Luna Park

Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks that have opened on every continent except Antarctica. They are named after, and partly based on, the first "Luna Park", which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Island, New York parks.

History

The original "Luna Park" on Coney Island, a massive spectacle of rides, ornate towers and copulas covered in 250,000 electric lights, was opened in 1903 by the showmen and entrepreneurs Frederic Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy. The park was either named after the fanciful airship "Luna", part of the new park's central attraction "A Trip to the Moon", or after Dundy's sister. Luna Park was a vastly expanded attraction built partly on the grounds of Sea Lion Park, the first enclosed amusement park on Coney Island which closed down due to competition from near by Steeplechase Park.

In 1905, Frederick Ingersoll, who was already making a reputation for his pioneering work in roller coaster construction and design (he also designed scenic railroad rides) borrowed the name when he opened Luna Park in Pittsburgh and Luna Park in Cleveland. These first two amusement parks, like their namesake, were covered with electric lighting (the former was adorned with 67,000 light bulbs; the latter, 50,000). Later, in 1907, Charles Looff opened another Luna Park in Seattle, Washington. Ultimately, Ingersoll opened 44 Luna Parks around the world, the first chain of amusement parks. For a short time, Ingersoll renamed his parks Ingersoll's Luna Park to distinguish them from the Luna Parks to which he had no connection. Ingersoll's death in 1927 and the closing of most of his Luna Parks did not stop new parks from taking the name.

Luna Park, Hamburg-Altona

Luna Park was a popular amusement park near Hamburg, Germany that was opened to the public in 1913, closed from 1914 to 1917 (due to World War I), and then reopened from 1917 to 1923. The only remaining reminders of the former "funland" are a children's playground and roads named "Lunapark" serving the former park site.

Coordinates: 53°33′57″N 9°56′33″E / 53.56583°N 9.94250°E / 53.56583; 9.94250

Shahr-e Bazi

Shahr-e Bazi, Persian: شهر بازی‎‎ (literally The City of Games in English, formerly Luna Park), was an amusement park located in the north of Tehran. Covering 150 acres (0.61 km²), it was the largest amusement park in the Islamic Republic of Iran and admitted around 2.5 million visitors every year. It has been closed since 2007 due to highway construction. None of the facilities are available anymore.

The amusement park was opened in 1970 under the Shah. It was built by Abbas Pedarsani. It became a state-owned park after the Iran–Iraq War in 1988. In the following years, the state-owned park was made more technologically advanced.

Shahr-e Bazi featured twelve thrill rides, as well as a cinema and theater. There were also six restaurants with different food from around the world. Souvenir shops and a money exchange office were located around the park. One of the main reasons for the park's popularity were its water slides and pools.

The park was open 10 months a year, during spring, summer and autumn. During winter, heavy snow made it necessary to keep the park closed. Admission was around $3 for adults, whereas children under seven could get in free.