Enciclopedia dell'Economia Wiki
Iscriviti
Advertisement

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 to use the name was the second major amusement park at Coney Island, designed by Charles I.D. Looff, who subsequently designed Seattle, Washington's Luna Park, which opened in 1907. The spaceship in the Pan-American Exposition ride "A Trip to the Moon" gave its name to these parks... and to dozens that followed over the next century.[1][2]

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 Cleveland park had 50,000[4]). Ultimately he opened 44 Luna Parks around the world, the first chain of amusement parks.

Despite the death of Ingersoll in 1927 and the closing of most of his Luna Parks, the name's popularity continued with newer parks with the name opening with regularity. As a result, "Lunapark" now translates into "amusement park" in Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, and Turkish.

List of Luna Parks[]

Luna Park is the name of numerous amusement parks, from the Coney Island original, to the over 40 Luna Parks designed and constructed by Frederick Ingersoll, to amusement parks which received their names after Ingersoll's death in 1927. 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]

In Africa[]

Name Location In operation Notes
Luna Park, Obala[6] Obala, Cameroon ? to present

In Asia[]

Beirut Luna park entrance

Luna Park, Beirut

Lunapark Tel-Aviv

The Luna Park Tel Aviv is a currently operating amusement park in Israel

Luna Park, Osaka, one of two Japanese Luna Parks, was open to the public from 1912 to 1923. The original Tsutenkaku Tower was completed at the same time as the amusement park.

Night photograph of original Tsutentaku Tower overlooking Luna Park, Osaka in 1912.

Luna Park, Coney Island was the first of dozens of Luna Parks. Its success inspired the creation of dozens of Luna Parks, Electric Parks, Wonderlands, and similar amusement parks.

The Main Tower of the first Luna Park at Coney Island, ca. 1905. Many subsequent amusement parks would have their own "towers".

Name Location In operation Notes
Luna Park, Abha Saudi Arabia ? to present Part of the Abha Palace complex[7]
Alanya Lunapark[8] Near Alanya, Turkey ? to present
Luna Park, Baku[9] Baku, Azerbaijan 2000 to present
Luna Park, Beirut Beirut, Lebanon ? to present
Luna Park, Bombay[10] Mumbai, India Designed and built by Ingersoll
Bostanci Luna Park Bostancı, Turkey ? to present
Eski Luna Park Near Balıkesir, Turkey ? to present
Luna Park, Cairo[11] Heliopolis, Egypt 1911 to 1915 Was the first in Africa and the Middle East.[12] On 19 January 1915, buildings and grounds were converted into Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Luna Park for World War I.;[13] the hospital was closed 10 July 1916[14]
Girne Lunapark Near İzmir, Turkey ? to present
Luna Grand Park[15] Haifa, Israel 2002 to present Closed after five months due to poor attendance following a religious boycott[16] and reopened after negotiations with the local religious community.[17]
Luna Park, Hong Kong[18] 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[19] Osaka, Japan 1919 to 1923 Also known as Shinsekai Luna Park[20]
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[21]
Luna Park, Tel Aviv[22][23] Tel Aviv, Israel ? to present
Luna Park, Tokyo Tokyo, Japan 1910 to 1911 Burned down in 1911[24][25]
Luna Park, Yerevan Yerevan, Armenia ? to present

In Europe[]

Until it was permanently closed in 1933, Luna Park, Berlin was the largest amusement park in Europe.

Aerial view of Luna Park, Berlin in 1935.

Mountain railroads (also known as Russian mountains were popular in European Luna Parks

Postcard showing mountain railroad at Luna Park, Leipzig.

Lunapark Sowinski is a currently operating amusement park near Władysławowo, Poland.

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"[26]
Luna Park, Berlin Berlin, Germany 1909 to 1933 In its time, it was the largest amusement park in Europe[27]
Luna Park, Budapest[28][29] Budapest, Hungary ? to present
Luna Park, Cap d'Agde[30] Cap d'Agde, France ? to present
Luna Park, Cologne[31] Cologne, Germany 1909 to 1927
LunEur[32][33] Near Rome, Italy 1953 to 2008
Fantasia Luna Park Near Faliraki, Greece 2003 to present
Lunapark Fréjus[34] Fréjus, France ? to present
Luna Park Funfair Near Scarborough, United Kingdom ? to present
Luna Park, Geneva[35][36] 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[37]
Luna Park, Leipzig Leipzig, Germany 1911 to 1932
Luna Park, Lisbon[38] Lisbon, Portugal Designed and built by Ingersoll
Lunapark, Łódź[39] Łódź, Poland ? to present
Luna Park, London London, UK
Luna Park, Madrid[40] 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[41]
Luna Park, Moscow[42] Moscow, Russia 1993 to present Officially called "Luna Park Carrousel."
Luna Park, Nice Nice, France ? to present
Luna Park, Paris[43] Paris, France 1909 to 1931
Lunapark, Prague Prague, Czech Republic ? to present
Luna Park, Rome[44] 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[]

Luna Park, Coney Island was the first of dozens of Luna Parks. It burnt down in 1944.

