| Coney Island | |
|---|---|
 Re-opening on July 4, 2007 in Bailey, Colorado | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Programmatic novelty architecture |
| Town or city | Bailey, Colorado |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 39°24′29.84″N 105°29′36.82″W / 39.4082889°N 105.4935611°W |
| Completed | 1966 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | ironwork |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Lloyd Williams |
Coney Island Colorado (commonly The Coney Island) in Bailey, Colorado, is a 1950s diner shaped like a giant hot dog, with toppings. The building has been called "the best example of roadside architecture in the state".[1]
The diner has indoor seating, courtyard seating and riverside picnic table seating. The bun is 35 feet (10.67 m) long, and the hot dog 42 feet (12.8 m); the entire building weighs 18 short tons (16.1 long tons; 16.3 t).
It was originally built in 1966 on Colfax Ave. in Denver, named The Boardwalk at Coney Island. The first owner, Marcus Shannon had intended to start a chain of eateries around the concept, and obtained a patent for the design,[2] but the eatery closed in 1969.[3]
In 1970, under new ownership, the stand was moved to the Rocky Mountain town of Aspen Park, along U.S. 285.[4] Initially called Coney Island Dairy Land, it later dropped the last part of the name.[4] Despite initial opposition, when it was put up for sale in 1999, a local campaign began to designate it a landmark and save it from destruction. The present owner purchased it for about $150,000 and added a state-of-the-art water purification system, a new secondary kitchen area and a complete restoration of the interior kitchen.
The popularity of the stand was such that its last day open in Aspen Park, "the waiting line extended literally for miles".[3] On March 18, 2006, to make way for a bank, the stand was moved again, 17 miles down U.S. Highway 285 to its present location in Bailey, close to Pike National Forest.
