Coney Island Park in Cincinnati, Ohio is a Family Fun Destination

Located on the banks of the Ohio River, east of Cincinnati's downtown area in a region known as California, Coney Island Park is an amusement park that has been attracting visitors for more than 120 years.

The park had its beginnings as an apple orchard, owned by local farmer James Parker. Recognizing the value of his riverfront orchard, Parker chose to turn it into a recreation spot for the people of Cincinnati and beyond. In the 1880s, he sold the plot of land to the Ohio Grove Corporation, who opened an amusement area there in 1886 and called it "Grove Park, the Coney Island of the West.'' The Grove Park portion of the name was dropped a year later.

The park grew over the decades, until it was purchased by Taft Broadcasting in 1969. Unfortunately, the company closed the amusement area in 1971 and moved many of the rides to another of their properties, nearby Kings Island. A music center was added in 1984 and Coney Island became the summer home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops. In 1992, the park became its own entity and began to re-establish itself as a traditional amusement park.

Today, Coney Island Park is one of Cincinnati's most visited attractions, patronized by both locals and visitors, and is vastly more affordable than many of the country's larger amusement parks. The owners, however, continue to add to Coney Island's collection of classic rides and continually make attempts to expand the park's appeal to visitors.

One of the highlights of Coney Island Park is the Sunlite Pool. One of the first attractions built at the park, this 200 by 400 foot pool was built in 1925 and holds more than an acre of shallow water, a deep end for diving, and lap lanes for those who wish to exercise. Four waterslides make their way into the pool, including the 2009-built Twister, with four chutes and measuring over a quarter-mile long. Showers and locker rooms are available and there's plenty of room for sunbathing. There's also a pool concession area. Guests can buy tickets to the pool only, if desired, and by-pass the rides. Swim lessons are offered at the pool for season pass holders.

Coney Island Park in Cincinnati is also home to 20 classic rides that are suitable for a variety of ages. Amusements include a classic steel coaster that appeals to all ages, an historic carousel, a free-fall ride, bumper cars, a Ferris wheel, Tilt-a-Whirl, Scrambler, a giant slide, and a few more modern rides. About a half-dozen rides are designed with the park's youngest visitors in mind.

Coney Island also offers original, live stage shoes for guests to enjoy. The shows, usually the song-and-dance variety, are held several times each day in the Lakeside Pavilion. Other attractions include an arcade, a miniature golf course, a EuroBungy Dome (not included with standard admission), and a miniature recreation of a mining town.

Coney Island Park is open from late May to early September. Patrons may purchase tickets for both the rides and the pool or just one or the other. An after-dusk combination ticket is also offered. There is a fee for onsite parking.