Parachute Jump
Parachute Jump | |
New York City Landmark No. 1638 | |
![]() Seen from the Riegelmann Boardwalk | |
![]() | |
Location | Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°34′23″N 73°59′04″W / 40.57301°N 73.98441°W / 40.57301; -73.98441 |
Built | 1939[2] |
Architect | Michael Marlo; Edwin W. Kleinert |
NRHP reference No. | 80002645[1] |
NYCL No. | 1638 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | September 2, 1980[1] |
Designated NYCL | May 23, 1989[3] |
The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride and a landmark in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, along the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island. Situated in Steeplechase Plaza near the B&B Carousell, the structure consists of a 250-foot-tall (76 m), 170-short-ton (150 t) open-frame, steel parachute tower. Twelve cantilever steel arms radiate from the top of the tower; when the ride was in operation, each arm supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of guide cables. Riders were belted into a two-person canvas seat, lifted to the top, and dropped. The parachute and shock absorbers at the bottom would slow their descent.
International Parachuting Inc. was selected in May 1938 to operate the Parachute Jump at the 1939 New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City. Capped by a 12-foot (3.7 m) flagpole, it was the second-tallest structure at the fair. The ride was sponsored by Life Savers during the fair's first season, and it was relocated during the fair's second season to attract more visitors. In 1941, after the World's Fair, it was moved again to the Steeplechase amusement park on Coney Island. It ceased operations in the 1960s following the park's closure, and the frame fell into disrepair.
Despite proposals to either demolish or restore the ride, disputes over its use caused it to remain unused through the 1980s. The Parachute Jump has been renovated several times since the 1990s, both for stability and for aesthetic reasons. In the 2000s, it was restored and fitted with a lighting system. The lights were activated in 2006 and replaced in a subsequent project in 2013. It has been lit up in commemoration of events such as the death of Kobe Bryant. The ride, the only remaining portion of Steeplechase Park, is a New York City designated landmark and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Description
![The pavilion, a two-story building painted red, yellow, and blue. A metal gate is at the front.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Coney_Island_Brooklyn_Jul_2019_45.jpg/220px-Coney_Island_Brooklyn_Jul_2019_45.jpg)
The Parachute Jump is on the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island between West 16th and West 19th Streets.[4] It consists of a hexagonal base, upon which stands a six-sided steel structure. Each of the tower's legs consists of a 12-inch-wide (30 cm) flange column braced with horizontal ribs at 7-foot (2.1 m) intervals and diagonal ribs between the horizontal beams. The legs are grounded on concrete foundations, each of which contains twelve timber piles. The diagonal and horizontal ribs intersect at gusset plates, which contain splices at 30-foot (9.1 m) intervals and are riveted to the base. A ladder is on the north side of the structure, extending from the top of the base.[5] There are anti-climbing devices on the frame.[6] The frame has about 8,000 lighting fixtures, which are used for night-time light shows.[7] The tower's wide base gives it stability, while the top is tapered off.[8]
The Parachute Jump is 250 feet (76 m) tall.[9][10] When the ride operated at the 1939 New York World's Fair, it was 262 feet (80 m) tall, since it was topped by a 12-foot (3.7 m) flagpole.[11][12][13] Twelve drop points are at the top, marked by structural steel arms, which extend outward 45 feet (14 m) from the tower's center, and support octagonal subframes at the far end of each arm. Eight parachute guidelines were suspended from each subframe, which helped keep the parachute open. A circular structure runs atop the subframes, connecting them to each other. Walkways were above the top of the tower, as well as along each arm.[8]
Functional parachutes dangled from each of the twelve sub-frames and were held open by metal rings.[14] As originally designed, each parachute was 32 feet (9.8 m) in diameter.[15][16] Each parachute required three cable operators. Riders were belted into two-person canvas seats hanging below the closed parachutes. The parachutes would open as the riders were hoisted to the top of the ride, where release mechanisms would drop them.[14] The parachutes could be stopped at any time during the ascent, but not during the descent.[17] The parachutes slowed the rider's descent, and the seats would be stopped by a brake after they had fallen to 4 feet (1.2 m) above ground level.[17] Shock absorbers at the bottom, consisting of pole-mounted springs, cushioned the landing.[14] The parachutes could accommodate loads of up to 600 pounds (270 kg).[18]
The base consists of a two-story pavilion.[9] The upper floor housed mechanical structures and hoisting machinery, while the ground floor contained ticket booths and a waiting room. The pavilion has six sides divided by fluted piers which slope upward toward the corrugated galvanized-iron roof. The upper floor of the pavilion has red, yellow, and blue walls. The lower floor, below the height of the boardwalk, contained fenced-off open space.[19] The 4-inch-thick (10 cm) concrete platform surrounding the pavilion is several steps beneath the boardwalk level. It was originally intended as a landing pad for riders and has a radius of 68 feet (21 m). An access ramp was at the northeast corner of the platform.[20]
Precursors
![A parachute tower at the United States Army Airborne School in 2013](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Airborne_school_%289516647992%29.jpg/220px-Airborne_school_%289516647992%29.jpg)
By the 1930s, parachutists could be trained by jumping from parachute towers rather than from aircraft.[21][22] Accordingly, Stanley Switlik and George P. Putnam built a 115-foot-tall (35 m) tower on Switlik's farm in Ocean County, New Jersey.[23] The tower, which was designed to train airmen in parachute jumping, was first publicly used on June 2, 1935, when Amelia Earhart jumped from it.[23]
The "parachute device" was patented by retired U.S. Naval Commander James H. Strong along with Switlik, inspired by early practice towers Strong had seen in the Soviet Union,[24][25] where simple wooden towers had been used to train paratroopers since the 1920s. Strong designed a safer version of the tower, which included eight guide wires in a circle surrounding the parachute.[24] Strong filed a patent in 1935[25] and built several test platforms at his home in Hightstown, New Jersey, in 1936 and 1937. The military platforms suspended a single rider in a harness and offered a few seconds of free fall after the release at the top before the chutes opened to slow the fall.[21][24] In response to high civilian interest in trying out the ride, Strong modified his invention for non-military use, making some design changes. These included a seat that could hold two people, a larger parachute for a slower drop, a metal ring to hold it open, and shock-absorbing springs to ease the final landing. The modified amusement-ride version was marketed by Miranda Brothers Inc. as a 150-foot-tall (46 m), two-armed parachute jump.[26][27]
Strong sold military versions of the tower to the Romanian and U.S. armies, and he installed towers in New Jersey and Fort Benning, Georgia.[28] He converted an existing observation tower in Chicago's Riverview Park into a six-chute amusement ride. This enterprise, the "Pair-O-Chutes", performed well enough that Strong applied to build and operate a jump at the 1939 New York World's Fair.[29] Another jump, also reportedly designed by Strong, was installed at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris in 1937.[30]
Operation
![The Parachute Jump at the World's Fair in 1939 or 1940. Riders in parachutes can be seen descending from the top of the structure.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/1939parachutejump.jpg/170px-1939parachutejump.jpg)
