Oral History Archive

Filtering by amusement parks back to all

Roy Omori

Growing up Japanese American in Coney Island in the 1950s and '60s

Michael Liff

Memories of working at the Tornado roller coaster and other Coney Island rides and games in the 1970s

Eric Schwelke

Memories of living in Luna Park Houses in the 1960s and again in the late 1970s

Alison Cintorrino

Memories of growing up in Luna Park Houses in the 1960s and 1970s

Alan Kirschenbaum

Memories of growing up in Coney Island Houses in the 1950s and early '60s

Sharon Tera

Sharon Tera's family operated Ethel's Restaurant on the Boardwalk in the 1940s and '50s

Esther Delgado

Growing up in Gravesend and going to Coney Island in the 1940s and living there today

Reverend Cliff Herring

The Roller Coaster Reverend shares stories of Cyclone weddings

Ellen Abrams

Memories of growing up on West 29th Street and meeting her lifeguard husband on Coney Island Beach

Ita Bullard

Horace and Ita Bullard's attempt to transform Coney Island

Stanley Fox, Part 2

Retired arcade operator's memories of when Coney Island's amusements were open in the wintertime

Florian Freitag

Visiting scholar whose research interests include theme park studies

Eric K. Washington

Historian delves into the life of E.J. Perry, African-American silhouette artist at Luna Park

Jorge Gallegos

Working year-round at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park for 30 years

Craig Boyton Dudley

Great-grandson of adventurer Paul Boyton, who built Coney Island's Sea Lion Park in 1895

Frank Newlands

A look behind the scenes at Steeplechase Park

Junaid Anwar

Pakistani immigrant and Lincoln High School graduate recounts living on West 15th Street

Walter "Shorty" Arsenault

Long-time manager of Astroland's Kiddieland