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| Manufacturer | Willy Bühler Space Towers | ||||||||
| Product | Gyro Tower | ||||||||
| Height | 270 feet | ||||||||
Astrotower gyro tower was a 270-foot-tall gyro tower that operated at Astroland at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, USA. The tower was built in cooperation with Willy Bühler Space Towers Company. The ride originally opened in 1963 at the 1963 World's Fair, but was then moved to Coney Island shortly thereafter.[1]
Riders were lifted in a slowly rotating cabin, which gave a 360-degree view of Coney Island, the ocean, and surrounding neighborhoods
Designed and built by Willy Bühler Space Towers Company of Switzerland with cabins by Von Roll, the $1.7 million dollar Astrotower was the first of its kind in the U.S. when it was installed.[2]
The ride closed in 2008 along with the closure of Astroland on September 7, 2008.
On September 29, 2012, the tower was illuminated for the first time since it's closure in 2008.[3]
In the early 2010s, the tower began to sway during strong windy conditions, which resulted in the whole park needing to be evacuated. Due to safety concerns, it was later dismantled from July 4-5, 2013, then sold for scrap.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
References
- ↑ "Requiem for the Astrotower". Coney Island History Project. 2013-07-25. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323899704578585992191105064
- ↑ "Astrotower Lit for 1st Time Since Astroland Closed in 2008". Amusing the Zillion. 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ↑ "Long Live Coney Island's Swaying, Singing Astrotower!". Amusing the Zillion. 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ↑ "Photo Album: Remembering the Astrotower (1964-2013)". Amusing the Zillion. 2013-07-09. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ↑ "Astroland Map and Brochure (1984) | ThemeParkBrochures.net". 2023-10-29. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324399404578587470994914946
- ↑ DoD3Brian (2013-07-04). "News: Astrotower Demolition". The DoD3. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ↑ Bredderman, Will (2013-07-10). "Luna Park's Astro Tower is taken down amid fears it would fall • Brooklyn Paper". www.brooklynpaper.com. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ↑ Genprofilelink("newsplusnotes"); (2013-07-05). "Saying Goodbye to the Astrotower at Luna Park". NewsPlusNotes. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
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