Coney Island, located at the southwestern tip of Long Island, was an affordable get-away for working-class New Yorkers in the late 19th century. Coney Island first attracted affluent visitors who traveled to this seaside area by carriage in the early 1800s. The area became popular with working-class day-trippers in the 1870s when railroad lines were was constructed from New York City. Visitors could go to the beach, racetracks, gambling halls, or dance halls. In the 1890s, amusement parts began to open on Coney Island. By 1915, over 1,500 amusement parks across the United States were conveniently located on public transportation lines near urban centers.
Image courtesy of Library of Congress.
To learn more about the history of vacations see Exploring Vacation and Etiquette Themes in Social Studies