BlondyRidesOn

I guess Number Five is NOT Alive then?

I took some photos while attending Summerfair 2026 as well as the USO Concert & Swing Dance. Sunlite Parking Lot: Sunlite Pool's former location has become a parking lot to make up for the loss of parking as the new Farmer Music Center rises where the West parking lot was once located. Tivoli Fountain & Moonlite Pavilion: This area is relatively unchanged from previous years. The little fountain Pool is still there and Moonlite Pavilion is still being utilized for events. They have even started painting the front of the building. Administration Office: Coney's old administration building is still standing and being utilized by full time Riverbend staff and full time Coney staff who were retained following the park's sale. Moonlite Gardens: The historic dance hall was featured in the latest renderings for the new Music Center, indicating that there are plans for its refurbishment. Inside the building, construction lighting as been set up along the ceiling which is a sign of activity going on inside. On the North wing of the building, crews added what looks to be an air conditioning unit and electrical panels, which should point to long term plans for the space. In addition to this, looking at the park from the street, a temporary ladder had been erected on the North wing in the weeks leading up to Summerfair and the USO Concert, possibly for work on the roof, and the building looks like it has seen a fresh coat of paint (although it may have just been the light from the sun). LaRosa's Pizzeria (RIP) As previously shared, the building which housed LaRosa's Pizzeria during Coney's "modern era," which had been built in 1967 as a souvenir shop between the Skee Ball building and Penny Arcade, was demolished over the winter. It was used for refreshments and restrooms in 2024 and looked to have been undergoing renovations in 2025. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the building was reduced to rubble with only the back wall and electrical boxes remaining. Picnic Grove Restrooms The restrooms near the picnic grove, located near Moonlite Gardens, were mysteriously torn down. Whether new restrooms are built in this location or not remains to be seen, as they do plan on retaining the park area. From what I have gathered, bad plumbing may have contributed to the buildings demise as well as possibly the LaRosa's building. Famous Fairways/ Cincy Minigolf The minigolf course, which was located across from LaRosas and next to the Dodgem when the park still had rides, is now nothing more than a patch of grass among trees. Only a lone light pole remains. Flood Storeypole & River Gate Has previously shared, the River Gate, built in 1925, will remain and the Coney Island logo on top will continue to mark the site from the Ohio River. The Storeypole which marks the various floods over the years, including the 1937 Flood (79.99 feet; "The Champ"), will also remain. The pole is currently peeling and in dire need of repairs. A new Riverbend and PNC Pavilion version of the famous "Floods Come In All Sizes! They Begin Here" sign has been added. Farmer Music Center: Originally marketed as Riverbend 2.0, the Farmer Music Center is being built on the West side of the property behind Moonlite Gardens where the park's old athletic fields were located and the parking lot where the Nights of Lights display was held. To protect the new venue and its amenities from flood damage, Lake Como was temporarily drained and the lakebed dug out and used as landfill to elevate the structure. When the water fully returns to Lake Como, it will be around 30 feet deep in some areas, whereas previously it was only 3 feet. It was amazing how large it was actually seeing it in person.

The yellow and green bulbs below the seats were transferred over from the Scrambler after it's refurbishment in 2016. The current lights look new and appear to be LEDs.

They were. The Eiffel Tower was originally floodlit with bright halogen lamps before switching to the colored LED lighting. The uplighting surrounding the Tower was removed prior to the 2017 season.

It did. Check a little higher... 👀

I noticed something about the Eiffel Tower today. Something... different. You could say something(s) missing... If you have a keen eye you might've seen it too.

I just heard Hoedown by Aaron Copland, an old track that played during the KECO era.

If the rumors are true, this will be the second Eyerly Monster to be retired as a parts donor for Kings Island's/ Old Coney's Monster. The first was Shiva's Fury at Canada's Wonderland, which was retired in 2003.

The fountain is filled with a large valve and outspout near the pump room located underneath the International Street Bandstand. It looks kinda like one of those old top loaded washing machines with a middle agitator where the water fills the compartment before actually running.

He was also Mr. Gaines on Cheers with Woody Harrelson, another Kings Island legend.

