Fort Erie Travel Guide

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This is a rather parochial museum of rail history with one full engine parked and boardable and a station full of local momentos about the railroad days of Fort Erie. There are railmen tools and telegraph equipment and photo albums and old tickets, pamphlets and postcards.

We went on a Sunday and no one was around (and no charge). Took about 40 minutes to see everything and fiddle with the steam engine. Normal charge is $2. Parking lot at the front of the station building.

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Crystal Beach Amusement park was one of the premiere places to go in my day. We hit there in the mid-1980's and the kids spent all day (literally) on the rides. They had some of the best roller coasters, the old wood and rail kind (clickity clack): Cyclone, Canadiana, Comet, The Wild Mouse. There were the huge swinging chairs on long chains; the gondola rides swaying way up over the park; the Laff in the Dark "spooky" ride; the tunnel of love; and lots more.
You could buy puff pastries and sugar waffles and flavored ice. They had all the kiddy rides in Frolic Land.

The park closed in the early 90's and there was hope that it might make a comeback.
But here it is 2006 and my grandkids won't be able to enjoy the place.

The park area is still there but the amusement has gone along with the rides and the cotton candy and the sideshows and the crowds of people. Now you can just sit on a bench and feed the pigeons and ducks and seagulls.