Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct
amusement parks that have opened on almost every continent except Antarctica since 1903. 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 Dutch, German, Bulgarian, Croatian, Polish, Greek, Italian, Turkish, Hebrew and Macedonian.
List of 81 amusement parks named Luna Park
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]
Asia
Hong Kong
- Luna Park, Hong Kong (1949-1954), amusement park, cinema and nightclub complex in North Point, Hong Kong [6]
India
- Luna Park, Bombay, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in India [7]
Iran
- Shahr-e Bazi, Tehran (formerly Luna Park, Tehran), closed in 2007 to make room for a new highway
Japan
- Luna Park, Osaka (1912–1923) Japan amusement park [8] also known as Shinsekai Luna Park [9]
- Luna Park, Tokyo (1910–1911), Asakusa
Lebanon
- Luna Park, Beirut, currently operating amusement park in Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
- Luna Park, Abha, currently operating amusement park in Saudi Arabia that is part of the Abha Palace complex [10]
Singapore
South Korea
Turkey
- Luna Park, Nazilli, currently operating amusement park in Turkey
- Luna Park, Sincan, currently operating amusement park near Ankara, Turkey
Africa
Cameroon
- Luna Park, Obala, currently operating Cameroon amusement park [11]
Egypt
- Luna Park, Cairo (1911–1915), amusement park in Heliopolis, Egypt [12] that was the first in Africa and the Middle East [13]. On 19 January 1915, buildings and grounds were converted into Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Luna Park for World War I. [14]; the hospital was closed 10 July 1916 [15]
Tanzania
Oceania
Australia
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
- Luna Park, Sydney (1935–present), currently operating amusement park in Australia originally known as Luna Park Milsons Point [16]
Queensland
- Luna Park, Redcliffe (1944–2005), Australia amusement park (near Brisbane) [17]
South Australia
- Luna Park Glenelg (1930–1934), amusement park near Adelaide, Australia, closed due to objections of local populace to Sunday operations and expansion plans [18]; moved to Milsons Point (1935) and became Luna Park Sydney.
Victoria
- Luna Park, Melbourne (1912–present), Ingersoll-designed and -built, currently operating amusement park in Australia, [19] the oldest Luna Park in existence
Western Australia
- Luna Park, Scarborough Beach
- Luna Park, Scarborough (1936–1972), amusement park near Perth, Australia [20]
Tasmania
New Zealand
Europe
Azerbaijan
- Luna Park, Baku (2000–present), currently operating park in Azerbaijan [21]
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
- Luna Park, Larnaca, currently operating Cyprus amusement park now known as Lucky Star Park [22]
England
- Luna Park Funfair, currently operating amusement park near Scarborough, United Kingdom
- Luna Park, London, England amusement park
Finland
France
- Luna Park, Cap d'Agde, currently operating amusement park in southern France [23]
- Luna Park, Nice, currently operating amusement park in France - promoted as "The Only Under Cover Indoor Attraction Park in Europe [24]
- Luna Park, Paris (1909–1931), acquired 25 whales and 100 penguins for its last year of operation France amusement park [25]
Germany
- Luna Park, Berlin (1909–1933) German park was in its time the largest amusement park in Europe [26]
- Luna Park, Cologne (1909–1927) Germany amusement park [27]
- Luna Park, Hamburg-Altona (1913, 1917–1923), amusement park in Germany [28]
- Luna Park, Leipzig (1911–1932), German amusement park [29]
Greece
- Luna Park Aidonakia (also known as "Ta Aidonaka" [30]), Frederick Ingersoll-constructed amusement park currently operating in Athens, Greece
Hungary
- Luna Park, Budapest - currently operating amusement park in Hungary [31] [32]
Isle of Man
Italy
- Luna Park, Milan (1965–present), currently operating amusement park near Milan, Italy. Name was changed 11 April 2004 to Luna Europark Idroscalo Milano [33]
- Luna Park, Rome, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in Italy; [34] closed in 1930s
Netherlands
Portugal
- Luna Park, Lisbon, Ingersoll-designed and -built park in Portugal [35]
Russia
- Luna Park, Moscow (1993–present), currently operating amusement park in Russia. [36] Officially called "Luna Park Carrousel."
