court initially ruled that Prudence Bonds had to leave by July 1, 1945,[181] but the ruling was overturned on appeal in August 1945.[177][178] The New York Court of Appeals ruled in July 1946 that the park had to be given to the Danziger brothers for $135,000.[87] The Danzigers immediately resold the park back to Prudence Bonds, estimating that it would cost $2 million to rebuild the site.[87][182] The park's interior remained closed, and some of the attractions had been sold or placed for sale, but the attractions on Surf Avenue were still operational.[87][183]

Demolition and redevelopment

In August 1946, the park was sold to Morton S. Wolf and Associates, which announced that they would tear down what was left of Luna Park's interior and build housing for military veterans and their families.[183][184] The plans called for 17 structures with a total of 625 three-and-four-room apartments. Wolf and Associates planned to preserve only the swimming pool, which was the only pool on Coney Island with a license to use ocean water.[183] The rides along Surf Avenue, formerly part of Luna Park, were not included in the sale.[185] That October, during Luna Park's demolition, the remains of the park were damaged in another fire.[186][187][188] During the 1947 operating season, Luna Park's facade (including its entrance) was demolished and replaced with additional concessions.[189][190] Despite Wolf and Associates' plans for the site, construction on the housing development never started. The remains of the park were visited only by "youngsters at play" and a fire inspector who visited once a week.[191] The park was further damaged by several minor fires.[192] For instance, the remains of the Mile Skyway were destroyed in another fire in 1948.[193][192]

Wolf continued to rent the rides on Surf Avenue to Siskin, Pates, and Guelfi until 1948, when Karl Klarnet took over operation. Wolf sold the Surf Avenue frontage to the Bonra Realty Company in July 1948.[194] Bonra planned to replace the old buildings and entrance on Surf Avenue with two new structures for about $100,000.[195] The park's administration building on Surf Avenue remained vacant until May 1949, when it was also destroyed by a fire while being demolished.[196][197] In January 1950, the eastern half of the site was sold again to Ball Park Movies Inc., which wanted to build a drive-in theater.[191][198] By then, the site contained the remains of several rides, although all of the buildings had since been demolished.[191] Fred Trump acquired the eastern half of the park from Ball Park Movies in October 1950, with the intention of constructing housing there.[199][200] Trump bought the western half of the park, measuring 700 by 1,200 feet (210 by 370 m), in 1953 for $625,000.[201] This was one of several large residential developments being planned for Coney Island at the time.[202] Trump had assembled a 29-acre (12 ha) site, comprising not only the former Luna Park but also a strip of land stretching west to the New York City Subway's Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station. [203]

Trump had wanted to obtain financing from the Federal Housing Administration, which withheld funding after federal officials indicted Trump on charges of profiteering in connection with a separate development.[203] The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) took over the site and announced in December 1955 that it would build a housing development for $200,000.[203][204] The Coney Island Chamber of Commerce opposed the project, while the New York City Board of Estimate was in favor.[205][206] To comply with the Board of Estimate's requests, NYCHA revised its plan in early 1956 to exclude the attractions along Surf Avenue.[207] The site was temporarily used as a public parking lot during the 1956 operating season[208][209] and again in 1957.[210] NYCHA took title to the site in November 1956[211] and began constructing the housing project in July 1958.[212] The development was converted to a housing cooperative[213][214] prior to its completion in 1962.[215] A small part of the site, at Neptune Avenue and West 12th Street, was sold in 1960 and became a shopping center.[216]

Description

Luna Park was bounded by Surf Avenue to the south, West 8th Street to the east, Neptune Avenue to the north, and West 12th Street to the west.[191] Originally occupying 22 acres (8.9 ha),[18] Luna Park was expanded to 38 acres (15 ha) by 1904,[53][43] then to 50 acres (20 ha) by 1926.[120][121] At its peak in the early 20th century, Luna Park employed hundreds of people and had its own police force, fire department, and clinic.[114] Compared to the original Dreamland, the original Luna Park was smaller in scale but better organized, leading Town and Country magazine to say: "The impression one takes from Luna Park is one of activity and extreme organization."[66] Luna Park also differed from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, which had inspired many of Coney Island's earlier rides and was generally designed in a neoclassical style. According to author John F. Kasson, "The Columbian Exposition preached discipline [while] Luna Park invited release", even though the buildings at both locations were made of plaster.[35]

Fred Thompson designed the park's buildings with elements from a variety of sources.[35] Thompson did not want to use classical details, saying: "It is marvelous what you can do in the way of arousing human emotions by the use that you make, architecturally, of simple lines".[217] Generally, the buildings were designed in an Oriental style;[35][218] many of the park's architectural features were adapted from the Pan-American Exposition, including colonnades, loggias, porticoes, domes, and minarets.[219] The park originally contained over 1,000 red-and-white painted spires, minarets and domes.[2] Luna Park also contained organic architectural details, such as dolphins (which were placed at the bottom of the park's electric tower) and griffins (which were placed on the Dragon's Gorge ride).[220] Thompson also wanted the architectural elements to exude a feeling of luxury.[221] Kasson and Michael Immerso characterized Luna Park's design as being carnival-like, a deliberate effect intended to immerse visitors.[220][222] Like Steeplechase Park, Luna Park was marketed as a family-friendly destination; Thompson dubbed it "the place for your mother, your sister, and your sweetheart".[223][224]

The park was initially illuminated at night by over 200,000 electric lights,[225][226] installed on 132 towers and turrets;[225][227] the lights changed color every second.[39] Although Luna Park had far more light bulbs than Steeplechase Park, it was surpassed only a year later by Dreamland's one million bulbs.[54] Luna Park had over 600,000 electric lights by 1908,[70] which was expanded yet again to 1.45 million lights by 1912.[50] The lighting scheme contributed to Luna Park's character and, according to Kasson, "symbolized its topsy-turvy order".[228]

Entrance and main court

The arched entrance on Surf Avenue was described as "covering half of an entire city block",[229][230] with four monolithic figures, one at each of its corners.[32][33][230] The entrance gate contained five ticket kiosks, shaped like Roman chariots and staffed by "young women dressed in evening attire and Merry Widow straw hats emblazoned with red feathers".[231] A large avenue called the Court of Honor extended straight from the entrance and was surrounded by 53 buildings.[231] There was a replica of Venice to the right of the court,[33][229] which included a miniature Grand Canal with gondoliers, as well as a replica of the Piazza San Marco.[231] To the left of the Court of Honor were three large buildings, which featured the Trip to the Moon, War of Worlds, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attractions.[32][232] Other attractions, which housed various shows, the Grand Casino, and the Old Mill and Helter Skelter attractions, were placed alongside the Court of Honor.[39]

At the center of the park in the middle of a lake was the 200-foot-tall (61 m) electric tower[32][225] that was decorated with 30,000 incandescent lamps.[226] Each of the tower's four sides had 48 illuminated circles.[70] The tower was inspired by another at the Pan-American Exposition, which had been twice as tall and illuminated by thousands of lights.[233] The lagoon around the tower was bordered by a wide, brightly lit esplanade; there was also a lighted terrace with benches next to the lagoon.[32] Two circus rings were suspended over the central lagoon to keep customers entertained between rides,[37][229] and aerial shows were performed over the lagoon.[37][39] In contrast to Dreamland, Luna Park generally had narrow pathways. When the park was particularly crowded, patrons were sometimes "compelled to listen to the side show 'barkers'" to avoid the overcrowded paths, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.[234]

Rides and attractions

 
The mechanical escalator to the top of the Helter Skelter

Luna Park had many rides over the years. Among the attractions that opened in 1903 were Bridge of Laughs, an uneven-surface plank bridge;[235] Midnight Express, a miniature railroad;[225] Shoot the Chutes, a slide left over from Boynton's Sea Lion Park;[225][226] and Trip to the Moon, a roller coaster originally named Drop the Dip.[225][226] One of Luna Park's largest attractions was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a submarine ride simulating Jules Verne's novel of the same name.[225][226] It was housed in a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) building[227] and transported guests to a replica of an Eskimo village at the North Pole;[33][229] the building included a tank measuring 24 feet (7.3 m) deep, and the temperature of the water changed as visitors traveled to different parts of the tank.[236] The park's other original attractions included Infant Incubators, a building displaying a new type of infant care.[237] Canals of Venice, a gondola ride,[231] was one of the original attractions, but did not open with the rest of the park.[32]

Luna Park's attractions were constantly changed over the years. The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction was replaced with a cyclorama in 1905,[57][63] and Trip to the Moon was relocated in the 1910s before being moved back to Luna Park in 1924.[238] Other rides added to Luna Park after its opening included:

  • "Buzzard's Roost" – a side-friction roller coaster designed by L. A. Thompson; added in 1904[50]
  • "Daffy Dill & Captain Thompson's Wonder Ship" – an attraction with a deep-sea monster; added in 1937[50]
  • "Double Whirl" – a set of six 72-person wheels attached to a 40-foot-wide (12 m) turntable; added in 1906–1907[50]
  • "Dragon's Gorge" – a side-friction roller coaster consisting of a 4,000-foot-long (1,200 m) track in a 200-by-300-foot (61 by 91 m) building with a waterfall; added in 1905[63][239]
  • "Helter Skelter" – an adult slide with two chutes; added in 1906–1907[66][50]
  • "Mountain Torrent" – an early water coaster, which started atop an 80-foot-tall (24 m) mountain and dropped down a series of cascades and ridges[240]
  • "Old Mill" – tunnel of love ride;[39] adapted from the Babbling Brook, a water slide, circa 1904[50]
  • "The Teaser" – spinning wooden chairs; installed next to the electric tower in 1910[50]
  • "The Tickler" – large round tub that rolled downhill through a winding fence lined path; added in 1907[66][241]
  • "The Top" – a massive spinning wheel,[102][103] which weighed 45 short tons (40 long tons; 41 t), was 70 feet (21 m) wide, and traveled along a 3,200-foot-long (980 m) track. The ride was added in 1917 and removed after 1921.[50]
  • "A Trip to Mars by Aeroplane" – simulation of a Curtiss plane that traveled from Governors Island to Mars; added circa 1909[50]
  • "Virginia Reel" – a side-friction roller coaster with circular spinning cars that zigzagged down a track.[70][241] Added in 1908, the ride was invented by the park's superintendent Henry Elmer Riehl, who named it after his daughter.[242]
  • "Witching Waves" – small cars propelled by an undulating floor; added in 1907[241]

