A first-time guide to Coney Island
Coney Island is NYC’s original summertime escape hatch: gritty, glittery and gloriously weird, with blinking roller coasters, sizzling hot dogs and the…
Coney Island is New York City’s original summertime escape hatch: gritty, glittery and gloriously weird, with blinking roller coasters, sizzling hot dogs and the occasional tattooed mermaid sunning along the Brooklyn waterfront. Here’s how to soak it all up.
A bit of history
This seaside entertainment hub got its start as a seasonal refuge in the 19th century, when developers built grand resorts to attract wealthy Manhattanites away from city stressors. In the coming decades, amusement parks, racetracks and red light districts emerged, earning Coney Island nicknames like Electric Eden and Sodom by the Sea. By the 1920s, it was a democratized day-tripper destination for working-class New Yorkers, who hopped on the subway and got there for a nickel. Things got sketchy around the 1960s: rides shuttered, crime surged, and developers plotted its demise. But Coney Island rose from the ashes, reimagined by 1980s artists and revitalized with new amusement rides in the 21st century.
These days, it’s a kitschy, nostalgia-drenched people’s playground – an antidote to Disney World “happiness,” powered by joyful NYC chutzpah.
When should I go to Coney Island?
If you’re keen on the parks, visit between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when rides open daily and the weather is warm. Hours vary, but both parks usually open by noon and run until 10pm or later. Friday nights are particularly magical, when fireworks erupt near Steeplechase Pier. Crowds tend to be busiest on weekends and holidays.
If you want to escape summer’s swarms, try spring (April and May) or autumn (September and October). Parks operate several days per week, and lines usually aren’t long.
Coney Island winters can still enchant. The boardwalk becomes a tranquil promenade, and dormant carnival attractions have an eerie allure. Come on Sundays between November and April, and you might catch a thrilling spectacle: the Coney Island Polar Bear Club taking their weekly plunge in frigid Atlantic waters.
How much time should I spend at Coney Island?
In summer, budget at least half a day. Set aside a few hours to walk the boardwalk, hop on rides and lounge on the beach. For a full-day affair, tack on the aquarium and a baseball game.
How do I get to Coney Island?
Take the D/F or N/Q train to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, the end of the train route. From here, follow Stillwell Avenue to the boardwalk. The ride from Midtown Manhattan takes roughly one hour.
Sunbathing on the pier. Iryna Horbachova/Shutterstock
Wonder Wheel. Jon Bilous/Shutterstock
Top things to do around Coney Island
Hop on a Ride
Most of Coney Island’s worthwhile rides are run by Luna Park. Catapult into the air at 90mph on the Sling Shot, then saddle up on the Steeplechase – an equestrian-themed coaster with a nod to Steeplechase Park, which operated here from 1897 to 1964. For more thrills rooted in history, scream your head off on the Cyclone, hurling passengers down its 85-foot drop since 1927. Adrenaline junkies: grab a seat in the last car – it practically flies off the tracks while whipping through the air.
Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park has only a handful of rides, including the Wonder Wheel, which started whisking passengers to views 150 feet above ground in 1920. White cars are stationary for a romance-worthy ride. Red and blue cars swing, which may make your heart flutter in an entirely different way. 
Tickets: If you want to go all in at Luna Park, buy wristbands online to save up to 20%. A Platinum wristband ($79.99) gets you unlimited rides on all coasters. A cheaper Extraordinary wristband ($67.99) excludes a few headliner thrills. For younger kids, the Family Fun wristband ($48.60) grants all-day access to kid-friendly Zona A, excluding the Cyclone and other major coasters.
Just here for a few rides? Skip the wristband and pay per ride using credits. You can buy credits at Luna Park ticket booths. The Cyclone costs $10.
Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park operates separately. It’s also pay-per-ride, with varying prices. The Wonder Wheel costs $10.
See the New York Aquarium
NYC’s only aquarium sprawls over 14 acres with 8000 animals accounting for 500 marine species, including 18 types of sharks and rays and one charming harbor seal named Pickles. If you’re short on time, walk through the 40-foot-long tunnel inside a massive fish tank, then join a Wild Encounter for an up-close animal encounter (offered April to October). Plan a midday trip in summer – it’s an ideal way to cool off while the sun’s overhead.
Tickets: Tickets start at $29.95 for visitors ages 13 and up and $25.95 for children. The aquarium offers reduced admission prices on Wednesday afternoons; purchase tickets online in advance. 