1939 World's Fair
Grover Whalen, the president of the New York World's Fair Corporation (WFC), selected International Parachuting Inc. in May 1938 to operate a parachute drop at the World's Fair. This was the first concession to be awarded for an amusement ride at the fair.[31] The ride, known as the Parachute Jump, was to be in the fair's amusement zone, along the eastern shore of Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens.[32][33] Originally, the ride was placed near the southern end of the fairground's amusement area.[34] L. C. Holden and R. D. Stott were hired to design the ride,[35] and the firm of Skinner, Cook & Babcock was awarded the contract for the ride's erection in November 1938.[36] Construction of the Parachute Jump began the following month on December 11, 1938.[15][35]
Elwyn E. Seelye & Co. designed the steelwork, Bethlehem Steel manufactured the tower pieces, and Skinner, Cook & Babcock assembled the pieces onsite. The construction cost about $99,000 (equivalent to $2,169,000 in 2023).[11][37] Life Savers sponsored the ride,[16][38] investing $15,000 (equivalent to $329,000 in 2023) and decorated its tower with brightly lit, candy-shaped rings.[16] Although the fair opened April 28, 1939,[39] the Parachute Jump's aerial elevators had not been completed at that time.[40] By late May 1939, just before the ride opened, Life Savers had begun installing billboards at the ride's base.[38]
1939 season
The Life Savers Parachute Jump opened on May 27, 1939 (1939-05-27).[18][41] It had twelve parachute bays;[16] while five parachutes were operational upon opening,[41][42] eleven would eventually be used at the fair.[16] Within three days of the ride's opening, a 12-foot (3.7 m) flagpole was added atop the original 250-foot-tall (76 m) tower to surpass the height of a statue within the Soviet Pavilion.[11][12][13] The flagpole had been installed because members of the public had objected to the Soviet statue being placed higher than the United States' flag.[43] It was the second-tallest structure in the fair, aside from the Perisphere, which stood 700 feet (210 m) tall.[33][44] Each ride cost $0.40 (equivalent to $8.76 in 2023) for adults[45] and $0.25 (equivalent to $5.48 in 2023) for children. The trip to the top took about a minute, and the drop took between 10 and 20 seconds.[21] The official 1939 Fair guidebook described the Parachute Jump as "one of the most spectacular features of the Amusement Area", calling the attraction "similar to that which the armies of the world use in early stages of training for actual parachute jumping".[14]
The ride accommodated 4,500 passengers on its first two half-days of operation.[42] Several incidents occurred within the first few months of the Parachute Jump's opening. On July 12, 1939, entangled cables left a married couple aloft for five hours in the middle of the night.[46] The couple returned to ride again the next day, having been congratulated for their courage by New York City mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, who had been at the World's Fair when they got stuck.[47] At least two other groups of people became stuck on the Parachute Jump in its first year: a deputy sheriff and his sister-in-law later in July 1939,[48] and two female friends that September.[49] Despite a decrease in fairground visitors during mid-1939, the Parachute Jump was one of the few attractions at the fair to remain profitable.[50] The jump earned $119,524 in its first three months of operation (equivalent to $2,599,000 in 2023).[51] At the end of the first season on November 1, 1939, the jump had recorded 551,960 visitors.[52]
1940 season
The Parachute Jump's popularity was negatively affected by its secluded location.[53][54] After the Life Savers sponsorship ended at the conclusion of the 1939 season,[53] the WFC decided to relocate the ride to attract more visitors.[55][56] The relocation was announced in December 1939,[56] and work began in February 1940.[57][58] The new location was near the New York City Subway's World's Fair station,[53][59] occupying part of the Children's World site at the northeast corner of the amusement area.[34][54] A twelfth chute was installed,[55][58] and the chutes, hoist cables, and guide wires were all replaced.[60] The WFC also considered installing lights atop the Parachute Jump to increase its visibility.[61] By the beginning of April 1940, workers were installing dozens of 60-foot-deep (18 m) pilings to support the Parachute Jump.[62] The project cost $88,500 (equivalent to $1,925,000 in 2023).[53] The American Jubilee theater was built on the Parachute Jump's old site.[63][64]
The ride was originally supposed to be completed by May 8, 1940.[65] The chutes were installed on May 1,[66] and the guide wires were still being installed when the fair reopened on May 11.[67] The reopening was delayed by disagreements between International Parachuting Inc. and James Strong.[68][69] International Parachuting sued Strong to prevent him from selling the rights to the ride to third parties,[69][70] though they ultimately reached a settlement that June.[69] The Parachute Jump reopened on June 22, 1940,[71] over a month after the fair's reopening.[67] The ride initially retained its original ticket prices of 40 cents for adults and 25 cents for children.[72] In July 1940, in response to the implementation of a federal amusement tax, the ride's operators reduced the ticket prices to $0.36 (equivalent to $7.83 in 2023) for adults and $0.20 (equivalent to $4.35 in 2023) for children.[73] During the fair's second season, a couple was married on the Parachute Jump in what one newspaper described as the first-ever "parachute ceremony".[74]
The relocation of the Parachute Jump, and the consolidation of concessions in the amusement area, helped improve business for the 1940 season.[64] The Parachute Jump ultimately was the fair's second-most popular amusement attraction, behind the Billy Rose's Aquacade stage show.[75] A half-million guests had jumped from the tower before the end of the World's Fair.[76] The Parachute Jump was slated to be sent to either Coney Island in Brooklyn or Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey following the fair.[27][77] Relocation to Coney Island was considered as early as August 1940; both Luna Park and Steeplechase Park were interested in purchasing the ride during this time.[78] After the fair closed in October 1940,[79] its operators announced that the Parachute Jump would be sent to Coney Island.[76][80]
Steeplechase Park
![Refer to caption](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/2010-03-21_at_10-52-34.jpg/170px-2010-03-21_at_10-52-34.jpg)
Frank Tilyou and George Tilyou Jr., the owners of Steeplechase Park, acquired the jump for $150,000 (equivalent to $3,107,240 in 2023).[21][81] The park was recovering from a September 1939 fire, which had caused $200,000 (equivalent to $4,380,861 in 2023) in damage and injured 18 people.[82] The fire had destroyed many of the larger attractions, including a Flying Turns roller coaster, whose site stood empty a year after the blaze.[83] The Parachute Jump was disassembled in January 1941[84] and moved to the site of the Flying Turns coaster, adjacent to the boardwalk. The ride required some modifications in its new, windier, shore-side location, including the addition of 30-foot-deep (9.1 m) foundations.[85] The relocation was supervised by the engineer Edwin W. Kleinert and architect Michael Marlo.[86] Its installation was part of a larger reconstruction of an 800-foot-long (240 m) section of the boardwalk.[87] A reporter for Billboard magazine wrote that the Parachute Jump was visible "from Staten Island, from far at sea, and from the Battery".[88]
