“If Paris is France, then Coney Island, from June to September, is the World…” George C. Tilyou, Steeplechase Founder

For over a century, the Coney Island amusement district has represented the changing face of American popular culture.

Upcoming Events

Since 1983, the Coney Island Museum has been keeping alive the memories and magic of NYC’s favorite seaside resort for residents and visitors alike. From art to artifacts, we are dedicated to preserving and promoting the unique history of the People’s Playground, and its many contributions to American popular culture. 

Many Thanks To Everyone Who Joined Us In Celebrating This Milestone!

News

Special Announcements
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“I Am Preservation”
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Thank You For Joining Our Celebration!
Thank You For Joining Our Celebration!

Forty years — and counting!

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Welcome the Coney Island Museum’s 2023 Intern
Welcome the Coney Island Museum’s 2023 Intern
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Blog

Blog
1880 Souvenir Album of Coney Island
1880 Souvenir Album of Coney Island

Before George Eastman and his Kodak camera made photographers of us all…

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The Igorot Village of Coney Island
The Igorot Village of Coney Island

In the Spring of 1905, New York newspapers regaled readers with the summer’s upcoming spectacles and attractions to be hosted at the city’s amusement center, Coney Island. But one particular “exhibition” caught the attention of most New Yorkers. On May 9, 1905, The Standard Union reported: “A band of fifty-one Igorrotes from the Bontoc Province, Island of Luzon [Philippines] is coming across the continent, bound for Luna Park, where they will provide an attraction entirely different from anything ever seen in a Coney Island amusement resort.”

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Why 30,000 People Slept on the Beach One Night
Why 30,000 People Slept on the Beach One Night
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Boardwalk Illustrated
Boardwalk Illustrated

The Reigelmann Boardwalk, The Pride of New York

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Marathon Man
Marathon Man

From New York to San Francisco, this Marathon Man was really going places…

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Coney Island’s Quirky Amusements
Coney Island’s Quirky Amusements

It’s a fair bet that not all of these attractions would make anyone’s top 10 list:

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The Diaries of James Onorato
The Diaries of James Onorato

“The diaries of James Onorato are among the Coney Island Museum’s most significant holdings.This collection of hand-written volumes and supporting materials chronicle the tenure of James “Jimmy” Onorato, the longtime General Manager of Steeplechase Park.”

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Weegee’s Coney Island
Weegee’s Coney Island

Learn about Weegee’s history with Coney Island. Throughout the 1940s, he captured the people that occupied the Coney Island beaches, which included everything from lost children during the day, to lovers in the pitch-black night.

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RE: COLLECTIONS
RE: COLLECTIONS

RE: COLLECTIONS- Some of the items donated to the Coney Island Museum come to us with a very personal or family-related history, a story all of its own that gets woven into the broader narrative we present to our visitors, and endeavor to preserve for posterity.

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Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras

Long before the Mermaid Parade, rowdy revels ruled at Coney Island’s Mardi Gras.

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