Taking a spin on Coney Island’s “Witching Waves”

The variety and creativity of amusements at turn-of-the-century Coney Island was astounding. This 1910 postcard shows one of the most popular rides, the Witching Waves.

Invented by the same man who patented the revolving door and installed at Luna Park, “it consisted of a large oval course with a flexible metal floor whose hidden reciprocating levers could induce a moving wave-like motion,” explains Coney Island site westland.net.

“While the actual floor didn’t move, the continuously moving wave propelled two seated small scooter-like cars forward while patrons steered.”

[Postcard: MCNY]

Tags: Coney Island 1900, craziest rides at Coney Island, Forgotten Rides of Coney Island, Gilded Age amusements Coney Island, Luna Park Witching Waves, Theophilius Van Kennel revolving door, Witching Waves Coney Island

This entry was posted on August 12, 2016 at 5:30 am and is filed under Brooklyn, Holiday traditions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

8 Responses to “Taking a spin on Coney Island’s “Witching Waves””

Rich T Says:
August 12, 2016 at 5:44 am | Reply
A good look at the ride: Roscoe Arbuckle’s “Coney Island”.
- Tom B Says:
  August 12, 2016 at 1:40 pm | Reply
  Thanks Rich T. Luna Park looks like a lawyer’s honey pot for lawsuits. Fatty Arbuckle was repulsive looking. Buster Keaton was only 22 years old in that picture. He would be 120 today.
- Lady G. Says:
  August 15, 2016 at 3:21 pm | Reply
  That was great! Never saw it before. Coney Island looked super fun. Poor Buster should drop that girl fast.
ephemeralnewyork Says:
August 12, 2016 at 6:17 am | Reply
Super cool! The ride hits at about the six-minute mark.
bd Says:
August 12, 2016 at 4:45 pm | Reply
Roscoe Arbuckle was adorable in that film, as he was in any of his hundreds of movies
- Beth Says:
  August 15, 2016 at 12:39 pm | Reply
  Agreed. Roscoe was a handsome, if large guy. Buster Keaton. My favorite silent clown, wouldn’t have become what he was without Arbuckle’s. He was a brilliant.
Riding an elephant at Coney Island’s Luna Park | Ephemeral New York Says:
July 15, 2017 at 8:39 am | Reply
[…] rides like Helter Skelter, Shoot the Chutes, and the Witching Waves weren’t enough excitement for you, you could always take advantage of another thrill offered […]
It’s hard to believe this unspoiled beach is Coney Island in the 1870s | Ephemeral New York Says:
September 27, 2021 at 4:14 am | Reply
[…] the Cyclone, before Nathan’s, before the boardwalk, sideshows, amusement parks, bathhouses, mass numbers of beachgoers wading into the surf, Coney Island was an actual island […]