The Main Tower of the first
Luna Park at Coney Island,
ca. 1905. Many subsequent
amusement parks would have their own "towers".
Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks that have opened on every continent except Antarctica since 1903.
History
The first park to use the name was Coney Island's second major amusement park, designed by Charles I.D. Looff and opened in 1903. Looff named the park after the spaceship in the Pan-American Exposition ride "A Trip to the Moon".[1][2]
Four years later, Looff opened Luna Park in Seattle, Washington. But another amusement park impresario had already borrowed the name. In 1905, Frederick Ingersoll was already making a reputation for his pioneering work in roller coaster construction and design (he also designed scenic railroad rides) when he opened Luna Parks in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, the first two amusement parks to be covered with electric lighting (the former was adorned with 67,000 light bulbs;[3] the latter, 50,000[4]). Ultimately, Ingersoll opened 44 Luna Parks around the world, the first chain of amusement parks. For a short time, Ingersoll renamed his parks Ingersoll's Luna Park to distinguish them from the Luna Parks to which he had no connection.[5] Ingersoll's death in 1927 and the closing of most of his Luna Parks did not stop new parks from taking the name.
Today, "Lunapark" is a synonym for "amusement park" in many languages, including Italian, German, Dutch, Czech, Polish, Russian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian, Greek, Turkish and Hebrew.[citation needed]
List of Luna Parks
In Africa
In Asia
Luna Park, Beirut
Name |
Location |
In operation |
Notes |
Luna Park, Abha |
Saudi Arabia |
? to present |
Part of the Abha Palace complex[11] |
Alanya Lunapark[12] |
Near Alanya, Turkey |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Baku[13] |
Baku, Azerbaijan |
2000 to present |
|
Luna Park, Beirut |
Beirut, Lebanon |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Bombay[14] |
Mumbai, India |
|
Designed and built by Ingersoll |
Bostanci Luna Park |
Bostancı, Turkey |
? to present |
|
Eski Luna Park |
Near Balıkesir, Turkey |
? to present |
|
Girne Lunapark |
Near İzmir, Turkey |
? to present |
|
Luna Grand Park[15] |
Haifa, Israel |
2001 to 2013 |
Closed after five months due to poor attendance following a religious boycott[16] and reopened after negotiations with the local religious community.[17] Closed for good in October 31st, 2013 to make room for a new cinema.[18] |
Luna Park, Hong Kong[19] |
North Point, Hong Kong |
1949 to 1954 |
Amusement park, cinema and nightclub complex |
Lunapark, Mersin |
Mersin, Turkey |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Nazilli |
Nazilli, Turkey |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Osaka[20] |
Osaka, Japan |
1919 to 1923 |
Also known as Shinsekai Luna Park[21] |
Luna Park, Sincan |
Sincan, Turkey |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Tehran |
Tehran, Iran |
1970s to 1980 |
Reopened in 1988 as Shahr-e Bazi; closed 2007 to make room for new highway[22] |
Luna Park, Tel Aviv[23][24] |
Tel Aviv, Israel |
1970 to present |
|
Luna Park, Tokyo |
Tokyo, Japan |
1910 to 1911 |
Burned down in 1911[25][26] |
Luna Park, Yerevan |
Yerevan, Armenia |
? to present |
|
In Europe
Aerial view of Lunapark Sowinski near
Władysławowo, Poland, in 2009
Name |
Location |
In operation |
Notes |
Luna Park, Aidonakia |
Athens, Greece |
? to present |
Constructed by Ingersoll. Also known as "Ta Aidonaka"[27] |
Luna Park, Berlin |
Berlin, Germany |
1909 to 1933 |
In its time, it was the largest amusement park in Europe[28] |
Luna Park, Budapest[29][30] |
Budapest, Hungary |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Cap d'Agde[31] |
Cap d'Agde, France |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Cologne[32] |
Cologne, Germany |
1909 to 1927 |
|
LunEur[33][34] |
Near Rome, Italy |
1953 to 2008 |
|
Fantasia Luna Park |
Near Faliraki, Greece |
2003 to present |
|
Lunapark Fréjus[35] |
Fréjus, France |
? to present |
|
Luna Park Funfair |
Scarborough, United Kingdom |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Geneva[36][37] |
Le Parc des Eaux Vives alongside Lake Geneva, Switzerland |
1912 to 1918 |
|
Luna Park, Hamburg-Altona |
Near Hamburg, Germany |
1913, and again 1917 to 1923 |
|
International Luna Park |
Near Athens, Greece |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, La Palmyre |
La Palmyre, France |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Larnaca |
Larnaca, Cyprus |
? to present |
Now known as Lucky Star Park[38] |
Luna Park, Leipzig |
Leipzig, Germany |
1911 to 1932 |
|
