On December 14, news was made that Coney Island will close and be sold to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. They have plans to build yet another music venue in the area next to the two venues at Riverbend. 

The plans currently are to fill in the pool with cement. Built in 1925, "Sunlite Pool was and still is an engineering marvel. Measuring an incredible 200 by 401 feet, it remains the largest recirculating swimming pool in the world, holding over 3 million gallons of water at depths ranging from six inches to 10 feet. Up to 10,000 swimmers could be accommodated at a time.” 

We must ask the Anderson Township Board of Trustees/local representatives/Ohio Senators/Ohio Governor to make this a historical landmark. We cannot lose our history in this area. Coney Island Park was a place that inspired many, including Walt Disney. 

“In 1953, Walt and his brother Roy visited amusement parks around the country to gather ideas for this family park, often seeing what not to do. One park that got it right was Cincinnati's own Coney Island. Coney's owner Edward Schott and Ralph Wachs entertained the Disneys at the Caprice, a VIP club above Moonlite Gardens, and aboard the family boat on the Ohio River, according to "Cincinnati's Coney Island" by Charles J. Jacques Jr.

Walt was impressed by Coney's renowned cleanliness and manicured landscaping, traits he would emulate in Disneyland. He was also captivated by photographs of the Island Queen steamboat that had burned in 1947. 

Schott then visited Anaheim as one of Disney's "dollar a year" vice presidents to advise on park matters such as facilitating lines, ride capacity, cleanup and maintenance.

The Schott family also was invited to Disneyland's opening day. Despite some hiccups, from overcrowding to still-wet asphalt and no water fountains that caused newspapers to declare the project a nightmare, Disneyland attracted 1 million visitors within the first 90 days.”

We know the rides are long gone. This once upon a time amusement park was the precursor to Kings Island. And it was very successful except for the floods due to the park being built directly on the Ohio River. 

"Established in the late nineteenth century on the banks of the Ohio River, Coney Island offered families a place to go for picnicking, dancing, refreshments and fireworks. "

"In 1870, James Parker began renting out his apple orchard for Cincinnatians to ride horses and have picnics. When his apple trees died, Parker added a merry-go-round and pavilion and planted maple trees. In 1886 Parker sold the land to the Ohio Grove Corporation, which billed the site as "Ohio Grove: The Coney Island of the West," and immediately began attracting visitors from Cincinnati. In 1887 they changed the name to Coney Island. As the popularity of the park grew, other attractions, such as a Ferris wheel, the area's first movie theater, and roller coasters, were built. By the end of the 1920s, Coney Island was one of the largest amusement parks in the country. The park closed in 1971, but reopened on a smaller scale in 1999. It is located approximately fifteen miles east of downtown Cincinnati."

Also popular and beloved by many, the Moonlight Gardens still stands on Coney Island park land but it is in heavy disrepair. This would be worth saving as well but at time of writing, it is not known about its future. 

One might say why this theme park? Theme parks close and open as time changes. Coney Island Park in Cincinnati allows us to relive the time of the 1920s and prior when the Sunlite Pool and Moonlight Gardens were open. And dream that you had been around when the Shooting Star existed because everyone who spoke of it said it was amazing. It was already a renovated and kept up historical site for years, just not legally a historically registered site. We have to hold our breadth of history close to us for our generations to come. Sunlite Pool is not dissimilar from european bathhouses, its just setup like a mini waterpark instead of a spa. We should not rid our state and nation of this modern marvel pool that has seen the test of time with it almost reaching it's 100th year. 

Please join me in signing this petition to save Sunlite Pool at Coney Island Park in Cincinnati, OH and declare it a historical landmark. Please sign and comment to save Moonlight Gardens too as we do not know its future as well. 

Sources:

http://retrospect.sid-hill.us/moments_in_time/coney_history/cincinnati_coney_island_history.htm

https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p267401coll32/id/1042/

http://coneyislandcentral.com/history/coney-island-to-kings-island/