Luna Park

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".

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. 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.Dale Samuelson, AJP Samuelson, and Wendy Yegoiants, The American Amusement Park ISBN 0760309817Coney Island's success with electronic attractions and rides also inspired a proliferation of parks named Electric Park (Samuelson, Samuelson, Yegoiants, The American Amusement Park).

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 bulbsJim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0811726711; the Cleveland park had 50,000Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008). 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, Greek, Italian, Turkish and Hebrew.

[[Image:Beirut_Luna_park_entrance.jpg|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Beirut_Luna_park_entrance.jpg|right|thumb|Luna Park, Beirut]][[Image:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1993-069-16,_Berlin-Halensee,_Lunapark.jpg|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1993-069-16,_Berlin-Halensee,_Lunapark.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=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.]] 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.Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424

• Luna Park, Abha, currently operating amusement park in Saudi Arabia that is part of the Abha Palace complexDescription of Luna Park, Abha from official site
• Luna Park Aidonakia (also known as "Ta Aidonaka"Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008), Frederick Ingersoll-constructed amusement park currently operating in Athens, Greece
• 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)Pictoral History of Arlington, VirginiaLuna Park Arlington entry at NorVAPicsLuna Park-1915 - Arlington Fire Journal
• Luna Park, Baku (2000–present), currently operating park in AzerbaijanLuna Park Baku site
• Luna Park, Baltimore, Maryland amusement parkTerry Carter, Lara Dunston, Andrew Humphreys, and Damien Simonis, Syria & Lebanon (Lonely Planet 2004) ISBN 1864503335
• Luna Park, Beirut, currently operating amusement park in Lebanon
• Luna Park, Berlin (1909–1933) German park was in its time the largest amusement park in Europe 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
• Luna Park, Bombay, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in IndiaRobet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
• Luna Park, Budapest - currently operating amusement park in HungaryBudapest tra battelli, canali e locali galleggianti - "Budapest between vessels, channels and local floating" (in Italian), Viaggi24, 1 May 2009Travelling Women: Budapest - (in Italian)
• Luna Park, Buenos Aires, Ingersoll-designed and -built Argentina amusement park that became site of a sports arena built 1931-1934Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
• Luna Park, Buffalo (1904–1920), Ingersoll-designed and -constructed New York amusement park, damaged by fire 14 July 1909 "Buffalo Luna Park Damaged by Fire",New York Times 15 July 1909 Originally Carnival Court, became Athletic Park before closingJim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0811732622
• Luna Park, Cairo (1911–1915), amusement park in Heliopolis, EgyptMagda Baraka, The Egyptian Upper Class Between Revolutions, 1919-1952 (Garnet & Ithaca Press 1998) ISBN 086372230X that was the first in Africa and the Middle EastYasser Elsheshtawy, Planning Middle Eastern Cities: An Urban Kaleidoscope in an Urbanizing World (Routledge 2004) ISBN 0415304008. On 19 January 1915, buildings and grounds were converted into Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Luna Park for World War I.Peter Rees, Other Anzacs: Nurses at War 1914-1918 (Allen & Unwin 2009) ISBN 1741755492; the hospital was closed 10 July 1916Casualty Clearance (2) - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Queensland) Incorporated, 2005
• Luna Park, Cap d'Agde, currently operating amusement park in southern FranceOfficial site: Luna Park Cap d'Agde (in French)
• Luna Park, Charleston (1912–1923), West Virginia amusement park20th Century Images: Cooling Off at Luna Park - Charleston Gazette, 8 September 2008Pictures of Charleston WV Luna ParkAnnual Report of the State Health Department of West Virginia 1920/21 (State of West Virginia 1921)
• 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 famePerry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0252023943Reports 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 1945Lauren Rabinovitz, For the Love of Pleasure: Women, Movies, and Culture in Turn-of-the-Century Chicago (Rutgers University Press 1998) ISBN 0813525349Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920 (University of Illinois Press 1998) ISBN 0252023943
• Luna Park, Cleveland (1905–1929), Ingersoll-designed Ohio park that was former site of Luna Bowl stadium for American football and Negro League baseball gamesRobet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
• Luna Park, Cologne (1909–1927) Germany amusement parkRegina Dahmen-Ingenhoven and Kristin Feireiss, Animation: Form Follows Fun (Birkhäuser 2004) ISBN 3764366311

