Tag: Exploring New York City by Foot

Coney Island History Project c/o Deno’s Wonderful Wheel Park 3059 West 12th Street Brooklyn, NY 11224

Coney Island History Project c/o Deno’s Wonderful Wheel Park 3059 West 12th Street Brooklyn, NY 11224

Coney Island History Project

C/O Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park

3059 West 12th Street

Brooklyn, NY 11224

https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 1:00pm-7:00pm (summer months only-May 24th-September 1st)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d4777489-r1014119112-Coney_Island_History_Project_Walking_Tour-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The front of The Coney Island Project

I came across this interesting museum/gallery when I was walking around Coney Island. The museum is a few small rooms located in one of the buildings in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park. The museum is not related to the Coney Island Museum on Surf Avenue.

The small gallery space has a wealth of information and some interesting artifacts on Coney Island’s history both past and present.

The main room had artifacts and pictures of Coney Island’s past amusement history. There were many photo’s of the old parks, especially Steeplechase Park before its closing in 1965. It shows its development, growth and changes after the 1907 fire that destroyed the park.

There was all sorts of artifacts from that time as well as the former Astroland that was replaced by the new Luna Park. If you know the history of Coney Island, this can fascinating to read.

The second room had the later history when the Island’s amusements fell into disrepair and the whole island seemed to fall apart. The pictures show a very run down Coney Island.

The outside pictures show Coney Island in its heyday when during the 1930’s and 40’s before and during WWII, the island being a place of relief for so many New Yorker’s especially the working class.

The inside of the gallery

The main gallery

The Steeplechase Exhibition

Coney Island in ruin in the 1970’s

The history of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park

The display outside the museum

The mechanical display that sings and dances

The Miss Coney Island robot is a throwback to old technology and campy robotics that is fun to watch. For a quarter, you can take an interesting video with this robot.

The Deno’s Map of the park

The history of the park

The History of the Museum:

(From the Coney Island Historical Coalition website)

The Coney Island History Project’s 2025 exhibition center season begins Memorial Day Weekend with a combination of free indoor and outdoor exhibits.  Visitors to the exhibition center are invited to take free souvenir photos with Coney Island’s only original Steeplechase horse, from the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name, and the iconic Cyclops head from Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park’s Spook-A-Rama, Coney Island’s oldest dark ride. 

The real Midway

I took pictures after the Mermaid Parade and showed how busy the amusement section was that day. There is so much potential to update the amusements and modernize the area with new rides and concessions. There is so much that can be done here. I already see new luxury apartment buildings being built and the revamping of the main shopping drag.

The Boardwalk at the end of the evening.

The Coney Island Boardwalk at twilight

Day Three Hundred and Ten Private Members Night at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) May 28th, 2024

Day Three Hundred and Ten Private Members Night at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) May 28th, 2024

Day Three Hundred and Ten Private Members Night at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) May 28th, 2024

The mesmerizing visual art in the lobby that night.

One World Trade Observatory 285 Fulton Street New York, NY 10007

One World Trade Observatory 285 Fulton Street New York, NY 10007

One World Trade Center Observatory

285 Fulton Street

New York, NY 10007

(844) 696-1776

Plan your Visit

Open: Sunday-Saturday 9:00am-9:00pm (hours change seasonally)

Admission: See the website for prices depending on individual and group prices seasonally

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d8072300-Reviews-One_World_Observatory-New_York_City_New_York.html

Though it is not a museum, it is a view of the world. I had been to the original World Trade Center three times before 9/11 and the views were just amazing. There is nothing like it as the Empire State Building’s are a bit different.

One World Trade-The former Freedom Tower

https://www.officialworldtradecenter.com/en/local/things-to-do/one-world-observatory.html

The building itself is very impressive to visit (quite frankly I would NEVER want to work here) but with its past leery of anything else. Too many people died on this site and I would not want to work in an office here no matter what company. I would want a parachute in my office at all times. Still this was going to be my second trip to the top of the building since 2015 when I visited with my best friend, Kris.

