Oral History Archive

Filtering by amusement rides back to all

Ralph Avella

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

Marian Carbone and Anna Jackson

Memories of riding the Parachute Jump and Steeplechase horse race ride in the 1950s

Irene Karas

Sea Gate resident on her girlhood memories of Coney Island and passing them on to her daughter

Rebecca Diamond

A five-year-old describes her visit to Coney Island

Joel Zika

The founder of the Dark Ride Project on documenting Spook-A-Rama and other historic dark rides

Jorge Gallegos

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

David Head

David Head tells the story of African-American inventor Granville T. Woods and his electric roller coaster

Terry Zheng

5D Cinema entrepreneur on Coney Island's Bowery

Walter "Shorty" Arsenault

Long-time manager of Astroland's Kiddieland

Wally Roberts

The King of Jones Walk

Louis Ritter

Amusement Ride Operator

Joan DelSandra

Memories of the Bobsled, Caterpillar and Parachute Jump

Roy Sylvan Sartin

Model Maker and Music Producer

Louis Parker

Remembers Astroland Rocket

David Rapaport

Got stuck on the Parachute Jump

Marion Kantrowitz

Rode the Cyclone at 4 years old

Jim St. Clair

Recalls Coney Island as a boy, especially Steeplechase Park

Joel Minesquero

Helping his Dad run a dark ride called the House of Horrors