Coney Island Cyclone Roller Coaster, Brooklyn

The Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster against the sky. The Coney Island roller coaster is located in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Some history and context for the Cyclone: “The Coney Island Cyclone (better known as simply the Cyclone) is a historic hybrid roller coaster in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City. The success of 1925's Thunderbolt and 1926's Tornado led Jack and Irving Rosenthal to buy land at the intersection of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street for a coaster of their own. With a $100,000 investment, they hired Vernan Keenan to design a new coaster. A man named Harry C. Baker supervised the construction, which was done by area companies including National Bridge Company (which supplied the steel) and Cross, Austin, & Ireland (which supplied the lumber). The final cost of the Cyclone has been reported to be around $146,000 to $175,000. When the Cyclone opened on June 26, 1927, a ride cost only twenty-five cents compared to the $8 in the 2009 Season. On June 18, 1975, Dewey and Jerome Albert, owners of Astroland Park, contracted to operate the Cyclone under an agreement with New York City. The roller coaster was completely rehabilitated and opened to enthusiastic crowds on July 1, 1975. Since that time, Astroland Park and the Albert family has invested millions of dollars in the upkeep of the Cyclone. Since Astroland closed in 2008, Carol Hill Albert, president of Cyclone Coasters, continues to operate the Cyclone under a lease agreement with the City.The Cyclone was declared a New York City landmark on July 12, 1988, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1991.