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!

[@ephemerabluetit335]

We went on Kenmore day every year.

[@janosanfran]

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

[@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!

[@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! 👍😊🇨🇦

[@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

[@travisazzopardi8024]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@cathieshea5605]

I came from Fonthill to Crystal Beach .❤❤❤

[@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!

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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...

[@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.