The Coney Island History Project, founded in 2004, is a not-for-profit organization that aims to increase awareness of Coney Island's legendary and colorful past and to encourage appreciation of the Coney Island neighborhood of today.
Our mission is to create an oral history of the area, sponsor educational exhibits, tours, and events, and provide access to historical artifacts and documentary material. Working with school groups in the neighborhood as well as local college students, the Coney Island History Project teaches young people the techniques of oral history, including interviewing, recording, editing, and archiving.
Our public programs began in 2005 with the opening of the Coney Island Hall of Fame, an exhibit that honors influential figures in history, and Coney Island Voices, an oral history archive that preserves the stories and memories of people who visited or lived and worked in Brooklyn's famous playground. In 2006 we sponsored a major Coney Island photography exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza. We also continued our local history learning programs with students at Mark Twain Junior High School, the Global Studies School, Brooklyn College, and the South Brooklyn Youth Consortium.
We are now entering our most exciting year yet, with the opening of our exhibition center under the Cyclone roller coaster and the debut of a greatly expanded website. Throughout the 2007 season, the center offers an extensive program of exhibits, performances, tours, and other events. The new website includes a searchable online archive containing more than 1,000 items from our collection, an interactive development map illustrating the changing fortunes of the central amusement district, an oral history archive, and a feature called Ask Mr. Coney Island, where site visitors can ask questions about the area's past, present, and future.
The Coney Island History Project was founded by Carol and Jerry Albert, the owners and operators of Astroland Park and the Cyclone roller coaster. The executive director is Charles Denson, a Coney Island native and author of the award-winning book Coney Island: Lost and Found. Historians and members of the amusement community and the local neighborhood serve on our advisory board.
For More Information and to become a member visit www.coneyislandhistory.org
