Remembering Crystal Beach

For anyone growing up in Western New York and Southern Ontario, Crystal Beach was a staple of summer life. Remembering Crystal Beach Park takes you back through its 101 year history with archive photos and film from private collections. Relive memories of the Canadiana, the Grand Ballroom, the Cyclone, the Comet, the Laff in the Dark, the Magic Carpet, Hall's Suckers, Sugar Puff Waffles and more.
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Remembering Crystal Beach Park is a local public television program presented by WNED PBS.
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[@ThatBuffaloFan]

Summers in Crystal Beach after the park closed were never the same.

[@timothyclark-sl4il]

The best memories of my childhood were here in the 70's and 80's. Absolute magic!

[@janosanfran]

Such wonderful memories! And great visuals, that make you feel like you're on it again. Crystal Beach!!

[@WeGoPlacesTours]

I have wonderful memories spending the day at Crystal Beach Amusement Park every summer. Super fun rides & games, unique attractions beautiful beach….The Comet - The Yellow Coaster - Magic Palace - The giant statue man - The Monster …to name a few, beautiful memories I’ll always cherish! Great video! 👍😊🇨🇦

[@matdiclemente3564]

I am 32 and my family has owned a cottage in Chrystal Beach since my parents were teenagers.. they have ALWAYS told me how amazing this place truly was. I never once doubted them but after watching this video, their story's didn't do justice.. I am so extremely jealous I never got to experience this park. I wish they never closed for that stupid yacht club.....😔😔😔 Also, that cyclone looks badass!!

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Glad you enjoyed the program.

[@77atbirth]

I miss Crystal Beach so much. I think about it a lot. Some of my best memories are of days at Crystal Beach. ❤

[@darlenesloniger1934]

We used to have such a blast there. I find it crazy that my aunt would drop us off for the day as pre-teens then eventually teenagers. We were in a group and never had any trouble but still. Wouldn't happen today. We just loved it and felt so grown up to be on our own. My cousin and aunt are gone now but I will never forget those special days! This was in the 60s and 70s.

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Thank you for sharing. Crystal Beach was magical.

[@PlasticRevolver69]

I remember we could go on a bus from Cheektowaga, NY through our local Town Park with a signature from our parents…. This was in the early 1980’s and was a magical time!

[@adamdouglas5596]

Born and raised in Fort Erie, My take away from this video is simply that this is what prosperity looks like, this is the result of strong communities & strong families, when people still displayed a high moral compass, I see alot of comments about how it's sad that the park is gone, but I think it's sad that all these excited, happy to be alive good people seem to be gone, I was there on the last day the park was open as a young boy, seems like the passing of an era, a bygone era before cellphones, meth and rainbows painted on every crosswalk, where kids still played outside, yeah those were the days

[@nogreatreset8506]

Prosperity is gorgeous, faith is what keeps people strong. Klaus Schwab and all of those other evil people have contributed to a more angrier world. Even I as a younger man wish happiness, excitement an goodness were more abundant once again. Children need to be outside more they spend less time outside then they use too and are indoors playing with their electronics more and more. The powers that be trying to completely destroy humanity from the inside out. God and everything good still wins at the end of it all no matter what, and whenever the time is for humanity to end its reign on earth for those who believe, heaven is waiting on the other side.

[@jimmy59ca2001]

it was a lot of fun, i lived there as a youngster, went to school there, met so many nice people over the years and still think about it all the time, jjim

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Great memories. Thank you for sharing.

[@denniscole173]

Thank you for this memory. I was a kid from Northern Ireland during our "troubles" period. In 1981 i stayed with a family from Buffalo, who had a summer home on Point Abino road. They treated this scrawny kid like family, introducing me to crystal beach was something I'd never seen before. Each summer up until 87, Crystal Beach was highlight. Thanks again for sharing.

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Our pleasure!

[@ephemerabluetit335]

We went on Kenmore day every year.

[@carynboundy-clark6480]

Me on Tonawanda days

[@Ludwigdrummer]

Ah, memories! Went there 3 years in a row when I was a kid in the early 1960's, with our next door neighbours. Most favorite was the Magic Carpet funhouse. My parents met at the dance hall in the 1940's. We stayed at the Lakeside Motel and the Crystal Pool Motel. We had breakfast each day at Nat's Restaurant on the main drag. We would go into Buffalo in the evening for dinner at Laubes Old Spain.

[@scottkeppler7251]

So much fun . I went there in the mid 80s,I'm 48.

[@andrewdonohue1853]

i remember i was taken there as a kid, when it was closing. i was born in 1981

[@mikefritz3322]

Same! There was nothing like it.

[@DionLackner]

So many great memories as a kid in the 80s 🤘

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Thanks so much for watching! We used as many personal archives and collections as we could to provide this trip down memory lane! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jimmy59ca2001]

i was a pinboy downstairs in the bowling alley, great memories

[@stella-gx8ne]

Outstanding! I’m hungry now😂

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Hope you enjoy

[@dannymarks988]

Writing this from Tiny Blue in Crystal Beach today. Thank you for preserving and sharing the memories and affection here. A lovely watch.

