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Coney Island’s Cyclone Turns 90!

Picture of the Brooklyn Cyclones sign
Wrong kind of cyclone., but the idea is to practice inserting media. This is from the Media Library.

Have you ridden Coney Island’s iconic wooden roller coaster the Cyclone? Whether you have or not, it turns 90 years old this summer!

The Cyclone opened in 1927 and is a 2,640 foot long wooden roller with 12 drops (including an 85 foot one) and 27 elevation changes that takes just under two minutes to ride.  Renovated in 2016 – to restore it to its original condition – the track was made longer and the ride made faster!

Some fun facts about Coney Island’s Cyclone:

  • It was named a NYC landmark in 1988 and put on the National Register of Historic Places three years later in 1991.
  • Thanks to the 2016 renovation, the Cyclone now races around the track at 60 mph.
  • Since its inception in 1927, the Cyclone has given rides to almost one million people worldwide.
  • Celebrities like Charles Lindbergh, Grace Kelly, Jean-Pierre, Norman Mailer, Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe have all ridden the Cyclone.
  • It was the Tin Man’s home in 1978’s “The Wiz”.
  • GI Joe’s enemy Scar-Face used the shed underneath the Cyclone as a place to hide.
  • The “Requiem for a Dream” movie features the Cyclone frequently.
  • Part of Beyoncé’s song “XO” is shot on the Cyclone.

Join us in wishing the iconic Cyclone a Happy 90 th Birthday by telling us a story about the first time you rode it (or didn't!).

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