On rainy summer days when we're stuck indoors looking at our old Crystal Beach photos we wonder what ever happened to our favorite rides. Many of the rides that were on the midway when the park closed were sold during the auction, but where did they go? Here's a few answers.

Laff in the Dark: sold piecemeal at auction. One person bought the majority of the stunts and cars including Laffing Sal. Later he resold some of the pieces. Laffing Sal is now in a private collection. The building was torn down, but the curlicues that edged the towers were salvaged by a local collector who put them on his own gazebo.

Magic Palace (Carpet): sold piecemeal at auction. Scavengers picked up bits and pieces as it was being dismantled and resold them over the years. Some of these pieces now reside in a private collection in hopes of being part of a museum on the park sometime in the future. The tipping barrels are in a private collection in Gowanda, NY. The rest of the building was razed and burned.

The Giant (Yellow) Coaster: This is a sad story. A group of enthusiasts bought the Giant at the auction with the intention of selling it to an amusement park to preserve and operate it, however, no park would take it and the enthusiasts dispersed the cars among them and took away sections of track. The rest of the coaster was knocked down and burned in 1991.

The Saw Mill River Flume: Purchased in auction by an unknown amusement park. It may have been used for parts as no one has seen it anywhere.

The Little Dipper roller coaster: Sold to the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, NY during auction. The train and a portion of track are currently on display there.

The Comet, Pirate, Flying Bobs: Charley Wood bought all three rides at the auction. The Comet and Pirate continue to operate at Six Flags Great Escape in Lake George, NY. The Flying Bobs went down the road to Action Park (Gaslight Village) in Lake George Village. That park closed in the late '90s. The rides were sold. The current whereabouts of the Flying Bobs is unknown.

The rest of the rides were sold to carnival and amusement park owners. What about the rides that disappeared before the auction?

The Wild Mouse was torn down after the 1981 season due to the need for extensive repairs. Some of the cars can still be found in private collections. The Hey Dey spun for its last season in 1978. It was replaced by a game booth.  Most of the ride was scrapped although the park held onto the cars for a while. Jungle Land was originally the Old Mill ride revamped a couple of times. It became a maintenance nightmare and was finally dismantled. The plastic animals were scattered between the Laff in the Dark, the Magic Palace and the antique car ride. Later they made it into auction along with the cannibal and the savage. Jungle Land's station became a game booth, its pond the site of remote control boats and part of the area was used for Cinema 180.

The Jolly Roger, that abomination of a Pirates of the Caribbean knock off that was slower than your grandmother, was mercifully removed from the ballroom in 1983. All of the rides except the boats was scrapped. Several of the boats were used as benches on the pier and two were converted into a bar for Schooners Beach Club in the bath house.

The miniature train was sold to a gentleman in Ontario for a private backyard railroad. He, in turn, sold it to Puddicombe Winery in Ontario where it operates today. The menagerie carousel was sold piecemeal in 1984 in Fort Wayne, Indiana primarily to raise money for improvements to the park. Only a few of those improvements were made. It was replaced by an aluminum circa 1945 Allan Herschell carousel. This carousel operated in the roundhouse until 1988 when it was relocated outside between the miniature train station and the Saw Mill River Flume. The roundhouse was converted to (what else?) a game stand. While the aluminum carousel was sold in auction, the roundhouse was torn down. One woman managed to save some of the building for use in her home.

Any other ride you may remember from the 1960s and before 1974,  was most likely a concession, meaning it belonged to a private operator who rented space from Crystal Beach for the season. Those rides could be anywhere if they are still operating.

August has arrived and summer is halfway over. For the kids in some states, summer vacation is winding down and school starts up in again in less than 2 weeks. But for those of us in the majority of the states, particularly in the Northern states, there are still 5 weeks of summer vacation left and I know many who plan to make the most of it.

This has been an unusually hot and humid summer, but few of us are complaining. Instead we are heading to our nearest amusement park to use their water parks. It is great to cool off splashing around in the wave pool, relaxing on an inflatable donut on the lazy river or getting a thrill on some super fabulous water slides. And the choices are numerous.

In Western New York we have many watering holes in which to get soaked. Martin's Fantasy Island has a nice sized waterpark, Water World, that includes a funnel-like slide and a large wave pool. Water World is included in the admission price. Darien Lake opened a new waterpark this summer. Splashtown is chock full of splashy fun from diverse slides to lagoons and a wave pool. There is a separate admission for Splashtown or a combination ticket that includes the dry rides.

Over in Canandaigua is Roseland Water Park. There are some awesome slides here including the scary Mammoth Raft Ride which speeds riders down a twisting, turning, crazy slide aboard inflatable rafts. The little kids can get in on the fun at the Splash Factory where they can blast water cannons and duck dumping buckets. The park also has boat rentals on a private lake, water balloon wars and beach volleyball. The admission is affordable with or without discounts and season passes are available as well.