Visit the museum and celebrate the sideshow
Take a trip down memory lane inside the second-floor Coney Island Museum, with 10,000 objects in its permanent collection, including funhouse mirrors and vintage swimsuit attire. Plan your visit around the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, which performs in the same building. Don’t worry: this isn’t a 1920s circus profiting off ableist tropes. It’s an all-are-welcome, family-friendly spin on the old-school art form with acts that feature aerialists and sword swallowers. Polish off your visit with a trip to the first-floor Freak Bar – a cluttercore drinking den packed with Coney Island ephemera.
Tickets: The museum costs $5 for adults and $3 for children; the sideshow costs $15 for adults and $12 for children. Purchase a museum-sideshow combo ticket for a discount. The museum only opens on weekends. Sideshow performances run from May to September.
Catch a Brooklyn Cyclones game
Between spring and early autumn, fans pack into the stands of Maimonides Park to cheer on the Cyclones, Brooklyn’s beloved minor league baseball team. Attending a game is an all-American way to spend an evening: grab a Nathan’s Famous frank, clap for mascots Sandy the Seagull and Peewee, and root for the home team. Saturday nights are the best time to go – fireworks explode around 9:45pm.
Tickets: Prices start at $33. Purchase online to save money, or pick up tickets at the Maimonides box office.
Sign for Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs.
Ruby's sits right on the boardwalk. Danita Delimont/Shutterstock (2)
Where to eat around Coney Island
Nathan’s Famous hot dogs are the epitome of Coney Island cuisine: fast, cheap and greasy. Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker started selling his celebrated franks on the corner of Surf and Stillwell in 1916; it’s now an international empire, with a massive weiner palace where Handwerker got his start. The beefy dog comes nestled in a toasted bun, best with some ketchup and mustard.
Along the boardwalk, grab lobster rolls from Paul’s Daughter, gelato from Coney’s Cones, and fried carnival-style food from Ruby’s – a great place to down beer and watch crowds drift by. If you’re willing to hoof it a few blocks inland, grab a pizza slice from Totonno’s, firing up Neapolitan-style pies since 1924.
Stroll along the boardwalk. Jon Bilous/Shutterstock
Or take a seat and people-watch. Iryna Horbachova/Shutterstock
What’s the best way to experience Coney Island?
Strut down the Riegelmann Boardwalk. This 2.7-mile promenade, dating back to 1923, runs through the major sites, with Coney Island Beach on one side, greasy food stands on the other, and all the amusement rides blinking above. From here, you can choose your own adventure: hop on the Wonder Wheel, grab a Nathan’s Famous hot dog, see the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, then cap it off with a brew at Freak Bar.
Nathan's World Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Mermaid Parade. Aleksandr Dyskin/Shutterstock (2)
Coney Island’s best festivals
Coney Island’s quirky side is most evident during annual events. June’s Mermaid Parade is an offbeat summer solstice celebration, washing over Surf Ave with homemade floats and nautical costumes. Dick Zigun, the “unofficial mayor” of Coney Island, started the gathering in 1983 – a beloved bacchanal where nearly everone is half naked and covered in glitter.
Crowds return for the Fourth of July, which includes fireworks, a Cyclones baseball game, and the infamous hot dog eating contest. (Joey Chestnut holds the record: 76 weiners.)
On January 1st, warm-blooded New Yorkers gather for the Polar Bear Plunge – a tradition dating back to 1903, where brave souls dip in the icy Atlantic for a fresh start to the new year. Thousands of people participate, and much like the Mermaid Parade, costumes are encouraged.
If you happen to worship fictional NYC stars Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, plan a visit to see the Cyclones during their August Seinfeld Night. It’s more “Seinfeld convention” than “baseball game,” culminating in a wacky Elaine-themed dance competition.
LGBTIQ+ ravers: look out for Battle Hymn’s annual summer daytime dance fest near the boardwalk. Once you’re done step-touching, take a twirl on Wonder Wheel.
Is Coney Island accessible?
The amusement parks provide limited accessible alternatives for people with physical or cognitive disabilities, but there’s still plenty to enjoy. Coney Island Beach has eight wheelchair-friendly access points, and beach wheelchairs can be reserved through NYC Parks.
For people with sensory sensitivities, the New York Aquarium provides bags filled with fidgets and noise-canceling headphones. Visit their website for more helpful info.
Additional tips and tricks
If you want to relax on the beach, bring a towel – and if you want solitude, walk to neighboring Brighton Beach, where crowds are thinner.
Summer’s sun can be brutal. Wear sunblock and bring a water bottle. If you’re visiting in spring or autumn, expect chilly weather. Wear layers.
