A beloved historic roller coaster at Westchester County’s nearly 100-year-old amusement park was damaged over the weekend after an electrical fire broke out, officials said.
Flames erupted from part of the Dragon Coaster at Rye Playland around 8:50 p.m. Saturday. The waterfront, county-owned park had already closed for the season when the fire started.
“We know how much the Dragon Coaster means to generations of Playland enthusiasts,” Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said in a statement.
Jenkins also thanked fans for their concern and praised the Rye Fire Department for responding quickly and bringing the blaze under control.
No injuries were reported, and authorities said the fire caused only minimal damage.
Playland’s maintenance crew is expected to repair the attraction during the fall off-season.
The Dragon Coaster opened 97 years ago and remains the signature attraction at the suburban amusement park. Playland has also appeared in the Tom Hanks film “Big” and in Mariah Carey’s 1995 music video for “Fantasy.”
The wooden coaster underwent renovations over the winter, prompting a brief wave of concern among local residents after pieces of the original dragon structure were seen in a dumpster near the park. The refurbished ride reopened several months later.
Playland has also faced a contentious financial dispute involving Westchester County and its private operators. The conflict contributed to the closure of the Dragon Coaster and other attractions at the iconic park last year.
In May 2025, the county awarded an emergency contract worth $1.7 million to keep part of the park operating after Standard Amusement withdrew from its management agreement.
Standard Amusement said it had invested more than $35 million in Playland since signing a 2021 agreement with Westchester officials to oversee operations. The company and the county later clashed over whether each side had fulfilled its contractual obligations.
As a result, the Dragon Coaster remained closed throughout the 2025 season, marking only the second time in its history that the ride had been shut down. The first closure came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials have classified the blaze as electrical, though investigators are still working to determine its precise cause.
“Rest assured: this Dragon will rise again for Playland’s 99th season,” Jenkins said.
