Playland’s iconic Dragon Coaster is preparing for its highly anticipated return.
The coaster was one of several rides shuttered for the entire 2025 season because of maintenance needs and a change in park ownership. Now, Playland’s main attraction is undergoing renovations that will have it ready to roll when the park reopens this year.
“The Dragon Coaster is our largest ride, so it requires a lot to maintain,” said Peter Tartaglia, Westchester County Parks Department’s deputy commissioner. “There was a lot of wood that needed to be replaced, and we needed to replace the whole tunnel.”
The original wooden dragon tunnel that adorned the coaster when it first opened in 1929 was replaced decades ago. The latest version, composed of fiberglass and foam composite, was installed in the 2000s.
“We’re replacing it with basically the same thing that was there,” Tartaglia said of the tunnel. “Not the original dragon, which was many iterations ago when the ride opened in the 1920s. This one will be similar to what was there, but with better materials. It had become unsafe, the time had come that we needed a change.”
Tartaglia said a date isn’t set for when Playland will reopen this year, but when it does, many more rides will be in operation than were last summer. In 2025, the park had a delayed, gradual reopening after Standard Amusement, the county’s park management partner, exited its 30-year contract after just three years.
The county, which had run the park for most of its 97-year history, reclaimed ownership, initially opening 13 of its total 42 rides on Memorial Day, then expanding to 27 rides by August, with notable exceptions like the Ferris wheel, log flume, and Dragon Coaster. The park, which usually closes after Labor Day, stayed open until Sept. 14.
“I’m not saying all rides will be ready, but we’ll definitely have a much more full park than last year,” Tartaglia said. “We’ll introduce each ride as they’re ready. We’ve been working very hard. Last summer, we opened partial parts of the park and introduced rides as we could safely operate them.”
As for the Dragon Coaster’s updates, Tartaglia said, “We went to the company that originally produced it, and I’m sure the results will be great.”
While that may be the case, when bystanders spotted the discarded dragon’s head and tail poking out from an oversized dumpster, some park enthusiasts took to the internet in horror.
“The county is out of touch with reality,” Brian Carabee wrote in the Rye Playland Facebook group. “Preserving it and mounting it somewhere in the park would show respect for the ride. True, this iteration is only about 20 years old, but it still has value enough to save it.”
As the image of a decapitated dragon circulated online, so did possible rescue missions to save it.
“I brought a snow shovel and a five-foot teepee ladder and it would not have been tall enough to knock a green claw I saw out of the dumpster,” Paula Piekos posted on Facebook, along with a picture of the dumpster-bound dragon.
In response to the uproar, Westchester County Communications Director Catherine Cioffi issued an official statement.
“The pieces being removed are warped, falling apart and potentially dangerous,” she said. “They are not historic artifacts, and for everyone’s safety, we ask that no one attempt to take or salvage parts from the site.”
Cioffi confirmed this was not the original dragon, assuring Playland faithful the coaster’s future was never in doubt.
“We all grew up at Playland and want to see it thrive for generations to come,” Cioffi said. “These updates are about preserving the spirit of the Dragon Coaster while ensuring it remains safe, strong and ready for the future. Let’s do this together so this summer you can walk through the gates, gather at the Dragon Coaster once again and hear that dragon roar.”