Close by in Erie, Pennsylvania is Waldameer and their water park. There are more splishy splashy slides and pools here in one small area than anywhere else I know. They even have a giant hot tub! Prices here can't be beat and can be combined with dry rides for a full day of wild wet fun.

Across the border in Niagara Falls, Ontario are three indoor water parks good for getting wet all year long. At the Americana Resort the water park offers 25,000 square feet of water mania including a wave pool, body slides, and whirlpools all under a retractable roof. The Fallsview Indoor Waterpark boasts 16 slides, kiddie play areas and adult Jacuzzis. A little further down river is the Great Wolf Lodge where kids can play on an interactive water fort and at an outdoor pool with water geysers.

All these parks can be found on Facebook and have their own websites. Check them out for pricing and times and get your cool on!

The pier is one of the last remnants of Crystal Beach Park. It can easily be viewed from the lake, the beach or Waterfront Park. It has not been in use for more than 20 years. It seems odd, jutting out into the lake, its only company from the old days, the concrete break wall which now protects the homes of the gated community from Lake Erie's fury. The pier has had a long and interesting life and the fact that it still stands, tells much about the craftsmanship that went into its construction.

For many years boats had docked at the park. The first pier was constructed of wood and much of it had to be replaced every season. The second pier had a 200 foot concrete walkway that was divided by a 10 foot tall fence which kept disembarking passengers separated from passengers waiting to take the boats back to Buffalo. Despite its length the second pier still had to be extended to accommodate the Canadiana and Americana.

The third and final pier was built during a horrendous winter. Standing in ice and snow, workers built wood forms and sunk them into the frozen lake before pouring concrete for the support columns. Work continued throughout the winter as re-bar was set to add strength for the concrete pads that became the flooring, deck and railings. As spring arrived, the construction crew hurried to complete the pier in time for opening day.

On May 26, 1921 opening ceremonies were held for the pier. It had an observation deck that doubled as a launch pad for firework displays. It was long enough to prevent the steamers from being grounded on the shallow shore. The thick concrete pilings supported the pier and fluted tin awnings extended over the outside walkway to keep the lower level shady and cool for those waiting to board the boats. The posts that supported the railings were decorative. On the upper level the railings were topped with tall light posts with round globes. A set of wooden stairs led from the midway up to the observation deck. These were blocked and eventually removed as the upper deck began to deteriorate. Repairs to the concrete were not made and it became unsafe for patrons to lean on the railings.

With the end of the steamship era in 1956, fencing was placed around the lower level to prevent swimmers from climbing up onto the pier. The gate to the pier entrance was locked. The lower level became a storage area for old rides and other park items and boards were placed over the openings to keep the weather out. When the Sky Ride was installed, the support post for the turnaround was bolted to the observation deck.

The pier briefly experienced new life with the resurrection of boat service from Buffalo to Crystal Beach in the late 1980's. Repairs were made to the concrete deck to allow it to be used safely and the interior was cleaned up. Freshly painted benches and the boats from the old Jolly Roger dark ride were placed along the lower deck for seating. For the first time in decades park patrons were able to enjoy the cool lake breezes from the pier and for many it was a new experience.

Boat service continued until the park closed. Prior to the park's 100th anniversary there had been plans to turn the observation deck into a restaurant that resembled the Canadiana and would have large windows throughout for views of the park and lake. Maritime memorabilia was to be part of the decor. However, that plan never came to fruition. After the park was sold, plans were made to create a marina in which the pier would be a central player. Again, those plans never materialized.

The pier continues to stand, valiantly fighting Lake Erie's attempts to destroy it. The pier is a testimony to what once was, although Lake Erie is continually pounding the concrete into bits and large sections have dropped into the water. The covered part has lost many supports, especially on the observation deck, and the awnings are rusted, yet it stands, defiantly, reminding those who see it that Crystal Beach Park is not forgotten.

The Canadiana docks at the Crystal Beach Pier for the last time in 1956.

The rides are the things people think of first when recalling the fun they had at Crystal Beach Park, but there were plenty of games to play as well, especially during the park's last 20 years.

The Arcade was chock full of mechanical games like Grandmother Predicts, Personality Test and various pinball machines. Video games appeared in the early 1980's with driving games, Star Wars and Pac Man, among others. The outer sides of the Arcade housed rows of Skeeball machines and a wall of prizes that required an outrageous number of tickets.

For many years the building near the Giant Coaster housed "I Got It." It was later replaced with Bingo.

Running along the park perimeter near the Arcade was a row of game booths that housed the Cat Rack, Duck Shoot, Balloon Darts, and Knock 'em Down (knock over the milk bottles).

The row of game booths on the main midway from Jungle Land to the park entrance housed, Ring Toss, Penny Pitch, Duck Pond (which replaced the Fish Pond game), Roller Ball (played with a bowling ball), and a game played with a hockey puck. Winners of the booth games got a prize, usually a small stuffed animal that could be traded up with more wins.