- Luna Park, St. Petersburg [37] (1916–1924) Russian amusement park
Spain
- Luna Park, Madrid, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in Spain [38]
Switzerland
- Luna Park, Geneva (1912–1918), Switzerland amusement park sited at Le Parc des Eaux Vives alongside Lake Geneva [39] [40]
Ukraine
Wales
North America
Canada
- Luna Park, Hull, Quebec amusement park (1925–1928) [41]
Mexico
- Luna Park, Mexico City (1906-?), [42] Ingersoll-designed Mexico park; currently operating Luna Loca is on the same site [43]
United States of America
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
- Luna Park, Los Angeles (1911–1914) Ingersoll-owned; was Chutes Park 1900-1910 [44] [45]
- Luna Park, San Jose (1910–1916), California amusement park [46] whose baseball stadium served as home for the San Jose Prune Pickers and San Jose Bears of the California State League. [47]
Colorado
- Luna Park, Denver (1908–1914), Colorado amusement park built on the site of the first US amusement park west of the Mississippi River, Manhattan Beach (1881–1908) [48]
- Manhattan Beach, Edgewater (1890–1908). First amusement park west of the Mississippi River. Burned down 1908 and rebuilt as Luna Park, Denver (1908–1914).
Connecticut
Florida
Hawai'i
- Luna Park, Honolulu, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in Hawaii [49]
Illinois
- Luna Park, Chicago (1907–1911), amusement park owned by James "Big Jim" O'Leary, boxing promoter who was son of Mrs. O'Leary of Great Chicago Fire fame [50] [51] [52] [53] [54], converted into a farmers' market in 1912, a housing subdivision in late 1910s
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
- Luna Park, Baltimore, Maryland amusement park [55]
Massachusetts
Michigan
- Luna Park, Detroit, Michigan (1906–1927) amusement park that was actually named Electric Park but also called Luna Park, Riverview Park, and Granada Park (Note: Ingersoll Amusement Center [56] was a separate park)
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
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New York
- Luna Park, Buffalo (1904–1920), Ingersoll-designed and -constructed New York amusement park, damaged by fire 14 July 1909 [57] Originally Carnival Court, became Athletic Park before closing [58]
- Luna Park, Coney Island (1903–1944), first Luna Park and forerunner of amusement park chain [59]
- Luna Park, Coney Island (2010) Built on the site of the former Astroland. Its entrance looks very much like the original 1903 Luna Park
- Luna Park, Olcott Beach (1898–1926), New York amusement park [60] [61] destroyed by fire in 1927 [62]
- Luna Park, Schenectady [63] (1901–1933), Ingersoll-designed and -built upstate New York amusement park that was also known as Dolle's Park, Colonnade Park, Palisades Park, and Rexford Park [64] [65] [66] [67] [68]
North Carolina
Ohio
- Luna Park, Cleveland (1905–1929), Ingersoll-designed Ohio park that was former site of Luna Bowl stadium for American football and Negro League baseball games [69]
- Luna Park, Mansfield, Ohio amusement park operated by Ingersoll [70] [71] [72] also known as Casino Park
Oklahoma
Oregon
- Luna Park, Portland, Oregon amusement park
Pennsylvania
- Luna Park, Johnstown, Pennsylvania - originally Roxbury Park; renamed Luna Park in 1905; sold to Johnstown in 1922; renamed Roxbury Park [73]
- Luna Park, Pittsburgh (1905–1909), Pennsylvania amusement park that was first of the Ingersoll Luna Parks and first amusement park to be covered with electric lighting [74]
- Luna Park, Scranton (1906–1916), Frederick Ingersoll-constructed and -owned amusement park in Scranton, Pennsylvania; [75] [76] most of grounds now covered by Interstate 81
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
- Luna Park, Houston, Texas (June 26, 1924-ca. 1934) - The Coney Island of Texas; [77] advertised that it had the "largest and highest" roller coaster in the US
Utah
Virginia
- Luna Park, Arlington (1906–1915), Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in Arlington, Virginia (some sources refer to it as Luna Park, Washington or Luna Park, Washington DC) [78] [79] [80]
- Luna Park, Charleston (1912–1923), West Virginia amusement park [81] [82] [83]
Washington
- Luna Park, Seattle (1907–1913), the “Greatest Amusement Park on the West Coast" was designed by Charles I.D. Looff, who designed the Coney Island original [84]
West Virginia
- Luna Park, Charleston, (1912–1923)
Wisconsin
South America
Argentina
- Luna Park, Buenos Aires, Ingersoll-designed and -built Argentina amusement park that became site of a sports arena built 1931-1934 [85]
Brazil
- Luna Park, Rio de Janeiro (closed 2006), Brazil park now used to store portable amusement rides by owner Orlando Orfei; often called Luna Park, Nova Iguaçu
References
- ^ Dale Samuelson, AJP Samuelson, and Wendy Yegoiants, The American Amusement Park ISBN 0760309817
- ^ 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).