Luna Park, Lisbon[39] |
Lisbon, Portugal |
|
Designed and built by Ingersoll |
Lunapark, Łódź[40] |
Łódź, Poland |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, London |
London, UK |
|
|
Luna Park, Madrid[41] |
Madrid, Spain |
|
Designed and built by Ingersoll |
Luna Park, Milan |
Near Milan, Italy |
1965 to present |
Name was changed 11 April 2004 to Luna Europark Idroscalo Milano[42] |
Luna Park, Moscow[43] |
Moscow, Russia |
1993 to present |
Officially called "Luna Park Carrousel." |
Luna Park, Nice |
Nice, France |
? to present |
|
Luna Park, Paris[44] |
Paris, France |
1909 to 1931 |
|
Luna Park, Rome[45] |
Rome, Italy |
? to 1930s |
Designed and built by Ingersoll |
Luna Park, St. Petersburg |
Saint Petersburg, Russia |
1916 to 1924 |
|
Luna Park, Skopje |
Skopje, Republic of Macedonia |
|
|
Lunapark Sowinski |
Near Władysławowo, Poland |
2006 to present |
|
In North America
Name |
Location |
In operation |
Notes |
Luna Park, Arlington |
Arlington, USA |
1906 to 1915 |
Designed and built by Ingersoll. Some sources refer to it as Luna Park, Washington or Luna Park, Washington DC.[46][47] |
Luna Park, Baltimore |
Baltimore, USA |
|
|
Luna Park, Buffalo |
Buffalo, USA |
1904 to 1920 |
Designed and built by Ingersoll. Damaged by fire 14 July 1909[48] Originally Carnival Court, became Athletic Park before closing[49] |
Luna Park, Charleston[50][51][52] |
Charleston, USA |
1912 to 1923 |
|
Luna Park, Chicago |
Chicago, USA |
1907 to 1911 |
Owned by James "Big Jim" O'Leary, boxing promoter who was son of Mrs. O'Leary of Great Chicago Fire fame[53][54][55][56][57] |
Luna Park, Cleveland |
Cleveland, USA |
1905 to 1929 |
Designed by Ingersoll. Former site of Luna Bowl stadium for American football and Negro League baseball games[58] |
Luna Park, Coney Island |
New York, USA |
1903 to 1944 |
First Luna Park and forerunner of amusement park chain[59] |
Luna Park, Coney Island (2010) |
New York, USA |
|
Constructed on the site of the former Astroland. |
Luna Park, Denver |
Denver, USA |
1908 to 1914 |
Constructed on the site of the first US amusement park west of the Mississippi River, known as Manhattan Beach (1881–1908)[60] |
Luna Park, Detroit |
Detroit, USA |
1906 to 1927 |
Was actually named Electric Park but also called Luna Park, Riverview Park, and Granada Park (Ingersoll Amusement Center was a separate park[61]) |
Luna Park, Honolulu[62] |
Honolulu, USA |
|
Designed and built by Ingersoll. |
Luna Park, Houston[63] |
Houston, USA |
1924 to c. 1934 |
|
Luna Park, Hull[64] |
Hull, Canada |
1925 to 1928 |
|
Luna Park, Johnstown |
Johnstown, USA |
|
Originally Roxbury Park; renamed Luna Park in 1905; sold to Johnstown in 1922; renamed Roxbury Park[65] |
Luna Park, Los Angeles |
Los Angeles, USA |
1911 to 1914 |
Was Chutes Park 1900-1910[66][67] |
Luna Park, Mansfield[68][69][70] |
Mansfield, USA |
|
Also known as Casino Park |
Luna Park, Mexico City[71] |
Mexico City, Mexico |
1906 to ? |
Designed by Ingersoll. On the same site as Luna Loca.[72] |
Luna Park, Olcott Beach[73][74] |
New York, USA |
1898 to 1926 |
Destroyed by fire in 1927[75] |
Luna Park, Pittsburgh |
Pittsburgh, USA |
1905 to 1909 |
Was first of the Ingersoll Luna Parks and first amusement park to be covered with electric lighting[76] |
Luna Park, Portland |
Portland, USA |
|
|
Luna Park, San Jose[77] |
San Jose, USA |
1910 to 1916 |
Included a baseball stadium that served as home for the San Jose Prune Pickers and San Jose Bears of the California State League.[78] |
Luna Park, Schenectady[79] |
Rexford, USA |
1901 to 1933 |
Designed and built by Ingersoll. Was also known as Dolle's Park, Colonnade Park, Palisades Park, and Rexford Park[80][81][82][83][84] |
Luna Park, Scranton |
Scranton, USA |
1906 to 1916 |
Constructed by Ingersoll.[85][86] Most of grounds now covered by Interstate 81. |
Luna Park, Seattle |
Seattle, USA |
1907 to 1913 |
Designed by Looff.[87] |
Luna Park, Sylvan Beach |
New York, USA |
|
Absorbed by nearby Carnival Park[88][89] |
Luna Park, West Hartford[90][91][92] |
West Hartford, USA |
1906 to 1930 |
Name changed from White City just before the park's grand opening. |
Luna Park, Wheeling |
Wheeling, USA |
|
|
In Oceania
Luna Park, Sydney entrance
In South America
Name |
Location |
In operation |
Notes |
Luna Park, Buenos Aires |
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
1934 to present |
Designed and built by Ingersoll. Became site of a sports arena built 1931-1934.[98] As of 2013, it still runs, serving as a venue for stage concerts & presentations, both national and international, and as a sports arena. Acclaimed international shows such as Disney on Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters have performed in Argentinean Luna Park. It is known for its adaptability to host ice-skating rinks, multiple stages, sports courts, and others. |