Shows, exhibits, and other facilities

The park also had dozens of live shows over the years. Each show was maintained by two park attendants.[114] When Luna Park opened, its shows included "War of the Worlds", a show that simulated enemy ships firing at a replica of Fort Hamilton;[225][226] "Professor Wormwood's Monkey Theater", which showcased trained dogs, monkeys, and apes;[37][39] "The Kansas Cyclone", a theater show depicting a Kansas town being destroyed by a tornado;[50] "Fire and Flame", a simulated fire that employed a thousand performers;[240] and "Hagenbeck's Wild Animals".[50][39] The Durbar attraction, added in 1904, featured a 700-foot-wide stage that exhibited such "dramatic spectacles" as "The Great Train Robbery", "Days of '49", "The Burning of Prairie Belle", and "Crack of Doom".[57] Later additions included "Fall of Adrianople", a show that depicted a besieged Turkish city.[50] There were also various theatrical attractions, such as the Chinese Theater;[37][39] by 1923, the park had nine theaters.[114]

Luna Park contained a Rath House, a German-style meeting hall which could accommodate 1,000 people and had a main ballroom, banquet rooms, and reception rooms.[225] The park also contained the Grand Casino, along the Court of Honor.[39] The park hosted concerts, fireworks, and carnival performances as well.[39][225] Luna Park also had a swimming pool that, in 1915, was cited as being capable of accommodating 5,000 bathers.[100] Handball and basketball courts were also added after the 1935 season.[141]

The park included multiple sections with small "villages" that housed members of various ethnic groups.[225][226] For example, there was a "Filipino village", featuring actual Filipino villagers who were brought to New York City, as well as "Japanese, Eskimo, Singalese, and Hindu villages".[227] There were also various sections dedicated to different parts of the world, including landscapes themed to Japan, Germany, and Ireland.[229] According to the New-York Tribune, "the villages of foreigners form centres of interest for many visitors to Luna Park".[236] By 1904, the park also had replicas of Delhi, as well as a miniature Hanging Gardens of Babylon with 25,000 plants and 10,000 trees.[54]

 
The Dragon's Gorge at Luna Park, whose fire in 1944 led to Luna Park's closure
 
Shoot-the-Chutes ride
 
Helter Skelter
 
Elephant ride in 1906

Legacy

Critical reception

The day after the park opened in 1903, a reporter claimed that "the brilliance and beauty and weirdness of it all beggars description".[34] Soon afterward, the New-York Tribune wrote that the park was "most completely electrically illuminated and most attractively laid out, while there is nothing to which the most fastidious visitor can take the least exception in the way the attractions are presented or attention is drawn to them".[236] Russian author Maxim Gorky said of the park: "With the advent of night, a fantastic city all of fire suddenly rises from the ocean into the sky",[243] while another writer said that Luna Park's skyline "is utterly unlike anything else of its kind in the two Americas".[244] The Tribune wrote in 1904 that "people were at a loss for adjectives and exclamations to describe the City of the Moon last summer; they will be utterly swamped this year."[53] Not all commentary was positive; art critic James Huneker said "every angle reveals some new horror" at Dreamland and Luna Park.[245]

Luna Park's electric tower had inspired the construction of similar towers at Steeplechase Park and Dreamland.[62] Billboard magazine described Luna Park and Dreamland in 1904 as the "twin sisters of magnificence";[246] the same magazine, in 1918, characterized Luna Park as a "real World's Fair".[108] Luna Park became so closely associated with Coney Island's amusements that, in 1921, the Standard Union called it "the heart of Coney Island".[247] In 1991, New York Times critic Walter Goodman described Luna Park as "a blazing architectural jumble, from Romanesque to Art Nouveau, alive with aerialists, tightrope walkers, jugglers and elephants."[248] John Kasson wrote in 1978 that, similar to the ornate vaudeville theaters and movie palaces of the early 20th century, "Luna appealed to popular notions of magnificence".[220]

In popular culture

Before the park opened, it was featured in the short silent comedy Rube and Mandy at Coney Island.[249] The song "Meet Me Down At Luna, Lena" was recorded by Billy Murray in 1905 to promote the park, among others.[250] Roscoe Arbuckle's 1917 silent Coney Island featured Luna Park.[251][252] The 1928 Oscar-nominated King Vidor movie The Crowd includes scenes filmed at Luna Park,[253] and part of Harold Lloyd's 1928 movie Speedy was also shot at the park.[254]

Namesakes

 
Modern Luna Park entrance

The original Luna Park site contains a cooperative apartment complex called Luna Park Houses, which was completed in 1962. When built, the development contained five 20-story buildings with a total of 1,576 units, each with between one and three bedrooms.[215] Each of the four buildings consists of four wings, which radiate from a core with three elevators and 100-foot-long (30 m) balconies on each floor.[255]

Coney Island's original Luna Park shares its name with dozens of parks around the world.[256] Among those was Coney Island's current Luna Park, which opened in 2010 at the former site of the defunct Astroland park, a parcel of land on the south side of Surf Avenue just across from the original Luna Park site.[257][258] The newer park, operated by Zamperla, features an entrance patterned after the original Luna Park's main gate.[259]

See also

  • Luna Park, list of parks based on the original Luna Park

References

Citations

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Sources

  • Immerso, Michael (2002). Coney Island: the people's playground (illustrated ed.). Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-3138-0.
  • Kasson, John F. (1978). Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century. American century series. Hill & Wang. ISBN 978-0-8090-2617-3.
  • Parascandola, L.J. (2014). A Coney Island Reader: Through Dizzy Gates of Illusion. Columbia University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-231-53819-0. Retrieved January 20, 2019.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Luna Park (Coney Island, 1903).
  • Oral histories about Luna Park (1903-1944) collected by the Coney Island History Project
  • Billy Murray and the Haydn Quartet sing "Meet Me Down at Luna, Lena"
  • Luna Park history site with numerous pictures
  • Brooklyn Museum exhibit on Luna Park

