Coney Island

Eight years ago today Hurricane Sandy devastated Sea Gate and Coney Island. This film was shot on October 29, 2012 by Charles Denson for the Coney Island History Project.
Content type: News Article
Happy International Podcast Day! Listen to the Coney Island History Project's new oral history podcast. The first episodes feature immigrant stories from our archive, including oral histories of restaurants and food stand owners and operators, ...
Content type: News Article
Happy 100th Patent-Versary to Deno's Wonder Wheel! Filed in January, Charles Hermann's patent for his invention, which he said combined the thrills of a Ferris wheel with a gravity railway or roller coaster, was approved on September 28, 1920. An...
Content type: News Article
Charles Denson at the silenced Wonder Wheel, 2020, "a season like no other." For the first time in history, Coney Island has lost an entire season. As Labor Day weekend arrived and faded, amusements remained shuttered and people began wondering...
Content type: News Article
On August 16th, we'd ordinarily say Happy National Roller Coaster Day and propose celebrating with a ride on the Coney Island Cyclone.  Since New York's amusement park rides, including the Cyclone, have been closed this season by state executive...
Content type: News Article
We're excited to announce the August 3rd publication of Charles Denson's book Coney Island's Wonder Wheel Park, which was originally scheduled for May 18. This year the landmark Wonder Wheel celebrates its 100th birthday, and to mark the occasion...
Content type: News Article
Paul Boyton's Sea Lion Park in 1895. © Coney Island History Project Collection. One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, on July 4, 1895, Paul Boyton opened Coney Island's and North America's first enclosed amusement park, Sea Lion Park,...
Content type: News Article
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...
Content type: News Article
When the NY Pause order went into effect in mid-March, the Coney Island History Project suspended all in-person events and activities and focused on creating new online content, including videos, blogs, oral histories, and additions to our...
Content type: News Article
We're thrilled that the Coney Island History Project's Oral History Archive is featured in The New York Times virtual things to do "At Home" section! You can still enjoy Coney Island this season thanks to the Coney Island History Project. Listen...
Content type: News Article