No, New York’s Coney Island is not closing at the end of the year

On Dec. 14, a social media post on X with over 3 million views claimed Coney Island is closing at the end of the year.

This left several people who commented on the post wondering if the famed boardwalk in New York City has plans to shut down permanently. Recent search trends show people online are also looking for answers.

THE QUESTION

Is Coney Island in New York City closing at the end of the year?

THE SOURCES

• Coney Island, an amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Music & Event Management, Inc. (MEMI)
• Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk in Brooklyn, New York
• Luna Park in Coney Island
• Alliance for Coney Island

THE ANSWER

No, Coney Island in New York City is not closing at the end of the year.

WHAT WE FOUND

New York City’s Coney Island is not shutting down at the end of the year. It’s actually the Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio that is permanently closing on Dec. 31, 2023, after more than 130 years in business.

On Thursday, Dec. 14, Coney Island in Cincinnati announced it will permanently cease operations at the end of the year after its Coney Island’s Nights of Lights holiday lights event wraps up on Dec. 31, according to multiple local news reports. The amusement park, which sits on the banks of the Ohio River, first opened in 1886.

“Thank you, loyal patrons, for your support over the years. We will miss your smiles and enthusiasm,” an alert on Coney Island Cincinnati's official website says.

On that same day, Music & Event Management, Inc. (MEMI) and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced they had acquired all assets of Coney Island Cincinnati. They plan to build a $118 million, state-of-the-art music and entertainment venue at the site of the amusement park, according to a Dec. 14 press release.

Meanwhile, New York City’s Coney Island is a neighborhood in Brooklyn with beaches, a famous boardwalk and its very own amusement park known as Luna Park in Coney Island. It has no plans to close at the end of the year, or anytime soon.

“I am sorry to hear about the closing of that business in Cincinnati,” Daniel Murphy, executive director of the Alliance for Coney Island in New York, told VERIFY. “Please reassure the concerned Coney Island is still here and will be for the foreseeable future.”

Luna Park in Coney Island is currently open for its 1st annual Frost Fest until Jan. 7, 2024.

VERIFY reached out to Coney Island Cincinnati for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.