February 04, 2023
luna, park, coney, island, 1903, luna, park, amusement, park, coney, island, brooklyn, york, city, park, located, site, bounded, surf, avenue, south, west, street, east, neptune, avenue, north, west, 12th, street, west, luna, park, opened, 1903, operated, unti. Luna Park was an amusement park in Coney Island Brooklyn New York City The park was located on a site bounded by Surf Avenue to the south West 8th Street to the east Neptune Avenue to the north and West 12th Street to the west Luna Park opened in 1903 and operated until 1944 It was located partly on the grounds of the small park it replaced Sea Lion Park the first enclosed and permanent amusement park in North America which had operated between 1895 and 1902 2 It was the second of the three original very large iconic parks built on Coney Island the other were Steeplechase Park 1897 by George C Tilyou and Dreamland 1904 by William H Reynolds 3 At Coney Island s peak in the middle of the 20th century s first decade the three amusement parks competed with each other and with many independent amusements Luna ParkLuna Park entrance early 20th centuryLocationConey Island Brooklyn United StatesCoordinates40 34 37 N 73 58 44 W 40 577 N 73 979 W 40 577 73 979 Coordinates 40 34 37 N 73 58 44 W 40 577 N 73 979 W 40 577 73 979StatusClosedOpenedMay 16 1903 1 ClosedAugust 13 1944OwnerFrederic Thompson Elmer Skip DundyLuna Park s co founders Frederic Thompson and Elmer Skip Dundy had created the A Trip To The Moon ride which had been highly popular during the 1901 Pan American Exposition and operated at Steeplechase Park in 1902 Luna Park opened on May 16 1903 and it was highly profitable until Dundy died in 1907 Thompson then operated the park alone until 1912 when his lease was canceled The Luna Amusement Company owned the park from 1911 to 1939 during the Great Depression creditors foreclosed on Luna Park twice The park was leased to a syndicate in 1940 and continued to operate during World War II Over the years the park s owners constantly added new attractions and shows The western half of the park was destroyed by a fire in August 1944 and never reopened while the eastern half closed in September 1994 Although some rides on Surf Avenue continued to operate after 1944 much of the site remained closed for several years the entire site was redeveloped as the Luna Park Houses between 1958 and 1962 Though another amusement park named Luna Park opened nearby in 2010 it has no connection to the 1903 park Luna Park in 1905 Contents 1 Development 1 1 Background 1 2 Construction and opening 2 Operation 2 1 1900s 2 2 1910s 2 3 1920s 2 4 1930s 2 5 Early 1940s 3 Demise 3 1 Fire and aftermath 3 2 Demolition and redevelopment 4 Description 4 1 Entrance and main court 4 2 Rides and attractions 4 3 Shows exhibits and other facilities 5 Legacy 5 1 Critical reception 5 2 In popular culture 5 3 Namesakes 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Citations 7 2 Sources 8 External linksDevelopment EditBetween about 1880 and World War II Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the United States attracting several million visitors per year 4 Sea Lion Park opened in 1895 5 and was Coney Island s first amusement area to charge entry fees 6 7 this in turn spurred the construction of George C Tilyou s Steeplechase Park in 1897 the neighborhood s first major amusement park 6 8 Background Edit In 1901 Frederic Thompson and Elmer Skip Dundy had created a wildly successful ride called A Trip To The Moon as part of the Pan American Exposition at Buffalo New York The name of the fanciful airship complete with flapping wings that was the main part of the ride was Luna the Latin word for the moon 9 10 The airship and the park that was subsequently built around it may have been named after Dundy s sister in Des Moines Luna Dundy Newman 9 11 George C Tilyou the owner of Steeplechase Park invited Thompson and Dundy to move their attraction to Steeplechase for the 1902 season 10 12 The ride performed poorly during that season which was extremely rainy 13 Thompson and Dundy opted to establish their own amusement park at the end of the season following a disagreement with Tilyou 12 13 Luna Park under construction in January 1903 This picture was taken on the day Thompson and Dundy executed Topsy the elephant standing in the middle of this image Map of Luna Park in 1906 Thompson and Dundy agreed to take over the site of Paul Boyton s 16 acre 6 5 ha Sea Lion Park in August 1902 14 15 As part of the deal they leased some land from Frederick Kister and they also leased a strip of land on West 12th Street for 25 years 16 Sea Lion Park had several centerpiece rides but the bad 1902 season and competition with Steeplechase Park had prompted Boyton to leave the amusement park business 11 Thompson and Dundy also leased the adjacent site of the Elephantine Colossus Hotel 11 which had burned down in 1896 17 This gave them 22 acres 8 9 ha all the land north of Surf Avenue and south of Neptune Avenue between West 8th and West 12th Streets 18 Construction and opening Edit Dundy was charged with raising capital for the project while Thompson was responsible for the park s layout and architecture 11 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle initially estimated that Thompson and Dundy would spend 200 000 on renovating Sea Lion Park 15 Ultimately the men spent 700 000 although they advertised it as 1 million totally rebuilding the park and expanding its attractions 19 20 Wall Street financiers and Coney Island speculators each contributed half of the project s cost 11 By November 1902 Thompson aimed to open the park by May 2 of the following year 21 Topsy the elephant who had been bought that season by Boyton to add to the menagerie of animals at Sea Lion Park was involved in demolishing some of the old rides During an October event that involved Topsy hauling the airship Luna from Steeplechase to its new location handler William Alt was arrested for disorderly conduct after assaulting the elephant with a pitchfork and then turning it loose to wander down Surf Avenue 22 23 In an organized publicity stunt Thompson and Dundy announced they were going to hang Topsy and sell tickets to the event Following an intervention from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Thompson and Dundy agreed to more a humane method of poisoning electrocuting and strangling the elephant in a smaller private affair that was captured in the short film Electrocuting an Elephant 24 Thompson and Dundy ultimately electrocuted Topsy then killed her using cyanide in January 1903 25 26 Thompson and Dundy planned to add new rides including a flower garden a German village and a Trip to the Moon attraction 22 The lagoon and the Shoot the Chutes attraction were the only parts of Sea Lion Park to be retained 11 12 22 Early plans called for Luna Park to include a tower with 38 000 lights 15 The park s original rides and attractions also included an infant incubator a Shoot the Chute ride a three ring circus and a Fire and Flames show that employed over a thousand performers 27 Luna Park unofficially opened on April 5 1903 with a live show 28 29 The same month Leo Wyent and George M Foley sued to prevent Thompson and Dundy from issuing a concession that would allow a third party to sell cigars and alcoholic beverages at the park 30 Thompson and Dundy planned to sell alcoholic beverages at one location in the park the German Village 28 Calling itself t he heart of Coney Island 31 Luna Park turned on its lights on May 16 1903 32 33 at 8 p m 32 34 The park s gates opened five minutes later 34 to a crowd of 45 000 guests 35 It featured 39 shows 36 and initially contained 53 buildings 37 Admission to the park was ten cents 38 39 An additional fee was required for some rides ranging up to 25 cents for the most elaborate attractions although the park also hosted free shows 39 Luna Park was accessible from Culver Depot the terminals of the West End and Sea Beach railroad lines 40 Its general manager D S Smith had arranged for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company BRT to operate express trains directly to Park Row Terminal in Manhattan during the park s operating hours terminating directly at Luna Park s main entrance 28 29 this arrangement continued until 1909 41 The park was extremely popular recording 142 000 guests on Independence Day in 1903 38 Thompson and Dundy had recovered 90 percent of Luna Park s construction cost less than three months after its grand opening 42 The Dragon s Gorge Main Lagoon Entrance seen in 1913Operation Edit1900s Edit Interior of Luna Park 1905 with the Electric Tower in the foreground Because of the success of Luna Park competition for visitors ramped up on Coney Island 43 44 Former state senator William H Reynolds announced plans in July 1903 to build a hippodrome rivaling Luna Park 45 and Reynolds opened a third large scale park Dreamland the next year 46 44 Reynolds wanted Dreamland to surpass Luna Park in every way 46 As such Dreamland featured several times as many lights as Luna Park an even bigger central tower more refined architecture and according to one source more high class entertainment 20 At Coney Island s peak in the mid 1900s Luna Park Dreamland and Steeplechase Park competed with each other and with many independent amusements 47 147 150 48 Dreamland survived until 1911 when it was destroyed in one of the many conflagrations that were common on Coney Island during the early 20th century 49 Thompson and Dundy were constantly changing the park s attractions 50 Ahead of the 1904 season Thompson and Dundy expanded Luna Park by 16 acres 6 5 ha 51 52 bringing its total area to 38 acres 15 ha 43 53 The expansion included replicas of additional locales 54 a Japanese tea garden 55 a replica of a Himalayan mountain above the Coney Island Creek 56 and a 250 000 reproduction of the Delhi Durbar 55 56 Thompson and Dundy also added several shows including Night and Morning as well as a series of pageants hosted on a 700 foot wide 210 m stage 57 A second deck was added around the central lagoon increasing the park s capacity by 70 000 43 52 George Kessler of the Sea Beach Land Company agreed to buy the land under Luna Park in June 1904 for over 1 million the sale did not affect Thompson and Dundy s lease of the site 58 59 Kessler initially took an option on the site he decided to exercise his option in September 1904 60 At the time Luna Park had already accommodated two million guests 61 For the 1905 season L A Thompson who was not related to Fred Thompson added a scenic railway style roller coaster to Luna Park 62 63 replacing the 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction 63 Luna Park added several shows ahead of the 1906 season 64 65 as well as two slides 66 Dundy died in early 1907 67 leaving Fred Thompson as the sole operator of Luna Park 68 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said that Dundy s death was a severe blow to Mr Thompson 69 Nonetheless Thompson continued to make improvements to the park employing four elephants and 700 men during the off season 70 For the 1907 season Thompson added a carousel called the Ocean Wave 71 in addition he expanded the ballroom and lagoon and he relocated the entrance away from the elevated train lines 72 Coney Island had reached its peak popularity by the late 1900s 73 The park employed over 2 000 people each season and it accommodated five million guests a year 74 The park had sold 31 million tickets in its first five seasons 73 leading Thompson to say in early 1908 I believe this surpasses everything in the history of amusement enterprises anywhere in the world 70 Some of the attractions were replaced with ten live shows during the 1908 season 75 including Trip to the Moon 76 Thompson added another live show in 1909 77 and he also continued to offer novelties including elephant rides which attracted guests such as actor Douglas Fairbanks 50 That year New York City mayor George B McClellan Jr attempted to prevent the park from staging live shows on Sundays claiming that the shows were illegal 78 79 a New York Supreme Court justice granted an injunction in July 1909 allowing Luna Park to host shows on Sundays 80 1910s Edit By October 1910 the New York State Banking Department wanted to place Luna Park into receivership because the firm of Thompson and Dundy had gone bankrupt However the park s lawyers contended that the firm was no longer in control of Luna Park 81 82 A New York Supreme Court justice ultimately declined to appoint a receiver for the park 83 84 For the 1911 season Thompson added attractions and shows such as Sinking of the Maine and