Happy #NationalRollerCoasterDay! I recorded an oral history for @coneyislandhistory.bsky.social with roller coaster designer Mike Boodley. Fifty years ago, he broke a world record riding the Coney Island Cyclone 1,001X in 45 hrs 🎢 www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history... @ridewithace.bsky.social

Take a souvenir photo with the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops at the Coney Island History Project! Open free of charge on weekends from 1-7 PM. Hosted by Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, we're on W 12 St next to the Wheel. Then head over to Deno's for a spin on Spook-A-Rama, Coney's last classic dark ride 😱

Coney Island CM @justinbrannan.bsky.social, Boro Pres @bkbpreynoso.bsky.social & NYS Senator Scarcella Spanton appointed themselves to a Community Advisory Cmte to vote on The Coney casino. We need 3 no votes to stop the casino and traffic hell. Send your comments to [email protected]

Charles Denson, director of the Coney Island History Project, has a NEW Substack about Coney Island! ➡️ Read his first post & subscribe for free: coneyologist.substack.com Denson is the author of the prizewinning Coney Island: Lost and Found and three other books about Coney Island.

Stop by the Coney Island History Project's free exhibit center when you visit Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk! Open weekends and holidays from 1-7 PM, we're on W 12th St next to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park's Phoenix Roller Coaster and Wonder Wheel 🎡 www.coneyislandhistory.org/exhibition-c...

NEW in our oral history archive: Randy Profeta, great grandson of Coney Island sign painter Harry Wildman (1875-1930), who created the logo for Nathan's when it opened in 1916. Recorded for the Coney Island History Project by @triciavita.bsky.social. www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

Happy National Hot Dog Day! In this early photo of Nathan's you can see the store's logo created by Coney Island sign painter Harry Wildman. We circled his credit in red. You can listen to our oral history with Wildman's great grandson Randy Profeta here: www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

On Saturday, we welcomed a visitor from Vancouver, Canada, who loves Coney Island so much he has the Steeplechase Funny Face tattooed on his arm! Our exhibit center is open weekends & holidays 1-7 PM. Take a souvenir photo with the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops and view historic artifacts and photos. #FREE

Visit the Coney Island History Project and take a souvenir photo with an original Steeplechase horse from the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name! Our exhibit center is open Saturdays, Sundays & holidays from 1-7 PM. #FREE www.coneyislandhistory.org/exhibition-c...

The Coney casino developers are falsely claiming that gambling casinos were once a traditional business in Coney Island & @nycplanning.bsky.social bought the lie. History lesson: www.coneyislandhistory.org/blog/coney-c... @bkbpreynoso.bsky.social @justinbrannan.bsky.social @alexsommer.bsky.social

View multiple versions of Steeplechase Park's quirky trademark, the grinning 'Funny Face,' at the Coney Island History Project's free exhibition center. We have an original Steeplechase horse too! Located on W 12 St at the entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel, we're open weekends and holidays, 1-7 PM.

Happy 4th of July Weekend! Visit the Coney Island History Project's free exhibition center in your red, white, and blue on Friday, Saturday or Sunday from 1-7 PM. Take a souvenir photo with the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops, Steeplechase horse, or our photo banner of Coney's crowded beach on July 4, 1935.

Unfortunately @council.nyc.gov passed Coney Island casino proposal to de-map public streets & acquire air rights for hotel 2x the height allowed by zoning. Vote was 36 - yes, including the vote of local CM @justinbrannan.bsky.social, 11 - no, and 4 abstentions. www.brooklynpaper.com/city-council...

The NYC Council will vote on a casino developer's demapping proposal on Monday, June 30 ⚠️ If you don't want Coney Island to be replaced by a casino, we urge you to phone or email Coney Councilman @justinbrannan.bsky.social and your council member. Find your district: council.nyc.gov/districts/

Happy 98th Birthday to The Cyclone Roller Coaster! Vintage postcard from the Coney Island History Project Collection.