[[Image:Fatty_at_Coney_Island.jpg|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Fatty_at_Coney_Island.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=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]]

• Luna Park, Coney Island (1903–1944), first Luna Park and forerunner of amusement park chainRobet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
• Luna Park, Coney Island (II) (Scheduled to open in May 2010), Its entrance will look very much like the original 1903 Luna Park
• 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)Sloan's Lake Century
• 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 CenterRobet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424 was a separate park)
• Luna Park Funfair, currently operating amusement park near Scarborough, United Kingdom
• Luna Park, Geneva (1912–1918), Switzerland amusement park sited at Le Parc des Eaux Vives alongside Lake Geneva Roland Fuller and Allen Levy, The Bassett-Lowke Story (Taylor & Francis, 1984) ISBN 0904568342Eaux-Vives (in French), City of Geneva 2007
• Luna Park Glenelg (1930–1934), amusement park near Adelaide, Australia, closed due to objections of local populace to Sunday operations and expansion plansA Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else; moved to Milsons Point (1935) and became Luna Park Sydney.
• Luna Park, Hamburg-Altona (1913, 1917–1923), amusement park in GermanyGerman Wikipedia article on Luna Park, Hamburg-Altona
• Luna Park, Hong Kong
• Luna Park, Honolulu, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in HawaiiRobet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
• Luna Park, Houston, Texas (1924-ca. 1934) - originally Venice Park;Luna Park (Houston) - Houstonian advertised that it had the "largest and highest" roller coaster in the US
• Luna Park, Hull, Quebec amusement park (1925–1928)Luna Park, Hull entry in "Closed Canadian Parks" - Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada
• Luna Park, Johnstown, Pennsylvania - originally Roxbury Park; renamed Luna Park in 1905; sold to Johnstown in 1922; renamed Roxbury ParkRandy G. Whittle, Johnstown, Pennsylvania: A History (History Press) 2005, ISBN 159629051X
• Luna Park, Larnaca, currently operating Cyprus amusement park now known as Lucky Star ParkLucky Star Park site

[[Image:Leipzig_-_Wahren_4.jpg|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Leipzig_-_Wahren_4.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=Mountain railroads (also known as Russian mountains were popular in European Luna Parks|Postcard showing mountain railroad at Luna Park, Leipzig.]]

• Luna Park, Leipzig (1911–1932), German amusement parkLuna Park Leipzig article in German Wikipedia
• Luna Park, Lisbon, Ingersoll-designed and -built park in PortugalRobet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
• Luna Park, London, England amusement park
• Luna Park, Los Angeles (1911–1914) Ingersoll-owned; was Chutes Park 1900-1910Chutes & Luna Park - Venice, California History SiteWells Drury and Aubrey Drury, California Tourist Guide and Handbook: Authentic Description of Routes of Travel and Points of Interest in California (Western Guidebook 1913)
• Luna Park, Madrid, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in Spain Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424
• Luna Park, Mansfield, Ohio amusement park operated by IngersollDiane DeMali Francis, Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing 2002), ISBN 0738519979Timothy Brian McKee, Mansfield in Vintage Postcards (Arcadia Publishing 2003), ISBN 0738531723Summer Parks - New York Clipper, 5 May 1907 also known as Casino Park
• Luna Park, Melbourne (1912–present), Ingersoll-designed and -built, currently operating amusement park in Australia,Luna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008 the oldest Luna Park in existence
• Luna Park, Mexico City (1906-?),Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania (Flagpole Books, 2002) ISBN 0811726711 Ingersoll-designed Mexico park; currently operating Luna Loca is on the same siteLuna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
• Luna Park, Milan (1965–present), currently operating amusement park near Milan, Italy. Name was changed 11 April 2004 to Luna Europark Idroscalo MilanoHistory of Luna Euro Park (in italian)
• Luna Park, Moscow (1993–present), currently operating amusement park in Russia.History of Moscow parks - Carrousel.ru (official site) Officially called "Luna Park Carrousel."
• Luna Park, Nazilli, currently operating amusement park in Turkey
• Luna Park, Nice, currently operating amusement park in France - promoted as "The Only Under Cover Indoor Attraction Park in Europe Nice Luna Park site
• Luna Park, Obala, currently operating Cameroon amusement park Cameroon:The Centre and East - listing on Columbus World Travel Guide]
• Luna Park, Olcott Beach (1898–1926), New York amusement parkJim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0811732622Ad in 20 July 1906 edition of New York Times destroyed by fire in 1927Avis A. Townsend, Newfane and Olcott (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0738537225