Luna Park, Rio de Janeiro |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
? to 2006 |
Now used to store portable amusement rides by owner Orlando Orfei; often called Luna Park, Nova Iguaçu |
Lunapark, Lima |
Lima, Peru |
? to 2007 |
|
References
- ↑ Dale Samuelson, AJP Samuelson, and Wendy Yegoiants, The American Amusement Park ISBN 0-7603-0981-7
- ↑ Coney Island's success with electronic attractions and rides also inspired a proliferation of parks named Electric Park (Samuelson, Samuelson, Yegoiants, The American Amusement Park).
- ↑ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0-8117-2671-1
- ↑ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ Magda Baraka, The Egyptian Upper Class Between Revolutions, 1919-1952 (Garnet & Ithaca Press 1998) ISBN 0-86372-230-X
- ↑ Yasser Elsheshtawy, Planning Middle Eastern Cities: An Urban Kaleidoscope in an Urbanizing World (Routledge 2004) ISBN 0-415-30400-8
- ↑ Peter Rees, Other Anzacs: Nurses at War 1914-1918 (Allen & Unwin 2009) ISBN 1-74175-549-2
- ↑ Casualty Clearance (2) - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Queensland) Incorporated, 2005
- ↑ Cameroon:The Centre and East - listing on Columbus World Travel Guide]
- ↑ Description of Luna Park, Abha from official site
- ↑ Official site - Alanya Lunapark
- ↑ Luna Park Baku site
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ official site - Luna Grand Park
- ↑ Luna Grand Park in Haifa Shuts Down - Dei'ah veDibur, 22 May 2002
- ↑ Luna Grand Park listing in Roller Coaster Database showing reopening of park
- ↑ Luna Grand Park Official Website
- ↑ Luna Park, Hong Kong - Gwulo: Old Hong Kong
- ↑ From Kansas to Osaka: The Evolution of the Billiken
- ↑ History of Shinsekai
- ↑ Part of Tehran Funfair Will Become Women's Park - Iran-Daily 26 June 2006
- ↑ Luna Park Tel-Aviv site
- ↑ Twenty evacuated from stalled roller coaster - rideaccidents.com
- ↑ Sakutarō Hagiwara and Robert Epp, Rats Nests:The Collected Poetry of Hagiwara Sakutarō (Yakusha, 1993) ISBN 1-880276-40-2
- ↑ Miodrag Mitrasinovic, Total Landscape, Theme Parks, Public Space (Ashgate Publishing 2006) ISBN 0-7546-4333-6
- ↑ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ↑ Claudia Puttkammer/ Sacha Szabo: Gruß aus dem Luna-Park. Eine Archäologie des Vergnügens. Freizeit- und Vergnügungsparks Anfang des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts. WVB, Berlin, 2007, ISBN 978-3-86573-248-4 (in German)
- ↑ Budapest tra battelli, canali e locali galleggianti - "Budapest between vessels, channels and local floating" (in Italian), Viaggi24, 1 May 2009
- ↑ Travelling Women: Budapest - (in Italian)
- ↑ Official site: Luna Park Cap d'Agde (in French)
- ↑ Regina Dahmen-Ingenhoven and Kristin Feireiss, Animation: Form Follows Fun (Birkhäuser 2004) ISBN 3-7643-6631-1
- ↑ SCHEDA ANALITICA DEI PARCHI DEL DIVERTIMENTO EUROPEI/DATA ANALYSIS OF THE PARKS ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE - F Erlebnispark (in Italian)
- ↑ Entry in Roller Coaster Data Base - closed April 2008
- ↑ French Fun Park Bans the Electric Chair - Der Spiegel Online, 22 August 2008
- ↑ Roland Fuller and Allen Levy, The Bassett-Lowke Story (Taylor & Francis, 1984) ISBN 0-904568-34-2
- ↑ Eaux-Vives (in French), City of Geneva 2007
- ↑ Lucky Star Park site
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ Official website
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ History of Luna Euro Park (in italian)
- ↑ History of Moscow parks - Carrousel.ru (official site)
- ↑ Order - Time (magazine) 16 February 1931
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ Pictoral History of Arlington, Virginia
- ↑ Luna Park Arlington entry at NorVAPics
- ↑ "Buffalo Luna Park Damaged by Fire",New York Times 15 July 1909
- ↑ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0-8117-3262-2
- ↑ 20th Century Images: Cooling Off at Luna Park - Charleston Gazette, 8 September 2008
- ↑ Pictures of Charleston WV Luna Park
- ↑ Annual Report of the State Health Department of West Virginia 1920/21 (State of West Virginia 1921)
- ↑ Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0-252-02394-3
- ↑ Reports of Cases Determined in the Appellate Courts of Illinois: Edwin C. Day vs. Luna Park Company and James O'Leary, Gen. No. 16,480 - Harvard Press, 1913: Ruling of an appeal of a case involving Luna Park, Chicago, and a concessionaire who declared bankruptcy in 1908. Case was filed in 1909, ruled and appealed in 1910, with the ruling of the appeal in 1912... the year after Luna Park itself was shut down.
