Welcome to a place that I got to visit in the last years of its existence. In its day, the Crystal Beach Amusement Park was one of Canada's most popular tourist attractions.
The park began as a religious campground in 1888 and became known as "Canada's Playground" and "Buffalo's Coney Island" after a carousel was added around the turn of the century. Many rides were added and the popularity of the amusement park grew in leaps and bounds through the early and mid 1900s. At one point there were 3 piers and a dance hall (The Crystal Ballroom) added near the Lake. The dance hall had the largest unobstructed dance floor (50x70 metres) in North America at the time. Initially, the band was on an elevated stage in the middle of the floor so that all could hear. With amplification, they were eventually moved to one end. The dance floor could hold an incredible 3000 dancers!
Initially the majority of customers came by boat from Buffalo in the early years of Crystal Beach, since the park developed and grew prior to the popularity of automobiles and the required infrastructure to accommodate the volume of interested people.
A "vicious coaster" - the Cyclone opened in the late 1920s - would take the rider up to a speed of 84 km/hr and pull over 4 Gs of force! Reports state that 75000 ppl attended opening day for the coaster! There was sadly one fatality on this ride on May 30th, 1938 when a young man was thrown from the ride after the first drop. Due to the forces of the ride, the repairs were frequent and costly. The Cyclone was torn down and replaced by the Comet in 1948.
The park thrived through the first half of the 1900s and even continued to flourish during the depression. In the 1950s the park started to falter and ferry service became unprofitable and ceased in the mid 1950s. This, along with traffic jams on the roads between Buffalo and Crystal Beach added to the lower attendance. Attempts were made to make the park more profitable - adding new coasters and other rides, as well as concessions. The park actually had its best year ever - estimated at 500 000 patrons, in 1980. However, the opening of several other amusement parks in the general area (Marineland - Niagara Falls ON, Canada's Wonderland - Vaughn ON and Darien Lake - Corfu NY (outside of Buffalo)).
The park closed in June of 1989 for good. A significant amount of the park was sold and moved to other areas. The Comet is in a park in NY state to this day. Sadly, many rides and buildings were demolished.
Today the area hosts private residences in a private subdivision. There is a report from the Town of Ft Erie from 2005 that states that they would like to make a "Memory Trail" that would have mementos and info plaques along the water front of the area about the Crystal Beach Amusement Park, but requests for variances from the private land owner are necessary and I was unable to find any mention of that proposal since the report, in my online searches to prepare for this virtual cache. Crystal Beach Neighbourhood Plan 2005
Most of the above was found at Crystal Beach Amusement Park link
REQUIREMENTS for logging this virtual cache. Answer 2 questions and take (at least) 2 pictures. Please message me privately with the answers for the questions. Feel free to log your find after you have sent me the answers, you do not need to wait for me to respond. For the pictures, please provide a photo at each location with your cache log (you do not have to show your face) with a thumbs up, or a personal item to confirm you were there.
Stage 1 - Question and Picture.
Crystal Beach Amusement Park Plaque.
Pls take the pic with something unique to you in it. Please do not include the stone at the plaque's base.
**QUESTION** There is a memorial stone at base of plaque - What does the last line say (It starts with "A friend...")?
Stage 2 - Picture.
Picture of water/sand/warf from here - look West and take pic westward with the large unique wharf/dock in background.
Please take the pic with something unique to you in it.
Stage 3 - Question.
Waves of Change Info Plaque - The Leisure section mentions the Crystal Beach Amusement Park, in the Customs section ** QUESTION** Why did the Customs Office on the ferry dock close?
Feel free to share any stories that you may have from your visits to this park! 
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.