Coney Island Webcam – Watch the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel

The Coney Island Webcam is EarthCam’s camera overlooking Luna Park in Brooklyn, aimed south across the rides to the beach and the Atlantic. The white wooden Cyclone fills the lower left of the frame, the Wonder Wheel stands in the middle near the sand, and the red steel tower of the Parachute Jump rises on the right, with Steeplechase Pier reaching into the water just left of it. A raised subway line and a wide avenue cross the foreground, so trains, buses and cars pass under the camera all day. In summer the rides run and the beach fills. On an overcast October morning the same frame shows parked coasters, a nearly empty beach and flat grey water out to a low line of land on the horizon.

About Coney Island

Coney Island sits at the southern tip of Brooklyn, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) south of Times Square in a straight line. It was once a true island, but landfill joined it to the rest of Long Island in the early 20th century, and today it is a peninsula with the ocean along its southern shore. The Riegelmann Boardwalk opened on that shore in 1923 and runs 4.3 kilometers (2.7 miles), following the back of the beach behind the rides on camera. Stillwell Avenue station opened in 1919 and is now the end of the line for the D, F, N and Q trains.

The two oldest rides in view are both city landmarks. The Cyclone opened on June 26, 1927, at Surf Avenue and West 10th Street. Its wooden track runs 800 meters (2,640 feet), climbs 23 meters (75 feet) and reaches about 97 km/h (60 mph). It became a New York City landmark in 1988, and Luna Park has operated it since 2011. The Wonder Wheel, closer to the beach in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, opened on Memorial Day 1920 and stands 46 meters (150 feet) tall. Sixteen of its 24 enclosed cars slide inward on snaking tracks as the wheel turns, while the other eight stay fixed to the rim. Dennis and Steve Vourderis still run the wheel and the park around it.

The Parachute Jump stands 76 meters (250 feet) over the boardwalk between West 16th and West 19th Streets. It was built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, moved to Coney Island in 1941 and has not carried riders since the 1960s, though it became a city landmark in 1989. Steeplechase Pier runs more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) out to sea beside it. The present Luna Park, which fills most of the middle ground, opened in 2010.

Weather and Climate in Coney Island

Coney Island has four distinct seasons. January is the coldest month, with highs around 4 C (39 F) and lows near -4 C (25 F), and the camera then shows a bare beach and idle rides under low winter sun. April highs average about 14 C (58 F) and nights are still near 6 C (43 F), so cool, grey days keep the sand quiet.

July is the peak, with highs near 29 C (84 F) and warm nights around 21 C (69 F), and it typically brings the busiest frames of the year. Summer haze can soften the horizon on camera. October brings highs around 19 C (66 F), lows near 12 C (53 F) and far fewer people on the beach. Rain is spread through the year at roughly 75 to 120 millimeters (3 to 4.7 inches) a month, so no season is reliably dry.

Things to Do Near Coney Island

Everything in the frame is a short walk from Stillwell Avenue station. Ride the Cyclone and the other coasters in Luna Park, then take a sliding car on the Wonder Wheel at Deno’s for a view over the whole district. Walk out along Steeplechase Pier for a look back at the shoreline, or follow the Riegelmann Boardwalk east toward Brighton Beach. The New York Aquarium, at Coney Island since 1957, sits along the same boardwalk a short walk east of the rides.

Food and events fill the rest of a day. Nathan’s Famous has sold hot dogs at Coney Island since 1916, and in 2016 its corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues was co-named Nathan and Ida Handwerker Way. The Brooklyn Cyclones play minor league baseball at Maimonides Park, which opened in 2001 directly north of the Parachute Jump. In June the Mermaid Parade, started in 1983 by Dick Zigun, brings costumed marchers to the neighborhood.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more boardwalks, coasters and New York views, try these cameras next.

• Seaside Heights Webcam
• Kings Island Webcam
• Times Square Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Coney Island located?

Coney Island is a neighborhood and peninsula at the southern tip of Brooklyn, New York City, facing the Atlantic. It lies about 20 kilometers (13 miles) south of Times Square in a straight line, at the end of the D, F, N and Q subway lines.

What can you see on the Coney Island Webcam?

The camera looks south over Luna Park from a high spot on the inland side of Surf Avenue. The Cyclone is in the lower left, the Wonder Wheel in the middle, and the Parachute Jump and Steeplechase Pier on the right, with the beach and the ocean across the top. It is a wide view, so people on the sand show up as small figures rather than faces.

Is this the EarthCam Luna Park Coney Island live cam?

Yes. The stream is EarthCam’s Coney Island (New York City) camera, which EarthCam describes as overlooking Luna Park and the rides along the shore. The Wonder Wheel in the middle of the frame belongs to Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, a separate, family-run park.

Does the Coney Island Webcam show the beach and boardwalk?

Yes, at a distance. The beach runs across the frame behind the rides, and the Riegelmann Boardwalk follows the back of the sand. Steeplechase Pier is the long walkway heading out into the water. The view is good for judging crowds and sky, less so for waves.

Is the Cyclone still at Coney Island?

Yes. The Cyclone has stood at Surf Avenue and West 10th Street since 1927, and its white wooden frame fills the lower left of this camera. Luna Park has operated it since 2011, and it is a New York City landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the weather like in Coney Island?

Winters are cold, with January highs around 4 C (39 F) and lows near -4 C (25 F). Summers are warm, with July highs near 29 C (84 F) and lows around 21 C (69 F). Daytime highs reach about 14 C (58 F) in April and 19 C (66 F) in October, and rain falls in every month.

When is the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest at Coney Island?

The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest takes place every July 4 at noon at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues, where Nathan’s Famous has sold hot dogs since 1916.

Source: EarthCam