Parachute Jump Thrill Ride 1939-1940 New York World's Fair

[@bubbarand2561]

Rate of decent about 25 feet per second, with a big bounce at the end. It was great fun. I was on this ride with my wife back in 1960. I remember telling her to be calm while I was just on the edge of panic. She was cool.

[@mikelovejoy9903]

I was 12 in 1963 and weighed less than my 15 year old brother. He didn't want to ride with me because he thought the imbalanced seat would catapult him out! They made us take off our shoes. It was so exciting I remember it like yesterday and I'm 64 now. Afterwards we went over to the steeplechase and slid down the huge wooden slides. Lots of fun.

[@56samurai27]

g

[@RickyIcecubes]

That's awesome that you personally experienced this! At 64, you are about as young as one can be and legitimately say they rode the Coney Island Parachute Jump.

[@SlimKeith11]

Thanks for sharing Mike! I grew up in NY/NJ and always wondered about this ride and exactly how it worked. As someone who is a bit frightened of heights and rides this looks scary!

[@nickthekidNL]

Did you ever ride on the roller coaster that was on top of the house. It was called the cyclone i believe but they made a new one named after it in modern day.

[@andrewortiz8044]

Are you still alive?

[@BowlingDiseased]

That is incredible footage. I've seen this structure my whole life (36) and this is the first video I've ever seen of it working.

[@markbender49]

Thanks for the memory. Beside the bumpy landing, when you got to the top there was quite a jolt.

[@stevie68a]

The non working tower is still standing in Coney Island. It is beautifully lit with computerized lighting. It's regarded as a sort of Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn. I remember it from the early 60's.

[@mothic4481]

stevie68a what happen to it why did they shut it down? I always look at it from my house in the night and watch it

[@computerkid1416]

If they're going to leave the structure up anyway, why can't they make it working again? I understand the original had safety flaws, but they could update the system to be more like modern day chute rides.

[@zacharyjendro3355]

Too expensive.

[@Countrygirltori24]

It takes 3 operators per parachute and each parachute is for 2 people max.

[@zusman84]

Cool footage...this is the first time watching a clip of this ride. The ride was shut down before I was even born I believe. I see this structure everytime I go to coney island, it looks really nice at night :-)

[@grillage2]

I have legally climbed and photographed the Jump in 2006 and 2007. I made many photographs of this great structure.

[@nickthekidNL]

Nice. Have you shared them anywhere?

[@grillage2]

My Website shows all my images. www.davefrieder.com @@nickthekidNL

[@supersarah5673]

My God😱 weren’t you scared?

[@supersarah5673]

I had a look at your work it’s very impressive! Your Breckmann's Arborvitae being my personal favourite

[@grillage2]

@@supersarah5673 Heights never bothered me. Even when I was 2-3 years old I loved being up so high. But if there is a Electrical storm, I freak out! I have always been scared of Lightening and Thunder. Never like loud noises. 🙂

[@WhatAboutTheBee]

I rode this ride in 1963. I was just tall enough. Me and Dad sat on what I remember to be a wooden plank. There were four steel rods, mounted vertically, to attach the plank to the upper part. I distinctly remember them lowering a horizontal bar, which was mounted across two of the vertical bars, to hold us in (safety first). It seemed unsafe to me, even as a totally stoked kid. The ride up was scary. You hit a release at the top and "floated" down, super fast. Big bounce at the bottom.

[@psargen]

this footage is absolutely beatiful- you should be very proud of it

[@babubee]

thank you for sharing this fabulous video! I can't recall if I ever went on it but it was the most famous of the rides besides the cyclone, which I definitely went on! Ahhhh, the days when we didn't have all the aches and pains we have today. Hmmm, maybe a zip around the cyclone would straighten out my back problems, or put me in traction!!!!! :) Thanks for the memories!!!!

[@sherlynbrianna]

It’s actually so cool looking back what it actually was. I always wondered what it was used for

[@robbll]

Thanks for sharing this incredible footage! I was scared to death of that ride after my Dad took me on it when I was a bout 6 years old at Coney Island...I will never forget it! Thanks again!

[@waynerogers6621]

Went on that at Coney Island in the 50s. Today lawyers would rent a office next to it

[@doobyboy21]

Ok now i know what this is! I use to think people actually jumped off of that with parachutes!

[@izzysantiago978]

I lived there for 23 Wonderful Years. 23rd street between mermaid and neptune aves. There were also ramps made out of concrete next to the parachute tower that was once a antique car ride which was also closed down but was accessible and I would ride my bike on it for hours!

[@cgruita]

Thanks for sharing, that's a unique video!

[@Turtle3000GT]

Damn that landing looks like that could be rough, lol Is it basically a freefall? Im sure there is some safety equip to it

[@Coastincolt]

@sunshineloveirka The ride which is @ 6F Great Adventure in New Jersey is a cool ride, but it's a simulation. It's a cable-controlled descent @ less-than free fall speed. This one actually used the parachute to slow the descent, ( or so I've read) w/ a spring device on the bottom of the seat to further cushion the landing. The drop towers like the one @ Dorney ( The Dominator) or the old Free Fall rides are prob. closer to feeling like this ride. Must have been great!!