Comedian Fatty Arbuckle riding The Whip in Luna Park, Coney Island, as shown in the 1917 motion picture Coney Island

The Seattle Luna Park was designed by the same person who designed the original in Coney Island.

Postcard photo of Luna Park, Seattle entrance bridge.

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.[45][46]
Luna Park, Baltimore Baltimore, USA
Luna Park, Buffalo Buffalo, USA 1904 to 1920 Designed and built by Ingersoll. Damaged by fire 14 July 1909[47] Originally Carnival Court, became Athletic Park before closing[48]
Luna Park, Charleston[49][50][51] 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[52][53][54][55][56]
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[57]
Luna Park, Coney Island New York, USA 1903 to 1944 First Luna Park and forerunner of amusement park chain[58]
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)[59]
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[60])
Luna Park, Honolulu[61] Honolulu, USA Designed and built by Ingersoll.
Luna Park, Houston[62] Houston, USA 1924 to c. 1934
Luna Park, Hull[63] 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[64]
Luna Park, Los Angeles Los Angeles, USA 1911 to 1914 Was Chutes Park 1900-1910[65][66]
Luna Park, Mansfield[67][68][69] Mansfield, USA Also known as Casino Park
Luna Park, Mexico City[70] Mexico City, Mexico 1906 to ? Designed by Ingersoll. On the same site as Luna Loca.[71]
Luna Park, Olcott Beach[72][73] New York, USA 1898 to 1926 Destroyed by fire in 1927[74]
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[75]
Luna Park, Portland Portland, USA
Luna Park, San Jose[76] 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.[77]
Luna Park, Schenectady[78] Rexford, USA 1901 to 1933 Designed and built by Ingersoll. Was also known as Dolle's Park, Colonnade Park, Palisades Park, and Rexford Park[79][80][81][82][83]
Luna Park, Scranton Scranton, USA 1906 to 1916 Constructed by Ingersoll.[84][85] Most of grounds now covered by Interstate 81.
Luna Park, Seattle Seattle, USA 1907 to 1913 Designed by Looff.[86]
Luna Park, Sylvan Beach New York, USA Absorbed by nearby Carnival Park[87][88]
Luna Park, West Hartford[89][90][91] 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[]

entrance of Melbourne Luna Park

Luna Park, Melbourne entrance

entrance of Sydney Luna Park

Luna Park, Sydney entrance

Name Location In operation Notes
Luna Park Glenelg Glenelg, Australia 1930 to 1934 Closed due to objections of local populace to Sunday operations and expansion plans;[92] moved to Milsons Point (1935) and became Luna Park Sydney.
Luna Park, Melbourne[93] Melbourne, Australia 1912 to present Designed and built by Ingersoll. Oldest operational Luna Park.
Luna Park, Redcliffe[94] Redcliffe, Australia 1944 to 2005
Luna Park, Sydney Sydney, Australia 1935 to present Originally known as Luna Park Milsons Point[95]
Luna Park, Scarborough[96] Scarborough, Australia 1936 to 1972

In South America[]

Name Location In operation Notes
Luna Park, Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina Designed and built by Ingersoll. Became site of a sports arena built 1931-1934[97]
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[]

