Happy Holidays from the Coney Island History Project!

Happy Holidays from the Coney Island History Project! As 2024 comes to a close, we're grateful for our friends and supporters.

Highlights from this year include:

• Displaying the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops, an original Steeplechase horse, and an updated version of our exhibit about the past, present, and future of the century-old Riegelmann Boardwalk.

• Presenting outdoor exhibits at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, including an installation of history panels in front of the Astroland Moon Rocket and history banners adjacent to the Wheel and below the Phoenix Roller Coaster. We also installed new audio/visual equipment in the Rocket and began installation of colorful new interior lighting.

• Celebrating Coney Island's history by displaying and honoring Coney Island’s oldest surviving artifact, the 201-year-old Coney Island Toll House sign that dates to 1823 and remains the centerpiece of our historic collections.

• Recording new oral histories for our multilingual online archive, which now has over 480 interviews with people who have lived or worked in Coney Island and nearby neighborhoods of Southern Brooklyn or have a special connection to these places.

• Connecting with the community by offering free events such as our Coney Island History Show and Tell reminiscence event at the Coney Island Library on Mermaid Avenue.

•Acting as an information center for multitudes of visitors to Coney Island.

•Contributing op-eds and posts alerting the community about the dangers of the proposed Coney Island Casino.

Our successful and productive season was dampened by the horrifying specter of an ill-conceived Coney Island Casino project. It brings to mind the sad history of destructive policies and dubious planning that have damaged the community and businesses of Coney Island in the past, beginning with “redlining” during the 1930s, urban renewal in the 1960s, and the 2009 rezoning that brought a notorious slumlord to the heart of Coney Island. It’s a shame to think that all the recent progress and improvements in the community will be reversed if this dreadful project goes through. The decision will be made late in 2025 and public input at the hearings over the next year is extremely important.

Your donation or membership today will help support our 501(c)(3) nonprofit's free exhibits, oral history archive, and community programming as we enter our 21st year.

We’re counting the days until we meet again in Coney Island for the 2025 season!

Charles Denson, Executive Director