Astroland Photographs

This collection consists of 33 color digital images made by Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Space History curator Margaret Weitekamp on January 4, 2009, during her collecting trip to the space-themed Astroland Park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, four months after amusement park had closed to the public. The images include views of Astroland signage and rides as well as several hand-made signs affixed to security fencing by the members of the public.

In 1962, Dewey Albert and his business partners founded Astroland, a space-themed amusement park located at 1000 Surf Avenue, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, at the height of the space craze generated in the early 1960s by the successes of United States' human space flights, including John Glenn's orbital flight. The park's first amusement was a 71-foot long rocket ride initially called the Cape Canaveral Satellite Jet (although later continually renamed and refreshed during the 46-year life of the park). Mounted on hydraulic lifts, with fixed seats, a movie screen, and a sound system, the 12,000 pound ride took visitors on a simulated trip to the Moon. The Colonel Glenn Sky Ride, quickly renamed the Mercury Capsule Skyride, flew visitors above the park in plastic bubble cars. A star-topped entranceway sign, added to the Surf Avenue entrance in 1963, reflected the space theme of the park. After Astroland closed on September 7, 2008, owners Carol and Jerome Albert donated one of the sign's two stars to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in 2009 [Lighted Sign, Star, Astroland, A20090091000].