Coney Island and L & B Spumoni Gardens

Coney Island needs no introduction. Even Curious G had expectations of boisterous boardwalk games and clouds of cotton candy from reading the book Outstanding in the Rain, which follows a 4-yr old and his mom on their Coney Island adventure. We recently spent a Saturday morning playing games and catching a thrill on the Wonder Wheel on the boardwalk in both Luna Park and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. We had so much fun at the amusement parks on the boardwalk that didn’t even hit the beach or the newly renovated New York Aquarium. We also missed out on the colorful photo-ops of the Coney Art Walls because it was closed for a private event. And while we are hot dog lovers, we decided to forgo Nathan’s for some pizza at L & B Spumoni Gardens nearby. The famous Sicilian slices are fluffy, crispy, and lusciously cheesy, AND the ice cream selection is a quintessential summer treat. Our excitement for L & B was compounded by the fact that it was a Brooklyn Children’s Museum exhibit come to life!

The Wonder Wheel gave us a quite a thrill. The swinging cars are surprisingly scary!

We bought $50 worth of tickets at Luna Park before realizing that most of the kiddie rides are actually located in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. Curious G still had a blast in Luna Park riding on the kiddie train, mermaid boat, and tea cups. We used the remainder of our tickets playing carnival games, and we left Coney Island with a mini collection of stuffed toys including a stingray, a narwhal, and a poo emoji! The subway station (where you can take the D, F, N, or Q) is directly across the street from the boardwalk attractions. 

The view from 150 feet up while swinging was exhilarating

Curious G's face mid-swing

Curious G went back and forth between wanting to ride this and not wanting to ride this. Ultimately, she decided to skip it.

This was more her speed. There was a mini hill on the other side that was like a kiddie version of the log flume.

All aboard the Luna Park Express!

Classic

This game involved scooping up three fish and weighing them to determine which prize she won

Squirting water onto the targets when they lit up won us a stuffed poo emoji, which Curious G's grand aunt later mistook for a Hershey Kiss

Did anyone else have the travel size version of this game when they were kids?

We actually skipped over the food vendors because we all had pizza on the brain

This scene is almost right out of Outstanding in the Rain (minus the IHOP)

Sideshows by the Seashore (No, thanks)

Bumper Cars...now this is one of those things that I opt out of these days because I'm old

Thrive Collective x Marie Roberts mural outside the Coney Art Walls

Daze Community Wall

Pizza time!

I normally do not get Sicilian slices, and prefer the classic NY slice. But. The Sicilian here is so good. I'm still thinking about the thick layer of cheese underneath that layer of sweet sauce, and the crust that's crispy on the bottom and sooo fluffy on the inside

Master pizza folder

The name sake Spumoni in my cone is great stuff. But I actually really loved the Orange creamsicle soft serve that Curious G's daddy ordered. The cherry ice was fantastic too!