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Steeplechase Park was located on Coney Island from 1897 through 1964. My dad took me there a few times the summer before it closed - 1963. Right before Kennedys started dropping and the Beatles rescued us. The stories I have are a composite from all the memories I have from those visits. Steeplechase Park was one of the most fun (as well as bizarre, scary and sinister) places I have ever experienced. Certainly a place to leave indelible marks on many a young mind.
Even before you entered the grounds - as you approached the front gates - you faced an over-the-top image of 'the steeplechase face'. If The Joker and Groucho Marx had a son together, and they fed him daily doses of LSD, this is what their progeny would look like. "Steeplechase - Funny Place"
The first (funny) place you visited was the ticket booth where for two different prices (5 cents for a small or 35 cents for a large) you could purchase the ticket card. Ticket cards were about 3 or 6 inches in diameter respectively (see the image of the large ticket card, above right). The deal, as I remember it, was this... when you passed through the turnstiles to get on a ride the ticket puncher punched a single hole in the ticket. For as long as there was space left on the card for the puncher to punch holes, you could ride on rides. I remember my dad saying, "There's still plenty of space on that card. Let's save it for next time." And we would. Imagine getting two visits to an amusement park for 35 cents?
Next stop was the giant rotating barrels. These barrels were about 6 feet in diameter and about 15 feet long, situated on their sides with the ends opened, on motor driven rollers, causing the barrel to rotate slowly. The object was to enter each barrel and pass through to the other side, sort of crab walking while trying to avoid falling down. Those visitors who weren't six years old - and could reach the top rim or surface of the barrel by raising their arms and spreading out their arms and legs - could support themselves as the barrel rotated and, as a reward, received a slowly rotating upside-down view of the world (like the virtuvian man - with clothes on, of course). The rest of us tried to remain mobile, if not vertical, but ended up falling all over ourselves, rolling around on the bottom of the barrel, laughing our butts off. There were several of these barrels to pass through before we made it to our ultimate destination and the journey was hilarious.
Having successfully passed through the gauntlet of rotating barrels we were then able to enter the Pavilion of Fun! The Pavilion of Fun was a completely indoor, rectangular, steel and glass building about the size of Shea stadium with inside dimensions similar to that of an airplane hangar. At least that was the view through the eyes of a six year old. To keep things in perspective, more recent (actual) research shows that the Pavilion of Fun covered about five acres of Steeplechase Park.
Paradise. More excitement, rides and bizarre attractions than you could shake a stick at - and all indoors. I was too small to go on some of the rides, but it was just as much fun watching adults get thrown off the Human Roulette Wheel as it was going on the rides themselves. They had everything from giant slides and tilt-a-whirls to flea circuses and freak shows. The soundtrack was men, women and children screaming, maniacal laughter, whirring mechanical wonders and carnival barkers. The 'scent track' was peanuts and popcorn and, vaguely, horses. The floor was covered in sawdust. Clowns were everywhere, and I've come to find out recently that they actually rented clown costumes to patrons to wear while exploring the wonders of the Pavilion of Fun.
The most vivid memory I have of Steeplechase Park - one that I will never forget - is that of the actual steeplechase ride itself. The steeplechase ride was a full-sized simulated horse race that took place on a eight-lane 'track' which wrapped around the outside of the Pavilion of Fun building. The track was suspended between about 20 - 30 feet in the air, depending on if the track was going over a hill or not (again, see the pictures on this link). You sat atop a wooden (carousel-like) horse which glided along the track at what seemed like speeds of up to 60 miles per hour - the theme of the ride was "Half a Mile in Half a Minute - And Fun all the way!" All there was in terms of safety was a thin, worn leather strap that wrapped around your waist and clipped to the horse's mane. The kicker is that sometimes you were suspended over open tracks and could see directly down onto the paths below. It was hair raising. When the ride was over, there was a winner - who everyone cheered - and all riders then dismounted their steeds and made their way to the winners circle or - as we liked to call it - 'the arena'.
In the arena was where it happened. The arena was an old circus ring with sawdust and peanut shells coating the floor. There were high walls all around it, with one way in (from the steeplechase ride) and one narrow way out. There was crazy laughter coming from somewhere above us. As my dad and I were making our way towards the exit across the arena, I looked over to the other side of the ring and noticed a clown hassling a woman. They looked like they were having fun so I didn't give it much thought. I turned my attention forward again, but before more than two seconds had passed (the ring was not that large) I felt a tap on my shoulder. As I turned, I found myself face-to-face with the clown. Not more than one inch separated my nose from the bulbous red schnozz between his evil eyes. Have you seen the clown from Stephen King's IT? Now you have an idea what I was facing. For a moment, his nose filled my entire field of view.
I immediately jumped back in terror and noticed the clown was carrying something shaped like a miniature baseball bat in his right hand. I don't remember if the clown actually spoke or not but in a flash he lunged forward and touched the miniature baseball bat to my butt. It wasn't a miniature baseball bat. It was an electrical cattle prod, which sent a bunch of volts shooting through my pants. This whole scene was way too much for me to process. I yelped, jumped back again and immediately began to cry.
My dad was torn between embarrassment and wanting to rip the clown's head off. 'Everyone's looking at my wimp kid' and 'Shock my son, will ya?' He settled for a humble exit. Grabbing me by the hand, we quickly left the arena.
