Fantasy Island was founded by real estate developer Lawrence Grant, and was opened on July 1, 1961. It was planned by co-financier and local jeweler Gerald Birzon with buildings designed by Milton Milstein & Associates.[3] The ownership group was formed under the name Fantasy Land, Inc. before changing soon after to Fantasy Island, Inc. The group had originally planned to call the park Fantasy Land, but changed the name for legal reasons after finding out there was already an area of Disneyland called Fantasyland.[4]
Upon opening, the park occupied only 12 acres (0.049 km2) of land that was divided into five themed areas: Action Town, Animal Kingdom, Garden of Fables, Indian Village and Western Town.[5] Action Town featured amusement rides, Animal Kingdom featured a petting zoo, Garden of Fables featured explorable recreations of fairy tale scenes, Indian Village featured Native American dancers, and Western Town featured a live Wild West show.[6]
To promote the park, WGR-TV aired a live weekly television program on Saturday mornings from 1961 to 1962 titled Fantasy Island Show featuring the park's characters and puppeteers performing for an all-children studio audience. The show's host and protagonist was Buckskin Joe, portrayed by park general manager Clyde "Buddy" Farnan.[7][8]
A 2,500-seat outdoor arena was constructed in 1965 for French lion tamer Jean "Tarzan" Zerbini's circus.[9] Actor Jim Carrey grew up in nearby Ontario and would vacation at Fantasy Island, citing Zerbini's show as a fond memory.[10]
The park was expanded to 85 acres (0.34 km2) in 1974 to make room for adult rides and broaden the park's appeal.[11]
Citing the 1979 oil crisis and rising cost of gasoline, the park reported a 62% drop in profits during the 1979 season.[12] The park was put up for sale that same year.[13]
After dwindling attendance stemming from Western New York's rust belt economic decline, Fantasy Island, Inc. declared bankruptcy and the park did not operate for the 1982 season.
A new themed area called Water World, a water park, was added to the site in 1984. Wood also installed an 800-seat picnic pavilion that was previously used at the 1982 World's Fair.
Wood sold the park along with Great Escape to International Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) in April 1989 for $36 million.[16] As part of the deal, Wood would stay on as chief executive officer of the park and his son-in-law, Tom Wages, was retained as general manager.[17]
Following the closure of nearby Crystal Beach Park after the 1989 season, that park's famed Comet roller coaster was purchased by Charles Wood at auction in October 1989 for $210,000, disassembled and stored indefinitely at Fantasy Island.[18]
In June 1990, Michael Murach was paralyzed from the head down while performing a high diving act at the park when he slipped on a 3-meter diving board during a comedy act and fell 20-feet, hitting his head on the edge of the concrete pool. Murach was years later awarded damages of $58.6 million after a jury found International Broadcasting Corporation 100% liable for his injury. The end of the diving board was not installed at a proper distance away from the edge of the pool to prevent such an incident from occurring.[19]
In August 1991, 14-year-old Kenneth Margerum fell 60 feet (18 m) to his death from the park's Ferris wheel after his seat dropped from its axle. It was revealed that the park operators routinely removed one or two seats from the ride each day to prevent the ride from moving around in high winds during off-hours. Each time the ride opened, the seats were bolted back onto the frame of the ride. Investigators found that only one side of the victim's seat had been bolted properly, causing Margerum's seat to drop from its axle and subsequently leading to his death.[20]
Attendance began to dwindle as parents became concerned over the park's safety following Margerum's death.
Charles R. Wood Enterprises (1992–1994)
Martin's Fantasy Island
Charles Wood reacquired the park along with Great Escape in October 1992 for $14 million when International Broadcasting Corporation went bankrupt. In his second stint of ownership, Wood changed the park's name to Two Flags Over Niagara Fun Park.
Martin's Shows (1994–2016)
Martin DiPietro, owner of Martin's Shows, purchased the park and renamed it Martin's Fantasy Island in January 1994.[21] Charles Wood took the original Comet roller coaster and reassembled it at his Great Escape park later that year.[22] DiPietro would install his own roller coaster named the Silver Comet in 1999 that was inspired by the original.[23]
Martin DiPietro sold the park's land to Store Capital in May 2016, and Apex Parks Group began leasing the property from Store that same month.[24][25] The park returned to its original name of Fantasy Island.
Reports surfaced in 2018 and 2019 that the general condition of the park had deteriorated, with many attractions not operational due to either mechanical failure or under-staffing.[26][27]
On February 19, 2020, following reports that Apex Parks Group had put the park's rides up for sale, the company confirmed that the park had permanently closed.[28][29] A settlement was reached with the Attorney General's office to refund customers that had purchased 2020 season passes.[30]
IB Parks & Entertainment
Gene Staples, owner of IB Parks & Entertainment, entered a long-term agreement to lease the property from Store Capital in May 2021. Staples also owns and operates Clementon Lake Park and Indiana Beach. The park was renamed Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World and reopened in August 2021.[31] The 2021 season only featured the splash park, with rides being re-added to the park in time for the 2022 season.[32]
A Galaxi coaster that previously ran at; Noble Park Funland in Paducah, Kentucky, during 1987 and 1988; LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park in Monroe, Ohio, from 1989 to 2002; and Kokomo's Family Fun Center in Saginaw, Michigan, from April 2009 to 2019. Serpent was dismantled in early 2022 and first set up at Niagara later that year.
Replacing the park's previous Tilt-A-Whirl that operated from 1992 to 2019. Tilt-A-Whirl was acquired from the former Joyland Amusement Park in Lubbock, Texas.
Unopened Attractions
Niagara Amusement Park owns a large arsenal of attractions that are in varying states of construction or storage. Listed below are rides that have not been opened to the public since the park reopened. Opening years for previously operational attractions are listed below, and the reopening timeline for all are either vague or unclear.
A Pirate ship that arrived in 2021, having previously run at Chessington World of Adventures from 1988 to 2018. The ride has been deemed to be in critical condition and therefore will never be assembled.
The Shuttle Loop coaster originated in 1980 as the Laser Loop at Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, but was removed in 1990 to make way for the Steel Phantom.[33] It was promptly sold to Mexico City's La Feria de Chapultepec, where it operated as Cascabel from 1994 until a tragic accident on the park's Quimera coaster and ensuing safety inspections resulted in their closure.[34] Cascabel was later dismantled and sold online through the used rides market, for a starting price of US$490,000.[35] In April 2021, prior to the purchase of Fantasy Island by IB Parks & Entertainment, the Cascabel train and parts was spotted at Indiana Beach.[36] After some debate about whether it would be set up at the park, the coaster eventually materialized at Niagara Amusement Park in February 2022.[37][38]
A Frisbee ride that operated at Six Flags Great Adventure as Pendulum from 1999 to 2003 and Six Flags Great America from 2004 to 2023 as Revolution.[40] The attraction was delivered to Niagara in February 2024 and in May set up on the site that previously held Amazing Flying Machine, Mind Warp, and Sizzler.[39][41]
Miner Mike Family Coaster
TBD
In Storage
Wisdom Rides
A Miner Mike coaster that previously operated at Knucklehead's Bowling & Family Entertainment in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin from 2007 to 2023.[42] The coaster was set up in 2023 on a flat concrete pad (previously hosting Max's Doggy Dog Coaster), but ultimately wasn't completed due to the attraction originally straddling a pit as opposed to flat ground. It has since been dismantled.
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