--- title: Coney Island: Classic Photos From America's Original Playground description: On the anniversary of the Cyclone roller coaster's 87th birthday, photos that celebrate the unique, messy, vibrant energy of Coney Island. canonical: https://time.com/3880271/coney-island-classic-photos-from-americas-original-playground/ author: Ben Cosgrove article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-24T16:31:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:34.445Z og:title: Coney Island: Classic Photos From America's Original Playground og:description: On the anniversary of the Cyclone roller coaster's 87th birthday, photos that celebrate the unique, messy, vibrant energy of Coney Island. og:url: https://time.com/3880271/coney-island-classic-photos-from-americas-original-playground/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea5bb0e8fa4857c3/69884c07cd1bba4fd86fae8a/140619-coney-island-09.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: Coney Island 1949 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Coney Island: Classic Photos From America's Original Playground twitter:description: On the anniversary of the Cyclone roller coaster's 87th birthday, photos that celebrate the unique, messy, vibrant energy of Coney Island. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea5bb0e8fa4857c3/69884c07cd1bba4fd86fae8a/140619-coney-island-09.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Coney Island: Classic Photos From America's Original Playground > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Jun 24, 2014 4:31 PM UTC  Coney Island, 1949. Coney Island, 1949. Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images by [Ben Cosgrove](https://time.com/author/ben-cosgrove/) ## Ben Cosgrove Jun 24, 2014 4:31 PM UTC Not many places in America have, for so long, been so dedicated to the pursuit of fun as the mile-long stretch along the southern edge of Brooklyn known as [Coney Island](http://www.coneyisland.com/). Luna Park, [Astroland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroland), the world-famous Cyclone roller coaster — for well over a century, these names helped define what amusement parks were, while their attractions and thrills still inform what summertime entertainment looks, feels and sounds like. Here, on the anniversary of the Cyclone’s 87th birthday — the legendary wooden coaster opened for business on June 26, 1927 — LIFE.com presents a series of pictures that celebrate the unique, messy, vibrant energy of Coney Island. Even today, after decades of ups and downs, there’s no place else quite like it. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Coney Island, New York, 1944. Marie Hansen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The Coney Island Cyclone, 1944. Marie Hansen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1943. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1949. Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1943. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1949. Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1943. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The Gryro Globe ride, a metal monster which simultaneously spun and tilted its victims, Coney Island, 1949. Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1949. Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1943. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1943. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1943. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  The Parachute Jump along the boardwalk at Coney Island, 1951. Margaret Bourke-White—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1942. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1943. Ralph Morse—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1949. Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1942. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1949. Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Coney Island, 1942. 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