Post Script - To leave the arena you exited through a narrow passageway through the high walls surrounding the ring. This passage led to a ramp that wrapped around and followed the circular shape of the arena up around clockwise. By the time my dad and I reached the top of the ramp I had just about stopped crying. We entered an open area where the hysterical laughter, we had heard hovering above our heads earlier in the arena, was coming from. A man sold peanuts off to one side and, on the other, a crowd of people was leaning over a wall, looking down at something and laughing hysterically. Dad took me over to the wall and lifted me up so I could see what the people were laughing at down below; the riders exiting the steeplechase ride getting hassled by the clown in the arena. I laughed with everyone else, but at the time I sensed it was a pretty sick thing.
Incidentally, I've heard it said that this place was the original Peanut Gallery ("...no comments from the peanut gallery, please..."). It makes sense. They sold peanuts and it was a kind of gallery. Some say the term originated with the 'cheap seats' in vaudeville, but they both developed at the same time - mid 1880s - so who really knows for sure?
Any of you ever make it to Steeplechase Park? How about Coney Island? I know you've got some stories about The Cyclone.
8 comments:
Love Your Blog Dave. Your story about Steeplechase Park brings back such GREAT memories. I was born in 1957 and my first memories were from when I was about 3 or 4 years old, and we lived in Marlboro Projects, and would walk to Coney Island with my Mom and sisters Most Tuesday nights, (I think tuesday?) for the free weekly fireworks display. Getting that saltwater breeze in the middle of summer was THE BEST. and the kiddie park was run by a friend of Mom's who lived in our same building, and would let us kids ride the rides for free! What a great and Carefree time. Often, we'd also go to "Spumoni Garden" for my favorite flavor PISTACHIO!!! WHOA MAN, HOW GREAT WAS THAT. Later, at age 5 or 6, we moved to Sunset Park, 614 50th ST, between 6th and 7th ave, where I met some FANTASTIC Friends. The hours spent playing stickball, skellies, pitching in, off the stoop, off the wall, FULL TACKLE football and roller Hockey in the middle of the street, WHEW, WHAT FUN YEARS of childhood BLISS. Well Dave, I LOVE your NEW BLOG, and will be checking back in for other's NEW stories, and to add a few more myself. Folks, tell all your BROOKLYN friends to check this Friendly site out. Who knows, maybe you'll find an old friend, or an old Flame!!!! Whatever, it's bound to be TONS OF FUN HERE!!! CIAO, for now. James Gershon
SORRY, forgot to ask you Dave, but did you ever get over your Coulrophobia?!!!!
Coulrophobia? Where did you come up with that? Fear of Clowns (wouldn't have known were it not for old dictionary.com).
I never made it out to Spumoni Garden. Sounds like fun, though. We used to go to Jahn's. Remember the Kitchen Sink? Every flavor of ice cream in the joint on it and more. If you could finish it, they gave you a second one free.
Free rides at Coney Island? What about bringing along your good buddy Dave? I loved the little boats that went around in circles. Who ever heard of a ride in water.
Just put up another post about handball. You may remember the game.
Later
Don't know if anyone is still following this, but I certainly enjoyed reading in. I was born in 1950 and lived in Coney Island within a short walk of Steeplechase. I was on w24th st. between Mermaid and Neptune Ave's. It seems most of the neighborhood I remember is bulldozed, but the memories of the boardwalk, beach and amusement area remain. One striking memory was actually watching the fire that destroyed the Ravenhall Pool complex. To me, this marked the end of Coney Island as I knew it. Shortly after that there were many closings. Life seemed simpler then. As they say, thanks for memories Dave.
Ken,
Glad to see someone is still reading this. I haven't posted in months. The economy etc..., has left me with little or no disposable time. But now that I know there are people who enjoy it I'll try to start posting again.
Your a couple of years older than I am and may have a different perspective of the park. Were most of my memories of Steeplechase accurate or distorted through the eyes of a 6 year old? How about that friggin' clown?
There's a great documentary out about Coney Island; "Coney Island: The American Experience," produced by Ken Burns. I thing they may mention the fire you're talking about, in there. Pick it up at the library. It's great.
Thanks for writing.
I was born in the Bronx in 1943. My father took me on the over an hour train ride to Steeplechase in Coney Island many times in the early '50s. My favorite ride besides the bumper cars was the horses that raced around the steeplechase. Then when you got off, dodging the clowns with the paddle & watching the air blow the girls' dresses in the air. A clown would wave a pair of bloomers at her & we'd all laugh. The mastermind for this was on top of the big elephant at the side of the stage. A Nathan's hot dog, ice cream and then the sleepy trip back to the Bronx on the subway. Wonderful memories.
That creepy clown with that stick was my grandfather...Seriously...I couldn't believe it when my father told me..I went through a lot but he was always sweet to me and my sisters
My young sister, female cousins and I faced those two nasty clowns with the cattle prod and a large paddle. Well, we knew about those two from our previous experiences. When you came through, there was a little shed to the right. They would trap you in there and beat you while the people in the peanut gallery were watching. Well, I was about 12 and a very strong female. I told my sister and cousins to run and I would get those two guys. I BEAT THE HELL OUT OF THE DWARF and the bigger one had trying to pull me off. The whole gallery was in a laughing uproar. My mom and aunts were in the gallery and where in shock when they saw me. lol Best memory of those two nasty clowns. I hate clowns!
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