I had won two tickets to the Observatory from a contest at NYU and had set VIP tickets to skip the line to go to the top. At 10:00am in the morning, there was no line to skip. I went right to the top with not that many people there at that time. If you get there early in the morning in the off season, there are no crowds.

The site is still so impressive. This is the Occulus right by the Tower.

One World Observatory is at the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, One World Trade Center. The Observatory is located on the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors encompassing over 125,000 square feet. You’ll take an incredible Sky Pod Elevator ride to the top. Once aloft guests can explore three levels of the Observatory filled with innovation and inspiration. One World Observatory offers views of New York City’s iconic sights, surrounding waters, and iconic skyline – amazing 360 views for up to 45 miles in every direction (One World Trade Center website).

The views from the top are so impressive of downtown and Governors Island.

Governors Island in the foreground and lower Manhattan. This is the original colony.

The views of Downtown Jersey City and the Waterfront are so spectacular.

The Statue of Liberty seemed so close.

The views of Downtown Brooklyn were amazing.

Midtown was so impressive on a clear day. You can see all the way up to Central Park.

Even the Battery was so impressive from this vantage point along the Hudson River.

Another shot of the Battery and Jersey City.

The views of New York Harbor are spectacular.

The Oculus and the Memorial Pools of the 9/11 Memorial from the top of the Observatory.

This interesting sculpture, XO World Project, is at the entrance when you leave the building.

https://www.officialworldtradecenter.com/en/local/things-to-do/events/xo-world-project.html#:~:text=The%20XO%20WORLD%20PROJECT%2C%20created,and%20love%20around%20the%20world.

The XO World Project was created by artist Daniel Anderson, features two sculptures, “XO PLAY” and “XO WORLD,” that encourage peace and love around the world. “XO PLAY,” on display in the Oculus, depicts children playing a game of jacks, symbolizing childhood innocence and harmony with the world. “XO WORLD,” on display just outside One World Trade Center at West Plaza, features a 12-foot “Jack” from the game of Jacks with an “X” representing “love” in universal sign language and “O” representing the world (World Trade Center website).

Artist Daniel Anderson

https://www.danielandersonart.com/

Contemporary abstract sculptor and painter Daniel Anderson was born and raised in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. His interest and passion for art began at an early age and led him to be recruited and to receive a scholarship to attend the College of Visual & Performing Arts at Syracuse University in New York. He continued his formal education in Florence, Italy, and was the sole artist from New York City selected to participate in an annual residency program in Melbourne, Australia (Artist’s website).

The sculpture is a visual expression of the powerful message of equality, unity, peace, and love. This use of iconography and symbolism is meant to connect with the hearts and minds of the masses as it is intended to motivate, activate, and further progress humanity (Artist’s website). 

“As our society faces unprecedented challenges stemming from a global pandemic, economic recovery, racial inequity, and territorial conflicts, World Peace Day offers the perfect backdrop to unveil these two inspiring sculptures intended to bring people together,” said Anderson (Business Wire.com)

The view from the bottom when you leave.

The view from the 9/11 Memorial Park.

The 9/11 Memorial Pools which are the footprint of the original Trade Center Buildings.

https://www.911memorial.org/visit/memorial/about-memorial

This memorial still gets me choked up with what happened here over twenty years ago. I still see flags and flowers of near loved ones names along the edges of the pools. It is nice that family members still remember their family here.

The skyline of the park from the Memorial pools.

The pools are reminder of time when the world went mad. Those feelings are still simmering under the surface of society today.

Museum of Broadway 145 West 45th Street New York, NY 10036

Museum of Broadway 145 West 45th Street New York, NY 10036

Museum of Broadway

145 West 45th Street

New York, NY 10036

https://www.themuseumofbroadway.com/plan-your-visit

Open: Sunday-Tuesday 9:30am-6:30pm/Wednesday 9:30am-2:30pm/Thursday-Friday 9:30am-6:30pm/Saturday 9:30am-8:00pm

Admission: Adults $49.00/Seniors $32.00/Students $29.00

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60763-d25074776-Museum_of_Broadway-New_York_City_New_York.html

The entrance to the Museum of Broadway at 145 West 45th Street

The front of the Museum of Broadway

I visited the newly opened Museum of Broadway recently and what a nice surprise the museum is with a great depth in the collection. There was the history of the theater in New York City and how it progressed from small theaters downtown to the theater’s progression uptown to it home now in the core of Times Square.

