[Photo courtesy of Coney Island History Project/flickr]

Back in 1963, Time magazine had this to say about Astroland, which could die today: “Coney Island’s biggest addition for 1963 is Astroland, a $3,000,000 fun-and-games nexus devoted to space exploration. It has the Cape Canaveral Satellite Jet—passengers enter the rocket, fasten seat belts, then blast off with engines roaring as filmed special-effects from actual space shots conjure up a journey to the moon. The Colonel Glenn Sky Ride has 16 plastic bubbles orbiting 80 feet above the boardwalk. For downward exploration the Neptune Diving Bell encloses 30 people, drops them 35 feet down to an “ocean floor” where live porpoises play. Further along is the Double Sky Wheel, a king-sized dumbbell with gyratory center beam supporting two independent wheels that can’t decide whether to plunge suicidally earthward or whiz away toward Mars.” Both the link and the image from the Coney Island History Project, which is open today and has an exhibit on Astroland. A photoset of vintage images of Astroland is here on flickr.