  1. Dale Samuelson, AJP Samuelson, and Wendy Yegoiants, The American Amusement Park ISBN 0-7603-0981-7
  2. 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).
  3. Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0-8117-2671-1
  4. Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
  5. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  6. Cameroon:The Centre and East - listing on Columbus World Travel Guide]
  7. Description of Luna Park, Abha from official site
  8. Official site - Alanya Lunapark
  9. Luna Park Baku site
  10. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  11. Magda Baraka, The Egyptian Upper Class Between Revolutions, 1919-1952 (Garnet & Ithaca Press 1998) ISBN 0-86372-230-X
  12. Yasser Elsheshtawy, Planning Middle Eastern Cities: An Urban Kaleidoscope in an Urbanizing World (Routledge 2004) ISBN 0-415-30400-8
  13. Peter Rees, Other Anzacs: Nurses at War 1914-1918 (Allen & Unwin 2009) ISBN 1-74175-549-2
  14. Casualty Clearance (2) - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Queensland) Incorporated, 2005
  15. official site - Luna Grand Park
  16. Luna Grand Park in Haifa Shuts Down - Dei'ah veDibur, 22 May 2002
  17. Luna Grand Park listing in Roller Coaster Database showing reopening of park
  18. Luna Park, Hong Kong - Gwulo: Old Hong Kong
  19. From Kansas to Osaka: The Evolution of the Billiken
  20. History of Shinsekai
  21. Part of Tehran Funfair Will Become Women's Park - Iran-Daily 26 June 2006
  22. Luna Park Tel-Aviv site
  23. Twenty evacuated from stalled roller coaster - rideaccidents.com
  24. Sakutarō Hagiwara and Robert Epp, Rats Nests:The Collected Poetry of Hagiwara Sakutarō (Yakusha, 1993) ISBN 1-880276-40-2
  25. Miodrag Mitrasinovic, Total Landscape, Theme Parks, Public Space (Ashgate Publishing 2006) ISBN 0-7546-4333-6
  26. Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
  27. 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)
  28. Budapest tra battelli, canali e locali galleggianti - "Budapest between vessels, channels and local floating" (in Italian), Viaggi24, 1 May 2009
  29. Travelling Women: Budapest - (in Italian)
  30. Official site: Luna Park Cap d'Agde (in French)
  31. Regina Dahmen-Ingenhoven and Kristin Feireiss, Animation: Form Follows Fun (Birkhäuser 2004) ISBN 3-7643-6631-1
  32. SCHEDA ANALITICA DEI PARCHI DEL DIVERTIMENTO EUROPEI/DATA ANALYSIS OF THE PARKS ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE - F Erlebnispark (in Italian)
  33. Entry in Roller Coaster Data Base - closed April 2008
  34. French Fun Park Bans the Electric Chair - Der Spiegel Online, 22 August 2008
  35. Roland Fuller and Allen Levy, The Bassett-Lowke Story (Taylor & Francis, 1984) ISBN 0-904568-34-2
  36. Eaux-Vives (in French), City of Geneva 2007
  37. Lucky Star Park site
  38. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  39. Template:Official website
  40. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  41. History of Luna Euro Park (in italian)
  42. History of Moscow parks - Carrousel.ru (official site)
  43. Order - Time (magazine) 16 February 1931
  44. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  45. Pictoral History of Arlington, Virginia
  46. Luna Park Arlington entry at NorVAPics
  47. "Buffalo Luna Park Damaged by Fire",New York Times 15 July 1909
  48. Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0-8117-3262-2
  49. 20th Century Images: Cooling Off at Luna Park - Charleston Gazette, 8 September 2008
  50. Pictures of Charleston WV Luna Park
  51. Annual Report of the State Health Department of West Virginia 1920/21 (State of West Virginia 1921)
  52. Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0-252-02394-3
  53. 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.
  54. Jazz Age Chicago - Urban Leisure from 1893 to 1945
  55. 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
  56. Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0-252-02394-3
  57. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  58. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  59. Sloan's Lake Century
  60. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  61. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
  62. Luna Park (Houston) - Houstonian
  63. Luna Park, Hull entry in "Closed Canadian Parks" - Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
  64. Randy G. Whittle, Johnstown, Pennsylvania: A History (History Press) 2005, ISBN 1-59629-051-X
  65. Chutes & Luna Park - Venice, California History Site
  66. 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)
  67. Diane DeMali Francis, Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing 2002), ISBN 0-7385-1997-9
  68. Timothy Brian McKee, Mansfield in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing 2003), ISBN 0-7385-3172-3
  69. Summer Parks - New York Clipper, 5 May 1907
  70. Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0-8117-2671-1
  71. Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
  72. Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0-8117-3262-2
  73. Ad in 20 July 1906 edition of New York Times
  74. Avis A. Townsend, Newfane and Olcott (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0-7385-3722-5
  75. Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
  76. 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)
  77. Minor League Park History - Luna Park - Society for American Baseball Research
  78. Some sources refer to it as Luna Park, Clinton Park when not calling it by its longest-used (and most recent) name, Rexford Park
  79. Susan Rosenthal, Schenectady (Arcadia Publishing 1999) ISBN 0-7385-0339-8
  80. Rexford Ramble page
  81. John L. Scherer, Clifton Park (Arcadia Publishing 1996), ISBN 0-7385-5461-8
  82. Pictures of Rexford Park (Luna Park) ca. 1906, 1920, 1926 - CDLC Digital Collections
  83. The Way We Were - Town of Clifton Park - Saratoga County (New York) official site
  84. Luna Park, Scranton, Lackawanna County, PA - defunctparks.com
  85. Cheryl A. Kashuba, Darlene Miller-Lanning, and Alan Sweeney, Scranton (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0-7385-3859-0
  86. Alki Beach Park: former site of Seattle Luna Park - official Seattle Parks and Recreation page
  87. Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0-8117-3262-2
  88. Brandy Ann, Around Sylvan Beach (Arcadia Publishing 2008) ISBN 0-7385-5656-4
  89. Connecticut History Online - Luna Park West Hartford
  90. Picture of entrance - Connecticut History Online
  91. As town's 150th nears, residents share memories - Pam Shearer, WestHartfordNews.com, 5 December 2003
  92. A Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else
  93. Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
  94. Redcliffe Historical Timeline - Moreton Bay Regional Council
  95. Sam Marshall, Luna Park - Just for fun, 2nd edition. Sydney, Australia: Luna Park Sydney Pty Ltd. (2005) ISBN 0-646-44807-2
  96. A Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else
  97. Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0-87972-342-4
Advertisement