the Monkey Music Hall 85 The Luna Amusement Company headed by Barron Collier took over the park about the same year 86 87 The park s scenery storage building a restaurant and two rides burned down in a large fire in December 1911 several months after Dreamland s destruction although the rest of the park remained undamaged 88 89 Thompson ran Luna Park until March 1912 when the Sea Beach Land Company and Charles C Overton moved to evict Thompson 69 90 the eviction was finalized the next month 91 92 For the 1912 season the new operators added attractions such as the Kiss Waltz and the Turkey Trot 93 Thompson left for San Francisco in 1913 94 and Oscar Jurney was appointed as the new general manager working at Luna Park until the end of 1917 95 For the 1913 season the new operator added various attractions including a show called Fire and Sword as well as two mechanical rides 96 97 The following season the operators added a dancing pavilion and numerous other attractions such as a diving tank 98 99 The dance pavilion was so popular that a second level was constructed prior to the 1915 season and the park began screening movies the same season 100 Also during the 1915 season the park s managers added an Oriental Village featuring Arab Egyptian and Turkish villagers and a village of midgets featuring little people 100 Prior to the 1917 season the Luna Park Amusement Company acquired additional land which was used as a parking lot 101 In addition the park s managers installed the Top a massive steel structure that was designed to resemble a spinning top 102 103 The toboggan and burro rides were destroyed in a fire in August 1917 104 105 and a set for a mountain range burned down in March 1918 106 As a result of the first fire the toboggan and burro rides were rebuilt 101 During the 1918 season Luna Park s managers added several attractions pertaining to World War I including a simulated battlefield 107 108 The next year Luna Park installed more war related attractions 109 and Henry Miller was appointed as the park s general manager 86 The park also added shows such as the Darktown Follies and A Trip to Me Lo Die as well as attractions including the Frolic Over the Top a variant of the Virginia Reel the Tanks and Treat em Rough 50 1920s Edit For the 1920 season the park s managers added several funhouse style attractions 50 including a tall slide and a children s figure eight slide 110 The park also added novelties such as the Pig Slide a Shoot the Chute style attraction that featured small pigs rather than people 111 The park s shows during the early 1920s included China s Fairy Fountains a monkey orchestra dancing ponies and trained leopards 50 Luna Park added more shows in 1922 such as trained lions trained tigers Skia the Perfect Woman and Trip to China 112 113 By 1923 the park had over 100 attractions including nine theaters and 23 rides 114 The opening of the Riegelmann Boardwalk the same year caused patronage at Luna Park to increase 115 Arthur Jarvis was appointed as the park s general manager in 1924 50 Under Jarvis s management the park added a roller coaster called the Sky Chaser 115 and it built a picnic grove a grandstand and an athletic field 116 117 In addition two entrances to Luna Park were constructed to serve the new attractions 116 During the same season actress Mary Pickford sponsored the construction of a play area for children who had gotten lost 118 Jarvis soon made further changes including replacing the carousel and installing the Custer Cars Skooter and Tumblebug rides 50 The 1925 season saw the addition of a Samoan village an Egyptian village and a wild west show 119 Shows such as hula performances and the Charleston Chateau were added during the 1926 season at which point the park was expanded to 50 acres 20 ha 120 121 In addition the park added a saltwater swimming pool in 1926 122 Herbert Evans the park s longtime amusement manager was rehired in 1928 and immediately announced plans for additional rides at Luna Park 123 Evans indicated that he would reduce the park s admission fees relocate several shows to Surf Avenue give four free admission shows per day and replace the underused athletic field with a parking lot 124 The park spent 250 000 on improvements ahead of the 1929 season 125 installing attractions such as a court of nations 126 1930s Edit Luna Park and Surf Avenue 1912 Ahead of the 1930 season Luna Park s managers installed a large cyclorama depicting Richard E Byrd s Antarctic base 127 and they installed a Lindy Loop ride 128 Rex D Billings was appointed as the park s general manager the following year 129 For the 1931 season the park added attractions like a Dodge Em ride a dark ride called the Pretzel and a South Pole panorama 130 Luna Park struggled financially in the early 1930s having been unable to profit from children s rides cockroach racing marionette shows or roller skating 50 To attract visitors Luna Park reduced admission fees for many attractions 131 During the Great Depression three of the park s creditors filed a bankruptcy petition against Luna Park in 1933 asking a federal court to place the park into receivership 132 133 The proceeding was a friendly receivership which allowed the Luna Amusement Company to continue operating the park 134 At the time the park reportedly had 1 25 million in liabilities and had incurred a net loss during the preceding three seasons 133 134 Billings made several modifications to the park before the 1933 season including installing a skating rink in the Fun House and adding a beer garden 135 Every year Luna Park had traditionally opened on the Saturday closest to May 15 136 but the receivership proceeding had delayed the opening of the 1933 season by one month 50 Luna Park was largely closed during 1934 amid a poor season for Coney Island s amusement ride industry 137 138 half of the rides were gated off and the park did not host any live shows 138 139 Prior to the beginning of the 1935 season the park s operators added a variety of rides and attractions 140 141 spending 70 000 in total 142 The manager Charles R Miller reported that Luna Park s revenue during 1935 was at its highest level in six years in part because of the presence of new basketball and handball courts a large swimming pool and new shows 141 Luna Park s operators added more attractions during 1937 including two funhouses and an assortment of flat rides but they were unable to compete with Coney Island s beach which charged no admission and was consequently more popular among travelers 50 The following year Miller added vaudeville shows and replaced the Streets of Paris attraction with a concert space called Willow Green 143 Collier owned the park until his death in March 1939 144 The park had gone into receivership the prior month when the Prudence Bonds Corporation foreclosed on a 400 000 mortgage that had been placed on the park 145 Jack and Irving Rosenthal operators of Palisades Amusement Park considered taking over Luna Park at that time 146 The park ultimately reopened in June 1939 147 148 after Harry Meinch Silvio Pinto and Walter Burgess leased Luna Park from its creditors 148 For the previous two seasons only a small section of the park was open to the public 149 Early 1940s EditMilton Sheen the park s manager announced plans in early 1940 to renovate Luna Park for 100 000 150 Later that year Sheen announced plans to relocate at least eight attractions from the 1939 New York World s Fair after the fair closed 151 Prior to the 1940 season a syndicate composed of Edward and Harry Lee Danziger William Miller and Sheen took over the park 152 153 signing a ten year lease in December 1940 153 At the end of that month Miller announced plans to relocate 15 attractions from the World s Fair to Luna Park 154 The plans also included a building for commercial exhibits a swimming pool a ballroom and live shows 154 155 Luna Park s managers ultimately spent 9 million to rebuild the park and install new attractions 156 Even after the United States entered World War II Luna Park was allowed to open for the 1942 season but the park had to keep its lights dimmed for wartime security 157 158 Miller continued to operate the park for the 1943 season while his partners the Danzigers served in the United States Army Despite wartime restrictions and increased ticket prices Luna Park remained popular 159 External video Coney Island at Night Thomas A Edison Inc 1905 Available through the National Screening Room at the Library of Congress Several concessions were damaged in a fire in February 1944 but most of the park remained untouched 160 161 After weeks of negotiations 162 Miller and the Danziger brothers agreed to purchase Luna Park from Prudence Bonds on August 3 1944 163 164 The cost was estimated at 275 000 the price included a 125 000 purchase money mortgage 165 Miller planned to renovate the park for the 1945 season and rename it Bill Miller s Luna Park 164 166 Miller and the Danzigers were not scheduled to take title until September 15 167 Demise EditFire and aftermath Edit A fire on August 13 1944 destroyed much of Luna Park causing 800 000 in damage 168 169 Among the attractions destroyed in the fire were the Dragon s Gorge the Mile Skyway roller coaster the Coca Cola tower and various games and flat rides 170 171 The western half of the park was completely destroyed but the main entrance administration building swimming pool and other rides near the park s entrance were not seriously damaged 171 The undamaged part of Luna Park reopened on August 18 172 and continued to operate until September 15 1944 173 Even prior to the fire the park s business had suffered due to declining patronage and a lack of new attractions 174 The few rides that survived the fire also operated during the 1945 season 175 but the interior of the park remained closed 176 During that season Prudence Bonds leased the rides along Surf Avenue to Abe Siskin Phil Pates and Chick Guelfi 177 178 who renovated the Ole Opry House attraction into a music hall called Little Old New York 179 In the two years after the fire legal disputes ensued over the park s insurance payout 180 87 which amounted to 152 000 and was paid to Prudence Bonds 178 Miller filed several lawsuits including one to evict Prudence Bonds whom he claimed had illegally leased the attractions on Surf Avenue to Siskin Pates and Guelfi 178 181 The Brooklyn Municipal Court initially ruled that Prudence Bonds had to leave by July 1 1945 181 but the ruling was overturned on appeal in August 1945 177 178 The New York Court of Appeals ruled in July 1946 that the park had to be given to the Danziger brothers for 135 000 87 The Danzigers immediately resold the park back to Prudence Bonds estimating that it would cost 2 million to rebuild the site 87 182 The park s interior remained closed and some of the attractions had been sold or placed for sale but the attractions on Surf Avenue were still operational 87 183 Demolition and redevelopment Edit In August 1946 the park was sold to Morton S Wolf and Associates which announced that they would tear down what was left of Luna Park s interior and build housing for military veterans and their families 183 184 The plans called for 17 structures with a total of 625 three and four room apartments Wolf and Associates planned to preserve only the swimming pool which was the only pool on Coney Island with a license to use ocean water 183 The rides along Surf Avenue formerly part of Luna Park were not included in the sale 185 That October during Luna Park s demolition the remains of the park were damaged in another fire 186 187 188 During the 1947 operating season Luna Park s facade including its entrance was demolished and replaced with additional concessions 189 190 Despite Wolf and Associates plans for the site construction on the housing development never started The remains of the park were visited only by youngsters at play and a fire inspector who visited once a week 191 The park was further damaged by several minor fires 192 For instance the remains of the Mile Skyway were destroyed in another fire in 1948 193 192 Wolf continued to rent the rides on Surf Avenue to Siskin Pates and Guelfi until 1948 when Karl Klarnet took over operation Wolf sold the Surf Avenue frontage to the Bonra Realty Company in July 1948 194 Bonra planned to replace the old buildings and entrance on Surf Avenue with two new structures for about 100 000 195 The park s administration building on Surf Avenue remained vacant until May 1949 when it was also destroyed by a fire while being demolished 196 197 In January 1950 the eastern half of the site was sold again to Ball Park Movies Inc which wanted to build