Coney Island (Cincinnati, Ohio) facts for kids
| Previously known as Parker's Grove (1870–1885) Ohio Grove, The Coney Island of the West (1886) Old Coney (1976–1985) |
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| Location | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°03′15″N 84°25′12″W / 39.054268°N 84.420040°W |
| Status | closed |
| Opened | 1870 |
| Closed | December 31, 2023 |
| Slogan | Coney Island: Family. Fun. Memories. |
| Operating season | May–September (water park) November–January (Coney Island's Nights of Lights) |
| Area | 100 acres |
| Attractions | |
| Water rides | 6 |
| Website | Coney Island |
Coney Island was a popular water park and gathering spot in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was located right by the Ohio River, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the city center. This park was famous for its huge Sunlite Pool, which is the largest recirculating pool in North America.
The park was next to the Riverbend Music Center and Belterra Park. It first opened in 1870 as Parker's Grove. Later, in 1886, it was bought by a new company and renamed Ohio Grove, The Coney Island of the West. The next year, the name was shortened to just Coney Island. Over many years, the park grew with lots of rides and attractions. This made it a very popular place for fun.
In 1969, Coney Island was sold to Taft Broadcasting. The plan was to move the park to a new, higher location because of frequent flooding. The new park, Kings Island, opened in 1972. Even though most rides moved, Coney Island's Sunlite Pool stayed open. Later, some smaller rides came back. More improvements were made to the Sunlite Pool area. Also, the Riverbend Music Center opened nearby in 1984. These changes helped the park become popular and profitable again. In 2019, Coney Island decided to remove its amusement rides. It chose to focus only on water park fun.
Contents
Coney Island's History
Coney Island started in 1867 when a farmer named James Parker bought about 20 acres (0.08 km²) of land by the Ohio River. Parker soon found that renting out his farm was more profitable than growing apples. He called it Parker's Grove. He added a dining hall, a dancing hall, and a bowling alley.
In 1886, he sold the land for $17,500 to the Ohio Grove Corporation. This company was led by two steamboat captains. When the park opened on June 21, 1886, its name officially became "Ohio Grove, The Coney Island of the West". This name linked it to the famous New York destination. Since it was by the river, steamboats were the most popular way for visitors to arrive. In 1887, "Ohio Grove" was dropped, and the park became known simply as "Coney Island".
The Sunlite Pool was built in 1925. It is a huge outdoor freshwater pool. It covers 80,200 square feet (7,450 m²). As of 2022, it was the 12th largest pool in the world. It is still the largest recirculating pool in North America.
Over the years, Coney Island grew into a full amusement park. It had many rides and carnival games. Some important additions included the first and second Island Queen boats in 1896 and 1925. The Moonlite Gardens dance pavilion opened in 1925. Wooden roller coasters like the Wildcat and Twister were added in 1926. The Land of Oz, a children's area, opened in 1934. The Shooting Star roller coaster, an updated version of the Clipper, opened in 1947.
Coney Island became a very important place in Cincinnati. The park became open to everyone after a legal case in 1952 led by Marian Spencer. Because the park was so close to the river, it often flooded. In 1968, the park's managers talked with Taft Broadcasting about building a new park on higher ground. Taft then bought Coney Island in 1969. Construction began the next year on a new site. This new site was about 25 miles (40 km) north of Cincinnati. Coney Island closed its amusement rides on September 6, 1971. Most of its rides were moved to the new Kings Island theme park.
After Kings Island opened in 1972, Taft Broadcasting planned to sell Coney Island's land. However, Taft decided to open another theme park in Virginia (Kings Dominion) and bought Carowinds. So, redeveloping Coney Island became less important. Less than two years after closing, Coney Island reopened permanently in 1973. The park was smaller than before, but it still had popular attractions. The Sunlite Pool helped Coney Island stay a favorite summer spot.
The park gave 15 acres (61,000 m²) of land for the Riverbend Music Center. This music center opened in 1984. This land used to be where the Wildcat and Shooting Star roller coasters stood. The Riverbend amphitheater is now the summer home for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras. It also hosts concerts for other music groups. In 1991, Cincinnati businessman Ronald Walker bought Coney Island. Without a big company holding it back, the park's management could bring back Coney Island as a traditional amusement park. It brought back familiar rides like the "Tilt-A-Whirl", bumper cars, carnival games, and musical shows.
On September 21, 2019, Coney Island announced it would remove all amusement rides. It would continue to operate as a water park with the Sunlite Pool and other water attractions. This decision was made based on how many people visited, what customers said, and the increasing costs of keeping the rides running.
On December 14, 2023, the park announced it would be sold to Music and Event Management, Inc. (MEMI). MEMI is part of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. They plan to turn the property into a place for sports, dining, and entertainment.
