The upper part of the tower was dismantled, about two-thirds of the original structure was taken down, some of it replaced, and the structure was painted red. Ben (No. The six-sided steel tower holds twelve drop points, accessible by six-foot steel arms. The parachutes would open as the riders were hoisted to the top of the ride, where release mechanisms would drop them. by e-mail. ever snatched away by an abductor; and the strangers I met on my extensive journeys through the city were always kind and helpful as most people are, save for the modern-day fear of being arrested as I spent all my summers at Coney Island my grandfather owned the parking lot across the street from Steeplechase. Hopes have been raised before, most notably by Horace Bullard, a developer and the founder It would be wonderful for some signage as well as photographs of the ride in action be displayed around that structure. Those stories must be for the history books and yes, Id believe and Intrigued. Appeared so lone and barren by day, and only comes alive at night with the magnificent lighting effects. He shares Roy Omori grew up in the 1950s and '60s in Coney Island where he could see theParachute Jump from his windowand Steeplechase Park was his playground. I hung on for dear life. in person with a representative of the citys Coney Island Development Corporation at an amusement park convention in November. Vintage color footage of kids and families on various rides, includin. [61] According to Jim McCollough, a business partner and nephew of the Tilyou brothers, the frame was repainted every year. My both parents spent lots of time with family & friends on Coney Island beach in the 1950-1960 I have old pic to prove it , I have pic of my mom & dad in front of the parachute ride she is on his shoulders you could tell just by watching the pic they had fun in those days ,, it's a beautiful thing to see something and to wish you could be there , I was born 1963 and by the time I grew up the ride was closed I've too spend time on Coney Island and always went bk to visit even living in another state when I come bk home to ny I always pass by , and go to Nathan's too , the best hot dogs . Rode the Parachute Jump once (1952) with my father; we each were bluffing, thinking the other would back down. The Parachute Jump is on the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island between West 16th and West 19th Streets. The legs are grounded on concrete foundations, each of which contains twelve timber piles. I want the Paracute Ride to be put back in service ASAP. of Coney a great part of it lives in my heart. Steeplechase employees parked at Harrys parking (now a gass station) they all knew I was Harrys grandson and when I was old enough to ride the parachute jump I did. Why, who knows what the possiblities would be? [77][106][114] The survey estimated it would cost at least $300,000 to demolish the structure (equivalent to $842,000 in 2021), making demolition too costly an option. [71] During World WarII, when much of the city was subject to a military blackout, the ride stayed lit to serve as a navigational beacon. I mean, it as built and worked for decades. [126][127] The Bullard deal was negated in 1994,[117] and the site directly north of the Parachute Jump was developed into a sports stadium, KeySpan Park,[a] which opened in 2000. [84] Sources disagree on whether the ride closed permanently or continued to operate until 1968. Originally built in 1939 for the New York World's Fair in Queens, it moved to Steeplechase in 1941 and has since remained a permanent fixture and visitors are sure to recognize this towering landmark among the Coney Island skyline. It was a lot more than rides: real frozen custard (go ahead, try to find it now, even at places There was a elephant & in the mahout box atop would control barrels that would shake, a floor that would drop down and handrails that wouldsink into the floor. The garden was on West 20th Street on Mermaid. "No, I never operated the Parachute,"he said in 2003 when asked about the flawed report. [64] The Parachute Jump was disassembled and moved to the site of the Flying Turns coaster, adjacent to the boardwalk. Riders were belted into a two-person canvas seat, lifted to the top, and dropped. It was originally intended as a landing pad for riders and has a radius of 68 feet (21m). We would stand there with our Dad. 3059 West 12th Street Mr. Markowitz said he is not giving up. reformers did with Times Square, turning it into Times Square, Coney Island will be scrubbed for tourists who are more interested in cleanliness than godliness. Also, I thought the Steeplechase horse ride was boring. Your information will never be shared with other organizations. It's beautiful piece of history I'm so glad I have pic to show for it ,, my husband and I will be returning soon so I can takes pic of the ride and have lunch ,, thanks so much for this site. Rode the Steeplechase 3 or 4 times; [133][134] Upon the completion of the project, Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz started studying proposals to reuse or reopen the structure. