Coney Island became one of the best-known amusement parks in the United States, with its 3.5-mile (5.6-km) boardwalk fronted by a sand beach. Numerous concessions were developed with rides, exhibitions, restaurants, and souvenir shops.

Coney Island was historically significant as the birthplace of the modern American amusement park and a pioneer in democratizing leisure. In the early 20th century, it broke down rigid social barriers, allowing people of all socioeconomic backgrounds to mingle in a "carnivalesque" atmosphere. It was the site of the first roller coaster in the U.S. (the Switchback Gravity Railway) and iconic parks like Luna Park and Dreamland, which used "exotic" architecture and millions of electric lights to create a literal fantasy world. By 1920, the five-cent subway extension turned it into the "Nickel Empire," providing a vital escape for millions of working-class immigrants from the sweltering heat of NYC tenements, forever changing how the world perceived public entertainment.