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Astroland: A brief history
Photo credit: Urbanite
Photo by Lane Johnson
After last year's false alarm, the inevitable came to pass Thursday: The owners of Coney Island's Astroland announced the amusement park will close for good this weekend after 46 years. Full story here. Photos here and here. Classic Astroland commercial here.
Here's a short history of the site:
1955—Three investors, including the owner of Nathan’s hot dogs, buy the land where Astroland sits in order to keep it out of the hands of NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses.
1962—Astroland opens as owners hope to capitalize on new interest in the Space Age. Attractions include the Cape Canaveral Satellite Jet and the Mercury Capsule Skyride.
1976—Astroland takes over operation of the Cyclone Roller Coaster. The next month an early morning fire destroys much of the amusement park.
1988—The Cyclone is named an official city landmark.
2006—The owners sell the land the amusement park sits on to developer Thor Equities.
2008—Unable to negotiate a long-term lease with Thor, Astroland operators announce that the park will close for good after the season.
-- Compiled by David Freedlander
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