The jump reopened in May 1941.[89] Unlimited rides on the Parachute Jump were initially included within Steeplechase Park's single admission fee, which cost $0.25 (equivalent to $5.18 in 2023) at the time of the ride's relocation.[21][90] Later, the brothers introduced "combination tickets", which included the park admission fee and a predetermined number of ride experiences on any of the attractions in the park.[91] During World War II, when much of the city was subject to a military blackout,[21][81] a navigational beacon atop the ride stayed lit.[92] The Parachute Jump originally used the multicolored chutes from the World's Fair; by the mid-1940s, these had been replaced with white chutes.[81] According to Jim McCollough, a business partner and nephew of the Tilyou brothers, the frame was repainted every year.[93]
The Parachute Jump attracted up to half a million riders during each annual operating season.[21] Most riders reached the tower's pinnacle in just under a minute and descended within 11–15 seconds.[94] The experience was described as similar to "flying in a free fall".[95] The Parachute Jump was popular among off-duty military personnel, who took their friends and loved ones to the ride.[94][96] Occasionally, riders became stuck mid-jump or were tangled within the cables.[95][97] The ride was subject to shutdowns on windy days, especially when breezes exceeded 45 miles per hour (72 km/h).[17] Furthermore, at least fifteen people were required to operate the Parachute Jump, making it unprofitable.[95][98]
Coney Island's popularity receded during the 1960s as it underwent increased crime, insufficient parking facilities, and patterns of bad weather. These difficulties were exacerbated by competition from the 1964 New York World's Fair, also in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, which led to a record low patronage at Steeplechase Park.[99] On September 20, 1964, Steeplechase Park closed for the last time,[100][101] and the next year, the property was sold to developer Fred Trump.[102] On the site of Steeplechase Park, Trump proposed building a 160-foot-high (49 m) enclosed dome with recreational facilities and a convention center.[103]
Closure
The Parachute Jump stopped operating as part of Steeplechase Park upon the latter's closure in 1964.[104] Sources disagree on whether the ride closed permanently or continued to operate until as late as 1968. The Coney Island historian Charles Denson explained that the jump closed in 1964 but that many publications give an erroneous date of 1968.[105] The nonprofit Coney Island History Project maintains that the attraction closed in 1964 and the 1968 date was based on an inaccurate newspaper article.[106] The Guide to New York City Landmarks also mentions that the ride closed in 1964,[37] while the Brooklyn Paper says the jump was shuttered in 1965.[107] A New York Daily News article in 1965 said the Parachute Jump was nonoperational and had "been stripped of its wires and chutes".[108] A New York World-Telegram article the following year described a plan to restore Steeplechase Park, which included turning the Parachute Jump into the "world's largest bird feeding station".[109]
Several sources state that the jump operated until 1968. According to a press release in 1965, when the Parachute Jump was ostensibly still operating, it attracted half a million visitors per year.[110] A Daily News article from 1973 states the ride closed in 1968.[111] Consulting engineer Helen Harrison and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's website also cite a closure date of 1968, saying it was one of several small rides that were operated by concessionaires on the site of Steeplechase Park.[21][112] According to Harrison, the last documented incident on the ride was on May 30, 1968, when a young girl was reported to have gotten stuck halfway through the drop.[113]
Post-closure
Acquisition of site
![An abandoned entrance building to the abandoned Parachute Jump, seen in 1973. Several windows are broken and the paint has started to peel.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/ENTRANCE_TO_ABANDONED_PARACHUTE_JUMP_TOWER_AT_STEEPLEEHASE_AMUSEMENT_PARK_ON_CONEY_ISLAND_-_NARA_-_547894.jpg/170px-ENTRANCE_TO_ABANDONED_PARACHUTE_JUMP_TOWER_AT_STEEPLEEHASE_AMUSEMENT_PARK_ON_CONEY_ISLAND_-_NARA_-_547894.jpg)
In 1966, the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce petitioned the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to make the Parachute Jump an official city landmark. Trump, however, wanted to sell it as scrap and did not think it was old enough to warrant landmark status.[114] Trump rented out the area around the base as a concession, and it was encircled by a small go-kart track.[106] That October, the city announced a plan to acquire the 125 acres (51 ha) of the former Steeplechase Park so the land could be reserved for recreational use.[115] The city voted in 1968 to acquire the site for $4 million (equivalent to $35 million in 2023).[113][116] The city government planned to allow a concessionaire to continue operating the Parachute Jump through a temporary lease.[117]
Control of the jump passed to New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), the municipal government agency tasked with maintaining the city's recreational facilities.[105][116] The agency attempted to sell the jump at auction in 1971[118] but received no bids.[119] NYC Parks had planned to demolish the Parachute Jump if no one was willing to buy it.[113][118] A study conducted in 1972 found the jump was structurally sound. At the time, there were proposals to give the tower landmark status and install a light show on it.[111]
The city government unsuccessfully attempted to redevelop the Steeplechase site as a state park.[120] By the late 1970s, the city government wanted to build an amusement park on the land.[121] Norman Kaufman, who had run a small collection of fairground amusements on the Steeplechase site since the 1960s,[122] was interested in reopening the Parachute Jump.[123] Kaufman was evicted from the site in 1981, ending discussion of that plan.[124][125]
Landmark status
After it was abandoned, the jump became a haunt for teenagers and young adults to climb,[111] while the base became covered with graffiti.[126] Despite its deterioration, it remained a focal point of the community;[126] according to local legend, the tower could be seen from up to 30 miles (48 km) away.[127] Organizations such as the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce and the Gravesend Historical Society decided to save the structure,[10][128] though the LPC could not consider such a designation unless NYC Parks indicated it was not interested in developing the Parachute Jump site as a park.[111] On July 12, 1977, the LPC designated the tower as a city landmark.[129] When the designation was presented to the New York City Board of Estimate three months later, the board declined to certify the landmark designation. NYC Parks had said the structure would cost $10,000 a year to maintain.[130][131] Despite the city's reluctance to designate the structure as a landmark, the Parachute Jump was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[21]
![The baseball field inside the Maimonides Park baseball stadium. The Parachute Jump is behind the stadium.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Coney_Island_KeySpan_Park-4.jpg/220px-Coney_Island_KeySpan_Park-4.jpg)
The city government questioned the tower's safety. A 1982 survey concluded the tower would need a $500,000 renovation to stabilize the ground underneath (equivalent to $1.6 million in 2023) and another $1 million to restore it to operating condition (about $3.2 million in 2023).[98][126][132] The survey estimated it would cost at least $300,000 to demolish the structure (equivalent to $947,000 in 2023), making demolition too costly an option.[132] The cheapest option, simply maintaining the structure, would have cost $10,000 a year (equivalent to $32,000 in 2023).[133] The local community board recommended that the Parachute Jump be demolished if it could not be fixed, but NYC Parks commissioner Henry Stern said in January 1984 that his department had "decided to let it stand".[134]
Stern dismissed the possibility of making the Parachute Jump operational again, calling it a "totally useless structure" and saying that even the Eiffel Tower had a restaurant.[126][127] Stern said he welcomed the community's proposals for reusing the Parachute Jump but other agency officials said the plans presented thus far, which included turning the jump into a giant windmill, were "quixotic, at best".[98] In the mid-1980s, restaurant mogul Horace Bullard proposed rebuilding Steeplechase Park;[125][135] his plans included making the Parachute Jump operational again.[136] At the time, the Parachute Jump was described as a "symbol of despair" because no real effort had been made to restore or clean up the structure.[137]