a drive in theater 191 198 By then the site contained the remains of several rides although all of the buildings had since been demolished 191 Fred Trump acquired the eastern half of the park from Ball Park Movies in October 1950 with the intention of constructing housing there 199 200 Trump bought the western half of the park measuring 700 by 1 200 feet 210 by 370 m in 1953 for 625 000 201 This was one of several large residential developments being planned for Coney Island at the time 202 Trump had assembled a 29 acre 12 ha site comprising not only the former Luna Park but also a strip of land stretching west to the New York City Subway s Coney Island Stillwell Avenue station 203 Trump had wanted to obtain financing from the Federal Housing Administration which withheld funding after federal officials indicted Trump on charges of profiteering in connection with a separate development 203 The New York City Housing Authority NYCHA took over the site and announced in December 1955 that it would build a housing development for 200 000 203 204 The Coney Island Chamber of Commerce opposed the project while the New York City Board of Estimate was in favor 205 206 To comply with the Board of Estimate s requests NYCHA revised its plan in early 1956 to exclude the attractions along Surf Avenue 207 The site was temporarily used as a public parking lot during the 1956 operating season 208 209 and again in 1957 210 NYCHA took title to the site in November 1956 211 and began constructing the housing project in July 1958 212 The development was converted to a housing cooperative 213 214 prior to its completion in 1962 215 A small part of the site at Neptune Avenue and West 12th Street was sold in 1960 and became a shopping center 216 Description EditLuna Park was bounded by Surf Avenue to the south West 8th Street to the east Neptune Avenue to the north and West 12th Street to the west 191 Originally occupying 22 acres 8 9 ha 18 Luna Park was expanded to 38 acres 15 ha by 1904 53 43 then to 50 acres 20 ha by 1926 120 121 At its peak in the early 20th century Luna Park employed hundreds of people and had its own police force fire department and clinic 114 Compared to the original Dreamland the original Luna Park was smaller in scale but better organized leading Town and Country magazine to say The impression one takes from Luna Park is one of activity and extreme organization 66 Luna Park also differed from the 1893 World s Columbian Exposition in Chicago which had inspired many of Coney Island s earlier rides and was generally designed in a neoclassical style According to author John F Kasson The Columbian Exposition preached discipline while Luna Park invited release even though the buildings at both locations were made of plaster 35 Fred Thompson designed the park s buildings with elements from a variety of sources 35 Thompson did not want to use classical details saying It is marvelous what you can do in the way of arousing human emotions by the use that you make architecturally of simple lines 217 Generally the buildings were designed in an Oriental style 35 218 many of the park s architectural features were adapted from the Pan American Exposition including colonnades loggias porticoes domes and minarets 219 The park originally contained over 1 000 red and white painted spires minarets and domes 2 Luna Park also contained organic architectural details such as dolphins which were placed at the bottom of the park s electric tower and griffins which were placed on the Dragon s Gorge ride 220 Thompson also wanted the architectural elements to exude a feeling of luxury 221 Kasson and Michael Immerso characterized Luna Park s design as being carnival like a deliberate effect intended to immerse visitors 220 222 Like Steeplechase Park Luna Park was marketed as a family friendly destination Thompson dubbed it the place for your mother your sister and your sweetheart 223 224 The park was initially illuminated at night by over 200 000 electric lights 225 226 installed on 132 towers and turrets 225 227 the lights changed color every second 39 Although Luna Park had far more light bulbs than Steeplechase Park it was surpassed only a year later by Dreamland s one million bulbs 54 Luna Park had over 600 000 electric lights by 1908 70 which was expanded yet again to 1 45 million lights by 1912 50 The lighting scheme contributed to Luna Park s character and according to Kasson symbolized its topsy turvy order 228 Entrance and main court Edit The arched entrance on Surf Avenue was described as covering half of an entire city block 229 230 with four monolithic figures one at each of its corners 32 33 230 The entrance gate contained five ticket kiosks shaped like Roman chariots and staffed by young women dressed in evening attire and Merry Widow straw hats emblazoned with red feathers 231 A large avenue called the Court of Honor extended straight from the entrance and was surrounded by 53 buildings 231 There was a replica of Venice to the right of the court 33 229 which included a miniature Grand Canal with gondoliers as well as a replica of the Piazza San Marco 231 To the left of the Court of Honor were three large buildings which featured the Trip to the Moon War of Worlds and 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea attractions 32 232 Other attractions which housed various shows the Grand Casino and the Old Mill and Helter Skelter attractions were placed alongside the Court of Honor 39 At the center of the park in the middle of a lake was the 200 foot tall 61 m electric tower 32 225 that was decorated with 30 000 incandescent lamps 226 Each of the tower s four sides had 48 illuminated circles 70 The tower was inspired by another at the Pan American Exposition which had been twice as tall and illuminated by thousands of lights 233 The lagoon around the tower was bordered by a wide brightly lit esplanade there was also a lighted terrace with benches next to the lagoon 32 Two circus rings were suspended over the central lagoon to keep customers entertained between rides 37 229 and aerial shows were performed over the lagoon 37 39 In contrast to Dreamland Luna Park generally had narrow pathways When the park was particularly crowded patrons were sometimes compelled to listen to the side show barkers to avoid the overcrowded paths according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle 234 Rides and attractions Edit The mechanical escalator to the top of the Helter Skelter Luna Park had many rides over the years Among the attractions that opened in 1903 were Bridge of Laughs an uneven surface plank bridge 235 Midnight Express a miniature railroad 225 Shoot the Chutes a slide left over from Boynton s Sea Lion Park 225 226 and Trip to the Moon a roller coaster originally named Drop the Dip 225 226 One of Luna Park s largest attractions was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea a submarine ride simulating Jules Verne s novel of the same name 225 226 It was housed in a 30 000 square foot 2 800 m2 building 227 and transported guests to a replica of an Eskimo village at the North Pole 33 229 the building included a tank measuring 24 feet 7 3 m deep and the temperature of the water changed as visitors traveled to different parts of the tank 236 The park s other original attractions included Infant Incubators a building displaying a new type of infant care 237 Canals of Venice a gondola ride 231 was one of the original attractions but did not open with the rest of the park 32 Luna Park s attractions were constantly changed over the years The 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction was replaced with a cyclorama in 1905 57 63 and Trip to the Moon was relocated in the 1910s before being moved back to Luna Park in 1924 238 Other rides added to Luna Park after its opening included Buzzard s Roost a side friction roller coaster designed by L A Thompson added in 1904 50 Daffy Dill amp Captain Thompson s Wonder Ship an attraction with a deep sea monster added in 1937 50 Double Whirl a set of six 72 person wheels attached to a 40 foot wide 12 m turntable added in 1906 1907 50 Dragon s Gorge a side friction roller coaster consisting of a 4 000 foot long 1 200 m track in a 200 by 300 foot 61 by 91 m building with a waterfall added in 1905 63 239 Helter Skelter an adult slide with two chutes added in 1906 1907 66 50 Mountain Torrent an early water coaster which started atop an 80 foot tall 24 m mountain and dropped down a series of cascades and ridges 240 Old Mill tunnel of love ride 39 adapted from the Babbling Brook a water slide circa 1904 50 The Teaser spinning wooden chairs installed next to the electric tower in 1910 50 The Tickler large round tub that rolled downhill through a winding fence lined path added in 1907 66 241 The Top a massive spinning wheel 102 103 which weighed 45 short tons 40 long tons 41 t was 70 feet 21 m wide and traveled along a 3 200 foot long 980 m track The ride was added in 1917 and removed after 1921 50 A Trip to Mars by Aeroplane simulation of a Curtiss plane that traveled from Governors Island to Mars added circa 1909 50 Virginia Reel a side friction roller coaster with circular spinning cars that zigzagged down a track 70 241 Added in 1908 the ride was invented by the park s superintendent Henry Elmer Riehl who named it after his daughter 242 Witching Waves small cars propelled by an undulating floor added in 1907 241 Shows exhibits and other facilities Edit The park also had dozens of live shows over the years Each show was maintained by two park attendants 114 When Luna Park opened its shows included War of the Worlds a show that simulated enemy ships firing at a replica of Fort Hamilton 225 226 Professor Wormwood s Monkey Theater which showcased trained dogs monkeys and apes 37 39 The Kansas Cyclone a theater show depicting a Kansas town being destroyed by a tornado 50 Fire and Flame a simulated fire that employed a thousand performers 240 and Hagenbeck s Wild Animals 50 39 The Durbar attraction added in 1904 featured a 700 foot wide stage that exhibited such dramatic spectacles as The Great Train Robbery Days of 49 The Burning of Prairie Belle and Crack of Doom 57 Later additions included Fall of Adrianople a show that depicted a besieged Turkish city 50 There were also various theatrical attractions such as the Chinese Theater 37 39 by 1923 the park had nine theaters 114 Luna Park contained a Rath House a German style meeting hall which could accommodate 1 000 people and had a main ballroom banquet rooms and reception rooms 225 The park also contained the Grand Casino along the Court of Honor 39 The park hosted concerts fireworks and carnival performances as well 39 225 Luna Park also had a swimming pool that in 1915 was cited as being capable of accommodating 5 000 bathers 100 Handball and basketball courts were also added after the 1935 season 141 The park included multiple sections with small villages that housed members of various ethnic groups 225 226 For example there was a Filipino village featuring actual Filipino villagers who were brought to New York City as well as Japanese Eskimo Singalese and Hindu villages 227 There were also various sections dedicated to different parts of the world including landscapes themed to Japan Germany and Ireland 229 According to the New York Tribune the villages of foreigners form centres of interest for many visitors to Luna Park 236 By 1904 the park also had replicas of Delhi as well as a miniature Hanging Gardens of Babylon with 25 000 plants and 10 000 trees 54 The Dragon s Gorge at Luna Park whose fire in 1944 led to Luna Park s closure Shoot the Chutes ride Helter Skelter Elephant ride in 1906Legacy EditCritical reception Edit The day after the park opened in 1903 a reporter claimed that the brilliance and beauty and weirdness of it all beggars description 34 Soon afterward the New York Tribune wrote that the park was most completely electrically illuminated and most attractively laid out while there is nothing to which the most fastidious visitor can take the least exception in the way the attractions are presented or attention is drawn to them 236 Russian author Maxim Gorky said of the park With the advent of night a fantastic city all of fire suddenly rises from the ocean into the sky 243 while another writer said that Luna Park s skyline is utterly unlike anything else of its kind in the two Americas 244 The Tribune wrote in 1904 that people were at a loss for adjectives and exclamations to describe the City of the Moon last summer they will be utterly swamped this year 53 Not all commentary was positive art critic James Huneker said every angle reveals some new horror at Dreamland and