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, in 1977 it was recognized as a landmark by the City of New York so its existence as a structure should remain for many years. I don't know how many times it got stuck. Why did they close the Parachute Jump in Coney Island? There no good reason why it should not be restored and reopened. My favorite ride at the time was the Cyclone by far..in the front seat..with no holding onwith my arms raised.. Im kind of timid when it comes to thrill rides. But if the parachute is brought back to life, I will ride it! As someone who has worked in industrial maintenance the argument about mking the Parachute Jumpwork again is absurd. [29], Construction officially began at the 1939 World's Fair in December 1938;[30] it was to be in the Fair's "Amusement Zone",[31] along the eastern shore of Meadow Lake in Flushing MeadowsCorona Park, Queens. [106][107] Stern said he welcomed the community's proposals for reusing the Parachute Jump but other agency officials said the plans presented thus far, which included turning the Jump into a giant windmill, were "quixotic, at best". sorts of food at bargain basement prices, an incredible boardwalk with its own miles of attractions (including a silent movie theater), penny arcades that took pennies, not quarters, the Half-Moon hotel where I created this video with the YouTube Vi. He said he had made clear to the representative that the city and borough cannot pay the company for its inspection. And yet no one I knew was Even if they re-open the Jump with one or two chutes working just to see the outcome. but, it was also generate revenue I know I would pay to ride it. Park Should Become Amusement Area", "15Year Dispute Over Lease for Coney Island Steeplechase Continues", "Coney Island: battered but unbowed, it still amuses", "Beleaguered Coney Islanders Rally With Sense of Affection; The Talk of Coney Island", "The Talk of Coney Island; at Coney I., Symbols of Heyday Fading Away", "Nix Landmark Status for Coney Parachute", "Parachute Jump at Coney Island Loses Chance of Landmark Status", "Holy Coney! Attractions in Coney Island | Parachute Jump | NYCgo most other modern amusement parks but none of them will ever compare to the magic of old Coney Island! Believe me, the public really would like to see it operational again. I would drag my father over to the Parachute Jump. The first sprained ankle would bankrupt the park. The hot dog made its debut in 1867 at Coney Island. Stiff ocean breezes kept it closed much of the time. The Parachute Jump stopped operating as part of Steeplechase Park upon the latter's closure in 1964. My father Pedro Ortiz climbed the parachute jump. [51][52] These disagreements included a lawsuit filed by International Parachuting against Strong to prevent him from selling the rights to the ride to third parties. The rest of the ride was a smooth descent. It occurred at a small go-kart track that circled the base of the abandoned Parachute Jump until 1971. The Parachute Jump was built for the 1939 World's Fair in Queens, but was moved to Coney Island in 1941. They are deprived of the opportunity They were great times with the best memories real people not some bullshit Woody Allen portrayal. Pedro Ortiz was drunk had a fight with my Mother. Great ride that came from the 1939 worlds fair was disassembled and then reassembled by the boardwalk. Riders were belted into two-person canvas seats hanging below the closed parachutes. When they were dropped . A Huge Fan of the Old Coney island, and Yes, Coney Island was Nutty back in those days, You must have had a blast, Im wondering if you became a paratrooper. [15] Shock absorbers at the bottom, consisting of pole-mounted springs, cushioned the landing. Walkways were above the top of the tower, as well as along each arm. [27] He converted an existing observation tower in Chicago's Riverview Park into a six-chute amusement ride. people. c/o Deno's Wonder Wheel Park I also grew up in Coney Island from the early 1960' to the late 1970's and remember in the early 70's after the Parachute Jump was closed for a number of years, that they did in fact run a go-cart concession. Surf and Mermaid aces. The Wonder Wheel debuted in 1920, and the Parachute Jump moved from the 1939 New York World's Fair to Coney Island in 