[[Image:Original_Tsutenkaku_at_night.jpg|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Original_Tsutenkaku_at_night.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=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, Osaka (1912–1923) Japan amusement park From Kansas to Osaka: The Evolution of the Billiken also known as Shinsekai Luna ParkHistory of Shinsekai
• Luna Park, Paris (1909–1931) France amusement parkOrder - Time (magazine) 16 February 1931
• 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 lightingLuna Park's luminary: Entrepreneur/roller coaster designer deserves his due - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 September 2008
• Luna Park, Portland, Oregon amusement park
• Luna Park, Redcliffe (1944–2005), Australia amusement park (near Brisbane)Redcliffe Historical Timeline - Moreton Bay Regional Council
• 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
• Luna Park, Rome, Ingersoll-designed and -built amusement park in Italy;Robet Cartmell, The Incredible Scream Machine (Popular Press 1987) ISBN 0879723424 closed in 1930s
• Luna Park, San Jose (1910–1916), California amusement parkWells Drury and Aubrey Drury, California Tourist Guide and Handbook: Authentic Description of Routes of Travel and Points of Interest in California (Western Guidebook 1913) whose baseball stadium served as home for the San Jose Prune Pickers and San Jose Bears of the California State League.Minor League Park History - Luna Park - Society for American Baseball Research

[[Image:Luna_Park_Original_BRIDGE_WIKI.jpg|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Luna_Park_Original_BRIDGE_WIKI.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=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.]]

• Luna Park, Scarborough (1936–1972), amusement park near Perth, Australia A Time Line of All You Need to Know in Luna Park Sydney and Everything Else
• Luna Park, SchenectadySome sources refer to it as Luna Park, Clinton Park when not calling it by its longest-used (and most recent) name, Rexford Park (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 ParkSusan Rosenthal, Schenectady (Arcadia Publishing 1999) ISBN 0738503398Rexford Ramble pageJohn L. Scherer, Clifton Park (Arcadia Publishing 1996), ISBN 0738554618Pictures of Rexford Park (Luna Park) ca. 1906, 1920, 1926 - CDLC Digital CollectionsThe Way We Were - Town of Clifton Park - Saratoga County (New York) official site
• Luna Park, Scranton (1906–1916), Frederick Ingersoll-constructed and -owned amusement park in Scranton, Pennsylvania;Luna Park, Scranton, Lackawanna County, PA - defunctparks.comCheryl A. Kashuba, Darlene Miller-Lanning, and Alan Sweeney, Scranton (Arcadia Publishing 2005) ISBN 0738538590 most of grounds now covered by Interstate 81
• 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 originalAlki Beach Park: former site of Seattle Luna Park - official Seattle Parks and Recreation page
• Luna Park, Sincan, currently operating amusement park near Ankara, Turkey
• Luna Park, St. PetersburgRussian Wikipedia article for Luna Park, St. Petersburg (in Russian) (1916–1924) Russian amusement park

[[Image:Luna_Park-Sydney-Australia.JPG|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Luna_Park-Sydney-Australia.JPG|thumb|200px|right|alt=entrance of Sydney Luna Park|Luna Park, Sydney entrance]]

