The Steeple Chase

As summer afternoons turned to evenings in the 1940s, visitors flocked to The Bowery, a congested area in the heart of Coney Island that featured food stands, game booths and thrill rides like the Parachute Jump at Steeplechase Park. Originally used by the military to train paratroopers, the ride arrived at Coney Island in late 1940 after a triumphant run at the New York World's Fair's lifesaving exhibit. Not only did it offer the opportunity to be flung off a 262-foot tower, the Parachute Jump provided a vantage point from which the sheer size of the crowds on the boardwalk and the beach became breathtakingly apparent. Though the Parachute Jump came toward the end of Coney Island's popularity, the ride has survived many proposed sales and demolitions. Armed with a fresh coat of paint, structural upgrades and landmark status, the ride stands today as a monument to America's original amusement park.