The Coney Island cyclone in June 2024.
Archive photo by Ben Brachfeld
The Coney Island Cyclone will remain closed indefinitely by order of the city after the legendary roller coaster malfunctioned on Thursday and riders had to be evacuated.
The train on the nearly 100-year-old wooden roller coaster got stuck on the tracks in the middle of its ride on Thursday and passengers had to be escorted off the steep, wobbly tracks by staff.
The city’s building authority accused Luna Park, the operator of the historic roller coaster, of violations and ordered the facility to be closed indefinitely until the park had corrected the deficiencies and passed an inspection by the building authority.
On its website, Luna Park wrote that the attraction is “carefully maintained and tested daily” and is “currently undergoing repairs.”
The DOB said the attraction was not operating due to a “crack in the sprocket” and that there were violations against Luna Park, including lack of maintenance of the attraction and failure to inform the city in a timely manner, Gothamist reported.
amNewYork Metro has asked the DOB and Luna Park for a statement, but has not yet received a response.
The Cyclone opened in 1927 during Coney Island’s heyday, and its long history is similar to that of the People’s Playground. By the mid-20th century, the roller coaster fell into disrepair alongside Coney Island’s amusement parks and was slated for demolition until it was rescued in the 1970s. Since then, it has suffered several malfunctions and has been shut down.