Fun Things to Do at Coney Island
Sunlite Water Adventure
| Attraction | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cannonball Cove | 2019 | A separate pool for diving near Sunlite Pool. It has two 3-foot (0.91 m) diving boards and a 9-foot (2.7 m) diving board. |
| Challenge Zone | 2021 | A large floating obstacle course. It has more than 150 feet (46 m) of fun obstacles. |
| Cyclone | 2006 | A 70-foot (21 m) enclosed body slide. It is located near the deep end of Sunlite Pool. |
| Silver Bullet | 1945 | A fast speed slide that sends riders splashing into the main Sunlite Pool. |
| Sunlite Pool | 1925 | The nation's largest recirculating pool. |
| The Twister | 2009 | Named after an old wooden roller coaster from 1926. Twister has four slides: two body slides and two inner tube slides. |
Family Fun Attractions
| Attraction | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Action Alley | 2022 | A giant inflatable jump pad, soccer darts, cornhole, and more games. |
| Cincy Mini-Golf | Unknown | A fun Miniature golf course. |
| Storybook Paddle Boats | Unknown | Paddle boats located on Lake Como. |
Past Rides and Attractions
Before 1972
| List of former attractions before 1972 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attraction | Manufacturer (Model) | Opened | Closed | Description | |
| Carousel | Philadelphia Toboggan Company (Carousel) | 1926 | 1971 | A classic carousel with 48 hand-carved wooden horses. It was later moved to Kings Island and is now called Grand Carousel. | |
| Coney Island and Lake Como Railroad | Chance Rides (Miniature Railway) | 1964 | 1971 | A miniature train ride over Lake Como and into the woods. | |
| Cuddle Up | Philadelphia Toboggan Company (Cuddle Up) | 1930 | 1971 | A spinning flat ride. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Dodgem | (Bumper Cars) | 1920s | 1971 | A classic bumper-car ride. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Flying Scooter | Bisch-Rocco (Flying Scooters) | 1940 | 1971 | A spinning ride with suspended cars that riders could control. | |
| Galaxi | S.D.C. (Galaxi) | 1970 | 1971 | A compact steel roller coaster. It was later moved to Kings Island as Bavarian Beetle. | |
| Log Flume | Arrow Development (Log flume) | 1968 | 1971 | A water ride where riders float in logs. It was later moved to Kings Island as Kings Mill Log Flume. | |
| Monster | Eyerly Aircraft Company (Monster) | 1968 | 1971 | A traditional "Octopus" ride that spins in three different circles. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Rotor (2) | Chance Rides (Rotor) | 1969 | 1971 | A spinning flat ride where riders stick to the walls. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Scrambler (2) | Eli Bridge Company (Scrambler) | 1969 | 1971 | A classic spinning flat ride. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Skyride | Von Roll (Sky Ride) | 1965 | 1971 | A cable-car ride that offered views of the park. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Teddy Bear | Philadelphia Toboggan Company(Wooden Coaster) | 1935 | 1971 | A junior wooden roller coaster. | |
| Tumble Bug | Traver Engineering (Tumble Bug | 1925 | 1971 | A classic ride with five linked cars that moved around a wavy circular track. | |
| Turnpike | Streifthau Manufacturing Company / Arrow Development(Turnpike) | 1958 | 1971 | A ride where cars traveled around and over Lake Como. | |
| Unknown - Junior Whip | William F. Mangels | 1967 | 1971 | A classic "Whip Jr." ride. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Unknown - Turtles | (Miniature Tumble Bug) | 1967 | 1971 | A miniature Tumble Bug ride. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
| Unknown - Hampton | Hampton Amusements Corporation | 1969 | 1971 | A miniature carousel-car ride. It was later moved to Kings Island. | |
After 1972
| List of former attractions after 1972 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attraction | Manufacturer (Model) | Opened | Closed | Description | |
| Carousel | Chance Rides (Carousel) | 1998 | 2019 | A merry-go-round with 30 horses and two chariots. | |
| Dodgems | (Bumper Cars) | 2000 | 2019 | A classic bumper cars ride. | |
| Ferris Wheel | Eli Bridge Company (Ferris Wheel) | 1990 | 2019 | A Ferris Wheel that took riders 40 feet (12 m) into the air. | |
| Flying Bobs | Chance Rides (Matterhorn) | 1994 | 2019 | A spinning ride that was later moved to Indiana Beach. | |
| Frog Hopper | S&S Power (Frog Hopper) | 2003 | 2019 | A bouncing spring ride with a frog theme. | |
| Giant Slide | (Mat Slide) | 2001 | 2019 | A three-lane, approximately 25 feet (7.6 m) tall slide. | |
| Pipeline Plunge | 1994 | 2018 | A dual enclosed inner tube slide. It was replaced by Cannonball Cove. | ||
| Python | 1999 | 2019 | A compact steel roller coaster. | ||
| River Runner | (Swinging Ship) | 2008 | 2019 | A canoe-themed Pirate Ship ride. | |
| Rock-O-Plane | Eyerly Aircraft Company (Rock-O-Plane) | 2007 | 2019 | A ride that opened at Coney Island in 2007. | |
| Scrambler | Eli Bridge Company (Scrambler) | 1991 | 2019 | A classic spinning flat ride. | |
| Scream Machine | Moser (Spring Ride) | 2005 | 2019 | A 50 feet (15 m) tall free fall ride. | |
| Super Round Up | (Round-Up) | 1993 | 2019 | A spinning flat ride that tilted upwards. | |
| TopSpin | SBF Visa Group (Midi Dance Party 360) | 2015 | 2019 | A ride that flips riders upside down. | |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | (Tilt-a-Whirl) | 1992 | 2019 | A standard Tilt-A-Whirl ride. | |
| Tempest | Grover Watkins (Tempest) | 2001 | 2019 | A "tornado-like" spinning ride. | |
| Wipeout | Moser Rides | 2014 | 2019 | A spinning lift ride that flips riders upside down. | |
| Zoom Flume | (Waterslide) | 1977 | 2008 | The first of Sunlite Pool's large slides. It was replaced by The Twister. | |
Events at Coney Island
Coney Island was a place for many festivals. These included the Summerfair Arts Festival, the "Cincinnati Celtic World Festival", and the Appalachian Festival. Concerts were also held in the Moonlite Gardens area of the park. The band Over the Rhine often performed there.
Some scenes from the children's TV show The Banana Splits (1968-1970) were filmed at Coney Island.
Images for kids
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The former Pipeline Plunge, later replaced by Cannonball Cove.