In 1987, the LPC hosted meetings to determine the feasibility of granting landmark status to the Parachute Jump, Wonder Wheel, and Coney Island Cyclone.[127] Two years later, on May 23, 1989,[3] the LPC restored city landmark status to the Parachute Jump.[6][138] Following this, the Board of Estimate granted permission for Bullard to develop his amusement park on the Steeplechase site, including reopening the Parachute Jump.[139] These plans were delayed because of a lack of funds.[140]
Restorations and lighting
In 1991, the city government announced an $800,000 (equivalent to $1,789,600 in 2023) expenditure to prevent the jump from collapsing, though there was insufficient funding in the city budget.[141] The city government stabilized the structure in 1993 and painted it in its original colors, although the structure still suffered from rust in the salt air.[142] The thrill-ride company Intamin was enlisted to determine whether the Parachute Jump could again be made operational.[143] Bullard's redevelopment plan clashed with another proposal that would build a sports arena, such as a minor-league baseball stadium, on the site.[144] The Bullard deal was negated in 1994,[135] and the site directly north of the Parachute Jump was developed into a sports stadium, KeySpan Park,[a] which opened in 2000.[147]
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) assumed responsibility for the tower in 2000.[148] Originally, the city government wanted to reopen it as a functioning ride.[148][149] The project was originally budgeted at $3,000,000 (equivalent to $5,307,800 in 2023),[150] but the cost ultimately increased to $20,000,000 (equivalent to $35,385,500 in 2023), excluding the high insurance premiums that would need to be paid on the attraction.[7] Because the cost of bringing the jump to safety standards would have been excessively high, the renovation was abandoned.[95]
2002 restoration and first lighting project
![Purple lights on the Parachute Jump at night](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Parachute_Jump_Coney_Island_Night.jpg/220px-Parachute_Jump_Coney_Island_Night.jpg)
In 2002, the EDC started renovating the Parachute Jump for $5 million.[151][152] The NYCEDC contracted engineering firm STV to rehabilitate the structure. The upper part of the tower was dismantled, about two-thirds of the original structure was taken down, some of it replaced, and the structure was painted red.[153] The restoration was completed around July 2003.[153][154] Upon the completion of the project, Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz started studying proposals to reuse or reopen the structure.[153] In 2004, STV subcontracted Leni Schwendinger Light Projects to develop a night-time lighting concept for the Parachute Jump.[37] Schwendinger contracted Phoster Industries for the LED portion of the lighting project. Markowitz's office, NYC Parks, the NYCEDC, Schwendinger, and STV collaborated for two years on the project,[7] which cost $1.45 million.[155]
The Coney Island Development Corporation and the Van Alen Institute held an architecture contest in 2004 to determine future uses for the 7,800-square-foot (720 m2) pavilion at the jump's base.[156][157] More than 800 competitors from 46 countries participated.[158] The results were announced the following year; there were one winning team, two runners-up with cash prizes, and nine honorable mentions. The winning design outlined a bowtie-shaped pavilion with lighting and an all-season activity center, which included a souvenir shop, restaurant, bar, and exhibition space.[156][159]
The first night-time light show was held on July 7, 2006.[160] The installation contained six animations and used most colors except for green, which would not have been visible on the tower's red frame. The animations were based on events in the local calendar, including the boardwalk's operating and non-operating seasons, the lunar cycle, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, and national holidays such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. There is also a sequence called "Kaleidoscope" for other holidays.[161] Officials said the lights were to be left on from dusk to midnight during summer and from dusk to 11:00 p.m. the rest of the year.[162] In observance of the "Lights Out New York" initiative, which sought to reduce bird deaths from light pollution, the tower lighting went dark at 11:00 p.m. during the bird migratory seasons.[163]
2013 restoration and second lighting project
Although Markowitz was initially satisfied with Schwendinger's light installation, by 2007 he was referring to her installation as "Phase I" of a multi-portion lighting upgrade. In February 2008, the city began planning a second phase of lights.[155][164] Anti-climbing devices were installed on the Parachute Jump in 2010 after several instances of people scaling the structure,[6] and the lights were temporarily turned off in 2011 because of a lack of maintenance.[107] Concurrently, starting in 2011, the 2.2-acre (0.89 ha) site around the tower was redeveloped as Steeplechase Plaza.[165]
A $2 million renovation was completed in 2013, after which it contained 8,000 LED lights, in comparison with the 450 total after the first installation.[7][166] The B&B Carousell, an early-20th-century carousel that had become part of Luna Park, was relocated to Steeplechase Plaza east of the Parachute Jump in 2013.[167] The tower was lit up for its first New Year's Eve Ball drop at the end of 2014,[168] and since then, the Parachute Jump has been lit for New Year's Eve each year.[169] The Parachute Jump has also been lit up in recognition of special causes, such as World Autism Awareness Day[170] and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month,[171] as well as to commemorate notable personalities, such as happened after the 2020 death of retired NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant.[172]
Impact
When the Parachute Jump opened at the World's Fair, the Daily Times of Mamaroneck, New York, regarded the attraction as one of several "touches of the bizarre" at the fair.[173] Because of its shape, the Parachute Jump has been nicknamed the "Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn".[7][9] The New York Daily News compared the structure to an Erector Set toy in 1955,[17] and another reporter for the same newspaper said in 2002 that the jump was "a rusting monument to the glory days of Coney Island".[152] A writer for City Journal said hat the structure resembled a mushroom.[174] Several works of media, such as Little Fugitive (1953), have also been filmed at the Parachute Jump.[175]
See also
- Great Gasp – former parachute drop ride at Six Flags Over Georgia
- Jumpin' Jellyfish – parachute jump ride at Disney California Adventure
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Brooklyn
- Texas Chute Out – former parachute drop ride at Six Flags Over Texas
References
Notes
- ^ KeySpan Park became MCU Park in 2010[145] and Maimonides Park in 2021.[146]
Citations
- ^ a b National Park Service 1980, p. 1.
- ^ Denson, Charles (2002). Coney Island: Lost and Found. Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press. ISBN 9781580084550.
- ^ a b Breiner 1989, p. 1; New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Dolkart & Postal 2009, p. 151.
- ^ Breiner 1989, p. 1.
- ^ Breiner 1989, p. 8; National Park Service 1980, p. 3.
- ^ a b c Maniscalco, Joe (February 22, 2010). "Coney Island Parachute Jump – No climbing allowed!". Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Blau, Reuven (April 11, 2013). "Coney Island's Parachute Jump gets $2 million upgrade and 8,000 LED lights". New York Daily News. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ a b Breiner 1989, p. 8; National Park Service 1980, p. 2.
- ^ a b c National Park Service 1980, p. 2.
