Coney Island is a water park located on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio, approximately east of the downtown area in Anderson Township. One of its notable features is its Sunlite Pool attraction, which is the largest recirculating pool in North America. The park sits adjacent to Riverbend Music Center and Belterra Park. Beginning in 1870, the original owner called the area Parker's Grove, which was later renamed Ohio Grove, The Coney Island of the West after the Ohio Grove Corporation purchased the park in 1886. The name was shortened to Coney Island the following season. Over the years, the park expanded with dozens of rides and attractions, leading to its popularity as an amusement park destination. Coney Island was sold to Taft Broadcasting in 1969 with intentions to move the park to a new, larger destination away from frequent flooding. The new park opened as Kings Island in 1972, although Coney Island's Sunlite Pool remained in operation. Smaller flat rides eventually returned, and additional investments and improvements were made to the Sunlite Pool area. These changes, along with the opening of the nearby Riverbend Music Center in 1984, allowed the park's attendance and profitability to recover. In 2019, Coney Island removed amusement rides in an effort to focus its operations exclusively on water park amenities. History Coney Island's founding dates back to 1867 when apple-farmer James Parker purchased approximately of land along the shores of the Ohio River. Parker soon realized the popularity of the farm's location, and that renting it out was more profitable than his apple orchard. He named it Parker's Grove and eventually added a dining hall, dancing hall, and bowling alley. He later sold the land in 1886 for $17,500 to a company called Ohio Grove Corporation headed by two steamboat captains. For the opening on June 21, 1886, the name was officially changed to "Ohio Grove, The Coney Island of the West" in an effort to link the park with the famous New York destination. With its riverfront location, the riverboat became the most popular method of transportation for park visitors. In 1887, "Ohio Grove" was completely dropped from the name as the park became known simply as "Coney Island". The Sunlite Pool was added in 1925. It is an outdoor freshwater pool with surface area, ranking as 12th-largest pool in the world . It remains the largest recirculating pool in