A History of Brooklyn In 20 Objects (“Objects” Being Very Loosely Defined)
13) Dreamland
Dreamland was a Coney Island amusement park that was built in 1904 and stood until 1911, when it burned to the ground in a horrific fire. It was primarily a freak show, complete with a one-armed lion tamer, premature babies languishing in incubators, and a “Lilliputian Village” with hundred of little people in residence. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, the night before it was set to open for the season in 1911, a fire broke out in the area called Hell’s Gate (HOW can that even be thought of as just a mere coincidence? creepy!) and chaos ensued. Premature babies needed to be rescued, lions broke loose! It was insanity. Dreamland did not re-open after the catastrophic fire, but its thrills live on every time someone pops his or her Cyclone cherry and gets mild whiplash.