Luna Park, Houston
Encyclopedia
Houston
's Luna Park, was an amusement park
that was operated from 1924 until about 1934. The 36 acres (145,687 m²) "Coney Island
of Texas
" was built at a cost of $325,000 and featured a carousel
, picnic
areas, live entertainment (including diving horse
s), a dance hall
with spring-supported floors, and various mechanical rides, including the trademark "Skyrocket" roller coaster
. At night the park (located near 2200 Houston Avenue) was bathed in the light emitted from 50,000 light bulbs. While it was a trolley park
, Houston's Luna Park was one of the first amusement parks to offer free automobile parking
to its patrons.
swing also has been installed in the park, as has a caterpillar
, a merry-go-round, dodgem
, baby airplane swing, junior Ferris wheel
, miniature railway and other devices." The scenic railway was reported to be two feet taller than that of Coney Island
's. The pavilion was also advertised as the largest in the American South; live entertainment was offered in the form of aerobatics
, little people
(billed as Williamson's Midget
City), and shows entitled "See America First" and "The Mysterious Sensation."
by a patron who accused park employees of treating her roughly as she was waiting in line for the Skyrocket to claims of discrimination against Mexican people (a police deputy sheriff
was arrested for assaulting a Mexican national but was eventually acquitted) to the October 1924 deaths of three people (two were killed from a fall from the Skyrocket; the third was professional parachutist
Montie LeMay, who died after her parachute
failed to open after attempting a stunt). The following August, the local barber
was stabbed while on the Luna Park grounds.
and wrestling
exhibitions, dance marathon
s (with a first prize of $750), beauty pageants, and a variety of outdoor competitions for the entire family. By 1928, the park was observing Mexican Independence Day, with activities organized by the Mexican consulate (including "patriotic speeches, patriotic music… and the reading of the Mexican Declaration of Independence"). The success of the dancing marathons prompted the park to schedule (for 1929) a "floating marathon" in a water tank specially built for the event.
While the latter half of the 1920s appeared to be the best of times for Luna Park, the 1929 stock market crash was the beginning of a sequence of events that spelled doom for it. People were reluctant to leave home and go to the park after Black Tuesday, that that was not the park's only problem. The misfortunes that marked the first two years of Luna Park's existence returned, first with the discovery of a man's corpse on the park's grounds in 1930; two years later, a farmer was hijacked in his car while in Luna Park. By 1934, the park had closed; the Skyrocket, built and opened in 1925, was moved to a new amusement park nearby, Playland
.
Since then, the northern and eastern edges of the park's grounds have been occupied by two Interstate highways (I-10
and I-45). The rest of the property is currently occupied by various businesses near a small residential development.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
's Luna Park, was an 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...
that was operated from 1924 until about 1934. The 36 acres (145,687 m²) "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....
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
" was built at a cost of $325,000 and featured a carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
areas, live entertainment (including diving horse
Diving horse
A diving horse is an attraction that was popular in the mid 1880s, in which a horse would dive into a pool of water, sometimes from as high as 60 feet up.-History:...
s), a dance hall
Hall
In architecture, a hall is fundamentally a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age, a mead hall was such a simple building and was the residence of a lord and his retainers...
with spring-supported floors, and various mechanical rides, including the trademark "Skyrocket" 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 night the park (located near 2200 Houston Avenue) was bathed in the light emitted from 50,000 light bulbs. While it was a trolley park
Trolley park
In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. These trolley parks were created by the streetcar companies to give people a...
, Houston's Luna Park was one of the first amusement parks to offer free automobile parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
to its patrons.
Grand Opening
Located on the banks of White Oak Bayou, Luna Park opened to the public for the first time 26 June 1924. Contemporary press coverage (printed 27 July 1924) stated that the park had “… virtually every variety of amusement device known in the world of showdom.” Houston’s first roller coaster, the 100 feet (30.5 m)-tall Skyrocket featured a 84 feet (25.6 m) drop and was billed (with a length of more than 1.25 miles) as the "largest" and "highest" roller coaster in the United States at that time. The popularity of the Skyrocket was immense as it carried between 2500 and 3000 passengers daily. In addition, "a monstrous seaplaneSeaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
swing also has been installed in the park, as has a caterpillar
Caterpillar ride
The Caterpillar ride is a vintage flat ride engineered by the inventor Hyla F. Maynes of North Tonawanda, New York who dubbed it the Caterpillar when it debuted in Coney Island, NY in 1925. It is a fast-paced ride that generates a decent helping of centrifugal force, causing the riders on the...
