Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park

Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
Rides
Location	Coney Island, New York, United States
Coordinates	40°34′28″N 73°58′45″W / 40.574310°N 73.979182°W / 40.574310; -73.979182Coordinates: 40°34′28″N 73°58′45″W / 40.574310°N 73.979182°W / 40.574310; -73.979182
Owner	Dennis Vourderis and Steve Vourderis
Opened	Wonder Wheel 1920 - Park 1950
Previous names	Ward's Kiddie Park
Total	21
Roller coasters	1
Water rides	0
Website	http://www.wonderwheel.com/

Wonder Wheel

Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park located at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City featuring 5 adult rides and 16 kiddie rides, including a dozen family rides that parents and children can ride together. Their main attraction is the Wonder Wheel, a hundred and fifty foot eccentric wheel built in 1920.^[1] On the Wonder Wheel, 16 out of 24 of its gondolas run down a short track inside of the wheel swinging in and out of it as they reach the top.

The park overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and Coney Island beach. Deno's Wonder Wheel was designated an official New York City landmark in 1989.

History

The Wonder Wheel predates the history of Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. It was invented by Charles Hermann and built in 1918-1920 by the Eccentric Ferris Wheel Company. It opened on Memorial Day in 1920. Until the Parachute Jump, it was the tallest attraction in Coney Island. It was a stand-alone attraction operated by Herman Garms. In 1955, Garms built Spook-a-Rama, an indoor dark ride.

Near these two attractions, Denos Vourderis opened a restaurant called the Anchor Bar & Grill. Also, next door to the Wonder Wheel, stood a small kiddie amusement park called Ward's Kiddie Park owned by John Curran. That area was built in 1950. Denos opened up a concession stand there in 1970. In 1976, Denos bought the kiddie amusement park from Curran. In 1983, Denos acquired the Wonder Wheel and Spook-a-Rama. Today the park still has predominantly children's rides along with several family attractions. Since Denos' death in 1994, the park has been operated by his two sons, Dennis and Steve,^[2]

Attractions

Kiddie Park

Big Trucks
Boats
Carousel
Dizzy Dragon
Fire Engines

Jets
Jump Around
Jumping Motorcycles
Mini Pirate Ship
Pony Carts

Rio Grande Train
Samba
Sea Serpent Roller Coaster
Speedway
Tilt-a-Whirl
Twist and Shout

Teen and Adult Rides

Bumper Cars
Spook-a-Rama
Wonder Wheel
Thunderbolt (chance alpine bobs)
Triotech XD

References

↑ "Wonder Wheel History". Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
↑ Lilliefors, Jim (2006). America's boardwalks: from Coney Island to California. ISBN 978-0-8135-3805-1.

External links

Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase

Coney Island attractions and neighborhoods

Roller coasters	Cyclone Flip Flap Railway^* Loop the Loop^* Soarin' Eagle Switchback Railway^* Thunderbolt (1925-1982)^* Thunderbolt (2014) Tornado^*

Other rides	A Trip to the Moon^* Dante's Inferno^* Ghost Hole Parachute Jump^* Spook-a-Rama The Whip Witching Waves^* Wonder Wheel

Parks	Astroland^* Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park Dreamland^* Luna Park (1903-1944)^* Luna Park (2010) Sea Lion Park^* Steeplechase Park^*

Other visitor attractions	Coney Island Velodrome^* MCU Park Nathan's hot dog contest New York Aquarium Riegelmann Boardwalk Shoot the Freak^*

Subsections	Brighton Beach Gravesend (nearby) Manhattan Beach Seagate Sheepshead Bay (nearby)

Subway stations	Brighton Beach Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue Neptune Avenue Ocean Parkway West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium

^* Asterisks indicate former attractions. See also: Coney Island in popular culture

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