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The 2008 summer season was Astroland's last as we know it, although the historic landmark Cyclone roller coaster will remain open in 2009. Astroland owner Carol Hill Albert sold the site to developer Joseph Sitt's Thor Equities, and a complete overhaul is in the works. Demolition began in earnest in Winter 2008. Below is our original review:
Astroland's is New York City's largest amusement park and home to the Cyclone - the outdoor amusement industry's most famous, most influential, and most copied individual ride. While Astroland's fortunes are heading back up from a historic low of the 1970s and 1980s, the beautiful new subway station serving Coney Island will contribute to Astroland's ongoing Renaissance.
In 2006 the Parachute Jump returned, a 250-foot attraction that spent four decades rusting in the salty air. The ride has been totally overhauled and painted its original colors. Brooklyn's proud borough president Marty Markowitz calls it "Brooklyn's Eiffel Tower."
While Astroland features many rides and typical carnies--barkers, skeeball-type games, and so on, it's really all about the historic roller coaster. The Cyclone has consistently ranked at or near the top of every roller coaster top ten list published. An official New York City Landmark since July 12, 1988, Cyclone was listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places on June 31, 1991. National Historic Landmark status followed, on June 26, 1991.