- ^ a b Gray, Christopher (November 15, 1987). "Streetscapes: The Coney Island Parachute Jump; For the Boardwalk's 'Eiffel Tower,' Restoration or Regulating a Ruin?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c Breiner 1989, p. 5; Harrison 1983, p. 4.
- ^ a b Porter, Russell B. (May 31, 1939). "U.S. Flag at Fair Tops Russia's Star; Unfurled Atop the Parachute Jump – Greatest Throng on a Weekday Present". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "Boro Veterans Plan to Give Fair a Flagpole". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 31, 1939. p. 7. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Monaghan 1939.
- ^ a b "Contract Let For Three Fair Publications: New York Company to Put Out Official Guide, Daily Program and a Souvenir for Exposition Visitors Parachute Jumps to Thrill Visitors to Fair". New York Herald Tribune. December 12, 1938. p. 17. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1260673578.
- ^ a b c d e Breiner 1989, p. 5.
- ^ a b c d McHarry, Charles (July 22, 1955). "It's a 12-Second Fall at Coney's Big Jump". New York Daily News. p. 358. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "4 New Concessions Open In the Amusement Area: Cast of 150 in 90-Minute 'Congress of Beauty'". New York Herald Tribune. May 28, 1939. p. 11. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1243161679.
- ^ Breiner 1989, p. 8.
- ^ Breiner 1989, p. 9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Steeplechase Park Highlights". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ Mangels 1952, pp. 147–149.
- ^ a b "Amelia Earhart Uses Her First Parachute; Flier Makes Her Initial Jump, With a New Device From a 115-Foot Tower". The New York Times. June 3, 1935. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c Breiner 1989, p. 4.
- ^ a b Switlik, Stanley; Strong, James Hale (March 15, 1938). "US expired 2111303 (Parachute device)" (patent). Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2019 – via Espacenet.
- ^ Breiner 1989, pp. 4–5; Harrison 1983, p. 4.
- ^ a b "Fair Amusements To Show A Profit; Net This Year Put at 'Nominal to Handsome' as Big Costs of '39 Are Eliminated". The New York Times. October 24, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "Basic Airborne Course". U.S. Army Infantry, 11th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry Airborne. Archived from the original on November 13, 2005. Retrieved May 6, 2006.
- ^ Breiner 1989, p. 5; Harrison 1983, p. 3.
- ^ Harrison 1983, p. 3.
- ^ "Parachute Company Gets Fair Amusement Space". New York Herald Tribune. May 11, 1938. p. 19. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1251331297; "First Midway Contract; World's Fair to Sign 40 More Amusement Concessions". The New York Times. May 11, 1938. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ Kadinsky 2016, p. 101; Wood 2004, p. 108.
- ^ a b "Parachute Tower For World's Fair; 250-Foot Jump to Be Offered as a Novel Amusement". The New York Times. July 23, 1938. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ a b Compere, Thomas (March 10, 1940). "Fair Fun Zone Lays Its Plans To Brighten Up: Will Have Several New Attractions, and Lighting Will Be More Brilliant World's Fair Fun Zone". New York Herald Tribune. p. A1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1243028976.
- ^ a b "Contracts Signed For Fair's Books; Exposition Publications Is to Put Out Guide, a Souvenir Volume and Daily Program". The New York Times. December 12, 1938. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ "First Pile Sunk For World Fair Temple of Faith: Osborn Declares Project the Most Ideal Proposal of Exposition; Whalen Calls It First of Its Kind". New York Herald Tribune. November 24, 1938. p. 11. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1259215231; "Temple of Religion is Started at Fair; Major Stevens Assigned to Fair--Soviet Russia Ships Marble for Pavilion". The New York Times. November 24, 1938. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Dolkart & Postal 2009, pp. 280–281.
- ^ a b "Outdoors: N.Y. Fair's Midway Formally Preemed; Lineup of Shows Now Looks 100% Set". Variety. Vol. 134, no. 11. May 24, 1939. p. 47. ProQuest 1475975023.
- ^ Warren, Carl (April 29, 1939). "Fair for Fair! Expect Million on First Day". New York Daily News. p. 35. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Play Area's Gala Opening Put Off For Two Weeks: Whalen Decides on Second Try After Tour Reveals It Still Far From Complete". New York Herald Tribune. May 1, 1939. p. 14. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1247103281.
- ^ a b "Play Area at Fair Takes On New Life; Amusement Zone Starts To Boom". The New York Times. May 28, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "They Sign Book To Learn They Have Seen Fair: At Least, That's the City Building's Explanation of Its Register's Purpose". New York Herald Tribune. May 30, 1939. p. 6. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1267936692.
- ^ "Russia Quits Fair; Finns to Stay; Reds to Raze $4,000,000 Pavilion; Moscow Orders Withdrawal Without Giving Explanation". The New York Times. December 2, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019; "American Flag To Rise Higher Than Soviet Star: Unfurling Over Parachute Jump Today Expected to End Patriotic Protests". New York Herald Tribune. May 30, 1939. p. 6A. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1267936747.
- ^ Warren, Carl (February 18, 1939). "35 Fun Attractions Now Assured for World's Fair". New York Daily News. pp. 258, 265. ISSN 2692-1251. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Cost of Full View of Fair Put at $15; Exposition Statisticians Say Rumor of $60 Total Price Has No Foundation". The New York Times. March 11, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ Myler, Joseph L. (July 12, 1939). "Couple Marooned Five Hours on High Parachute at Fair". Dunkirk Evening Observer. United Press. p. 3. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via newspapers.com; "Pair Held 100 Feet Aloft in Fair Parachute; Thousands Watch Efforts to Rescue Them". The New York Times. July 12, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019; "Pair Stranded 100 Feet in Air on Fair 'Chute". New York Daily News. July 12, 1939. p. 171. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Parachute Device at Fair Booms After 2 Hang in Mid-Air". The New York Times. July 13, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019; "Chute-Stuck Pair Go Up Again-and Down". New York Daily News. July 13, 1939. p. 70. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Parachute Sticks With Another Pair; But This Time Deputy Sheriff and Sister-in-Law Are Kept Aloft Only 35 Minutes". The New York Times. July 23, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "Parachute Jams Again; Two Women Kept 230 Feet in Air at Fair for Half Hour". The New York Times. September 9, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "New York World's Fair: Business Drop Has Drastic Effect on Midway Morale". The Billboard. Vol. 51, no. 28. July 15, 1939. p. 30. ProQuest 1032200704.
- ^ "World's Fair Debenture Holders Agree to Waive Payments Under New Fiscal Plan: Share of Gate To Be Used on Pressing Bills". New York Herald Tribune. August 30, 1939. p. 11. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1319968323.
- ^ "Displays at Fair List Estimates Of Attendance: Aquacade and Perisphere Drew Best Among Shows That Charged Admission". New York Herald Tribune. November 1, 1939. p. 12. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1267844882.
- ^ a b c d Breiner 1989, p. 6; Harrison 1983, pp. 5–6.