Happy 81st Birthday to our dear friend Stanley Fox from all of us at the Coney Island History Project! He and his family operated arcades in Coney for more than 30 years. You can listen to his oral history interview recorded by @triciavita.bsky.social here: www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

The Coney Casino and The Sopranos, new blog post by Charles Denson: www.coneyislandhistory.org/blog/coney-c... #coneyisland

Happy Father's Day from the Coney Island History Project! Visit our free exhibition center this season and take a souvenir photo with the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops or the Steeplechase horse. Open 1-7 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays thru Labor Day. www.coneyislandhistory.org/exhibition-c...

Many thanks to Time Out New York for their article about our exhibit "Charles Denson: Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975" and including it in their best exhibitions guide 🙏 www.timeout.com/newyork/news... Exhibition center hours are 1-7pm on Saturdays, Sundays & holidays thru Labor Day. Free admission!

Help stop Coney Island from being replaced by a casino! June 12 NYC Council Land Use Committee hearing on Coney casino developer's proposal to demap public streets & acquire air rights to build sky bridges & a hotel 2X the height allowed by current zoning. www.coneyislandhistory.org/blog/june-12...

The Coney Island History Project is open for the season with new exhibits by Charles Denson and Amanda Deutch. Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975 and Brooklyn Wilds combine street photography, cyanotypes, native plants, and poetry to explore the natural and urban sides of Coney Island. conta.cc/4keG1dj

Dan Cafarelli's Steeplechase barber shop is among the photos by Charles Denson in "Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975" at our free exhibition center. The small building filled with Steeplechase memorabilia was on W 16 St on property owned by the Tilyou family. www.coneyislandhistory.org/blog/coney-i...

Today, on #MemorialDay, we remember and honor those who served and lost their lives defending our freedom. This plaque at Surf and Seabreeze Aves honors William J. Hennessy, a Coney Island resident who was killed in action over a century ago during World War I.

Cy the Cyclops 👁️ can't wait to see everyone again at the Coney Island History Project! Our free exhibition center opens Memorial Day Weekend with two new exhibits. Hours are 1:00 PM-7:00 PM, Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays thru Sept 1. www.coneyislandhistory.org

The Coney Island History Project kicks off summer season with two new exhibits exploring urban change and streetscapes. Open Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 1-7 PM. Free admission for one and all! www.brooklynpaper.com/coney-island...

It's #NationalPetWeek and we're celebrating the memory of the fabulous Ms. Colombia, who frequently brought her poodle Carino and bird Rosita to pose for souvenir photos, and the many pups who "rode" the kiddie whip car and Steeplechase horse at the Coney Island History Project!

Happy Easter from Coney Island! You knew Coney was named Conyne Eylandt --Rabbit Island-- by the Dutch, right? 🐇🐇🐇

See you Sunday, April 13, at 10 AM for the Blessing of the Rides & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park! The first 105 guests ride the Wheel free. Read our blog post about how Palm Sunday became Coney Island’s traditional opening day in 1956: www.coneyislandhistory.org/blog/remembe...

Paul's Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk, established as Gregory and Paul’s in 1962. It's delightful to once again see the beloved vintage signs for “Mr. Shrimp” & “Chiefito and Chiefita - the Nice N Sweet/Fluffy Cotton Candy Kids” painted by Hector George Wallace carefully preserved inside...

If and when popular programs at local libraries are discontinued, will people realize it might be thanks to this action? www.npr.org/2025/03/31/n...

We're sad to learn of the passing of Lou Nasti, an "artistic mechanical engineer" who redid the tricks for Astroland's Dante's Inferno in the 90s. The 7 ft. gorilla in front of Deno's Spook-A-Rama is one of his creations. His oral history in our archive: www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

Happy #StPatricksDay from 1940's Coney Island! Shamrock Irish House had an orchestra, dancing and singing waiters. It was owned by the Buxbaum family, who later opened the Eldorado Arcade. Listen to Sheila Buxbaum Fitlin's #oralhistory in our archive: www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

Reynoso vs. Riegelmann: A Casino and a Legacy. Will @bkbpreynoso.bsky.social uphold and preserve the difficult work that his predecessor accomplished or will he approve a billionaire slumlord’s attempt to privatize and demap public streets in Coney Island? www.coneyislandhistory.org/blog/reynoso...

