Coney Island's Amusement Park to Open March 25 (Updated)

Photo by Jeff Pearce

UPDATE: The park's opening has indeed been delayed until Friday, March 25. Opening Day ceremonies will take place the following day, Saturday, March 26.

Original story below.

CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN — Attention, Cyclone fanatics: You may have to wait an extra week this year to enjoy your first ride on the nation’s oldest roller coaster.

Coney Island’s Luna Park is still tentatively scheduled to open on Sunday, March 20 — but opening day may be pushed back due to this Sunday’s possible snowfall, spokeswoman Angie Morris confirmed Friday.

Morris said an announcement about opening day will be made either Friday night or Saturday.

If the park doesn't open Sunday, then it will open at noon on Friday, March 25. Either way, its official opening day festivities — including the Cyclone’s ceremonial egg cream christening — will take place at noon on Saturday, March 26. (The year's schedule is available here.)

And speaking of the Cyclone: The ride has now been rolling along for 89 seasons. It received a power washing and a new coat of paint during the off-season, Morris said, and was checked thoroughly for any mechanical issues.

Last year, the ride ground to a halt on opening day, offering those on board a new kind of roller coaster thrill: climbing down from the top of one.

This year, visitors to the park can purchase a $70 wristband giving them a four-hour pass to all amusements — including one ride on each of the park’s “extreme thrill rides” (or five rides on one of them, if you’re so inclined).

In between, park visitors will be able to enjoy new flavors of gelato and new seafood dishes, in keeping with Luna’s nautical neighborhood.

For its final trick, the park will also be debuting a new ride this April, Endeavor, which promises to provide “the sensation of flying 60 feet through the air at 25 miles per hour.”

You probably shouldn’t sample the new seafood before going on that one.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Luna Park had already decided to move its opening day to March 25. In fact, the decision is still up in the air.