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Opened to the public on June 20, 1909, Coney Island was among the most elaborate amusement parks of its day. Otto G. Benschuetz, founder and owner, landscaped the grounds, put in a children's playground, a bandstand for outdoor concerts and a dance pavilion which also served as a skating rink and theatre. Coney Island also had an artificial lake complete with boats, covered landings and bath houses. The park's heyday passed with Benschuetz's death in 1912. An aircraft assembly plant occupied the site in the early "twenties" and an auto court was established here later. The pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1927 and a second blaze in 1930 took other structures. All remaining buildings were torn down when Interstate 80 was constructed in the 1960's.
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