Remembering our dear friend and neighbor Benny Harrison on the first anniversary of his passing. We miss you, Benny ❤️ www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

On #InternationalWomensDay we celebrate Lady Deborah Moody, who founded the town of Gravesend, which included Coney Island, in the 17th c. She was the only woman to start a colony in the New World. Its charter insured religious freedom and self-government.

Keep in mind it's only 4 weeks till spring 🌸 Meanwhile, it's extremely cold here in Coney Island. The icicles on the beach look like shark teeth! Photos by Coney Island History Project director Charles Denson.

Happy Valentine's Day! Celebrate by listening to the Love & Marriage ep of our Coney Island Stories podcast featuring the stories of couples who met, got engaged or married in Coney Island, all taken from the History Project’s oral history archive. www.coneyislandhistory.org/podcast/seas...

Doing a #localhistory project in NYC? RSVP to Neighborhood #OralHistory #WinterSocial returns on Tues, 2/25 - forms.gle/nDiM3b7kfWa7... Meet people from other neighborhoods doing similar work, share strategies & mingle! Co-hosted by @oralhistorycu.bsky.social, oralhistory.org, & ohmar.org

In celebration of #NationalInventorsDay & #BlackHistoryMonth, listen to David Head tell the story of Granville T. Woods in our Oral History Archive. Woods demonstrated his electric railway and an electric roller coaster called the Figure 8 in Coney Island. www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

Starting soon!

The history they don't want you to know is exactly the history you should learn. Ask your parents, grands, aunties & uncles to tell you their stories. Record them. Pass them down to the next generation. Erasing the past dooms the future. #OralHistory #TuskegeeAirmen www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK3V...

NEW in the Coney Island History Project #OralHistory Archive: Dr. Ina Bendis shares stories of growing up in Coney Island and working in her father's pharmacy on Mermaid Ave at W 23rd St from the 1940s to 1969. www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

Happy Birthday WF Mangels, born on this day in 1867! The rides that he invented and manufactured in Coney Island have given pleasure to many generations and continue to do so at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park and parks and carnivals around the world. Pic of antique kiddie whip car at our exhibit center.

Happy #NationalSpousesDay! Enjoy listening to our oral histories with Ellen & Martin Abrams, who met on Coney Island beach. They tell the story of their romance & wedding in her W 29 St apt during blizzard of '61. Recorded for us by @alilemer.bsky.social. www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history... .

Thank you Community Board 13 for voting NO on demapping streets for the Coney casino, 24-11 with 4 abstentions 👏 Thanks Dutchmazz for the livestream. @bkbpreynoso.bsky.social has 30 days to review & issue his recommendation. Email him at [email protected] youtube.com/watch?v=UGTP....

Please sign and share the petition against the Coney Island casino organized by our friend and neighbor Coney Island USA. Over 6,000 people have signed the petition since December, with dozens more signing every time it is shared via social media. coneyisland.com/nocasino #nocasino #coneyisland

Read our timeline of Coney casino hearings and votes by electeds & appointees! The developer paid $400K to registered lobbyists over past 2 yrs to lobby them. Let your voice be heard by writing @bkbpreynoso.bsky.social @justinbrannan.bsky.social and others. www.coneyislandhistory.org/blog/events/...

January 18: Gull Spotting on Coney Island Beach. Free class with Ryan Mandelbaum and NYC Bird Alliance

#Throwback to an #OralHistory I recorded with Mort Shatzkin, who recalls #ConeyIsland's Tuesday night fireworks and Shatzkin's Knishes, his family's business on the Boardwalk in the 1940s and 50s. Full interview in coneyislandhistory.bsky.social archive: www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...

Here we go again trying to #SaveConeyIsland from Thor Equities! Please sign the petition against the casino at coneyisland.com/nocasino & scroll down the page for the contact info of @bkbpreynoso.bsky.social & @justinbrannan.bsky.social whose vote is coming up next. Deets in alt text #ConeyIsland