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Wonderful!

[@freefromit2]

I was looking for myself in there somewhere. great days.

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Yes it was

[@jackkilman8726]

I just found out you can order the suckers online. Even though I never went to Crystal Beach, I plan to order some to connect with this incredible chapter in amusement park history.

[@speederz1]

wegmans supermarket has those suckers and made in america store in Elma NY has um

[@AgentOrangeCrush]

God i wish i could've experienced this park.

[@EDKguy]

I remember going on Riverside Day to CB every summer. This was a great video. So many memories. So sad it's gone.

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@scottkeppler7251]

I was only in Crystal Beach twice ,but what a time it was, my mom rode the ferry there to crystal beach,,she's in her 70s,My favorites of crystal beach was laugh in the dark and the magic castle .

[@cathieshea5605]

I came from Fonthill to Crystal Beach .❤❤❤

[@speederz1]

My dad who worker for General Mills cereal in Buffalo Ny had there company picnic and it was a blast going there

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Thank you for sharing.

[@mikeazzopardi2015]

Back in the 80s My parents had a cottage there and we spent every summer there. I'm 51 now

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Thank you for sharing. So many people have fond memories of Crystal Beach.

[@stella-gx8ne]

OMG!!!!!! Sugar Waffles🎉

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Yum

[@LynnM-t4c]

Loved that place. Although I did break my collarbone on the water slide.

[@BuffaloTorontoPublicMedia]

Ouch! What a memory that must be for you. We're glad you can still think of the place fondly!

[@marklemke9389]

Every summer (1960's) went there, highlight of the summer. We moved before I was big enough to ride the cyclone (Comet) . In fact, drinking my Loganberry (Still available online) as I watch this Video.

[@johnbacon3944]

Sadly this is the Canadian way, anything truly fun and entertaining gets canned, Ontario Place was another childhood memory for so many that they demolished also.

[@jamesklatt]

The Ontario amusement scene changed in 1981 when Canadas Wonderland opened.

[@scottkeppler7251]

I have a book all about crystal beach.

[@carynboundy-clark6480]

Kellys country store on Grand Island sells crystal beach waffles. Oh anyone remember the local restaraunts that had french fries with gravt? Oh the bees hanging out in the glass sucker jars

[@carynboundy-clark6480]

So true it was a big deal. Been on many coasters since but never one as great as the Comet. I think they rebuilt it near lake George

[@travisazzopardi8024]

Anyone else remember the wild west shows in the 60s?

[@BiometricFileHasBeenCorrupted]

No mention of the Wild Mouse?

[@zstopperuno]

I remember that ride from a different now-defunct Canadian amusement park called Boblo Island in Amherstburg.

[@carynboundy-clark6480]

Omg I hated that thing! Convinced it would tip and fall over at every turn. The comet I loved

[@thomasbernecky2078]

I was pretty sure the wooden coaster would break and send our car into the beach we were heading towards? I rode the Comet once then came back with a roll of tickets, so I could ride all day. Mom's family came from Scotland, and said the first day the Cyclone opened, a man from Lewis (in the Hebrides) got drunk, stood up in the car and was killed. I loved the park, and later on loved that beach.

[@zacharyelder349]

Well speaking of the Comet i can tell you that the Comet roller coaster has just been relocated to Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury New York and now it became a national historic landmark from the American Coaster Enthusiasts.

[@kookyw7809]

Does anyone know when Muffins Raw Bar was in Crystal Beach?

[@Jay-vr9ir]

Crystal Beach was great, then Crystal Beach decided to have general admission, took out too many of the rides and just had games . So you had to pay to get in and pay to play games , I never returned .

[@Jeff-ld1tf]

Im pretty sure people have met their wife's & husbands there...

[@timdj9826]

The dad that pushed the worker outta the way so his son can ride isn't very bright. There are height restrictions for a reason. Could've got his son hurt or killed. Dumb

[@rapman5363]

“Sold to of all people......an American “. LOL. As if that was some sort of handicap 😅😅 If it wasn’t for that “American” Crystal Beach as you knew it would not exist. 🤷‍♂️

[@omalley5196]

Ridiculous line! I'm an American that spent my summers as a kid at our place in crystal beach and from what I remember that park and neighborhood was loaded with American's. The park would've closed in the 50's without support from Buffalo. Is was as much our park as it was Canadian. My family still has our place and I joke that I'm 20% Canadian, but that line definitely upset me. Like I said that was our park too. Yes it was in Canada but we kept it going long past it's prime.

[@luannkelly-rudd6761]

@@omalley5196 I agree! I, too, spent all my childhood summers their. My family (from the Buffalo area suburbs) owned a cottage about 2 blocks from the entrance for over 30 years. I loved Crystal Beach. I even found my first puppy love there. I have such wonderful memories.

[@001spring]

Crystal Beach as I know it is long gone.

[@stella-gx8ne]

Think it’s condos now