Steeplechase Park. Steeplechase Park was a 15-acre amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Steeplechase Park was created by entrepreneur George C. Tilyou in 1897 and operated until 1964. It was the first of the three large amusement parks built on Coney Island, the other two being Luna Park and Dreamland. Of the three, Steeplechase was the longest-lasting, running for 67 years. The first rides in Steeplechase Park were standalone attractions scattered around Coney Island that Tilyou had purchased in the early 1890s. Steeplechase itself opened in 1897 to unite these formerly separate attractions, and quickly gained popularity as a family-friendly destination with exhibitionist and risque undertones. It was destroyed by fire in 1907, but was quickly rebuilt. Steeplechase remained profitable as the Tilyou family continually brought in new rides and new amusements, such as the Parachute Jump. However, by the 1960s Steeplechase Park was becoming unprofitable due to high crime, the growth of suburban getaways, and the area's general trend toward residential development. After the park closed in 1964, developer Fred Trump purchased the land and planned to develop it for residential use, but this never occurred, and the site was used seasonally for amusement rides during the 1970s. A dispute ensued over the proposed use of the Steeplechase Park site in the 1980s and 1990s, as two developers disagreed over whether to rebuild the amusement park or build a sports complex on the site. A minor-league baseball stadium called Keyspan Park was built in 2001. The Parachute Jump is the only remaining portion of the former amusement park. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the land under Maimonides Park as part of a green space also called Steeplechase Park. Steeplechase Plaza, a portion of Luna Park that contains the B&B Carousell, was named in homage to the former Steeplechase Park. Steeplechase was created by George C. Tilyou. On his honeymoon in 1893, he and his wife visited the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where he saw the 250-foot-diameter Ferris wheel and wanted to buy it. Since the wheel had already been sold, Tilyou built his own half-size version at Surf Avenue, on Coney Island, which soon became Coney Island's biggest attraction. After noting that the nearby Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend and Brighton Beach horseracing tracks were very popular, Tilyou added other rides and attractions on the Coney Island peninsula. He came to own several rides, though none were part of a single park. In fact, until the opening of Paul Boyton's Sea Lion Park nearby in 1895, all of Coney Island's rides were separately operated. As a result, Tilyou's concessions were originally overshadowed by the saloons on nearby Bowery Street. The steeplechase ride Steeplechase Park opened in 1897 after Tilyou bought and improved the Steeplechase Horses attraction. Steeplechase Horses, manufactured by J.W. Cawdry, featured gravity-pulled mechanical horses racing along metal tracks. The park covered 15 acres, an area of which Tilyou owned two-thirds outright; the other third was leased from the Huber family. It was located at the western end of Bowery Street. Steeplechase was approached by a grand stone archway on Surf Avenue to the north, the top of the archway decorated by four stone horses. The inclusion of a gateway, along with a new 25-cent admission charge, were intended to exclude the seedier elements and make the park a family destination. Drinking was prohibited, as was gambling and prostitution. The park included over 50 attractions on its midway alone. Attractions included novelties such as the Human Niagara, a Venetian gondola-style ride, the Aerial Racing Slide, the Double-Dip Chutes, the Bicycle Railway, a French Voyage panorama, and a Wild West sideshow. Tilyou also operated a small steam railroad, a saltwater pool, a ballroom, and the Scenic Railroad coaster by LaMarcus Thompson. Completing the park were scale models of world landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben. Steeplechase Pier, a pier jutting into the ocean, was built to the south of the park in 1904. Tilyou adopted a Funny Face mascot depicting a smiling man with several dozen teeth, nicknamed the Tilly, as the icon for his park. The mascot, which became a symbol of Coney Island, represented the area's wholesomeness and neoclassical architecture combined with its veneer of hidden sexuality. Tilyou's personal motto, Keep 'em laughing, was symbolized by rides with such unconventional names as Whirlpool, Soup Bowl, Human Roulette, Human Pool Table, and Earthquake Staircase. An admissions ticket for Steeplechase Park from 1905. George C. Tilyou's Funny Face logo became the iconic symbol of Coney Island.