Coney Island Hot Dog Stand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coney Island |
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Re-opening on July 4, 2007 in Bailey, Colorado.
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Programmatic novelty architecture |
| Town or city | Bailey, Colorado |
| Country | United States |
| Completed | 1966 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | ironwork |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Lloyd Williams |
Coney Island Colorado (often called The Coney Island) is a super cool diner. It's located in Bailey, Colorado. This diner is famous because it's shaped like a giant hot dog! It even has toppings on top. People say it's the best example of "roadside architecture" in Colorado. This means it's a building designed to catch your eye as you drive by.
You can eat inside the diner. There's also seating in a courtyard. Plus, you can enjoy your meal at picnic tables by the river. The "bun" part of the building is 35 feet long. The "hot dog" part is 42 feet long. The whole building weighs about 18 short tons!
Contents
History of the Giant Hot Dog
Where It All Began
The Coney Island diner was first built in 1966. It was originally in Denver on Colfax Avenue. Back then, it was called The Boardwalk at Coney Island. The first owner, Marcus Shannon, wanted to open many diners like it. He even got a special patent for the design. But the diner closed down in 1969.
Moving to Aspen Park
In 1970, new owners took over. They moved the hot dog stand to Aspen Park. This town is in the Rocky Mountains. It was placed along U.S. Highway 285. At first, it was called Coney Island Dairy Land. Later, they dropped "Dairy Land" from the name.
When the diner was put up for sale in 1999, people loved it so much. They started a campaign to save it. They wanted it to be a special landmark. The current owner bought it for about $150,000. They added a new water system. They also put in a second kitchen and fixed up the inside.
The Big Move to Bailey
The diner was so popular that on its last day in Aspen Park, the line of people waiting was miles long! On March 18, 2006, the diner moved again. It had to move to make room for a bank. It traveled 17 miles down U.S. Highway 285. Now, its home is in Bailey, close to Pike National Forest.
Coney Island in the Media
This unique hot dog diner has appeared in many shows and comics.
TV Shows and Documentaries
The restaurant was featured in "Digital Postcards" by Dana Atchley. One was called "World's Largest." These clips were even on "Kid Pix Studio's" "Wacky TV" feature.
It also appeared in a TV documentary in 1999. This show was called A Hot Dog Program. In 2004, it was on another TV show called Hot Dog Heavens.
Comic Strip Appearance
On September 22, 2003, the diner was in a famous newspaper comic strip. It was featured in the nationally syndicated comic Zippy the Pinhead. You can see the comic here: [1].
Miniature Version
There's even a small model of the Coney Island stand. It's 1/6 the size of the real one. You can find it at Tiny Town. This amusement park is in Morrison, Colorado.
Images for kids
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Coney Island Dairyland in Aspen Park, 1980
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Coney Island Hot Dog Stand in Aspen Park location, 1991.
