Reopening Brooklyn’s waterfront park is a roller coaster ride!
Coney Island’s storied Luna Park is set to open its doors to the public this weekend – as city inspectors and hundreds of park workers labor to make sure the home of the legendary Cyclone roller coaster is ready for the summer season.
In its 99th year, the storied seaside playground will welcome thrill-seekers with discounted $40 unlimited passes when it opens Saturday at 11 a.m., Luna Park CEO Alessandro Zamperla told The Post.
“Every single season, we always try honoring the tradition, but also adding something new,” said Zamperla, whose family has managed the park since 2010.
“It’s a lot of work, starting from the previous year,” he said, “making sure that all the little pieces of the puzzle will come together, because it’s a big one.”
A smooth opening this season will be particularly important, he said, as the park expects an influx of new visitors from both America’s 250th anniversary and the FIFA World Cup – and officially begins the countdown for its 100th birthday in 2027.
In the final days before the seasonal kickoff, vibrant signage for the midway games are still being unveiled, and last-minute ingredient deliveries are ushered into the park for the fresh gelato, pizza and funnel cakes, Zamperla said.
Some of the park’s 300 employees — a fleet that will expand to more than 900 as the season progresses — have already been certified as ride operators with classroom training, and are practicing controlling the decades-old contraptions for hours at a time.
Preparing the park’s legendary rides themselves is a months-long effort, Zamperla said, as both Department of Buildings inspectors and in-house engineers begin evaluating the equipment, some of which is a century old.
The roller coaster, a designated landmark and one of the oldest operating wooden coasters in the nation, is inspected with care each season by “master carpenters,” Zamperla said.
Though nearly 90% of the track has been refurbished since 2011, efforts remain to preserve its rickety charm, he added — including keeping the ride’s manual brakes.
“It’s obviously a great attention to detail,” he said. “You can keep it original and authentic, and still keep improving the experience.”
Aside from Luna Park’s own engineers, city inspectors from the Department of Building’s elevator unit check all permanent rides in New York, with about 280 periodic inspections conducted per year — plus up to 5,000 “spot” checks.
At Luna Park and nearby Deno’s Wonder Wheel, inspections are done every winter and at the beginning of spring, the agency said.
“We inspect every single ride to make sure they are running safely and according to City Code,” a DOB rep told The Post, adding that there were no major injuries reported from any inspected ride in the city.
“If we do not think a ride is safe, we aren’t going to allow New Yorkers on it,” the rep said.
Some of this opening weekend’s proceeds will benefit the Coney Island Sharks youth football team, the Coney Island Public Library and nonprofit Children of Promise.
While most rides will be available to the public starting Saturday, the Cyclone won’t start accepting thrill-seekers until the following day – after its annual egg cream christening.
To mark the countdown to its 100th birthday, the Cyclone will be free for its first 99 riders – which will also score a free egg cream, while supplies last.
“It’s an amazing milestone,” Zamperla said, “and we’ll start with an amazing tradition — [one] that’s very much Brooklyn.
“Especially after a long winter, we’re really focusing on gathering together — and, importantly, having fun.”
