Preserving the People’s Playground: A Coney Island Walking Tour
Saturday, August 29, 2026
1 – 2:30 PM
In-person
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Discover the history, thrills and perseverance of one of New York City’s most iconic neighborhoods on this 90-minute in-person guided walking tour. Coney Island’s legendary streets are home to the birthplace of America’s amusement industry, and its rides have been a hallmark of New York City summers for over 100 years. On this tour you will see icons like the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel, smell local classics like Nathan’s and Williams Candy, and hear stories of vaudeville legends, landmarks lost and a few still fighting to survive today.
The tour will be led by Marissa Solomon – community member, activist and docent at the Coney Island Museum.
Extend your visit with a trip to the Coney Island Museum for a free guided tour and Coney Island USA’s Sideshow – the last permanently housed Circus Sideshow in the USA – for an additional fee.
Coney Island Museum is one of HDC’s 2026 Six to Celebrate priorities – New York’s only targeted citywide list of preservation priorities that provides strategies and resources to neighbourhood groups at a critical moment to reach their preservation goals.
The tour will take place outdoors, rain or shine and covers a total distance of 1 mile at a moderate pace.
Please e-mail [email protected] with questions about accessibility.
General Admission $15
Friend of HDC / Senior $10
Six to Celebrate is generously supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by New York City Council Members Gale Brewer, Virginia Maloney, Christopher Marte, and Lincoln Restler.
Image Credit: Carol M. Highsmith. Entrance to the Wonder Wheel an old-fashioned Ferris wheel on the Coney Island boardwalk in New York City’s Brooklyn borough. Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2018700993/>.