Luna Babies: A story of the Incubator Babies Exhibit at Luna Park, Coney Island, New York

Luna Babies is a story of the popular premature baby exhibit that existed for forty years at one of Coney Island’s largest amusement parks, Luna Park. From 1903 to 1943, 8,000 premature infants were cared for by Dr. Walter Baier and displayed to spectators who paid admission to view them. This is the story of Dr. Walther Baier and his family, chronicled through the narratives of the doctor, his wife, his daughter and his nurse. Was Dr. Baier showcasing the premature babies as freaks of nature, exploiting them for his own financial gain or was he providing them with the highest level of healthcare which was their only hope for survival?

“When you first hear the barker’s call beckoning you to view the tiny babies inside, you wonder what oddities of nature you will see at the Infant Incubator Exhibit at Luna Park. Intrigued, you pull a dime from your waistcoat pocket to pay the admission fee and soon find you are in a hospital-like setting. Your heart goes out to the helpless premature infants, growing in their man-made incubators, cared for by the tender hands of their nurses…” (Excerpt from Luna Babies)