Luna Park 245 Luna Park s electric tower had inspired the construction of similar towers at Steeplechase Park and Dreamland 62 Billboard magazine described Luna Park and Dreamland in 1904 as the twin sisters of magnificence 246 the same magazine in 1918 characterized Luna Park as a real World s Fair 108 Luna Park became so closely associated with Coney Island s amusements that in 1921 the Standard Union called it the heart of Coney Island 247 In 1991 New York Times critic Walter Goodman described Luna Park as a blazing architectural jumble from Romanesque to Art Nouveau alive with aerialists tightrope walkers jugglers and elephants 248 John Kasson wrote in 1978 that similar to the ornate vaudeville theaters and movie palaces of the early 20th century Luna appealed to popular notions of magnificence 220 In popular culture Edit Before the park opened it was featured in the short silent comedy Rube and Mandy at Coney Island 249 The song Meet Me Down At Luna Lena was recorded by Billy Murray in 1905 to promote the park among others 250 Roscoe Arbuckle s 1917 silent Coney Island featured Luna Park 251 252 The 1928 Oscar nominated King Vidor movie The Crowd includes scenes filmed at Luna Park 253 and part of Harold Lloyd s 1928 movie Speedy was also shot at the park 254 Namesakes Edit Modern Luna Park entranceThe original Luna Park site contains a cooperative apartment complex called Luna Park Houses which was completed in 1962 When built the development contained five 20 story buildings with a total of 1 576 units each with between one and three bedrooms 215 Each of the four buildings consists of four wings which radiate from a core with three elevators and 100 foot long 30 m balconies on each floor 255 Coney Island s original Luna Park shares its name with dozens of parks around the world 256 Among those was Coney Island s current Luna Park which opened in 2010 at the former site of the defunct Astroland park a parcel of land on the south side of Surf Avenue just across from the original Luna Park site 257 258 The newer park operated by Zamperla features an entrance patterned after the original Luna Park s main gate 259 See also EditLuna Park list of parks based on the original Luna ParkReferences EditCitations Edit Denson Charles 2002 Coney Island Lost and Found Berkeley Calif Ten Speed Press ISBN 9781580084550 a b NYC s Lost Historic Amusement Parks Archived from the original on April 23 2021 Retrieved March 19 2021 Goldfield David R 2006 Encyclopedia of American Urban History Thousand Oaks p 185 ISBN 978 1 4522 6553 7 OCLC 162105753 Kasson 1978 pp 7 8 Immerso 2002 p 6 a b Parascandola 2014 p 12 Immerso 2002 p 55 Immerso 2002 p 56 a b Pilat Oliver Ranson Jo 1941 Sodom by the Sea An Affectionate History of Coney Island Doubleday Doran Incorporated p 146 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Immerso 2002 p 61 a b c d e f Immerso 2002 p 62 a b c Kasson 1978 p 61 a b Immerso 2002 pp 61 62 Strenuous Attempt to Purge Old Coney Times Union August 13 1902 p 1 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 a b c New Coney Island Scheme The Brooklyn Daily Eagle August 13 1902 p 9 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Sea Lion Park Sold The Brooklyn Daily Eagle August 25 1902 p 6 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Pollak Michael June 24 2016 The Elephant Hotel in Coney Island and a Jaywalking Conundrum The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on July 19 2022 Retrieved January 12 2023 a b Moral Bath for Coney Times Union November 8 1902 p 2 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Woody Register The Kid of Coney Island Fred Thompson and the Rise of American Amusements Oxford University Press 2001 page 339 a b Sheidlower Noah July 15 2021 NYC s Lost Amusement Parks Untapped New York Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 Splendid Midway of the New Coney Island The Brooklyn Daily Eagle November 23 1902 p 35 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 a b c Elephant Labors at Coney Times Union October 30 1902 p 9 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Tops the Bad Elephant Makes Trouble at Coney The Brooklyn Daily Eagle October 30 1902 p 1 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Eschner Kat January 4 2017 Topsy the Elephant Was a Victim of Her Captors Not Thomas Edison Smithsonian Magazine Archived from the original on July 14 2019 Retrieved January 9 2023 Tops is Much Cut Up Times Union January 5 1903 p 8 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Coney Elephant Killed Topsy Overcome with Cyanide of Potassium and Electricity She Was Adam Forepaugh s Original Baby Elephant Twenty eight Years Ago Her Keeper Whitey Would Not See Her Die The New York Times January 5 1903 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 McManus John T July 28 1935 An Era of Coney is Fading the Palaces of Older Days Have Passed and the Throngs Find a Large Part of Their Holiday Pleasure on the Beach The New York Times p XX4 ISSN 0362 4331 ProQuest 101426420 a b c Coney Island Was Not Gay Times Union April 6 1903 p 3 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 a b Yesterday at Coney Island Better Transit Service Now The Standard Union April 6 1903 p 8 Retrieved January 9 2023 Luna Park Privileges The Brooklyn Daily Eagle April 17 1903 p 2 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 David A Sullivan Thompson and Dundy s Luna Park 1903 1944 www heartofconeyisland com Archived from the original on February 15 2016 Retrieved February 21 2016 a b c d e f g Luna Park First Night Coney Island Visitors Dazzled by Electric City Many Colored Illuminations and Canals A Midway of Nations and a Trip to the Moon Replace the Old Time Recreations The New York Times May 17 1903 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 10 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b c d Luna Park Opened Especially Fine Illuminations New York Tribune May 17 1903 p 4 ProQuest 571276984 a b c Immerso 2002 p 60 a b c d Kasson 1978 p 63 Luna Park Ready for Crowds The Standard Union May 10 1903 p 3 Archived from the original on January 10 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b c d e Luna Park Opens to night New York Tribune May 16 1903 p 7 ProQuest 571268715 a b Luna Park s Midway Day Many Novel Features Planned for August 5 at the Coney Island Resort New York Tribune July 29 1903 p 3 ProQuest 571303042 a b c d e f g h i j k Immerso 2002 p 64 Map at coneyislandhistory org Archived from the original on February 24 2015 Retrieved February 24 2015 Coney Expresses Not Warranted Times Union July 12 1911 p 9 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Immerso 2002 pp 67 68 a b c d A New Coney Island Rises From the Ashes of the Old Everybody Will Have to Get Acquainted With It All Over Again Luna Park and Dreamland the Centres of Attraction The New York Times May 8 1904 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Light Drives Out Crime Coney Island Ablaze More Attractive and Cleaner The Hartford Courant May 20 1904 p 12 ProQuest 555219317 Coney Island Hippodrome Syndicate Purchases Land for a Big Amusement Park on the Shore The New York Times July 18 1903 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 10 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Immerso 2002 p 68 DeSena Judith N Shortell Timothy 2012 The World in Brooklyn Gentrification Immigration and Ethnic Politics in a Global City Lexington Books pp 147 176 ISBN 978 0 7391 6670 3 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved July 22 2019 Parascandola 2014 p 11 Coney Swept by Big Blazes Many Times The Brooklyn Daily Eagle September 15 1939 p 9 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Stanton Jeffrey May 1 1998 Coney Island Luna Park Westland Archived from the original on October 19 2022 Retrieved January 11 2023 New Coney Dazzles Its Record Multitude Luna Park and Dreamland the Centres of Great Crush The New York Times May 15 1904 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on October 23 2021 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Immerso 2002 p 71 a b c Greater Luna Park to Amuse the Greatest Number at the Least Cost Its Motto New York Tribune May 8 1904 p A14 ProQuest 571422582 a b c Maeder Jay March 13 1998 Shine on Brightly Old Coney Island 1904 New York Daily News p 39 ProQuest 1525629813 a b Coney Island With New Attractions Most Amazing Yet Open for Business Next Week Times Union May 7 1904 p 6 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b Immerso 2002 pp 71 73 a b c Immerso 2002 p 74 Luna Park Site Sold George A Kessler Pays About a Million for It as Investment New York Tribune June 30 1904 p 14 ProQuest 571564831 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 George Kessler Buys Sea Beach Land Co Pays Over 1 000 000 for Coney Island Property The New York Times June 30 1904 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Kessler Takes Title Exercises Option on Big Coney Island Tract New York Tribune September 19 1904 p 4 ProQuest 571509316 Summer Amusements The Standard Union July 3 1904 p 10 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Night Scene at Coney to be Grander than Ever The Brooklyn Daily Eagle April 30 1905 p 60 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b c d Improvements at Luna Park New York Tribune May 7 1905 p 5 Archived from the original on January 10 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 Fair Luna Beams Again Big Amusement Park at Coney Open for Season the Great Train Robbery With a Real Engine and Oars at Luna Park New York Tribune May 13 1906 p 4 ProQuest 571850240 Coney s Season is on 200 000 at the Start Luna Park Opens Its Gates and Shows New Wonders The New York Times May 13 1906 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 10 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b c d New York s Great Seaside Resort Coney Island With Its Huge Amusement Parks Dreamland and Luna Park at the Height of Its Popularity in Spite of Destructive Fires Town and Country Vol 3194 August 3 1907 pp 26 27 ProQuest 2116860179 Elmer S Dundy is Dead Won a Fortune in Shows The New York Times February 6 1907 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 Thompson Has 7 831 but Owes 664 854 Promoter of Theatrical Enterprises Files a Petition of Bankruptcy in the Federal Court The New York Times June 9 1912 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b Luna Park Taken Over by Sea Beach Land Co The Brooklyn Daily Eagle March 31 1912 p 6 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b c d e Luna Park Goes Through a Little Extra Housecleaning Getting the Coney Island Playground in Trim for the Summer Is Not an Easy Undertaking Especially When Allowing for New Demands Made on Park Space The New York Times April 26 1908 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 10 2023 New Coney Island Attractions Luna Park and Dreamland Add Each a New Feature to Their Lists New York Tribune July 28 1907 p B2 ProQuest 571964359 Coney s Opening a Wintry One But 50 000 People Flock to See the Bigger Luna Park The New York Times May 12 1907 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Immerso 2002 p 81 Luna Park Opens Frankfurter Season Began Officially as Lights Flared Up New York Tribune May 12 1907 p 7 ProQuest 571852093 Luna Park Opening to Begin Coney Island Season to morrow With New Attractions New York Tribune May 15 1908 p 4 ProQuest 572074791 Coney s Opening a Wintry One But 50 000 People Flock to See the Bigger Luna Park The New York Times May 12 1907 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 Coney Island Opened Resort in Full Swing Superstition Holds Shut Gates of Luna Park for an Hour New York Tribune May 16 1909 p 3 ProQuest 572231671 Stop Sunday Shows at Coney Island Bingham Says He Has Told the Police to See That the Law Is Strictly Enforced To morrow The New York Times May 22 1909 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 10 2023 Mayor Takes a Hand Coney Island Shows Limits Licenses to Six Days to Test Justice Carr s Decision New York Tribune May 18 1909 p 3 ProQuest 572175923 Luna Park Gets 90 day Injunction Justice Kelly Prohibits Interference with Its Sunday Shows Until October The New York Times July 2 1909 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 After Luna Park for Old Firm s Debts State Asks a Receiver for an Amusement Concern Which Is not Insolvent The New York Times October 15 1910 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 Asks Receiver for Luna Park The Sun October 15 1910 p 1 ProQuest 540389584 Made Minority Stockholder New York Tribune November 1 1910 p 13 ProQuest 