Is there anything more quintessentially American than summertime at Coney Island? If you're about to say yes and rattle off some random example of more stellar Americana, stop right there because these vintage pictures of Coney Island are about to prove you wrong. Historical images of Coney Island document all the things that people still love about a trip to one of its classic beachside amusement parks: Nathan's Hot Dogs, take-your-life-into-your-own-hands-style wooden roller coasters, and, of course, a beach so crowded you may never actually reach – or even see – the ocean.
So dust off that old phonograph, pump up some tunes, and sit back as you take a stroll onto the hot, crowded beaches and down the jam-packed lovers' promenades of early 20th-century Coney Island.
Photo: George Rinhart / Getty Images
Aerial View Of Coney Island On The 4th Of July, 1920
Photo: George Rinhart / Getty Images
Two Women Participating In The Timeless Tradition Of Burying Your Friend In The Sand On A Beach On Coney Island
Photo: George Rinhart / Getty Images
The Helter Skelter Ride In Coney Island's Luna Park
Photo: Samantha Vuignier / Getty Images
The Roosevelt Bears At Coney Island
Photo: George Rinhart / Getty Images
Olympic 1,500 Meter Swim At The Washington Pool On Coney Island, 1924
Photo: George Rinhart / Getty Images
Crowd At Nathan's Hot Dog Stand On Coney Island, Circa 1930
