Astroland was a 3.1 acres (12,545.3 m²) amusement park

Amusement park

thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

 in Coney Island

Coney Island

Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....

 first opened in 1962. It was located at 1000 Surf Avenue (Corner of West 10th Street) on the boardwalk. It ceased operations on September 7, 2008.

History

Astroland was first built as a 'space-age' theme park when it opened in 1962, although in later years a visit was more like stepping into the past than the future." Some of the later rides were similar to regular carnival rides, but others offered a kitsch experience that was lacking in modern amusement parks.

In 1955, Dewey Albert and his friends Nathan Handwerker

Nathan Handwerker

Nathan Handwerker was a Polish-American entrepreneur known for creating the Nathan's Famous brand of hot dogs.- Biography :Handwerker, a Polish Jew, immigrated to the United States in 1912...

, Herman Rapps, Sidney Robbins and Paul Yampo formed a corporation called Coney Island Enterprises. In 1957, Rapps and Albert announced they would build Wonderland. Through a series of acquisitions, together they built what is today known as Astroland. On July 12, 1975 an early morning fire wiped out much of the park but they were able to rebuild.

On November 28, 2006 Astroland was sold by the Albert Family for US $30 million to Thor Equities, which plans to redevelop the area as a $1.5 billion year-round resort. Under the agreement, the Alberts would continue to operate the Cyclone

Coney Island Cyclone

The Coney Island Cyclone is a historic hybrid roller coaster in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City. On June 18, 1975, Dewey and Jerome Albert, owners of Astroland Park, contracted to operate the Cyclone under an agreement with New York City...

, the famous wooden roller coaster

Roller coaster

The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...

. At the time, the Alberts hoped to relocate attractions like the water flume and the Astrotower to another part of the neighborhood.

After the sale, opposition to the relocation plan emerged. Efforts supporting the extension of Astroland's existence for the 2008 summer season were established. Astroland celebrated the 45th anniversary of its opening on April 1, 2007.

It was announced October 24, 2007 that Carol Albert and Thor had reached a deal, and that Astroland would re-open March 16, 2008. However, after a few months when no agreement between the two parties could be reached, Astroland closed on September 7, 2008. It was replaced by a new park called Dreamland Amusement Park in 2009. A new amusement park called Luna Park, named after the Brooklyn's famous park and other Luna Parks from the early twentieth century, opened for the 2010 season on May 29, 2010 at the former site of Astroland.

Local legend has it that restaurateur Charles Feltman invented the hot dog

Hot dog

A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...

 in the area of Astroland in 1874.

Astroland opened for the final time on September 7, 2008.

Adult rides

• Musik Express (MONAE) (operated in 2008 only)
• Power Surge
  Power Surge (ride)
  Power Surge is a high-impact thrill ride designed by Italian ride manufacturer Zamperla. The Power Surge was first operated in 1999, and is produced in both trailer-mounted and park versions...
  
   (until mid-2006) (Sold to Australia)
• Top Spin 2
  Top Spin (ride)
  The Top Spin is a thrill ride developed by HUSS Maschinenfabrik, and is the generic name for a series of rides from other manufacturers that follow the same principle. The ride consists of a passenger platform suspended between two counterweighted arms...
  
  
• Cyclone Roller Coaster
  Coney Island Cyclone
  The Coney Island Cyclone is a historic hybrid roller coaster in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City. On June 18, 1975, Dewey and Jerome Albert, owners of Astroland Park, contracted to operate the Cyclone under an agreement with New York City...
  
  
• Water Flume (Arrow)
• Pirate Ship
  Pirate ship (ride)
  A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum....
  
  
• Bumper Cars
• Dante's Inferno
  Dante's Inferno (ride)
  Dante's Inferno was a dark ride created by Anton Schwarzkopf that was located at Astroland on Coney Island; a similar ride called Dante's Dungeon is at Morey's Piers at Wildwood, New Jersey...
  
  
• Break Dance
  Breakdance (ride)
  The Breakdance is an amusement park and fairground ride, designed by HUSS Maschinenfabrik in 1985. Upon release, the ride design proved to be an instant hit, with HUSS now producing four varying designs, all of which can be acquired in transportable, semi-permanent, or permanent forms.-Design and...
  
  
• Astrotower
  Gyro Tower
  A gyro tower, or panoramic tower, is an evolution of the observation tower with a vertical moving platform. A gyro tower's observation deck is not simply raised to provide its passengers a spectacular view, it is also rotated around the supporting mast, either once in the raised position or while...
  
  
• Tilt-A-Whirl
  Tilt-A-Whirl
  Tilt-A-Whirl is one of the best-known flat rides, designed for commercial use at amusement parks, fairs and carnivals in which it is commonly found. The rides are manufactured by Sellner Manufacturing of Faribault, Minnesota...
  
  
• Scrambler
• Enterprise (Replace for Top Spin added)
• Super Himalaya (Mack) (Replace for Power Surge added)
• Wave Swinger (Replace for Pirate Ship added)
• Rainbow (Replace for Break Dance added)
• Bayern Kurve
  Bayern Kurve
  The Bayern Kurve is an amusement park and carnival ride made in both a portable and park model that debuted in 1965 and was invented by Anton Schwarzkopf, a legendary German engineer of amusement rides. During the ride, riders sit in one of the sixteen bobsled-themed cars that travel at a...
  
  (Replace for Super Himalaya added)
• Round Up (old Astroland)
• Paratrooper (old Astroland)
• Satellite Jet (old Astroland)
• Diving Bells (old Astroland)
• Mercury Capsule Skyride (old Astroland)

Kiddie rides

• Pirate Jet
• Mini Tea Cups
• Frog Hopper
• Motorcycle Jump
• Super
• Himalaya
• Fire Engines
• Big Apple Coaster
• Mini Trucks
• Convoy
• Popeye Boats
• Circuit 2000
• Carousel
• Kiddie Roller Coaster (Replace for Big Apple Coaster)

• Dune Buggy Jump

Other attractions

• More than ten games of skill
• Three arcades
• Two Coney Island-style restaurants

In popular culture

Astroland also is a part in the movie Uptown Girls with Dakota Fanning and Brittany Murphy.
Astroland was in the movie, "The Warriors".

External links

• Internet Archive.org mirror page of Astroland webpage
• Flickr Photos, Astroland
• Citimaps, Astroland
• SlideShow, Astroland
• Fox News