- ↑ Jazz Age Chicago - Urban Leisure from 1893 to 1945
- ↑ Lauren Rabinovitz, For the Love of Pleasure: Women, Movies, and Culture in Turn-of-the-Century Chicago (Rutgers University Press 1998) ISBN 0-8135-2534-9
- ↑ Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0-252-02394-3
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ Sloan's Lake Century
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
- ↑ Luna Park (Houston) - Houstonian
- ↑ Luna Park, Hull entry in "Closed Canadian Parks" - Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
- ↑ Randy G. Whittle, Johnstown, Pennsylvania: A History (History Press) 2005, ISBN 1-59629-051-X
- ↑ Chutes & Luna Park - Venice, California History Site
- ↑ Wells Drury and Aubrey Drury, California Tourist Guide and Handbook: Authentic Description of Routes of Travel and Points of Interest in California (Western Guidebook 1913)
- ↑ Diane DeMali Francis, Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing, 2002), ISBN 0-7385-1997-9
- ↑ Timothy Brian McKee, Mansfield in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing, 2003), ISBN 0-7385-3172-3
- ↑ Summer Parks - New York Clipper, 5 May 1907
- ↑ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0-8117-2671-1
- ↑ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ↑ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0-8117-3262-2
- ↑ Ad in 20 July 1906 edition of New York Times
- ↑ Avis A. Townsend, Newfane and Olcott (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0-7385-3722-5
- ↑ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ↑ Wells Drury and Aubrey Drury, California Tourist Guide and Handbook: Authentic Description of Routes of Travel and Points of Interest in California (Western Guidebook 1913)
- ↑ Minor League Park History - Luna Park - Society for American Baseball Research
- ↑ Some sources refer to it as Luna Park, Clinton Park when not calling it by its longest-used (and most recent) name, Rexford Park
- ↑ Susan Rosenthal, Schenectady (Arcadia Publishing 1999) ISBN 0-7385-0339-8
- ↑ Rexford Ramble page
- ↑ John L. Scherer, Clifton Park (Arcadia Publishing 1996), ISBN 0-7385-5461-8
- ↑ Pictures of Rexford Park (Luna Park) ca. 1906, 1920, 1926 - CDLC Digital Collections
- ↑ The Way We Were - Town of Clifton Park - Saratoga County (New York) official site
- ↑ Luna Park, Scranton, Lackawanna County, PA - defunctparks.com
- ↑ Cheryl A. Kashuba, Darlene Miller-Lanning, and Alan Sweeney, Scranton (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0-7385-3859-0
- ↑ Alki Beach Park: former site of Seattle Luna Park - official Seattle Parks and Recreation page
- ↑ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0-8117-3262-2
- ↑ Brandy Ann, Around Sylvan Beach (Arcadia Publishing 2008) ISBN 0-7385-5656-4
- ↑ Connecticut History Online - Luna Park West Hartford
- ↑ Picture of entrance - Connecticut History Online
- ↑ As town's 150th nears, residents share memories - Pam Shearer, WestHartfordNews.com, 5 December 2003
- ↑ A Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else
- ↑ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ↑ Redcliffe Historical Timeline - Moreton Bay Regional Council
- ↑ Sam Marshall, Luna Park - Just for fun, 2nd edition. Sydney, Australia: Luna Park Sydney Pty Ltd. (2005) ISBN 0-646-44807-2
- ↑ A Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else
- ↑ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4