Other interesting games on the midway were the High Striker, Electric Boats, Miniature Golf, Remote Control Tanks, Basketball, Space Racers, Boomball, and Whack-A-Mole.

The Shooting Shack or Shooting Gallery was developed by Walt Disney Enterprises. Players would use rifles that shot laser beams at targets set next to figures in the vignette. If the target was hit correctly, the figure became animated.

Food. Everybody loves it. Crystal Beach had plenty of food offerings, but the usual hamburger, hot dog and pizza fare wasn't as popular as the park's sweet treats were. Although some of those treats could be found in other parks, they didn't seem to taste as good as those we purchased at the beach.

Ice Cream: The Dairy Bar, a long green building between the Laff in the Dark and the Magic Palace, served hard, hand-dipped ice cream. Perry's was the brand and the flavors were everything from the standard vanilla and chocolate to interesting flavors like pistachio. The Creamy Whip stand stood right behind the Ferris Wheel opposite the carousel. The soft serve ice cream came in vanilla, chocolate and vanilla-chocolate twist. Patrons perferred the cool, smooth swirls of the Creamy Whip to the hard ice cream. Sales were not as high at the Dairy Bar as at the Creamy Whip. By 1987 the stand was permanently closed.

Candy Apples: Candy Apples are an amusement park staple. At Crystal Beach the sticky delights were made fresh daily at the candy stand next to the carousel. The park had its own special recipe. Approximately 400 apples a day were dipped in either a biting cinnamon or cherry candy coating. Batches were sent down to the candy stand next to the Giant Coaster two to three times a day. There was no extra charge for the honey bees.

Hall's Kisses: George C. Hall, from Buffalo, had started selling candy and popcorn as a concessionare at the park in 1901, (George bought the park in 1924). The original recipe for the kisses came from Seaside Heights, New Jersey, and was the same recipe used until the park closed in 1989. Unlike other types of taffy, Hall's kisses came in delightfully unique flavors like peppermint, chocolate, peanut butter and cherry. They were sold in small or large bags at both the candy stand next to the carousel and the candy stand next to the Giant Coaster. They were made fresh daily at the Carousel candy stand and individually wrapped by an automatic wrapping machine.

Loganberry: Nothing says Crystal Beach like a tall, cold plastic cup of Loganberry drink. In fact, the drink is very localized and Crystal Beach is credited for its birth back in the 1890's. For the last 20 years Loganberry fans have been able to purchase Cronfelt's bottled syrup, but it has disappeared from Buffalo supermarket shelves in the past year. Aunt Rosie's, bottled locally by Pepsi, is a close second, but that too seems to be disappearing from the supermarket. There is PJ's Crystal Beach Loganberry. However, the CB Crier finds it lacking in taste; too watery, not enough fruity syrup and very sugary. The carbonated version is quite unpleasant. You have to try it for yourself.
You can still get Cronfelt's syrup, but you have to go to Fort Erie or Thorold to purchase a bottle. It's worth the trip.

Hall's Suckers: No one left Crystal Beach without buying at least 1 sucker. These candy treats were a part of Crystal Beach tradition going back to 1901 when George was selling them for a penny each. The main sucker stand stood near the Erie Road entrance, a strategic placement as patrons parking in the back lot usually stopped to buy their suckers on the way out. Eight to fifteen batches of the confection were made fresh daily right on site and sold from metal containers with plastic lids. Round wooden sticks were used until the 1980's. Choices were lemon, coconut, peanut, butterscotch and the ever popular cinnamon.
You can still get Hall's Suckers, made with the original recipe and on the original equipment at www.crystalbeachcandy.com who delivers locally to Platter's Chocolates on Oliver St. in North Tonawanda, the Broadway Market in Buffalo and Vidler's in East Aurora.

Sugar Waffles: The real name for these treats is Sugar Puff. Modeled after the Belgium Waffle treat at New York's 1964-65 World's Fair, the Sugar Puffs were smaller, lighter and crispier. The stand was located near the Giant Coaster and the waffles were made inside. Flower-shaped molds were dipped into batter then deep fried.  Removed from the mold, the hot waffles were sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar. Tied with Hall's Suckers in popularity, batches and batches of sugar waffles were needed every day. A surplus of puffs were mounded by workers who hoped to keep the closing lines short, but, as twilght descended, patrons hurried over to the stand forming a long line down the midway that lasted long after the rides stopped running for the night while the harried workers scrambled to make more.
If you have a craving for sugar waffles you can still get them from www.crystalbeachcandy.com (again original recipe, original equipment). Crystal Beach Candy also delivers waffles to the Broadway Market for sale in Buffalo. You can get sugar waffles when you visit other amusement parks, however, the recipe is different and they may not taste exactly the same. The parks that come the closest are Martin's Fantasy Island on Grand Island and Seabreeze Park in Rochester.