Overview

For more than 100 years, western New Yorkers have enjoyed the region's exciting amusement parks. During the days of trolleys and steamships, area businessmen created Celoron Park, Crystal Beach Park, and other fine local summer resorts. Decades later, lifelong memories were formed for neighborhood baby boomers who visited Glen Park and Fantasy Island, as well as one of New York State's finest theme parks, Darien Lake. Western New York has always been a proving ground for some of the nation's most famous roller coasters. The terrifying Cyclone, the fast and furious Silver Comet, and the extreme Ride of Steel have attracted the very bravest of visitors. In the new millennium, the summer tradition of visiting local amusement parks continues with a blend of family-orientated parks and theme parks that appeal to all ages.

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Title: Love of amusement parks inspire author Author: Susan J. Conrad Publisher: The Daily News Online Date: 6/25/2011 Niagara Falls resident Rose Ann Hirsch has always enjoyed amusement parks. She recently published her third book about local parks. Hirsch will be available at 1 p.m. today at Present Tense, 101 Washington St., Batavia, to sign her book, Western New York Amusement Parks, which is part of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series. The book focuses on the history of about 20 amusement parks that operated during the last 100 years, including Darien Lake Theme Park. Along with more than 200 historical images, Hirsch includes chronological information on the growth or decline of each park. Some of the pictures depict Darien Lake before it became the sprawling thrill center of recent decades. I really enjoyed revisiting my memories of going to these parks with my family, Hirsch said. Only four of the parks featured in the book are still open. Crystal Beach Amusement Park is Hirsch's all-time favorite amusement park, she said. Her family visited the park at least once a summer during her youth. It had dark rides and roller coasters, Hirsch said. Everything a thrill-seeker could want was at Crystal Beach. Hirsch also has fond memories of Christmas Park in Albion. That park helped her to love and appreciate the Christmas holiday, she said. As a child, the Sky Fighter was Hirsch's favorite kiddie ride. It can still be found at Carousel Water and Fun Park in Beach Lake, Pa. As soon as she rode the Silver Comet at Fantasy Island, that ride took over as her favorite, she said. Hirsch took about a year to research and write Western New York Amusement Parks. Finding some of the old photographs was the trickiest part of the research, she said. They were obtained through Hirsch's own post card collection, at the Buffalo State College Archives and from other amusement park fans on Facebook. She also wrote books for Arcadia on Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks and Crystal Beach.

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As a western New Yorker, Rose Ann Hirsch grew up visiting several of the area's parks and spent 31 summers riding the Comet at Crystal Beach. She has written various articles and books on amusement park topics, including Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks.

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