1941. [85][96] The agency attempted to sell the Jump at auction in 1971[97] but received no bids. The modified amusement-ride version was marketed by Miranda Brothers Inc. as a 150-foot-tall (46m), two-armed parachute jump. After the Life Savers sponsorship ended at the conclusion of the 1939 season, the ride was relocated closer to the entrance of the New York City Subway's World's Fair station, near the Children's World section of the Fair, at a cost of $88,500 (equivalent to $1,712,000 in 2021). Sometimes it seemed that the parachute jump was closed more often than it was working due to bad weather, high winds etc. Bathing in Coney Island as a kid in the late 40s and early 50s (yes the water was not clean), I would witness the chutes getting stuck often sometimes for hours for hours. Photography. dark silence. What year did the Coney Island Parachute Jump close? The ride required some modifications in its new, windier, shore-side location, including the addition of 30-foot-deep (9.1m) foundations. restore everything, thats probably what you would be talking about. That kind of work, he added, would be somewhat more expensive than building a new parachute jump from scratch, but would maintain the top and went into that momentary free fall I thought it was all over for me! Im too young to remember the Coney of the 1950s but youve painted a very vivid picture for all of us. of the Kansas Fried Chicken chain who planned to build a new Steeplechase Park, resurrecting not just the Imagine a carousel for grown-upsit went in of safety have changed drastically in 50 years. I rode the parachute jump in the summer of 1959. The ride stopped operating in 1968. Hi Nick, You are so wrong. !coney was never the same.. and sadly to say, never will be again. The cost of restoration might prove to be prohibitively expensive, as the ride would require a highly trained and experienced crew to maintain it in the manner that the Tilyou family did until its closure in 1964. Situated in Steeplechase Plaza near the B&B Carousell, the structure consists of a 250-foot-tall (76m), 170-short-ton (150t) open-frame, steel parachute tower. I think the fare was 50 cents, 75?, but no more than a dollar I'm sure. [91] Consulting engineer Helen Harrison and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's website also cite a closure date of 1968, saying it was one of several small rides that were operated by concessionaires on the site of Steeplechase Park. The Wonders of Coney Island: A Brief History | by Chris K | Medium There were never any accidents during the entire time the parachute jump was in operation, it did however require three cable operators per parachute. What about The Cyclone? The parachute and shock absorbers at the bottom would slow their descent. [125] Bullard's redevelopment plan clashed with another proposal that would build a sports arena, such as a minor-league baseball stadium, on the site. ", "Broad Redevelopment Is Urged for Coney Island", "Lights Out at Keyspan Park as Naming Rights Deal Ends", "Goodbye MCU Park, hello Maimonides Park in Coney", "Sports of The Times; Summer Rite Returns To Borough of Churches", "Neighborhood Report: Coney Island; The Nickel Empire Longs To Recapture Its Seedy Glory", "Famed for What's Up Above, Fixing What's Down Below", "Coney Island Parachute Pavilion Design Competition", "The Parachute Pavilion: An Open Design Competition for Coney Island", "Coney Island Development Corporation and Van Alen Institute Announce Winners of Parachute Pavilion Design Competition", "Flower of a Tower Is Relighted in Coney Island", "Illuminating the Jump: A Conversation with Leni Schwendinger", "BP Markowitz To Light Historic Coney Island Parachute Jump", "City breaks ground on Coney Island's Steeplechase Plaza, set to house historic B&B Carousel", "Here's the bling: New, brighter lights for Parachute Jump", "B&B Carousell Horses Return Home to Coney Island", "Historic Coney Island Carousel Spins Once Again", "Coney Island Parachute Jump to have own New Year's Eve ball drop", "Coney Island to welcome 2019 with fireworks, carousel rides", "Coney Islanders light Parachute Jump blue for World Autism Awareness Day", "Coney Island Parachute Jump Lights T.E.A.L. I, too as a child/teen went to Coney Island every chance I could. I lived in Coney almost all of my life until the end of 1997. [20][61] The Parachute Jump originally used the multicolored chutes from the World's Fair; by the mid-1940s, these had been replaced with white chutes. 262 feet (80 m) tall and weighing 170 tons . The Parachute Jump was fortunately landmarked and rehabilitated, still an important landmark on the Coney Island boardwalk. [89], Several sources state the Jump operated until 1968.