45,000 men, women and children streamed toward Coney Island's Luna Park on opening night in May, 1903. Inside, they discovered a storybook land of trellises, columns, domes, minarets and lagoons. At night, Luna Park had a quarter million electric lights that turned night into day.	Coney Island largest amusement park in the United States
	Shortly after Larry Rosenthal founded the NYVRMLSIG in February 1996, he suggested a SIG group project. In March, the members responded by creating Marc Thorner's suggestion of re-creating New York's Coney Island Amusement Park.
like a small city	Coney Island at the turn of the century At the turn of the century, Coney Island, on the southwestern end of Long Island, was the largest amusement park in the United States. Amusement parks lured hundreds of thousands of visitors (some reports say millions) to Coney Island by ferry, railroad, electric trolley, subway, hackney carriage, automobile, and bicycle. Much like a small city, the original Coney Island was arranged around a main promenade called the Bowery that was lined with carnival attractions. Canopied booths introduced elephants, camels, and "oriental beauties" to resort visitors. In 1897, George Tilyou opened Steeplechase Park, one of the three enclosed amusement parks to open at Coney Island. Occupying 15 acres, Steeplechase park was lined by a gravity-powered steeplechase ride. In 1902, Frederic Thompson and Skip Dundy, both employed by George Tilyou, planned what was to become the grandest enclosed park at Coney Island Luna Park, which later opened in May 1903. Frederic Thompson was a former architectural student who indulged in ornaments, flags, towers, and turrets. At night, Luna park was illuminated with a quarter million electric lights. When it opened, Luna Park offered visitors a Venetian city with gondoliers, a Japanese garden, an Irish village, an Eskimo village, a Dutch windmill, and a Chinese theater. A rocket trip to the moon was the most popular attraction. In 1903, Coney Island's third enclosed park rivaled Luna Park with its massive proportions. Dreamland was planned and built by a group of politicians organized by William H. Reynolds, a former New York state Senator. The designers of Dreamland installed one million electric lights and an enormous nude sculpture called "The Creation" at its gates--both meant to overshadow Luna Park.
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