572362463 The Amusement Week in New York No Receiver for Luna Park The Billboard Vol 22 no 46 November 12 1910 p 18 ProQuest 1031412789 At the Summer Parks The Brooklyn Daily Eagle May 28 1911 p 21 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b Luna Changes Announced The Brooklyn Daily Eagle June 8 1919 p 70 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b c d e Luna Park Scarred by 1944 Fire Faces Doom as Recreation Center Relic of Fashionable Days of Coney Island May Yield to Housing Ball Park or Anything Bond Concern Says The New York Times August 7 1946 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Quick Work Prevents Ruin of Coney Island Luna Park Fire Would Have Swept All Before It Had Wind Blown With Any Force New York Tribune December 12 1911 p 1 ProQuest 574854122 Slice of Luna Park Eaten Out by Fire Only the Restaurant Tube Ride and Checker Slide Put Out of Business The New York Times December 12 1911 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 The Fate of Luna Park New York Tribune March 31 1912 p 14 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Receiver for Luna Park Frederic Thompson s Co Dispossessed Sea Beach Co to Operate It The New York Times April 4 1912 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 Luna Park Now to Rent Fred Thompson Makes Assignment and is Dispossessed New York Tribune April 4 1912 p 4 ProQuest 574900929 At the Summer Parks The New York Times June 16 1912 p 74 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Coney Sad at Loss of Fred Thompson The Brooklyn Daily Eagle July 13 1913 p 60 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Oscar Jurney Leaving Luna Park New York on January 1 The Billboard Vol 29 no 48 December 1 1917 pp 3 67 ProQuest 1031548479 Amusement Parks to Open This Week Coney Island Starts Its Season on Thursday with Spring Floral Carnival The New York Times May 12 1913 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Park is Reopened Fire and Sword New Spectacle Seen by 35 000 Visitors Scene From Balkan War Parade of Performers Precedes Premier Crazy Town a Big Laugh Feature New York Tribune May 15 1913 p 12 ProQuest 575084667 Luna Park Opens Livelier Than Ever Many New Attractions Designed to Tempt Pennies from Those Seeking Rest in Delirium The New York Times May 24 1914 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Park Formally Opened Bigger Better than Ever The Sun May 24 1914 p 8 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b c Coney Island Opens Its Summer Season Luna Park and Steeplechase in New Guise Receive First Crowds of Year The New York Times May 23 1915 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b Luna Park at Coney Island to be Enlarged for Next Year The Billboard Vol 29 no 35 September 1 1917 pp 3 69 ProQuest 1031534252 a b Hear Ye Luna is Open The Brooklyn Daily Eagle May 20 1917 p 18 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b Luna Now Open The Standard Union May 20 1917 p 14 Retrieved January 11 2023 Incubator Babies in Peril 10 000 Fire in Luna Park Drives Them to Safety Outside The New York Times August 20 1917 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Fire Destroys Rides in Luna Park Causing a Heavy Loss The Billboard Vol 29 no 34 August 25 1917 pp 3 83 ProQuest 1031533536 Luna Park Mountain Burns Many Firemen Called to Fight 200 Blaze at Coney Island The New York Times March 14 1918 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Park Opened Reflection of War Seen in Coney Island Amusements The New York Times May 19 1918 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b Crowds Flock to Coney Island for Luna Park 1918 Opening The Billboard Vol 30 no 21 May 25 1918 pp 3 77 ProQuest 1031539829 Luna Park Opens for Season With Many New Attractions New York Tribune May 18 1919 p A7 ProQuest 576031397 Figger 8 and Slides Attract Crowds as City s Amusement Parks Open New York Tribune May 23 1920 p 46 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 The Pig Slide at Luna Park The Standard Union July 6 1920 p 6 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Season at Coney Formally Opened The Standard Union May 14 1922 p 1 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Evans Herbert May 20 1922 Luna Park Opens The Billboard Vol 34 no 20 p 69 ProQuest 1031676234 a b c d Evans Herbert June 24 1922 Car card Advertising and Luna Park s Success The Billboard Vol 34 no 25 p 54 ProQuest 1031695615 a b Parks Piers and Beaches Luna Park Building Longest Coaster Ride The Billboard Vol 36 no 7 February 16 1924 p 84 ProQuest 1505525441 a b Greater Luna Park The Standard Union June 15 1924 p 15 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Park With Ten Acres Added To Be Opened May 1 The New York Herald New York Tribune April 20 1924 p 4 ProQuest 1112966035 Playhouse at Coney for Lost Children Mary Pickford to Finance Caring for Children Until Restored to Relatives The New York Times August 25 1924 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 50 000 at Luna Opening Governors Among Throngs Who Brave Cool Breezes at Coney The New York Times May 17 1925 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b Luna Park With Marvels Added Will Open To day Ceremonies Will Usher Season In at Coney Island 50 Acre Amusement Park The New York Herald New York Tribune May 15 1926 p 30 ProQuest 1113088911 a b Coney Shows Open for Season The Standard Union May 16 1926 p 12 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Plays and Players Brooklyn Life and Activities of Long Island Society June 25 1927 p 18 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Herbert Evans Returns To Former Luna Park Job The Billboard Vol 40 no 33 August 18 1928 p 89 ProQuest 1031876456 Additional Park News Luna Park Coney Island To Have New Novelties The Billboard Vol 40 no 34 August 25 1928 p 92 ProQuest 1031871952 Luna Park Is Opened For Its 20th Coney Season Clear Skies for First Time in Three Years Mark Event New York Herald Tribune May 13 1928 p 15 ProQuest 1113377104 Parade Opens Luna Park For First Time in 17 Years There Is No Rain on Initial Night The New York Times May 19 1929 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Park Cyclorama to Snow Byrd s Base Painting in Amusement Park Will Be 350 Feet in Diameter and Will Cost 25 000 The New York Times April 23 1930 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Lindy Loop for Luna Park The Billboard Vol 42 no 15 April 12 1930 p 69 ProQuest 1031939019 Rex D Billings New Manager Of Luna Park Coney Island The Billboard Vol 43 no 17 April 25 1931 p 3 ProQuest 1031966055 Luna Park Opens Friday The New York Times May 24 1931 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Ranson Jo July 7 1930 Coney Cash Registers Ring Prosperity Tune The Brooklyn Daily Eagle p 17 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Park Debts Force Bankruptcy Three Creditors Ask Receiver for Amusement Company at Coney Island The New York Times May 17 1933 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Receiver Asked For Luna Park At Coney Island Bankruptcy Petition Filed to Conserve Assets and Protect All Its Creditors To Open Season May 27 Debts Put at 1 250 000 Losing Money for 3 Years New York Herald Tribune May 17 1933 p 14 ProQuest 1221805012 a b Parks pools New York Resorts a Friendly Receivership The Billboard Vol 45 no 21 May 27 1933 p 34 ProQuest 1032022015 Luna Park Opens Today New York Herald Tribune May 27 1933 p 10 ProQuest 1240069593 Coney Crowd Thin on Cloudy Sunday Boardwalk Trade Suffers as Only 200 000 Visitors Come Out to the Island The New York Times May 15 1933 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Times Square Best Weather Break in Years Saves Coney From Taking the Gas Pipe Variety Vol 115 no 8 August 7 1934 p 51 ProQuest 1475838461 a b Coney Mardi Gras Held to be Doomed Times Union August 18 1934 p 6 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Park May Go Back to Gate Fee The Billboard Vol 47 no 10 March 9 1935 pp 3 63 ProQuest 1032070832 Luna Opens Tomorrow The Brooklyn Daily Eagle May 24 1935 p 15 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b c Take in Luna Goes Up 15 The Billboard Vol 47 no 43 October 26 1935 p 40 ProQuest 1032075999 Luna Park Opens for Its 33d Season Times Union May 26 1935 p 5 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Park Resorts Pools Luna Space Is All Taken The Billboard Vol 50 no 23 June 4 1938 pp 38 54 ProQuest 1032159712 Barron Collier Dies Suddenly 65 Leader in Advertising on Street Cars and in Subways The New York Times March 14 1939 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Park resorts pools Receiver Named for Luna The Billboard Vol 51 no 6 February 11 1939 p 38 ProQuest 1032179380 Walker Danton February 28 1939 Broadway Daily News p 386 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Coney Snorts Disgust Against Streamlining The Brooklyn Daily Eagle June 26 1939 p 2 Retrieved January 8 2023 a b Trio to Open Luna Park To Brighten Boardwalk Coney Boosters Will Revive Amusement Spot Today New York Herald Tribune June 24 1938 p 8 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1319976503 Luna Park to Be Given 100 000 Face Lifting The Brooklyn Daily Eagle April 15 1940 p 26 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 100 000 Stimulant Gives New Life to Luna Park The Brooklyn Daily Eagle March 27 1940 p 25 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Ranson Jo August 4 1940 Shows to Migrate from Fair Midway to Coney in 1941 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle p 6 Retrieved January 8 2023 Ranson Jo May 30 1941 Coney Island Dolls Up Winks at Service Men The Brooklyn Daily Eagle p 7 Retrieved January 8 2023 a b Luna Park N Y Changes Hands Variety Vol 141 no 2 December 18 1940 pp 1 54 ProQuest 1505731802 a b Luna Park to Be Improved Plans Call for Adding 15 Fair Amusements in Area The New York Times January 1 1941 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Walker Danton December 18 1940 Broadway Daily News p 590 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Allen Kelcey May 26 1941 Amusements British War Relief Party Opens Luna Park Thursday Women s Wear Daily Vol 62 no 103 p 22 ProQuest 1654301597 Coney Opening This Week End Despite Dimout Concessionaires Substitute Barkers for Lights See Gas Rationing as Help New York Herald Tribune May 26 1942 p 15 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1264412674 Bennett Charles G May 31 1942 Usual Trek to Beaches Begins Without Usual Traffic Jams Subways Trains Buses and Bicycles Will Take the Public to Many Oceanside Resorts but the Start for Home Must Be Early Annual Trek to Beaches Begins The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Schoenfeld Joe June 23 1943 Only Nickel Ride About War Boomed Conev Island Is Via the Subway Variety Vol 151 no 2 pp 1 48 ProQuest 1401242949 Fire Destroys Scenic Railway At Coney Island Luna Park Concessions Are Damaged Trains on B M T Lines Rerouted New York Herald Tribune February 27 1944 p 22A ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1254585424 Scenic Railway Burns Subway Concessions Adjoining Luna Park Are Damaged The New York Times February 27 1944 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Deal Set for 400g Buy of Luna Park Variety Vol 155 no 5 July 12 1944 pp 1 2 ProQuest 1285834277 Complete Deal for Luna Park Daily News August 3 1944 p 269 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 a b Operating Lessees to Buy Luna Park The New York Times August 3 1944 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Luna Park Coney Island Purchased by Operators New York Herald Tribune August 10 1944 p 25A ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1283105762 Vaudeville Bill Miller Gives Self Billing on Luna Park Variety Vol 155 no 8 August 2 1944 p 33 ProQuest 1285839081 Luna Park Shut By Moss Despite Operator s Plea Use of Part Undamaged by Fire Barred Brophy to Investigate Alarm Delay New York Herald Tribune August 14 1944 p 10 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1287082319 Half of Luna Park Destroyed by Fire as 750 000 Watch Flames Sweep Over 8 acre Area and Cause 500 000 Loss in 1 1 2 hour Battle The New York Times August 13 1944 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on July 22 2018 Retrieved July 22 2018 Spectacular Fires on New York Waterfront and Amusement Park The Examiner Vol CIII no 133 Tasmania Australia August 14 1944 p 1 Retrieved March 31 2017 via National Library of Australia 5 Alarm Fire Destroys Half Of Luna Park Blaze Seen by 800 000 Causes 500 000 Loss Injures Four Firemen 13 Volunteers Hurt In Fighting Flames