<Tr> <Th> Designated NYCL </Th> <Td> May 23, 1989 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, whose iconic open - frame steel structure remains a Brooklyn landmark . 250 feet (76 m) tall and weighing 170 tons (150 tonnes), it has been called the "Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn". </P> <P> It was originally built for the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows--Corona Park, Queens, and moved to its current site, then part of the Steeplechase Park amusement park, in 1941 . It is the only portion of Steeplechase Park still standing today . The ride ceased operations in 1964, when the park shut down for good . </P> <P> The ride was based on functional parachutes which were held open by metal rings throughout the ascent and descent . Twelve cantilevered steel arms sprout from the top of the tower, each of which supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of surrounding guide cables . Riders were belted into a two - person canvas seat hanging below the closed chute, then hoisted to the top, where a release mechanism would drop them, the descent slowed only by the parachute . Shock absorbers at the bottom, consisting of pole - mounted springs, cushioned the landing . Each parachute required three cable operators, keeping labor expenses high . </P>

When did the parachute jump in coney island close