Coney Island Area

The story of Luna Park, the third and youngest of the “Big Three” amusement parks in Coney Island, did not end with the death of one of its founders, or the seizure of the park by creditors, from the other founder. People come and go, but the fun endures. Or does it? In 1903, Frederick Thompson and Skip Dundy’s new Luna Park joined George Tilyou’s Steeplechase Park and William Reynolds’s Dreamland on the acres of beachfront property called Coney Island. The two men began their careers and their park with their iconic ride called “A Trip to the Moon,” in a large winged ship called the Luna. Their park was known for its rides, as well as its huge parades and extravaganzas, which included elephants and circus acts. By 1907, both men were quite rich, and the park was going along quite well, setting attendance, as well as box office, records. They even built the Hippodrome Theater in Manhattan, said to be the largest theater in the world. But that year, Skip Dundy died, leaving Frederick Thompson on his own, running the park. He was not up to the task. (more…)

Coney Island was the largest and most famous entertainment center in the world. It was composed of three major amusement parks, which in turn were surrounded by the rides and attractions of dozens of independent operators and vendors. All of them faced the beach and the sea, the original attraction for millions of hot and overworked New Yorkers, crowded into an ever-growing and congested city. Last time, I told the beginnings of the story of Luna Park, the brainchild of two talented Midwesterners, both bitten hard by the show-biz bug. Frederick Thompson and Elmer “Skip” Dundy had invented a hugely popular attraction called “A Trip to the Moon”, which was the top attraction at the 1901 Pan American Exhibition in Buffalo, NY. Steeplechase Park owner George Tilyou bought the ride, and had it and the partners brought to Coney Island in 1902. It was only a matter of time before these go-getters got their own park, and in 1903, Luna Park opened to great success. Thompson and Dundy had bet their last dime on the success of their new park, and their gamble paid off. By the end of 1903, with not even a year of operating, the men had paid off their loans, and were swimming in money. (more…)

I’ve written a few articles about the development of Coney Island, from the Golden Age of the posh resort hotels, to the rise and fall of the great amusement parks, such as Dreamland and Steeplechase Park. The third of the “Big Three” amusement parks was Luna Park, and I thought an apt way to celebrate the end of summer would be to tell the tale of the only landlocked amusement park on Coney Island, one whose name lives on today, albeit in a whole new world of professional amusement. It’s fitting, given the name, that Luna Park began with a trip to the moon. But in the strange, unreal world of early 20th century amusement parks in Coney Island, Luna Park’s history is the oddest of all, with not only showmanship and innovative amusements, but also random cruelty to animals, casual racism, flagrant spending, brilliant marketing, spectacular miscalculations, and the fate of all of Coney’s original parks, a final blaze of glory. (more…)

The last two articles in this series, (Part One and Part Two) chronicled the history of the Tilyou family’s business of entertainment. From the first restaurant and bathing pavilion in the 1868, to the first Steeplechase Park, built by son, George, the Tilyou’s have had Coney Island and the business of amusement in their hearts and minds. By the time George Tilyou had begun Steeplechase Park, there were several other amusement parks on Coney Island, as well as small independent operators with a ride here, a booth there, a restaurant, hotel, or saloon on the streets near Surf Avenue. Between 1897 and 1907, Steeplechase Park had become the very popular park where fun meant rolling on the floor, tossed around by centrifugal forces, having your skirts lifted by pressurized air jets, and riding on exciting rides like the park’s namesake, the Steeplechase. This could have all ended with the devastating fire that roared through the park in July of 1907, but for George Tilyou, it was an opportunity to persevere, restock, and rebuild. By 1908, he was back. (more…)