Niagaras Lost Amusement Parks is dedicated to preserving the memories of the various Amusement Parks which have dissappeared from the landscape of the Niagara Region of Ontario, and Niagara Falls, NY. This site covers over 100 years of Amusement Park history, and is a work in progress. As more information or photos beomce available, the site will be updated. Please note that this site only covers the Amusement Parks & Water Parks of the area, and not the tourist places like Clifton Hill and the wax museums.
In addition to this website, I am also working on a book, which will cover all the parks listed above. The only books out there cover Crystal Beach, and I've had requests from friends to put something together that covers all the parks. I have contributed to various newspaper articles, and to the Closed Canadian Parks website. The book will give brief histories of the parks, but will feature mostly photographs that have either never been seen before, are were very seldom seen. I am always looking for more pictures of the parks, and if you'd like to share them, please let me know. I hope to have the book out sometime towards the end of the year, or early next year.
The Amusement Park Historical Association of Niagara (APHAN) was started to help preserve the vast history that Amusement Parks have had in Niagara. Some parks, like Crystal Beach, are still fresh in our memories, having closed at the end of the 1989 season, after 101 yrs in business. Other parks, like Frontier Amusement Park in Niagara Falls, are harder to find information on. APHAN is still in the early stages of developement, but we are looking for people intersted in this unique form of historic preservation.
It is hoped that in the time, APHAN will be able to have a small museum, to display artefacts from Niagaras Amusement past. At this time, membership in APHAN is set at $10.00/person per year. This fee will go towards maintaining the website. There will also be a quarterly newsletter, which will include photos, stories, and articles, about the various parks
There are now only a handful of Amusement Attractions in the Niagara area. Of course, the most historic of them all is Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie, where you can still take a ride on the restored original Lakeside Park Carousel for only a nickel.
In Niagara Falls, Marineland is still going, and has expanded its ride selection over the past few years. There is also the "new" Niagara Skywheel, which is a modern version of the Giant Wheel formerly at Maple Leaf Village. The Skywheel is located on Clifton Hill, and has climate controlled gondolas, for year round operation. There are a couple other rides as part of some of the museums on Clifton Hill as well. Still in the plans for a location just off Clifton Hill is a new amusement park, which is supposed to have 2 roller coasters, and numerous flat rides.
The new Niagara Skywheel at night.
(Photo by Ken Jones Jr.)
As for waterparks, Niagara Falls now has 3 of them, all indoor. The first was at the Americana Resort, which is the smallest of them all. Great Wolf Lodge, a large family oriented lodge has a large waterpark, with slides that go in and out of the building. The newest is built on the top of the parking garage at Casino Niagara, and is the largest. It is the only one that allows the general public to visit the park on a day pass.
In New York, the closest is now Martins Fantasy Island on Grand Island. Fantasy Island has 2 roller coasters, and numerous other rides and attractions. There is also Darien Lake, about 1 hr from Niagara Falls, which has 6 roller coasters.