[@whitecat6321]

That shit looks scary ASF, kinda into it, between the Ferris wheel and the old cyclone last 2 carts coney got the most dangerous rides

[@nieceyboo81292]

i wish they would re-open this ride

[@ronnypaul1400]

They won't be able to revitalize this ride without having to replace it completely. The structure suffers from age and metal fatigue.

[@EricaLustig]

I always wondered what that did!... the structure is still on Coney Island. I can't imagine riding that!!

[@jeffjeannette9364]

Is it true they closed it because of multiple injuries and deaths? People always have different accounts.

[@alexpresha]

Hey @doogie1136 , this is great footage! Can i talk to you about using it in a TV report for my news station in New York?

[@iloveRUSSIAAA]

lol me too it took me like an hour to figure out what the album cover was.

[@Beetroot_]

looks safe enough

[@LivingWithTheGuzmans]

Good video

[@mikeconnolly5711]

That’s insane

[@RickyIcecubes]

This is almost laughable when compared to the insane high velocity thrill rides of the 21st century, and even some of those of the late 20th century. But back in 1939 this was a state of the art "crap your pants" thrill ride.

[@shTree]

Chef Danger I don't know about that. A Classic woodie can give some crazy airtime, and with buzz bars they can still make you "crap your pants"

[@bvalenz]

@@shTree your comment should be in the KZbin Hall of Fame 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@cha5]

Six Flags?!? Jesus Christ! Although I'm afraid of Coney Island becoming something like "Six Flags Over Coney" someday.

[@johnpatrick6998]

The Army used this to train the 101st airborne prior to D day.

[@danielmkubacki]

They ride this ride in the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

[@juliacollins3062]

Bummff, that guy looks like he broke his neck on that landing. Something like that at six flags but thankfully with a smoother landing.

[@eyestoenvy]

The ones at Six Flags have a controlled descent, fake. These however were REAL chutes and were all that kept you from plummeting down to earth in a free fall. And you actually did free fall for split second at the top as the chutes fully opened. The ride was originally designed as a training tower for the military, later modified for use at amusement parks.

[@kyussfan6]

Type O Negative sent me here xD

[@brandonisawesome11]

@SamuelCosmoSchiff why?

[@maganazikaren2211]

They could have used the parachute jump in Coney island Brooklyn to train people who work in the top floors of the twin towers and so many lives could have been saved on that tragic day. So sad

[@Miidaguy1]

Adult riders paid 40 cents, children a quarter.

[@CutesyBubblez]

haha. They just flop around when they land. You could get hurt with a landing like that.

[@Kittylover9393]

Didn't the world fair come back in the 1960s? My mom said she remembered going. But she was born in the 50s.

[@elgordo4465]

It was in Queens in the 60's Astoria Park

[@jacksolomons9357]

There was the 1939-1940 world's fare and the 1964-1965 world's fair at Flushing .Meadows, Queens, NY.

[@trylonperisphere]

You might consider contributing the film to archive (dot) org/details/movies

[@elinaworld3912]

What happend to itttt

[@WWEYankee]

that ride is in coney island not six flags but 2 bad it dosent work anymore

[@ronnypaul1400]

Not much different than all the dropzone rides they have at the major amusement parks these days.

[@eyestoenvy]

No, this was the real deal. Today's version uses a controlled descent, like an elevator. This tower used REAL chutes and were the only things that keep you from free falling at full speed back to earth. And you actually were free falling for about a second as the limp chute finally filled with air on the way down. Quite the sensation.

[@YEM_FIRENZE]

I hear there will be new Parachute Jump when Coney Island is remodelled

[@kyussfan6]

@Rocco11510 she looks like..... YOU yeah.

[@BeauNewman1]

nieceyboo81292 me too

[@sunshineloveirka]

yOU CANTAKE A RIDE AT six flags. This ride is available there. Fin ride it is. ;)

[@eyestoenvy]

No, this was the real deal. Today's version uses a controlled descent, like an elevator. This tower used REAL chutes and were the only things that keep you from free falling at full speed back to earth. And you actually were free falling for about a second as the limp chute finally filled with air on the way down. Quite the sensation!

[@kristinmyers1291]

It shut down bc someone died on ig

[@RickyIcecubes]

Not true. It was shut down when "Steeplechase Amusement Park" closed in 1964. When the park reopened as "Coney Island Amusement Park" eight years later, it had fallen into an advanced state of disrepair, and had been a frequent target of vandals. It had been deemed a lost cause, and officials briefly considered demolishing it, but instead decided to repaint it and leave it in it's standing-but-not-operating state as a landmark. It had it's share of mishaps during it's operating life, but none were fatal.