Cincinnati's Coney Island is shutting down.
After over 125 years of business, the amusement park announced Thursday that it will be "permanently ceasing operations" as of Dec. 31, 2023.
Coney Island first opened in 1886 with Sunlite Pool opening in 1925, WCPO reported. Dennis Speigel, who started to work there 34 years after the pool opened, said he was shocked by the news.
"I began as a ticket taker at the front gate in 1959. I worked through junior high, high school and college," he said. "Kind of a sad moment for me to see it go, but I understand why."
Speigel added that there were signs though that the closure was eventually coming.
"I have watched the Coney Island project shrink and diminish over the last few years. We saw the rides go away," he said, adding that the closure is a loss for Cincinnati.
"We have been proud to provide a place where so many wonderful memories were created for families," the park said in a statement. "We thank the millions of patrons and employees from Cincinnati and surrounding neighborhoods."
WCPO noted that the park was acquired by Music & Event Management Inc. (MEMI), which is a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO).
"Our goal is to elevate Cincinnati's music scene and make it a must-play area for all musicians out on tour," MEMI Vice President of Marketing Rosemarie Moehring told the outlet.
The venue will have "cutting-edge performance and entertainment technology" alongside "best-in-class amenities" as well as an advanced sound system and an adaptable seating arrangement.
The amphitheater is designed to complement Riverbend and PNC Pavilion, neighboring amphitheaters situated directly adjacent to Coney Island.
"The location is good in the sense that it creates a unique one-of-a-kind entertainment complex that I don't believe exists right now in the United States," Moehring said, noting that the number of concerts being held at Riverbend will shrink.
"It will stay in existence, but once the new venue is open, and our target date for that right now is spring of 2026, will no longer do concerts on a regular basis at Riverbend. But, we would utilize it in those instances where we were doing festivals."
Jonathan Martin, president and CEO of CSO, stated that the new venue will "usher in the future of the music industry," adding that he hoped it would help boost the local economy while expanding the music, arts and entertainment industry in the region.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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