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  • 2 months later...
Posted
On 6/8/2026 at 9:46 AM, burlguy41005 said:

Any new demolition pics of Coney? Any word on Moonlight Gardens?

https://local12.com/news/local/farmer-music-center-venue-riverbend-coney-island-sunlite-pool-cincinnati-ohio-deadline-construction-cost-prices-symphony-orchestra-millions-grant-grants-donate-donations-music-musicians-bands-concerts-events-entertainment-festivals-grand-opening

 

Basically looks like moonlight gardens might get refurbished however Aftab reducing the funding is not a great sign 

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

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.20260523_171712.jpg20260523_171723.jpg20260531_140825.jpg20260531_140928.jpg20260531_162301.jpg

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.

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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. 20260523_172143.jpg

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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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