The Make-Up Room on the way up the stairs.

The Call Board display.

The museum is very interesting in that when you enter the back of the museum you feel that you are going backstage at a theater and preparing for a show. You head up the stairs past make up rooms, wardrobe rooms and the star’s rooms. The you head out the door like you are going out on stage. You feel that rush of the stage.

The Stage Door stairs.

The Broadway Playbill Room exhibit

The Playbill Room display

As you head up the stairs to the exhibition the museum makes you feel like an actor on opening night. The sounds of the stage and the noises of the crew in the background make you feel like you are part of the show. The Playbill Room displays some of the popular shows from the past and present.

The Props of the backstage.

Then you open the door, and you enter the main museum with displays on the history of the theater. As you progress through the museum, you will see displays on popular shows through the years from Flo Ziegfield and the Ziegfield Follies to the modern shows on Broadway.

The Ziegfield Room

The Ziegfield Room

Costumes that were found in a box in the attic of the theater.

Ethel Merman in “Anything Goes” when she first started her career. She was so young. I pulled the movie that featured a lot of the Broadway cast. Ethel Merman never lost her touch throughout her career.

“Anything Goes” from the movie.

From there, I explored the museum and many of the most famous shows on Broadway had their own displays with props, scripts, pictures and costumes from the shows. Not just the revivals but the original shows as well. It was interesting to see what the original stars wore in the shows as well as these costumes still existed after all this time. I kept the pictures in order as I toured through the displays of the Broadways most popular productions.

The Oklahoma! exhibit with costumes and scenery from the show.

The Oklahoma set props from the recent revival

The West Side Story set

The West Side Story set from the recent revival

When the original “Hello Dolly” came out in the 1960’s, it made a huge star of Carol Channing, who owned the role until the day she died. I had seen her revival production in the early 1990’s and I will tell you that even in her 80’s, she had more pep and vitality than any one person had. She went on tour with the company after the show closed in New York to China and all over Asia. When you hear her sing “Hello Dolly”, you knew it was her.

“Hello Dolly” with Carol Channing’s original outfit from the show.

The display on the original show “Hello Dolly” with Carol Channing.

The video from London’s West End

The original show “Cabaret”

The costumes from “Cabaret”

The costumes from the show “Hair”

There was a large display to the late and great Stephen Sondheim:

There was a large display of props, scripts, costumes and pictures from all of his show especially the groundbreaking show “Company”. Today it might not seem so unusual for a thirty year old not to be married but in 1970 when the show came out, it was rare. Since the passing of Mr. Sondheim, there has been more interest in his life and his productions that he created. I have seen so many of his show especially his last show “Bounce”, when I was seeing his retrospect at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

The groundbreaking show “Company”

“Company” is an excellent show.

The original cast of Company in the 1993 revival.

The revival of company with the production that my father and I saw in 2010.

The “A Chorus Line” display

“The Wiz” display

The “Cats” display and costumes

The Broadway Timeline

Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera

The Costumes for Evita and Phantom of the Opera

Me in the Hallway of Mirrors

“The Producers” display

The “Avenue Q” display

The ‘Making of a Broadway Show’

The costumes of a Broadway show

The “Chicago” display was the last show display before I got to the gift shop.

The museum progresses room by room and display by display showing the costumes and props of some of the most popular shows on Broadway and shows from the past. The collection has an extensive selection of memorabilia from productions of the past through today and showcases them in such an interesting way.

The Museum of Broadway is such an engaging museum from start to finish and I can see more shows of the future will be displayed here as well. The staff is available to answer any questions you might have and they also have an extensive gift shop in the front of the museum.