, a merry-go-round, dodgem
Dodgem
Dodgem is a simple abstract strategy game invented by Colin Vout and described in the book Winning Ways. It is played on an n×n board with n-1 cars for each player—two cars each on a 3×3 board is enough for an interesting game, but larger sizes are also possible.-Play:The board is initially set up...
, baby airplane swing, junior Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, miniature railway and other devices." The scenic railway was reported to be two feet taller than that of 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....
's. The pavilion was also advertised as the largest in the American South; live entertainment was offered in the form of aerobatics
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
, little people
Little people
Little people have been part of the folklore of many cultures in human history, including Ireland, Greece, the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands, Flores Island, Indonesia, and Native Americans.-Native American folklore:...
(billed as Williamson's Midget
Midget
A midget is a short person with relatively average bodily proportions in comparison with other human beings. The term is often improperly used to describe a person with the medical condition dwarfism. The two terms are often used synonymously because both terms originate as words defining small...
City), and shows entitled "See America First" and "The Mysterious Sensation."
Controversy and contention
The brief existence of the Houston Luna Park was tumultuous and controversial, from a 1924 lawsuitLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
by a patron who accused park employees of treating her roughly as she was waiting in line for the Skyrocket to claims of discrimination against Mexican people (a police deputy sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
was arrested for assaulting a Mexican national but was eventually acquitted) to the October 1924 deaths of three people (two were killed from a fall from the Skyrocket; the third was professional parachutist
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
Montie LeMay, who died after her parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
failed to open after attempting a stunt). The following August, the local barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
was stabbed while on the Luna Park grounds.
Activities in Luna Park
In addition to the mechanical rides, Luna Park patrons were offered a variety of activities, including boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
exhibitions, dance marathon
Dance marathon
A dance marathon is an event in which people stay on their feet for a given length of time. It started as a popular fad in the 1920s and 1930s, when organized dance endurance contests attracted people to compete to achieve fame or win monetary prizes...
s (with a first prize of $750), beauty pageants, and a variety of outdoor competitions for the entire family. By 1928, the park was observing Mexican Independence Day, with activities organized by the Mexican consulate (including "patriotic speeches, patriotic music… and the reading of the Mexican Declaration of Independence"). The success of the dancing marathons prompted the park to schedule (for 1929) a "floating marathon" in a water tank specially built for the event.
Demise
The original owners sold the property to a local lawyer (Abe W. Wagner) who held a contest to choose a new name. The eventual winner was Venice Park. He also changed the address to 2212 for some strange reason.While the latter half of the 1920s appeared to be the best of times for Luna Park, the 1929 stock market crash was the beginning of a sequence of events that spelled doom for it. People were reluctant to leave home and go to the park after Black Tuesday, that that was not the park's only problem. The misfortunes that marked the first two years of Luna Park's existence returned, first with the discovery of a man's corpse on the park's grounds in 1930; two years later, a farmer was hijacked in his car while in Luna Park. By 1934, the park had closed; the Skyrocket, built and opened in 1925, was moved to a new amusement park nearby, Playland
Playland
Playland or Playland Park could refer to:*Playland Park , an amusement park in South Bend,Indiana also known "Springbrook"*Playland , an amusement park in Rye, New York, also known as Rye Playland...
.
Since then, the northern and eastern edges of the park's grounds have been occupied by two Interstate highways (I-10
Interstate 10 in Texas
Interstate 10 is the major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. In the U.S. state of Texas, it runs east from El Paso, near the border with New Mexico, through San Antonio and Houston to the border with Louisiana in Orange, Texas....
and I-45). The rest of the property is currently occupied by various businesses near a small residential development.