- ^ a b "Fair Turns Ground for Typical Homes; FHA Administrator Shovels in Mud for Two Cottages to House Picked Families". The New York Times. March 29, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Shift in Fair's Play Zone; Parachute Jump to Be Moved to More Central Site". The New York Times. January 29, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ a b "Fair Parachute Jump to Move to New Site". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 30, 1939. p. 7. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via newspapers.com; "Parachute Jump at Fair Begins Moving Next Week". New York Herald Tribune. December 30, 1939. p. 9. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1260978688.
- ^ "Huge Ski Arena Will Be Erected At World's Fair: Quarter-Mile Winter Sports Area, for Summer Use, to Offer Lessons for Public Amusement Zone al the World's Fair to Undergo Many Improvements". New York Herald Tribune. February 19, 1940. p. 17A. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1242964865.
- ^ a b "Fair Chute Jump to Have New Site". New York Daily News. February 16, 1940. p. 491. ISSN 2692-1251. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via newspapers.com; "Argentina Quits Fair, 5 Nations Increase Space: Chile Also May Go; E. F. Roosevelt Lists Gains in Latin-American Section". New York Herald Tribune. February 16, 1940. p. 10. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1242979591.
- ^ "Glamorizing N. Y. Fair". Variety. Vol. 138, no. 5. April 10, 1940. pp. 1, 47. ProQuest 1505737883; Loeb, August (April 7, 1940). "New Life in Fair's Play Zone; Spring Days Beckon City Motorists to the Open Road". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ "World's Fairs: New York World's Fair - 4 Best Middle Week-days Aid 623,329 Total". The Billboard. Vol. 52, no. 26. June 29, 1940. pp. 30–31. ProQuest 1032219902.
- ^ "Fair Planning Fun Center No One Can Miss: Midway Theme Scrapped; Smaller but Brighter Is Motif;' Chute Jump to Move". New York Herald Tribune. December 8, 1939. p. 21A. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1320022702.
- ^ "Army of Workers Putting World's Fair Into Better Condition Than Last Year". The Brooklyn Citizen. April 1, 1940. p. 2. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fair to Produce Huge Spectacle On U.S. History: 'American Jubilee,' With Cast of 350, To Be Staged in New Arena in Play Zone". New York Herald Tribune. February 15, 1940. p. 21. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1242994960.
- ^ a b "Play Zone at Fair Is '100% Sold Out'; Revitalized Great White Way Offers Livelier and Gayer Section Than Last Year". The New York Times. April 29, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "Advance Sales Of Fair Tickets Ahead of 1939: Million Family Books Are Half Sold; Out-of-Town Orders Increased 15%". New York Herald Tribune. April 30, 1940. p. 13. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1254975041.
- ^ "Fair Has Spent $6,000,000 for Its 1940 Season: 2,000 Workmen Employed in Amusement Area Alone as May II Opening Nears". New York Herald Tribune. May 1, 1940. p. 10. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1255390979.
- ^ a b "Fair, Opening Today. Seeks To Outdo '39: Fine Weather Promised for Day-Long Festival Starting Second Year Gates Open at 10, Ceremony at Noon Amusement Area Ready War Changes Plans of Foreign Participants". New York Herald Tribune. May 11, 1940. p. 1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1249883335.
- ^ "Fair Parachuting Held Up By Dispute; Withdrawal of the Inventor From Company Delays Opening of Device". The New York Times. May 25, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019; "World's Fairs: New York World's Fair - 1,000,000 Paid Mark is Passed on the 9th Day". The Billboard. Vol. 52, no. 22. June 1, 1940. p. 30. ProQuest 1032237040.
- ^ a b c "Fair's Parachute Jump To Be Ready in Few Days: Agreement Ends Dispute, That Tied Up Attraction". New York Herald Tribune. June 5, 1940. p. 21. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1250031249.
- ^ "Seek to Retain Exclusive Rights to Parachute Jump". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 2, 1940. p. 26. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Parachute Jump Opens Today". New York Herald Tribune. June 22, 1940. p. 9. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1320022595; "Fair 'Chutes in Operation". The New York Times. June 23, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "Fair Amusement Zone Sold Out, 90 Concessions on Its New List: Director Reports All Space Taken; Area Will Offer 3 Major Shows, 18 Smaller Ones and 15 Rides Among Other Attractions". New York Herald Tribune. April 29, 1940. p. 1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1266874326.
- ^ "World's Fairs: New York World's Fair - New Defense Tax Brings Revision in Tab Schedule". The Billboard. Vol. 52, no. 27. July 6, 1940. pp. 29, 31. ProQuest 1032227285.
- ^ "Couple Are Married on Parachute Tower". The Morning News. International News Service. August 26, 1940. p. 18. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Schneider, Daniel B. (June 1, 1997). "F.y.i." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ a b Stern, Gilmartin & Mellins 1987, p. 752.
- ^ "Coney Island May Get Fair 'Chute Jump". The Brooklyn Citizen. October 24, 1940. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Ranson, Jo (August 4, 1940). "Shows to Migrate from Fair Midway to Coney in 1941". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 6. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fair Fades Into a Ghost Town; Dismantling Barely Dents Quiet". New York Herald Tribune. October 29, 1940. p. 1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1262386905.
- ^ "Coney Getting Chute Jump Retains Role as Heir of Fairs: Island Has Inherited Amusement Devices Since Philadelphia Centennial in 1876, When 'Iron Tower,' With Steam Elevator, Was Thriller Coney Island-in the Early 1880's and as It Appears Today". New York Herald Tribune. October 27, 1940. p. A1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1243057263.
- ^ a b c Breiner 1989, p. 7.
- ^ "Coney Area Swept by Fire; $200,000 Damage; 18 Hurt". The New York Times. September 15, 1939. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019; "$500,000 Fire Perils All of Coney Island". New York Daily News. September 15, 1939. p. 6. ISSN 2692-1251. Retrieved July 12, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ McCullough 2000, p. 346.
- ^ "Down Come Chutes". New York Daily News. January 30, 1941. p. 337. ISSN 2692-1251. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Francis, Robert (April 26, 1941). "Coney Figures Itself in for an Old-Fashioned Summer With Plenty of Fun for Everyone". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 4. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ National Park Service 1980, p. 5.
- ^ O'Connell, Tom (July 15, 1950). "Send 'Em Away with a Smile, Is Philosophy of Jim Onorato". The Billboard. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "Park-Resorts-Pools: Coney Island, N. Y.". The Billboard. Vol. 21, no. 53. May 24, 1941. p. 42. ProQuest 1032267637.
- ^ "Beaches Crowded for the Holiday; All Resorts in Metropolitan Area Report Near-Records for Their Attendance". The New York Times. May 31, 1941. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019; "600,000 See City's Parade For War Dead: Crowd Silent as G. A. R. Veterans, Symbol of an Earlier Crisis, Pass By Parachute Jump at Fair Begins Moving Next Week". New York Herald Tribune. May 31, 1941. p. 1A. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1255837372.