Embers Carry to B M T Barn Damage Trains Parked Autos Also Burn New York Herald Tribune August 13 1944 p 1 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1257752525 a b Fire Guts N Y Luna Damage Set at 500G The Billboard Vol 55 no 34 August 19 1944 pp 3 55 ProQuest 1032325455 Luna Park Reopened 3 000 Wait 2 Hours to Enter Unburned Half of Play Area The New York Times August 19 1944 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 8 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 Season Ends at Coney 350 000 Visit Amusement Area on Day of Official Closing The New York Times September 18 1944 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 8 2023 Ranson Jo September 27 1944 Coney Island Biz 20 Off 1943 1 500 000 For Modern Aquarium Variety Vol 156 no 3 pp 1 55 ProQuest 1285840183 Park Resorts Pools Coney Enjoying Juicy Pickings Luna Fogged Up The Billboard Vol 57 no 17 April 28 1945 pp 44 45 ProQuest 1040008170 Smith Milt June 3 1945 It is the Same Old Routine at Good Old Coney Island The Brooklyn Daily Eagle p 17 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 8 2023 a b Vaudeville Bill Miller Loses Luna Park Fight Variety Vol 159 no 12 August 29 1945 p 43 ProQuest 1285854937 a b c d Park Resorts Pools Supreme Court Tosses Out Miller s Verdict To Regain Possession of Coney s Luna The Billboard Vol 57 no 32 August 11 1945 p 49 ProQuest 1040011213 Vaudeville Jackson Named Director Of Luna Park Shows Variety Vol 158 no 13 June 6 1945 p 45 ProQuest 1285854255 Luna Park Faces Permanent Eclipse but Memories Remain Brooklyn Daily Eagle August 11 1946 p 9 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved July 22 2019 via Brooklyn Public Library newspapers com a b Park Resorts Pools Wm Miller Wins Dispossess Suit Against Prudence Bond Luna Landlord Out on July 1 The Billboard Vol 57 no 26 June 30 1945 p 52 ProQuest 1040009803 Luna Park Razed By 1944 Fire Doomed As Fun Spot New York Amsterdam News August 10 1946 p 15 ProQuest 225942705 a b c 5 750 000 Veterans Housing To Be Built on Luna Park Site New York Herald Tribune August 18 1946 p 1 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1268019601 Coney s OId Luna Park Will Yield To New Homes for 625 GI Families The New York Times August 18 1946 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on July 22 2018 Retrieved July 22 2018 Casey M V September 1 1946 Builders to Get Luna Park at Mardi Gras End House of 625 Suites Rental 86 to 89 Will Cost 6 000 000 to Construct Scarsdale Farmhouse Sold New York Herald Tribune p A13 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1267976112 Luna Park on Fire Yesterday The New York Times October 3 1946 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Luna Park Fire Impedes Coney El and Traffic Wrecker s Torch Sets Off 4 Alarm Blaze B M T Tied Up Streets Closed Fire Again Sweeps the Charred Ruins of Luna Park New York Herald Tribune October 3 1946 p 25A ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1287126198 Fire Destroys Luna Park The News Vol 47 no 7 229 Adelaide October 3 1946 p 4 Retrieved March 31 2017 via National Library of Australia Coney Island Undergoing Face lifting In Anticipation of a Record Throng The New York Times April 6 1947 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Winchester James April 6 1947 Coney Comes Out of Hibernation Begins Getting Her Face Lifted Concessionaires Busy With Paint Brushes and New Ideas Wax Museum Adds Nazi War Criminals All Expect Poorer Season Than Last Year Spring Brings Forth Work Crews to Prevare Coney Island for New Season New York Herald Tribune p A9 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1268013205 a b c d Yerxa Fendall January 16 1950 Drive In Movie Is Planned for Luna Park Site Concessions and New Pool Also Outlined for Coney Resort Burned in 1944 New York Herald Tribune p 11 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1335547657 a b Firemen Douse Coney Blaze The New York Times November 23 1948 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Parks resorts pools Coney s Luna Spot Again Hit by Fire The Billboard Vol 60 no 49 December 4 1948 p 61 ProQuest 1039930532 Park Resorts Pools 200G Paid For Coney s Luna Park The Billboard Vol 60 no 28 July 10 1948 p 54 ProQuest 1039898644 Parks resorts pools Sked 2 Bldgs On Luna Site at Coney N Y The Billboard Vol 60 no 47 November 20 1948 p 62 ProQuest 1039926300 Luna Park Building Destroyed by Fire The New York Times May 16 1949 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Coney Crowds See Fire in Luna Park 2 Alarm Blase Is Second of Day in Brooklyn New York Herald Tribune May 16 1949 p 3 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1326789371 Luna Park Site Is Sold For a Drive In Theatre The New York Times January 16 1950 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Luna Park Is Purchased For a Housing Project The New York Times October 17 1950 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Riker amp Co Resells Luna Park Property New York Herald Tribune October 17 1950 p 32 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1327424245 Luna Park Parcel Bought by Builder The New York Times September 18 1953 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Park Resorts Pools Coney to Get Housing Units The Billboard Vol 66 no 10 March 6 1954 p 23 ProQuest 1040167848 a b c Grutzner Charles December 9 1955 Luna Park Picked for City Housing 23 000 000 Project Is Laid Before Planning Board The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 City Plans Housing at Luna Park Coney Project Of 1 500 Units New York Herald Tribune December 9 1955 p A1 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1327312980 Luna Park Houses Near Approval New York Herald Tribune December 15 1955 p 20 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1326291494 City Board Backs Luna Homes Plan Coney Chamber However Is Opposed to Project and Wants Site for Parking The New York Times December 15 1955 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Revision is Made of Luna Park Site Housing Authority Cuts 700 Feet Off Surf Ave Frontage to Satisfy Estimate Board The New York Times January 19 1956 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Court Asked to Ban Coney Parking Lot The New York Times July 6 1956 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Parks kiddielands rinks Coney s Vast Field Erases Parking Woes The Billboard Vol 68 no 23 June 2 1956 p 48 ProQuest 1040134626 Coney Parking Offered Housing Authority Asks Bids on Use of Large Lot The New York Times May 14 1957 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Middle Income Housing Will Rise on Coney s Luna Park Site Next Year The New York Times November 26 1956 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Coney Houses to Start Ground Will Be Broken Today on Site of Old Luna Park The New York Times July 9 1958 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Cook Philip S May 13 1961 City to Sell Luna Park For Co op Apartments Pickets Charge Steal New York Herald Tribune p 5 ISSN 1941 0646 ProQuest 1327360718 City Votes to Sell Big Luna Housing Gerosa Opposes Plan for Nonprofit Co op Group The New York Times May 13 1961 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 9 2023 a b Ennis Thomas W December 2 1962 Apartments Rise in Shore Sections Middle income Housing is Promoted From Coney to Long Beach Area Some Buildings Co ops 20 story Project Included oceanfront is Acquiring a Residential Flavor Steeplechase Overshadowed Projects Near Coney Island Apartments Rise in Shore Sections Rockaway Slums Razed Breezy Point Dispute The New York Times p 513 ISSN 0362 4331 ProQuest 116308676 Shopping Site Slated City Authority Sells Lot Near Coney Island Houses The New York Times January 7 1960 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 9 2023 Immerso 2002 pp 66 67 How Coney Island Got That Way Harper s Bazaar Vol 74 no 2753 July 1941 pp 86 92 ProQuest 1860666604 Immerso 2002 pp 64 65 a b c Kasson 1978 p 65 Kasson 1978 p 66 Immerso 2002 p 67 Immerso 2002 p 78 Coney Managers Stirred to Protest See Ruin Ahead in the Strict Enforcement of Early Closing Laws in the Resort The New York Times May 18 1909 ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 14 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k Many Improvements in City s Playground Times Union April 18 1903 p 2 Retrieved January 9 2023 a b c d e f g Bewilderingly Beautiful Luna Park Nears Completion The Standard Union April 5 1903 p 11 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 a b c Coney Island Rejuvenated The New York Times April 12 1903 p 28 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Kasson 1978 p 66 a b c d e Luna Park Coney Island Suggestions for Street Railway Parks The Street Railway Journal Vol 21 no 22 May 30 1903 p 809 ProQuest 734413798 a b Immerso 2002 pp 62 63 a b c d Immerso 2002 p 63 Immerso 2002 pp 63 64 Immerso 2002 pp 60 61 Smith John W July 7 1936 Summer Fun Then and Now The Brooklyn Daily Eagle p 13 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Luna Will Be Opened This Afternoon Times Union May 14 1913 p 7 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 a b c The Sightseer May Travel From Zone to Zone All Over the Known World and Yet Never Leave Luna Park New York Tribune July 12 1903 p A9 ProQuest 571431386 Infant Incubators Opened To day The Standard Union June 3 1903 p 5 Retrieved January 10 2023 Phalen William J 2016 Coney Island 150 Years of Rides Fires Floods the Rich the Poor and Finally Robert Moses Jefferson NC McFarland ISBN 978 1476623733 Greater Luna Park Opens on Saturday New Features at Coney Island Showplace The New York Times May 7 1905 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 a b Immerso 2002 p 73 a b c The Mechanical Joys of Coney Island Scientific American Vol XCIX no 7 August 15 1908 p 108 ProQuest 126812269 Easdown Martin 2012 Amusement Park Rides Shire Library Bloomsbury Publishing p 47 ISBN 978 1 78200 152 2 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 10 2023 Morehouse Ward III August 15 1977 Coney Island blues flashing neon again Run down amusement park housing area in for a boost with diverse renewal effort Redevelopment was stalled 300 million visitors Luna Park now housing The Christian Science Monitor p 10 ProQuest 512003422 Parascandola 2014 p 105 Immerso 2002 p 79 Parks Coney Island s Opening a Master Display of Brilliancy The Billboard Vol 16 no 21 May 21 1904 p 6 ProQuest 1401172922 Summer Amusements The Standard Union June 26 1921 p 20 Archived from the original on January 12 2023 Retrieved January 11 2023 Goodman Walter February 4 1991 Review Television The Coney Island of New York s Age of Innocence The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 9 2023 Parascandola 2014 p 317 Parascandola 2014 p 325 Parascandola 2014 p 318 Immerso 2002 p 118 Shepard Richard F September 29 1996 New York in the Silents An Un Self Conscious Star The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 9 2023 Retrieved January 9 2023 Truitt Brian December 10 2015 Silent Speedy showcases NYC of yesteryear USA TODAY Retrieved January 9 2023 Binder David August 13 1961 It s Not All Fun at Coney Island Behind Amusement Area a New Middle class Zone of Apartments Rises The New York Times p R1 ISSN 0362 4331 ProQuest 115477270 Caves R W 2004 Encyclopedia of the City Routledge p 439 ISBN 9780415252256 Luna Park opening day New York Daily News May 29 2010 Retrieved January 8 2023 Luna Park celebrates grand opening News 12 Brooklyn May 28 2010 Retrieved January 8 2023 Povoledo Elisabetta April 24 2010 Coney Island Getting a 30 Million Italian Makeover The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 8 2023 Sources Edit Immerso Michael 2002 Coney Island the people s playground illustrated ed Rutgers University Press ISBN 978 0 8135 3138 0 Kasson John F 1978 Amusing the Million Coney Island at the Turn of the Century American century series Hill amp Wang ISBN 978 0 8090 2617 3 Parascandola L J 2014 A Coney Island Reader Through Dizzy Gates of Illusion Columbia University Press p 24 ISBN 978 0 231 53819 0 Retrieved January 20 2019 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Luna Park Coney Island 1903 Oral histories about Luna Park 1903 1944 collected by the Coney Island History Project Billy Murray and the Haydn Quartet sing Meet Me Down at Luna Lena Luna Park history site with numerous pictures Brooklyn Museum exhibit on Luna Park Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Luna Park Coney Island 1903 amp oldid 1137351168, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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