UPDATE 3/22/2026 I drove down to Coney Island to get a view of the work going on. From the Ohio River trail that runs along Kellogg Avenue, it is easy to see the progress. The steel superstructure for the new Farmer Music Center stage is in place, now towering over the nearby grove. Lake Como is torn up, as the lakebed was used for land fill to elevate the new amphitheatre to protect it better from the floods by the Ohio River. When the project is complete, Lake Como will be filled back up with water and will be deeper than before. Farmer Music Center is currently being built on the site if the West parking lot where the Christmas Nights of Lights drive thru attraction was set up and the former athletic field behind Moonlite Gardens. To make up for lost parking, construction crews are beginning to prep the area formerly known as Sunlite Pool to be paved over with new spaces. A Surprise Casualty Last June, during Summerfair, I captured some photos around the former park of the work beginning to take form. One of the first things that caught my attention was the former LaRosa's Pizzeria at the East end of the park near PNC Pavillion. During Summerfair 2024, the building was open for refreshments as well as for restrooms. For the 2025 event, the building was closed off and work was being done inside. All signs pointed to an interior renovation. However, upon arriving this afternoon to view the construction, I made an unfortunate discovery; the building had been demolished. The quaint little building had stood at the park since 1967, starting its life as a souvenir shop before becoming the home of a Cincinnati's staple fare during the "modern era." From 1968 to 1971, it neighbored the Eyerly Monster, set to make its return at Kings Island in 2026. The unassuming structure was a testament to the Wachs era of the park, showcasing detail and charming beauty even if it was just to put a roof over guests heads. The coolest thing about the it is how unchanged it was after 52 years of redevelopment on the property following the opening of Kings Island: The above image with Bingo from The Banana Splits could almost be seamlessly recreated. Now it's nothing but a burning memory, reduced unceremoniously to a heap of rubble. The rest of the pre-Kings Island buildings are still standing with no visible signs that they will be next. From a recent drone video on YouTube, the North wing of Moonlite Gardens has received an air conditioning unit, which is a positive sign of long term plans for the historic dance hall. However, the demolition of Coney LaRosa's, the youngest building on the property not counting the amphitheaters, is an unfortunate loss for those who love old pieces of amusement park history.

Losing Sunlite Pool was a major blow because it was something my parents and grandparents (great-grandparents even) got to experience. It was from a time when classic amusement parks had jumbo pools for summertime cooling. It's unlikely that something so impressive like that would be built again- and I'm aware of the push for Sunlite 2.0. With that in mind, it was a simple shape and could, theoretically, be recreated elsewhere (but again, not likely). The same can't be said about the charming buildings on the rides side, which are relics of an era where amusement parks were interested in detail and beauty. Some parks still do pay mind to those things, but it's becoming more and more rare. Here's to a positive future for Moonlite Gardens and the other Mall buildings.

It would be a really nice thing to see a little park again, but unfortunately MEMI isn't in the ride and attractions business. But with a lot of the pre-Kings Island buildings still there, it will be as if Coney Island never closed (minus Sunlite Pool obviously). I think MEMI started calling the site Riverbend Park a while back after the sale. With both entrances still marked with the Coney name, I would love to see them retain the name for the new development. A YouTuber flew over the site a few weeks ago also. On the topic of Moonlite Gardens, the video shows some work had been done on the north wing of the building closer to Lake Como. It looks like two new electrical boxes/ panels were added, which would not make sense if they're set on demolishing the structure. As mundane as it sounds, it is a positive sign and suggests a longterm goal.

Riverbend Music Center and Farmer Music Center shared aerial photos of the construction site of the new amphitheatre on their Facebook page. The Farmer Music Center at Coney Island is currently being built on the site of Coney's west parking lot, formerly the location of Coney's old athletic field. Here are some things to note. -Lake Como was dredged and drained temporarily and the lakebed was dug out to elevate the land for the new amphitheatre. This was done to help protect the new Farmer Music Center from the flood waters of the Ohio River in the event the river rises (as it always has and will). Lake Como will be deeper than before once it is filled with water once again. -Moonlite Gardens is still standing. The Cincinnati Symphony had discussed the restoration of Coney's old dance hall, which was condemned around 2019 due to the deterioration of the flooring inside the building. While attending Summerfair 2025, I had a conversation with a Riverbend/MEMI employee about the plans for the property and she confirmed that Moonlite Gardens is here to stay. -The Picnic Grove, which is where Coney Island got its start in the summer of 1870 when James Parker rented out his apple orchard to a church picnic, still stands. The Symphony plans to keep the grove and picnic shelters in place for yearly events such as Summerfair, which will return to the Coney Island site from May 29 - 31, 2026. -The auto gate on Kellogg Avenue and the river gate and lighthouse, both built in 1924 and 1925 respectively at the beginning of the Schott/Wachs era of Coney, will remain. -Hampton Court, the skill games building built in 1966 along the shore of Lake Como with its French Normandy inspired brick architecture and clock tower, will remain, now housing the offices for MEMI. -Sunlite Pool, built in 1925 as the world's largest recirculating swimming pool, was demolished starting in March of 2024, just shy of 100 years old. The old pool site will more than likely be used for parking to make up for what was lost where the Farmer Music Center is being constructed. The full post can be viewed below: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17guHrqVET/

To me, from Racer all the way to WindSeeker is all Coney Mall. The area between Shake Rattle & Roll all the way to Rivertown, the serpentine walkway, can be looked at as a mini land.