Astroland likely closed forever

Today marked the final full day of operation for Astroland in Coney Island, NY. The amusement park which opened in 1962 has seen several close calls to close since the property it sits on was sold to Thor Equities in November 2006 for $30 million.

Near the end of Summer 2007, Astroland was given a second chance to operate this summer, but no similar agreement has been reached at the end of this summer’s Astroland park season. The lease for Astroland’s property ends in January 2009 and it doesn’t look like Thor Equities is offering an extension for another year.

Some sources are saying that Thor already has plans for new rides and attractions for Astroland when they begin developing the site (no word on whether they’ll be allowed to keep using the Astroland name). For those wanting to ride the dated carnival-like rides at Astroland, your time is now up.

Thankfully though, the Cyclone Rollercoaster, which is a NYC landmark, will still be in operation next year (and hopefully many years to come). And yes, the original Nathan’s is sticking around for now.