- ^ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0811726711
- ^ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ Luna Park, Hong Kong - Gwulo: Old Hong Kong
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ From Kansas to Osaka: The Evolution of the Billiken
- ^ History of Shinsekai
- ^ Description of Luna Park, Abha from official site
- ^ Cameroon:The Centre and East - listing on Columbus World Travel Guide]
- ^ Magda Baraka, The Egyptian Upper Class Between Revolutions, 1919-1952 (Garnet & Ithaca Press 1998) ISBN 086372230X
- ^ Yasser Elsheshtawy, Planning Middle Eastern Cities: An Urban Kaleidoscope in an Urbanizing World (Routledge 2004) ISBN 0415304008
- ^ Peter Rees, Other Anzacs: Nurses at War 1914-1918 (Allen & Unwin 2009) ISBN 1741755492
- ^ Casualty Clearance (2) - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Queensland) Incorporated, 2005
- ^ Sam Marshall, Luna Park - Just for fun, 2nd edition. Sydney, Australia: Luna Park Sydney Pty Ltd. (2005) ISBN 0-646-44807-2
- ^ Redcliffe Historical Timeline - Moreton Bay Regional Council
- ^ A Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else
- ^ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ^ A Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else
- ^ Luna Park Baku site
- ^ Lucky Star Park site
- ^ Official site: Luna Park Cap d'Agde (in French)
- ^ Nice Luna Park site
- ^ Order - Time (magazine) 16 February 1931
- ^ 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); also see German Wikipedia article, which shows postcards with one word and two word variants of the name
- ^ Regina Dahmen-Ingenhoven and Kristin Feireiss, Animation: Form Follows Fun (Birkhäuser 2004) ISBN 3764366311
- ^ German Wikipedia article on Luna Park, Hamburg-Altona
- ^ Luna Park Leipzig article in German Wikipedia
- ^ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ^ Budapest tra battelli, canali e locali galleggianti - "Budapest between vessels, channels and local floating" (in Italian), Viaggi24, 1 May 2009
- ^ Travelling Women: Budapest - (in Italian)
- ^ History of Luna Euro Park (in italian)
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ History of Moscow parks - Carrousel.ru (official site)
- ^ Russian Wikipedia article for Luna Park, St. Petersburg (in Russian)
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ Roland Fuller and Allen Levy, The Bassett-Lowke Story (Taylor & Francis, 1984) ISBN 0904568342
- ^ Eaux-Vives (in French), City of Geneva 2007
- ^ Luna Park, Hull entry in "Closed Canadian Parks" - Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
- ^ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0811726711
- ^ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ^ Chutes & Luna Park - Venice, California History Site
- ^ 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)
- ^ 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)
- ^ Minor League Park History - Luna Park - Society for American Baseball Research
- ^ Sloan's Lake Century
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0252023943
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jazz Age Chicago - Urban Leisure from 1893 to 1945
- ^ Lauren Rabinovitz, For the Love of Pleasure: Women, Movies, and Culture in Turn-of-the-Century Chicago (Rutgers University Press 1998) ISBN 0813525349
- ^ Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0252023943
- ^ Terry Carter, Lara Dunston, Andrew Humphreys, and Damien Simonis, Syria & Lebanon (Lonely Planet 2004) ISBN 1864503335
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ "Buffalo Luna Park Damaged by Fire", New York Times 15 July 1909
- ^ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0811732622
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0811732622
- ^ Ad in 20 July 1906 edition of New York Times
- ^ Avis A. Townsend, Newfane and Olcott (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0738537225
- ^ Some sources refer to it as Luna Park, Clinton Park when not calling it by its longest-used (and most recent) name, Rexford Park
- ^ Susan Rosenthal, Schenectady (Arcadia Publishing 1999) ISBN 0738503398
- ^ Rexford Ramble page
- ^ John L. Scherer, Clifton Park (Arcadia Publishing 1996), ISBN 0738554618
- ^ Pictures of Rexford Park (Luna Park) ca. 1906, 1920, 1926 - CDLC Digital Collections
- ^ The Way We Were - Town of Clifton Park - Saratoga County (New York) official site
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
- ^ Diane DeMali Francis, Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing 2002), ISBN 0738519979
- ^ Timothy Brian McKee, Mansfield in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing 2003), ISBN 0738531723
- ^ Summer Parks - New York Clipper, 5 May 1907
- ^ Randy G. Whittle, Johnstown, Pennsylvania: A History (History Press) 2005, ISBN 159629051X
- ^ Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
- ^ Luna Park, Scranton, Lackawanna County, PA - defunctparks.com
- ^ Cheryl A. Kashuba, Darlene Miller-Lanning, and Alan Sweeney, Scranton (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0738538590
- ^ Luna Park (Houston) - Houstonian
- ^ Pictoral History of Arlington, Virginia
- ^ Luna Park Arlington entry at NorVAPics
- ^ Luna Park-1915 - Arlington Fire Journal
- ^ 20th Century Images: Cooling Off at Luna Park - Charleston Gazette, 8 September 2008
- ^ Pictures of Charleston WV Luna Park
- ^ Annual Report of the State Health Department of West Virginia 1920/21 (State of West Virginia 1921)
- ^ Alki Beach Park: former site of Seattle Luna Park - official Seattle Parks and Recreation page
- ^ Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424