- ^ Ranson, Jo (May 30, 1941). "Coney Island Dolls Up, Winks at Service Men". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 7. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Corby, Jane (May 12, 1946). "Steeplechase Dolls Up to Mark its 50th Year". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 7. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "City Blacks Out Its Ocean Front Until War Ends: Valentine Orders Masking of All Lights Visible From Sea, Including Coney's". New York Herald Tribune. April 19, 1942. p. 1. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1256814873.
- ^ Harrison 1983, pp. 7–8.
- ^ a b Breiner 1989, p. 7; Harrison 1983, pp. 7–8.
- ^ a b c d Vita, Tricia (January 30, 2004). "Thrill of a Lifetime". Online Preservation. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ Lindheim, Burton (June 27, 1943). "Coney Has a War Boom; There Are Priorities, Shortages and the Dimout, but the Subway Is Convenient". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ See, for instance:
- "Stuck in Parachute Jump". The New York Times. July 13, 1941. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- "2 Girls in High Suspense As Parachute Jump Sticks". The New York Times. September 2, 1946. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- "2 Dangle 90 Minutes on Coney Island Jump". The New York Times. May 31, 1958. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ a b c Diamond, Randy (June 14, 1983). "This jump heads for oblivion". New York Daily News. p. 97. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Coney Island Slump Grows Worse; Decline in Business Since the War Years Has Been Steady". The New York Times. July 2, 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ Chan, Sewell (July 21, 2005). "Leaps of Imagination for the Parachute Jump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ Immerso 2002, p. 172.
- ^ "Steeplechase Park Planned as the Site of Housing Project". The New York Times. July 1, 1965. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018; Walsh, Robert; Abelman, Lester (July 2, 1965). "Steeplechase Sold; Loses Race to the Sands of Time". New York Daily News. p. 6. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "A 160-Foot-High Pleasure Dome Is Proposed for Coney Island". The New York Times. July 24, 1966. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ Harrison 1983, p. 1.
- ^ a b "Answers About the Preservation of Coney Island, Part 2". The New York Times: City Room. July 16, 2009. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b "Coney Island Parachute Jump". Coney Island History Project. May 5, 2007. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Rush, Alex (July 1, 2011). "The Parachute Ride goes black – wasting the city's spruce-up effort". Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ Iachietta, Michael (June 6, 1965). "Coney Island's Vanished Glory". New York Daily News. p. 60. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Samuels, Robert (March 28, 1966). "Coney '66: High Hope" (PDF). New York World-Telegram. p. B1. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2020 – via fultonhistory.com.
- ^ Harrison 1983, p. 7.
- ^ a b c d Perry, Jean (September 5, 1973). "Future of Coney's Parachute Jump is Up in the Air". New York Daily News. p. 223. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Harrison 1983, p. 8.
- ^ a b c Harrison 1983, p. 9.
- ^ "What's Up at Chute? More Like Toboggan". New York Daily News. September 18, 1966. p. 195. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Fowle, Farnsworth (October 5, 1966). "City Wants Site of Steeplechase For Seafront Coney Island Park; Planning Board Sets Oct. 19 Hearing to Bar Area for High-Rise Homes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ a b Bennett, Charles G. (May 23, 1968). "Park Usage Voted For Steeplechase; City to Seek $2-Million Aid to Buy Coney Island Tract". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ Brady, Thomas F. (April 12, 1969). "Heckscher Tells of Plan for Coney; Projects Include Expanded Play and Meeting Areas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Coney Parachute Jump to Hit the Silk". New York Daily News. May 28, 1971. p. 313. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Parachute Jump Gets No Bidders". The New York Times. July 2, 1971. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019; Toscano, John (July 2, 1971). "Coney Parachute Jump is About to Go Down". New York Daily News. p. 275. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Chambers, Marcia (April 3, 1977). "New York, After 10 Years, Finds Plan to Create a Coney Island Park Is Unsuccessful". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Chambers, Marcia (June 16, 1977). "City, in a Shift, Says Coney I. Park Should Become Amusement Area". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ Fowler, Glenn (June 3, 1979). "15-Year Dispute Over Lease for Coney Island Steeplechase Continues". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ McKenna, Ken (April 9, 1976). "Coney Island: battered but unbowed, it still amuses". New York Daily News. p. 53. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Campbell, Colin (August 29, 1981). "Beleaguered Coney Islanders Rally With Sense of Affection; The Talk of Coney Island". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Mirabella, Alan (June 2, 1985). "A plan to bring back Coney Island". New York Daily News. p. 311. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Chira, Susan (August 20, 1983). "The Talk of Coney Island; at Coney I., Symbols of Heyday Fading Away". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c Farrell, Bill (July 16, 1987). "Coney Island landmarks?". New York Daily News. p. 189. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Those in Favor, Appeal to Golden". New York Daily News. September 28, 1977. p. 519. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Metropolitan Briefs". The New York Times. July 13, 1977. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022; Miele, Alfred (July 13, 1977). "Coney Parachute a Landmark". New York Daily News. p. 282. ISSN 2692-1251. Retrieved October 15, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Harrison 1983, p. 10; Stern, Fishman & Tilove 2006, p. 1209.
- ^ Toscano, John (October 21, 1977). "Nix Landmark Status for Coney Parachute". New York Daily News. p. 520. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com; "Parachute Jump at Coney Island Loses Chance of Landmark Status". The New York Times. October 21, 1977. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ a b Diamond, Randy (June 15, 1983). "Parachute ride up in air". New York Daily News. p. 98. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Harrison 1983, p. 10.
- ^ Rothstein, Mervyn (January 1, 1984). "Follow-Up on the News: Parachute Jump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ a b DeSena & Shortell 2012, p. 150.
- ^ Moritz, Owen (August 18, 1985). "Holy Coney! Hey, that's not chicken feed he's betting on Steeplechase". New York Daily News. p. 4. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Freedman, Samuel G. (May 29, 1986). "Coney I.: Symbol of Fun Is Now One of Despair". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Croghan, Lore (May 11, 2016). "Coney Island landmarks, present and (we hope) future". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Owen (May 24, 1989). "A Steeplechase clears barriers". New York Daily News. p. 7. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Auletta, Ken (September 6, 1992). "Coney dreamer taken for a roller coaster ride". New York Daily News. p. 370. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Hardy, David; Siegel, Joel (May 8, 1991). "Parachute Jump 800G fix as fiscal structure flounders". New York Daily News. p. 5. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Find of the Week; 10 Inches of Chills And Thrills". The New York Times. July 4, 1993. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Mooney, Jake (February 29, 2008). "Reviving a Coney Island Ride: Ready, Set, Jump!". The New York Times: City Room. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Rangel, Jesus (June 5, 1987). "Broad Redevelopment Is Urged for Coney Island". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019; Arena, Salvatore (April 26, 1987). "The Business of Bringing Baseball Back to Brooklyn". New York Daily News. pp. 1, 8–9. ISSN 2692-1251.
