Entrance to Dreamland at night

Dreamland Amusement Park opened on May 14, 1904 across Surf Avenue from Luna Park. Whatever Luna built, Dreamland had to build it bigger. The success of Luna led former State Senator William Reynolds and his associates to open Dreamland to an opening day crowd 135,000 visitors. The trademark Beacon Tower was 375 feet high and held 100,000 lights.

Where Luna Park had 250,000 electric lights, Dreamland had a million electric lights. Luna had a Shoot-the-Chutes ride, but Dreamland had two, side-by-side and was the largest ever built. Six concessions moved from Luna across the street to Dreamland where many of the attractions were either copied or pirated from Luna.

The main attraction was “Under and Over the Sea”, and was realistically built by C.E. Boyce to look like a Man-of-War ship with gun turrets and lifeboats on the deck. The attraction offered a simulated submarine ride under the Atlantic Ocean. Looking through portholes, one could view a confrontation with a giant squid as well as sharks and other inhabitants of the deep.

Dreamland Circus Side Show

Looking down from the Chutes toward the Beacon Tower

Shooting the Chutes

Some of the featured rides included Bostock’s Animal Arena, Our Boys in Blue which extolled the virtues of joining the service, Ben Morris and his Wonderful Illusions which imported magic acts directly from Paris and London, the Haunted Swing, the Canals of Venice, a Scenic Railway through the Swiss Alps, Fighting the Flames on a simulated hotel fire which featured a cast of 2000, Lilliputia The Midget City featured 300 midgets, and a Greek temple called the Destruction of Pompeii.

Canals of Venice at Dreamland

Bostock’s Animal Arena at Dreamland

Miniature Railway at Dreamland

The main attraction was “Under and Over the Sea”, and was realistically built by C.E. Boyce to look like a Man-of-War ship with gun turrets and lifeboats on the deck. The attraction offered a simulated submarine ride under the Atlantic Ocean. Looking through portholes, one could view a confrontation with a giant squid as well as sharks and other inhabitants of the deep.

The Magnificent Dance Pavilion at Dreamland

Hell Gate, where boats drawn into a whirlpool seemed to disappear before the astonished eyes of spectators

Dreamland burned down May 27, 1911, just hours before the park was scheduled to open for the season. Repairmen working late at night and rushing to repair a leak in the Hell Gate’s flume accidentally spilled a bucket of hot tar after the lights flickered out.

So many of the old historical buildings, amusement parks, restaurants, hotels and roadhouses were lost to fire. They were almost always made of dry wood that could be ignited fairly quickly.

Many times a cigarette would smolder in a trashcan for several hours and after everyone had gone home for the night the flames could go unnoticed. There were other times when faulty wiring or maintenance workers such as welders would accidentally let a fire start.

Coney Island

Last updated 06-24-06

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