Pyramid Place
The Pyramid Place mascots are shown here with a small boy in the punching bag area. The cargo net crawl is visible above.(Niagara Falls Ontario Library)
Story from the Niagara Falls Review on August 27, 1984 about the fire that destroyed
the play are of Pyramid Place.
(Niagara Falls Ontario Library)
In The Beginning
Pyramid Place
Pyramid Place was located near the Skylon Tower, on Robinson St. and was built using a closed factory on the site. Pyramid Place opened in 1979 with attractions inside the building.Kids Place, a complex of wooden ramps, rope climbs , tunnels, and other types of kid powered equipment, was openedin 1980. later in 1980, 14 new attractions were added to the playground in a $650,000.00 expansion. It was billed as a million dollar playground.
Rides
While I have been told that Pyramid Place did have some sort of carnival rides, I can't actually recall ever seeing them there. That's not to say they weren't there, but I will look into it further and post any new findings.
The End of Pyramid Place
The Kids Place playground only last a few years The entire Pyramid Place complex was closed in 1983 because of financial reasons. In August 1984, a fire destroyed the entire playground area. Arson was suspected, and the fire caused $50,000.00 in damage. One of the main problems in fighting the fire, were layers of wood chips spread out along the ground under the playground equipment.
Pyramid Place - reborn
Pyramid Place was given another breath of life in 1995, when the mall structure was renovated and rebuilt. It once housed a dinner theater, a bar, and a glass blowing shop. After Maple Leaf Village closed down, the Elvis Presley Museum was moved to Pyramid Place. It is no longer there. The glass blowing shop and a gift shop at the Imax theatre end, are the only 2 tenants left at the mall.