"Shoot The Chute" Ride in Coney Island, 1890s

The Shoot The Chute ride in Coney Island was built by Paul Boyton and Thomas Polk around 1895 for Sea Lion Park at Coney Island, with replicas of similar chute rides popping up all over the U.S. at the time. These early rides had a “flat bottom boat [that] was pulled up the ramp by cable... In the ride at Sea Lion Park, the passengers arrived at the top by elevator. The bottom of the ramp curved upwards, causing the boat to skip across the water until it came to a stop. The boat was guided to a landing by a boatman on board.” Naturally, those taking the plunge were fully clothed in head-to-toe dress, as was the style of the time.