The Heyday of Coney Island
With easy access from New York City, Coney Island was a major vacation destination between the 1880s and World War II. In its heyday, nothing was too eccentric, too big, or too outlandish. Three major parks—Luna Park, Steeplechase Park, and Dreamland—all competed for visitors, taking advantage of the public’s fascination with the unknown, from distant lands to tragic disasters.
FIGHTING FLAMES
Over 2,000 people were employed at Dreamland’s Fighting the Flames, where performers reenacted what it was like to be a firefighter—from hitching live horses to the fire engine to extinguishing a real fire. They also made dramatic rescues as trapped “victims” jumped from a blazing building’s windows to the ground.
Believe it or not, Dreamland itself went down in flames in 1911. Park entertainers from Fighting the Flames, who went through extinguishing motions daily, tried to help—even the Midget City Fire Department sprang into action!
MIDGET CITY
Midget City, or the Lilliputian Village, was Dreamland’s miniature town populated by over 300 little people. Villagers actually lived on-site and functioned as a community in their built-to-scale world. They had their own police and fire departments and even performed their own acts, such as the Tom Thumb Circus.
The Village was built as a proportional replica of 15th century Nuremberg, Germany!
The Village was built as a proportional replica of 15th century Nuremberg, Germany!
THE IGORROTE VILLAGE
Feeding into the fear and amazement of the unknown, one of Luna Park’s most popular attractions was the Igorrote Village. Imported Filipino tribesmen, women, and children lived in a replica village and presented a sensationalized version of their customs. As headhunting was not an option, the Igorrotes dined on a daily dog feast, slaughtered before the crowd and cooked in a large pot.
At home, the Igorrotes only ate dog on special occasions, like after a successful head hunt or at a wedding, but at Coney Island, they were made to cook canines daily.
HELL GATE
This boat ride entered Dante’s Inferno and featured a flaming whirlpool, which seemed to suck riders down into the depths of Hell. Unfortunately, (and ironically), Hell Gate is to blame for the great Dreamland fire of 1911, burning the park to the ground.
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