Did you grow up here? Do you remember going for your first spin on the B & B Carousell? Did you meet your true love in Coney Island? We want to hear your Coney Island stories and see your photos!

The Coney Island History Project announces a series of themed history weekends to pique your interest and jog your memory--from "Childhood Days" and "Romantic Coney Island" to "Thrills & Chills!" and "Under the Boardwalk & On the Beach." Check the schedule below and stop by for an interview with historian Charles Denson or History Project staff.

Natalie Milbrodt Interviews Ron Rossi in CIHP recording studio
under the Cyclone roller coaster on the Cyclone's 83rd birthday

Throughout the summer, visitors are invited to record their Coney Island memories for the History Project's oral history archive. Selected interviews will be made available on our website as part of our Coney Island Voices exhibit, a record of visitors and their stories during the 2010 season. The CIHP's History Archive is rich with stories of people who lived, worked or played in Coney Island. Some of them still do: Williams Candy owner Peter Agrapides, game operator Caesar, and Luna Park visitor Mi Won Kim. You can find and listen to their stories via our searchable online database, which is organized by theme, place, period and interviewee.

Visitors are also encouraged to bring photos and memorabilia we can scan for the CIHP's online collection documenting Coney Island's past. Whoever brings in the best photo in each category will receive a set of historic postcards, vintage tickets, and a signed copy of Charles Denson's Wild Ride! A Coney Island Roller Coaster Family.

Interviews are available at the History Project's free public exhibition center on Surf Avenue under the Cyclone.The center is open on Saturday and Sunday, 1- 6pm, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, as well as by appointment. You may schedule an interview in advance by emailing info@coneyislandhistory.org.

Themed History Weekends at the Coney Island History Project

July 10 & 11, Romantic Coney Island!... Did you meet your true love in Coney Island, go on your first date or fall in love here? We predict this is going to be a popular theme, so we'll reprise it on July 24 and 25!

July 17 & 18, Childhood Days... Carousel and kiddie ride memories, being tall enough to ride the Cyclone or Parachute Jump for the first time, your very first memory of Coney Island.

July 24 & 25, Romantic Coney Island! Did you meet your true love in Coney Island, go on your first date or fall in love here?

July 31 & Aug 1, Thrills & Chills!... Coney Island's rides, funhouses, games and arcades are world famous, but which ones are your personal favorites?

Aug 7 & 8, Neighborhood Coney Island... Did you grow up here? Have a summer job in the amusement district or work year round in the neighborhood?

Aug 14 & 15, The Taste of Coney Island... Are you a fan of Nathan's hot dogs, Mrs. Stahl's Knishes, Philip's salt water taffy? How about Ruby's Bar & Grille, Totonno's Pizza or Williams Candy?

Aug 21 & 22, Historic Coney Island... Memories, stories or photos of Coney's four NYC landmarks -- the Wonder Wheel, Cyclone, Parachute Jump, and Childs Restaurant on the Boardwalk--as well as vanished attraction like Steeplechase Park, the Thunderbolt and Stauch's Baths.

Aug 28 & 29, Under the Boardwalk and On the Beach... Favorite memories, Outings with family & friends, first trip to Coney Island--even if it's today--because memories are in the making.

On Saturday, June 26, the Coney Island History Project will celebrate the Cyclone Roller Coaster's 83nd birthday with a surprise birthday get-together. SSHHH! Don't tell the Cyclone, but we've invited friends and fans of the legendary roller coaster to join us from 1- 6pm at the Coney Island History Project's free public exhibition center under the Cyclone on Surf Avenue.

At 2 pm, we'll sing Happy Birthday to the Cyclone, blow out the candles, and cut the cake. Throughout the day, visitors are invited to share their Cyclone memories and photos with historian Charles Densonfor the CIHP's History Archive. The Cyclone was "born" on June 26, 1927 and is an official New York City landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Coney Island History Project is eagerly anticipating the grand opening of our new next-door neighbor, Zamperla’s Luna Park. History Project Director Charles Denson documented the beginning of the park’s construction and is creating an exhibit of the site’s 140-year transformation from sand dunes to Sea Beach Railroad land grant, to Feltmans Restaurant, to Astroland, and finally to the resurrected Luna Park. “The arrival of ride manufacturer Zamperla continues the tradition of Coney Island as a laboratory and testing ground for new amusements,” Denson said. “Less than a block away, on West 8th Street, were the amusement factories and workshops of William Mangels, Marcus Illions, the Pinto Brothers, L.A. Thompson, and numerous other foundries, blacksmiths, electricians, and machinists.

Although Zamperla will not be manufacturing rides in Coney Island, their presence means that Coney will have the best and newest attractions and will also be a showroom for new technology. It will be the best of both worlds, —Coney’s classic landmark Cyclone Roller Coaster right next to a modern resurrected Luna Park.”

Join us to Celebrate Coney Island's & the Cyclone's Opening Day!

Palm Sunday is the traditional season opener for Coney Island's rides and attractions. The Coney Island History Project's public exhibition center under the Cyclone roller coaster will host an Open House on Sunday, March 28th from 12-3 pm to celebrate Coney Island's and the Cyclone's opening day of the 2010 season.

You're invited to view historic artifacts, photographs, maps, ephemera and films of Coney Island's colorful past and preview selections from our 2010 exhibition season. Among the treasures on display is Coney Island's oldest existing artifact, an 1823 Toll House sign from the days when the toll for a horse and rider to "the Island" was 9 cents. Admission to the exhibition center is free of charge.

Please stop by on March 28th and say hello to Charles Denson, CIHP Executive Director and author of Coney Island Lost and Found; Jimmy Prince, CIHP Distinguished Historian and longtime proprietor of Coney Island's Major Market; Stan Fox, Coney Island raconteur and veteran penny arcade operator; and staffers Tricia Vita, Amanda Deutch and Jeff Wilday.

The CIHP exhibition center will open for the 2010 season on Saturday, May 29th, Memorial Day Weekend with an exciting new exhibition about archaeology and historic sites in the neighborhood. The exhibition will tie in with our audio/video walking tours, which are downloadable for free via our website's Tours page. The "West End Boardwalk Tour" will make its debut, joining the currently available "Amusement Area: Past and Present" walking tour. This season's display will feature never-before-exhibited artifacts from Steeplechase Park, Feltman's, Astroland and more. We're pleased to announce that the Dreamland Bell, which was raised from the ocean floor by Gene Ritter's dive team in September after nearly 100 years under water will be back at CIHP to ring in the summer season!

Located on Surf Avenue just east of West 10th Street, the Coney Island History Project's exhibition center is open free of charge on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The centerpiece is an authentic Steeplechase horse from the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name. Visitors are invited to record a video interview and take a free souvenir photo of their visit. For additional info, contact the History Project at info@coneyislandhistory.org or 718-265-2100.