The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride in Coney
Island.
Its iconic open-frame steel structure remains a Brooklyn
landmark.
It was built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing
Meadows Park, Queens,
and moved to its current site in 1941, which was then part
of the Steeplechase Park amusement park.
It is the only remnant of Steeplechase Park still standing
today. The ride ceased operations in 1968.
[A] Once triggered, this mechanism was used to release the
parachute
into a near free fall. My Father made and repaired many of
these.
With no identifiable markings, the photo (left) was the best
way to confirm its authenticity.
(Metal, approx. 9”h.)
The Parachute Jump: the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn
262 Feet tall
Weighing 170 tons
There has been serious discussion of making the ride
operable.
This would require significant redesign to meet modern
safety standards,
however, expert amusement ride consultants wonder whether
this would be
possible in a modern litigious environment.