- ^ Brown, Stephen (January 29, 2010). "Lights Out at Keyspan Park as Naming Rights Deal Ends". The Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
- ^ DeJesus, Jaime (May 20, 2021). "Goodbye MCU Park, hello Maimonides Park in Coney". The Brooklyn Home Reporter. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ Vecsey, George (June 26, 2001). "Sports of The Times; Summer Rite Returns To Borough of Churches". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ a b Boland, Ed Jr. (October 13, 2002). "F.y.i." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Polner, Robert (April 5, 2000). "Ballpark Price Balloons to $30M / Critics: Coney Island stadium too costly". Newsday. p. A06. ISSN 2574-5298. ProQuest 279325241.
- ^ Lombardi, Frank (April 5, 2000). "Ballpark Plan Tag's Now 60m". New York Daily News. p. 1. ISSN 2692-1251. ProQuest 313767779.
- ^ Lee, Denny (June 16, 2002). "Neighborhood Report: Coney Island; The Nickel Empire Longs To Recapture Its Seedy Glory". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Farrell, Bill (September 27, 2002). "Parachute Jump for Joy! Fixup is Planned". New York Daily News. p. 2. ISSN 2692-1251. ProQuest 305722880.
- ^ a b c Fried, Joseph P. (November 16, 2003). "Following Up". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Mooney, Jake (May 29, 2005). "Famed for What's Up Above, Fixing What's Down Below". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Rubinstein, Dana (February 16, 2008). "Marty: Pimp my ride!". Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "Coney Island Parachute Pavilion Design Competition". Gothamist. December 8, 2004. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "Beloved Parachute Jump to get a lift". Newsday. The Associated Press. November 10, 2004. p. A18. ISSN 2574-5298. ProQuest 279898936.
- ^ Chan, Sewell (July 21, 2005). "Leaps of Imagination for the Parachute Jump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "The Parachute Pavilion: An Open Design Competition for Coney Island". Van Alen Institute. 2004. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019; "Coney Island Development Corporation and Van Alen Institute Announce Winners of Parachute Pavilion Design Competition". New York City Economic Development Corporation. May 26, 2005. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Newman, Andy (July 8, 2006). "Flower of a Tower Is Relighted in Coney Island". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ "Coney Island Parachute Jump". Architizer. July 7, 2006. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019; Vita, Tricia (July 31, 2006). "Illuminating the Jump: A Conversation with Leni Schwendinger". Metropolis. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019; Cohen, Billie (January 27, 2016). "Jump start – Things to Do". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "BP Markowitz To Light Historic Coney Island Parachute Jump". Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. July 16, 2006. Archived from the original on July 16, 2006. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "Lights Out NY Program". New York City Audubon. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ Mooney, Jake (March 2, 2008). "The Boardwalk and the Bling". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Durkin, Erin (November 10, 2011). "City breaks ground on Coney Island's Steeplechase Plaza, set to house historic B&B Carousel". New York Daily News. ISSN 2692-1251. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ Bredderman, Will (June 28, 2013). "Here's the bling: New, brighter lights for Parachute Jump". Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (May 24, 2013). "B&B Carousell Horses Return Home to Coney Island". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018; Bredderman, Will (June 1, 2013). "Coney Island Is Back in Business!". Brooklyn Daily. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018; Simon, Stephanie (May 24, 2013). "Historic Coney Island Carousel Spins Once Again". NY1. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014.
- ^ "Coney Island Parachute Jump to have own New Year's Eve ball drop". News 12 Brooklyn. December 18, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
- ^ Katinas, Paula (December 20, 2018). "Coney Island to welcome 2019 with fireworks, carousel rides". Brooklyn Eagle. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ McShane, Julianne (April 4, 2019). "Coney Islanders light Parachute Jump blue for World Autism Awareness Day". Brooklyn Paper. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ McGoldrick, Meaghan (September 5, 2018). "Coney Island Parachute Jump Lights T.E.A.L. for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month". The Brooklyn Home Reporter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ DeJesus, Jaime (January 31, 2020). "Coney Island pays tribute to Kobe Bryant". The Brooklyn Home Reporter. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "Oddities to Awe Throngs at Fair". The Daily Times. April 27, 1939. p. 12. Retrieved August 5, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Frigand, Sid (December 23, 2015). "Coney Island Memories". City Journal. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "Movie Shot at Coney Island List". Coney Island. July 10, 2006. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
Sources
- Breiner, David M. (May 23, 1989). Goeschel, Nancy (ed.). The Parachute Jump (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- DeSena, Judith N.; Shortell, Timothy (2012). The World in Brooklyn: Gentrification, Immigration, and Ethnic Politics in a Global City. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-6670-3. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
- Harrison, Helen A. (1983). A history of the parachute jump, Coney Island, New York (Report). Harrison, Hardesty & Hanover Engineers.
- Historic Structures Report: Parachute Jump (PDF) (Report). National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. February 29, 1980. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- Immerso, Michael (2002). Coney Island: the people's playground (illustrated ed.). Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-3138-0. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- Kadinsky, Sergey (2016). Hidden Waters of New York City: A History and Guide to 101 Forgotten Lakes, Ponds, Creeks, and Streams in the Five Boroughs. New York, NY: Countryman Press. ISBN 978-1-58157-566-8.
- Mangels, William F. (1952). The outdoor amusement industry: from earliest times to the present. Vantage Press. OCLC 17654058.
- McCullough, Edo (2000). Good Old Coney Island: A Sentimental Journey Into the Past: the Most Rambunctious, Scandalous, Rapscallion, Splendiferous, Pugnacious, Spectacular, Illustrious, Prodigious, Frolicsome Island on Earth. Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-1997-1.
- Monaghan, Frank, ed. (1939). Official guide book of the New York World's Fair, 1939. Exposition Publications. OCLC 575567.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Fishman, David; Tilove, Jacob (2006). New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Bicentennial and the Millennium. New York: Monacelli Press. ISBN 978-1-58093-177-9. OCLC 70267065. OL 22741487M.
- Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987). New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-8478-3096-1. OCLC 13860977.
- Wood, Andrew F. (2004). New York's 1939–1940 World's Fair. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-3585-2. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
External links
- Oral histories about the Parachute Jump collected by the Coney Island History Project
- "New York World's Fair 1939–1940 records". New York Public Library. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. NY-344, "Coney Island, Parachute Jump, Coney Island, Kings County, NY", 4 color transparencies, 1 photo caption page
- v
- t
- e
- Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
- Luna Park
Former |
|
---|
![Coney Island beach and amusement parks](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Coney_Island_beach_and_amusement_parks_%28June_2016%29.jpg/80px-Coney_Island_beach_and_amusement_parks_%28June_2016%29.jpg)
![Steeplechase Pier and Parachute Jump](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/2010-03-21_at_11-00-57.jpg/80px-2010-03-21_at_11-00-57.jpg)
- Circus Coaster
- Cyclone
- Soarin' Eagle
- Sea Serpent Family Coaster
- Steeplechase
- The Tickler
- Thunderbolt (built 2014)
- Phoenix
- Starflyer
- B&B Carousell
- Ghost Hole
- Spook-a-Rama
- The Whip
- Wonder Wheel
Roller coasters |
|
---|---|
Other rides |
|
Other attractions |
|