Coney Island of Yesteryear

July 8, 2021

Coney Island was discovered by Henry Hudson in 1609, and in the 1870s and 1880s, already had luxury hotels, and the first rollercoasters and carousels came to the area, as people were able to access it after the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company electrified the rail lines. This image, colorized by Marina Amaral, shows the bustling Bowery at Coney Island in 1903. 

The Bowery, Coney Island, 1903. Source: (Detroit Publishing Company. Colorized by Marina Amaral).

During the first tourist boom in the 1880s, the soon-to-be notorious Elephantine Colossus a.k.a., the Elephant Hotel was built; the 200-foot tall structure was actually a hotel in the shape of an elephant. Because you could get a hot dog or knish for only a nickel, or ride any of the rides, it was sometimes called the “Poor Man’s Paradise.” 

Early On, There Was An Elephantine Hotel

Source: (Detroit Publishing Company/Pinterest).

The Elephantine Colossus also housed a concert hall and museum, but soon lost its luster and the prostitutes took up residency. In 1895, Paul Boyton opened the first enclosed amusement park, Sea Lion Park, just behind the Elephant Hotel and the following year, the Elephant Hotel burnt down.