Coney Island History Project facts for kids
Coney Island History Project in 2022 during the Mermaid Parade
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| Formation | 2004 |
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| Founders | Carol Hill Albert, Jerome Albert |
| Type | Non-profit corporation |
| Headquarters | Coney Island, Brooklyn |
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Director
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Charles Denson |
| Website | coneyislandhistory.org |
The Coney Island History Project, or CIHP, started in 2004. It is a special group that works for a good cause. Its main goal is to collect and share the amazing history of Coney Island. They want more people to learn about this famous place.
Contents
History of the Project
The Coney Island History Project began in 2004. It was founded by Carol Hill Albert and Jerome Albert. They started it to honor Dewey Albert, who created Astroland. From the very beginning, they asked local historian Charles Denson to be the director.
Collecting Coney Island Stories
The project first focused on collecting "oral histories." This means they recorded stories from people who had lived in Coney Island for a long time. These interviews help save memories and experiences. The CIHP records, saves, and shares these stories. They conduct interviews in many languages. These include English, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, they continued to record interviews. They used phones or video calls to do this.
More than 370 interviews are available online. You can find them at The Coney Island History Project Oral History Archive.
Protecting Coney Island's Future
The Coney Island History Project also cares about the future of Coney Island. For example, in 2025, the project spoke out against a plan. This plan was to build a casino in Coney Island.
Exhibitions and Displays
The History Project has a special exhibition center. It is located right next to Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. This center used to be an arcade booth. Now, it hosts educational displays, events, and performances.
Historic Coney Island Artifacts
The center shows off many historic items from Coney Island. These are called artifacts. For example, they have a real horse from the old Steeplechase Park. This was a famous amusement park.
In 2014, the project had an exhibition about the history of the Steeplechase Face. This was a well-known symbol of Steeplechase Park.
Exploring Coney Island Creek
In 2018, the Coney Island History Project created an exhibition. It looked at the history of Coney Island Creek. After this exhibit, they also created mobile displays. These displays could travel to different places. One mobile exhibit was shown at City of Water Day. This event took place on the Coney Island Creek in Kaiser Park. The History Project worked with the Coney Island Beautification Project and the Waterfront Alliance for this event.
Guided Tours of Coney Island
The Coney Island History Project also offers guided tours of Coney Island. These tours help people explore the area. They learn about its history while walking around.
Immigrant Heritage Tours
In 2019, the CIHP offered a special tour. It was called the Immigrant Heritage Tour of Coney Island. This tour was given in both English and Mandarin. It was a free walking tour. It was part of Immigrant Heritage Week 2019. This tour helped people learn about the many different cultures that have shaped Coney Island.
