Coney Island’s Astroland was recently closed down to make room for developer Thor Equities’ commercial vision for the boardwalk area, but one relic will remain: the 14,000 pound, 71 ft. long virtual reality ride to the moon which is currently in storage (believe it or not, it used to be on top of a hot dog stand). It will soon be on display as a tribute, or rather a “blast from the past” to the days of roller coasters and cotton candy. The 26-seat rocket was installed by the park’s founder, Dewey Albert, in 1962 and was donated to the city by Carol and Jerry Albert, who owned and managed Astroland after Dewey passed away.

Photos are from the Astroland Archives/Coney Island History Project