• Luna Park, Sydney (1935–present), currently operating amusement park in Australia originally known as Luna Park Milsons PointSam Marshall, Luna Park - Just for fun, 2nd edition. Sydney, Australia: Luna Park Sydney Pty Ltd. (2005) ISBN 0-646-44807-2
• Luna Park, Sylvan Beach, New York amusement park; absorbed by nearby Carnival ParkJim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books 2006) ISBN 0811732622Brandy Ann, Around Sylvan Beach (Arcadia Publishing 2008) ISBN 0738556564
• Luna Park, Tehran (1970s-1980), Iranian park that reopened in 1988 as Shahr-e Bazi; closed 2007 to make room for new highwayPart of Tehran Funfair Will Become Women's Park - Iran-Daily 26 June 2006
• Luna Park, Tel-Aviv, currently operating amusement park in Israel,Luna Park Tel-Aviv siteTwenty evacuated from stalled roller coaster - rideaccidents.com also called Tel-Aviv Luna-Park
• Luna Park, Tokyo (1910–1911), Japan amusement park; burned down in 1911Sakutarō Hagiwara and Robert Epp, Rats Nests:The Collected Poetry of Hagiwara Sakutarō (Yakusha, 1993) ISBN 1880276402Miodrag Mitrasinovic, Total Landscape, Theme Parks, Public Space (Ashgate Publishing 2006) ISBN 0754643336
• Luna Park, West Hartford (1906–1930), Connecticut amusement parkConnecticut History Online - Luna Park West HartfordPicture of entrance - Connecticut History OnlineAs town's 150th nears, residents share memories - Pam Shearer, WestHartfordNews.com, 5 December 2003 Name changed from White City just before park's grand opening.
• Luna Park, Wheeling, West Virginia amusement park
• Luna Park, Yerevan, currently operating amusement park in Armenia

[[Image:Lunapark_Tel-Aviv.JPG|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Lunapark_Tel-Aviv.JPG|thumb|200px|right|alt=Luna Park, Tel-Aviv is a currently operating amusement park in Israel.|Aerial view of Luna Park, Tel-Aviv in 2008]]

• Lunapark Fréjus, currently operating amusement park in southern FranceFrench Fun Park Bans the Electric Chair - Der Spiegel Online, 22 August 2008
• Lunapark, Lima (closed 2007), Peru amusement park
• Lunapark, Łódź, currently operating amusement park in PolandLunapark Lódz official site
• Lunapark, Mersin, currently operating amusement park in Turkey
• Lunapark, Prague, currently operating amusement park in Czech Republic
• Lunapark Sowinski (2006-), currently operating amusement park near Władysławowo, Poland
• LunEur (1953–2008), amusement park near Rome, Italy; full name: Luna Park Permanente di RomaSCHEDA ANALITICA DEI PARCHI DEL DIVERTIMENTO EUROPEI/DATA ANALYSIS OF THE PARKS ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE - F Erlebnispark (in Italian)Entry in Roller Coaster Data Base - closed April 2008

• Alanya Lunapark, currently operating amusement park near Alanya, TurkeyOfficial site - Alanya Lunapark
• Bostanci Luna Park, currently operating amusement park near Istanbul, Turkey
• Eski Luna Park, currently operating amusement park near Balikesir, Turkey

[[Image:Władysławowo_-_Lunapark_Sowiński.jpg|descriptionurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:W%C5%82adys%C5%82awowo_-_Lunapark_Sowi%C5%84ski.jpg|thumb|200px|right|alt=Lunapark Sowinski is a currently operating amusement park near Władysławowo, Poland.|Aerial view of Lunapark Sowinski near Władysławowo, Poland, in 2009]]

• Fantasia Luna Park (2003–present), currently operating amusement park near Faliraki, GreeceEsperia Hotel Group official site
• Girne Lunapark, currently operating amusement park near Izmir, Turkey
• International Luna Park, currently operating amusement park near Attica, Greece
• Luna Grand Park (2002–present), indoor Israeli amusement park in Haifaofficial site - Luna Grand Park; it closed after five months due to poor attendance following a religious boycottLuna Grand Park in Haifa Shuts Down - Dei'ah veDibur, 22 May 2002 and reopened after negotiations with the local religious community.Luna Grand Park listing in Roller Coaster Database showing reopening of park