Coney Island (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Coney Island
Previously known as
Parker's Grove (1870–1885)
Ohio Grove, The Coney Island of the West (1886)
Old Coney (1976–1985)
LocationCincinnati, Ohio, United States
Coordinates39°03′15″N 84°25′12″W / 39.054268°N 84.420040°W / 39.054268; -84.420040
StatusDefunct
Opened1870
ClosedDecember 31, 2023
SloganConey Island: Family. Fun. Memories.
Operating seasonMay–September
(water park)
November–January
(Coney Island's Nights of Lights)
Area100 acres
Attractions
Water rides6
WebsiteConey Island

Coney Island was a seasonal amusement park and water park destination on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio, located approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of the downtown area adjacent to Riverbend Music Center. One of its signature attractions, the Sunlite Pool, was the largest recirculating pool in North America and one of the largest of its kind in the world. Coney Island first opened as a picnic grove in 1870, and by the turn of the century, the park had added a lineup of popular amusement rides and significantly increased in size.

With frequent flooding a reoccurring issue, along with growing competition, park management ultimately decided that a larger destination was needed away from the river bank. Coney Island was sold to Taft Broadcasting in 1969 for $6.5 million. It was relocated further north to Mason, Ohio, where it reopened as Kings Island in 1972. The old location reopened in 1973 and was renamed Old Coney, featuring only the Sunlite Pool initially. Smaller flat rides and other water park amenities eventually returned, and under new ownership, the park resumed operation as Coney Island in 1985. 15 acres (6.1 ha) of land were donated to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) to build Riverbend, an outdoor amphitheater designed to withstand flooding.

A decision was made in 2019 to remove the park's amusement rides, and operation continued as a water park resort only. Coney Island permanently closed after the 2023 season following its sale to Music and Event Management, Inc. (MEMI), a subsidiary of CSO, which demolished what remained to redevelop the area as a state-of-the-art entertainment venue.