On May 31, 2007 the Coney Island History Project inaugurated its new exhibition center, located in a former souvenir store below the world-famous Cyclone roller coaster on Surf Avenue near West 10th Street. The exhibition center presents a series of exhibits, events and performances and displays historic artifacts from Coney Island's colorful past. The centerpiece is an authentic Steeplechase horse, part of the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name.

The exhibition center is open free of charge on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Luna Park Revisited, the featured exhibition for this season, opens on May 29, 2010. According to History Project Director Charles Denson, "The original Luna Park was a visual delight, a 'grotesquely delightful' storybook fantasyland filled with hundreds of towers, domes, spires, and minarets, all decorated with thousands of electric lights. It was known as the 'Electric Eden,' a city 'sketched in flame.'" The exhibit details the original Luna Park's history from opening day in 1903 to the dramatic fire that destroyed it forty years later. Rare archival photos, family snapshots, souvenir postcards and fun ephemera from Luna Park will be on display. A touch screen monitor will provide access to dozens more images.

More than a century after the original Luna Park opened, Coney Island's iconic park has inspired the creation of Zamperla's new Luna Park. The Coney Island History Project is eagerly anticipating the May 29th grand opening of our new next-door neighbor. Charles Denson is creating a photo exhibit of the site's 140-year transformation from sand dunes to Sea Beach Railroad land grant, to Feltman's Restaurant, to Astroland, and finally to the resurrected Luna Park across the street from its namesake.

The History Project's 2010 season will also feature a new exhibition about archaeology and historic sites in the neighborhood. The show includes "then and now" photographs of the historic buildings of Coney Island, several of which have been proposed for landmark designation. Later this summer, we will exhibit a truly unique artifact from Steeplechase Park which has been out of the public eye since the park closed in 1964. The history and archaeology exhibition will tie in with the Coney Island History Project's 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."

The Exhibition Center houses the History Project's recording studio and interactive Video Interview Booth, which allows visitors to record their memories and impressions of Coney Island and take a free souvenir photo.

Admission is free
Open Weekends from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day

• from May 29 - September 5, Saturdays and Sundays, 1pm-6pm
• also open May 31, Memorial Day (Monday), 1pm-6pm
• also open September 6, Labor Day (Monday), 1pm-6pm