Coney Island History Project 2025

WHAT'S NEW

May 24: Coney Island History Project Opens for the Season

The Coney Island History Project will open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend with two new exhibits. Charles Denson: Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975 and Amanda Deutch: Brooklyn Wilds combine street photography, cyanotypes, native plants, and poetry to explore the natural and urban sides of Coney Island that are not well known. With this exhibit we are introducing our new Wonder Gallery, a collaboration between Charles Denson and Amanda Deutch.

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Featured Oral History Interviews

Steve Burke

Memories of working at Coney Island's pony track as a boy in the 1940s for "no pay, just tips"

Yeva Novik

A 90-year-old Coney Island resident recounts her journey from Moscow to Southern Brooklyn

Sheldon Krimsky

Memories of growing up on West 29th Street in Coney Island in the 1940s and '50s

Dennis Thomas

President of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club for the past 12 years and a member since the 1980s

Father Maxim Pliskov

Russian Orthodox priest at Coney Island's St. John of Kronstadt Chapel for the Homeless

Ralph Avella

Memories of working on the Coney Island Parachute Jump's operation crew at age 16

Hall of Fame

Inventors, performers, impresarios, and community leaders - these are among the many pioneers and visionaries whose creativity and ingenuity helped shape and define Coney Island over the past century. Each year, the Coney Island Hall of Fame pays tribute to a selected group of honorees. Their contributions are highlighted in an exhibit of colorful banners accompanied by illustrated text panels detailing their fascinating lives.

Featured Video

Memories of Coney Island's Mermaid Avenue in the 1950s

New on our YouTube channel: Charles Denson's Mermaid Avenue in the 1950's brings together photos from the Coney Island History Project Collection and the voices of Michael "Looch" Goldstein and Stanley Fox. They grew up at opposite ends of Mermaid Avenue and recorded their memories of the...

Ask Mr. Coney Island

Dear Mr. Coney Island...
I've been doing a search to find images, pictures and films/video and audio showing the incredible Classic Three Rotating Ring Carousel that I remembered, as a young boy, that was housed in the huge indoor Steeplechase Park. As a young boy in the 1950's I had been amazed at the mechanical complexity of such an amazing machine with its 'Three Counter Rotating Ride Rings', Beautifully Hand Carved and Lovingly Painted Motion and Still Horses, and the Powerful music that came from the Huge Mechanical Full Orchestra and Organ/Calliope. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and Coney Island was a regular venue for our family entertainment. I'm hoping you'll be the one to help restore this childhood amazement to me! Regards, namaste
- David

Hello David,

That would be the El Dorado Carousel, now located at Toshimaen Amusement Park in Tokyo. This magnificent machine was carved by Hugo Hasse of Leipzig Germany in 1902. In 1910 it was moved to Coney Island and installed in a building Surf Avenue at West Fifth Street. The carousel survived the 1911 Dreamland Fire, blistered but intact. George Tilyou brought the El Dorado to...