The Cyclone is a wooden roller coaster at Luna Park in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. Designed by Vernon Keenan and built by Harry C. Baker, the ride opened on June 26, 1927, at a construction cost reported between $146,000 and $175,000. For nearly a century it has delivered a raw, rattling thrill that modern steel coasters can rarely replicate.
Riders are hauled 75 feet into the Brooklyn sky before plunging down an 85-foot first drop at a near-59-degree angle, reaching a top speed of 60 mph on about 2,640 feet of undulating wooden track. From 1927 until 1976 it held the title of the world’s fastest roller coaster. The Cyclone’s cultural weight matches its physical presence: it was designated a New York City Landmark in 1988 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, making it one of the most officially celebrated amusement rides in American history.
Quick Answer
The Cyclone is a 1927 wooden roller coaster at Luna Park, Coney Island, standing 75 feet tall with an 85-foot first drop and a 60 mph top speed. Riders must be at least 54 inches tall, tickets are sold as single-ride tokens or all-day wristbands through Luna Park, and it remains open seasonally, weather permitting — check the official Luna Park site before you go.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Luna Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. Designer / Builder: Vernon Keenan / Harry C. Baker. Opened: June 26, 1927. Height: 75 ft (23 m). First Drop: 85 ft at nearly 59°. Top Speed: 60 mph (97 km/h). Track Length: about 2,640 ft (800 m). Ride Duration: roughly 1 minute 50 seconds. Trains: 3 trains, 3 cars each, 24 riders per train. Hourly Capacity: about 1,440 riders. Minimum Height: 54 in (137 cm). Inversions: 0.
The Ride Experience
From the moment the chain lift crests the 75-foot apex, the Cyclone lives up to its name. The first drop, 85 feet at nearly 59 degrees, sends riders toward the ground at 60 mph before a series of 12 drops and sharp banked turns fling trains through the tight wooden structure. The lap-bar-only restraint system — one bar per row rather than individual harnesses — gives riders a freewheeling sense of exposure that contributes to the coaster’s legendary ferocity.
The ride generates up to 3.75 g-forces and lasts under two minutes, but the intensity is relentless from first drop to brake run. With 27 total changes in elevation packed into a relatively compact footprint at the corner of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street, the Cyclone punches well above its modest dimensions.
How Scary Is It, and Who Can Ride?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to ride, and anyone under that height cannot ride even with an adult. Beyond the height rule, the Cyclone doesn’t feel dangerous so much as loud and violent — the wooden structure creaks, rattles, and shakes in a way steel coasters never do, and that sensory chaos is a bigger part of the scare factor than the 60 mph top speed or the 85-foot drop.
Seat position changes the ride noticeably: the front row gives the scariest visual on the first drop, while the back rows deliver the roughest, whippiest ride through the turns. Despite the shaking, the Cyclone is inspected and maintained like any other operating amusement ride, and the rattle is a normal characteristic of century-old wooden coaster design rather than a sign of instability.
Nearly Lost, Then Saved
After more than four decades of operation the Cyclone fell into serious disrepair, and by the early 1970s New York City considered demolishing it to make way for an expansion of the New York Aquarium. A public “Save the Cyclone” campaign helped block the plan: in 1975 Astroland amusement park operators Dewey and Jerome Albert took over the lease, funded a $60,000 refurbishment, and reopened the coaster on July 3, 1975.
When Luna Park assumed management in 2011, it commissioned Great Coasters International (GCI) for a major structural restoration completed in 2016, ensuring the ride’s survival for another generation. Because the original wooden structure could not be rebuilt to modern code if it were ever torn down, the Cyclone is effectively irreplaceable — a fact that has inspired at least eight replica coasters around the world.
Records, Landmark Status, and Cultural Legacy
The Cyclone’s landmark designations — a New York City Landmark since 1988 and a listing on the National Register of Historic Places since 1991 — reflect its status as both an engineering artifact and a piece of American popular culture. Aviator Charles Lindbergh reportedly rode it a few years after it opened and called it “a greater thrill than flying an airplane at top speed.”
The coaster has also inspired endurance records: Michael Boodley rode it 1,001 times consecutively over 45 hours in 1975, and Richard Rodriguez topped that with roughly 104 straight hours in 1977. Its name lives on in Brooklyn’s minor-league baseball team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, and the ride has appeared in films, music videos, and countless works of art as shorthand for Coney Island itself.
Planning Your Visit: Hours, Tickets, and Getting There
The Cyclone sits inside Luna Park at 834 Surf Ave, Coney Island, Brooklyn — easily reached by the D, F, N, or Q subway lines to the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station, a short walk from the boardwalk. Luna Park itself operates on an extended calendar that now runs well beyond the traditional summer season, though the Cyclone and other outdoor rides are still weather-dependent and close during storms or off-season stretches; daily hours and operating dates shift throughout the year, so always check the current calendar on Luna Park’s official website before your visit.
Rides are typically paid for with all-day wristbands (unlimited rides for one price) or through the Luna Pass, rather than a fixed per-ride cash price, and pricing varies by date and promotion. Both options, along with the full ride schedule, are sold directly through the park — see the official hours and ticketing page for current prices before you go, since amusement park pricing changes seasonally.
Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster FAQs
Is the Cyclone at Coney Island still operating?
Yes. The Cyclone is actively operating at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, though as an open-air wooden coaster it closes during severe weather and its exact operating days shift by season — check Luna Park’s official site for the current schedule.
How tall do you have to be to ride the Cyclone?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall. There is no adult-accompaniment exception for shorter riders on this coaster.
How scary is the Cyclone compared to modern coasters?
The Cyclone is considered moderately intense by modern statistical standards but delivers a uniquely rough, rattling wooden-coaster experience. Its 85-foot first drop at nearly 59 degrees and 3.75 g-forces still surprise many riders, and the minimal lap-bar restraints add to the sense of exposure — the fear factor comes more from the shaking wooden structure than from raw speed or height.
How much does it cost to ride the Cyclone?
The Cyclone is not sold as a stand-alone ticket; it’s included with Luna Park’s all-day wristbands or the Luna Pass, both priced seasonally. Check Luna Park’s official ticketing page for current rates.
What are the Cyclone’s hours?
Hours vary by day, season, and weather, with the park generally open longer in warm-weather months. Luna Park posts a live calendar of ride operating hours on its official website, which is the only reliable source for same-day hours.
When was the Cyclone designated a historic landmark?
The Cyclone was designated a New York City Landmark on June 12, 1988, and was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 25, 1991 — one of the very few amusement rides in the country to hold both distinctions.
How long is the ride and how many g-forces does it pull?
A ride on the Cyclone lasts about 1 minute 50 seconds and reaches roughly 3.75 g-forces during its drops and turns, packing 27 total elevation changes into a compact, tightly wound wooden structure.
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