Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World

Previously known as Fantasy Island (1961–1992, 2016–2019) Two Flags Over Niagara Fun Park (1992–1994) Martin's Fantasy Island (1994–2016)
Interactive map of Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World
Location	2400 Grand Island Boulevard,Grand Island,New York 14072
Coordinates	43°1′37.2″N78°58′14.5″W / 43.027000°N 78.970694°W /43.027000; -78.970694
Status	Operating
Opened	July 1, 1961 (1961-07-01)
Owner	IB Parks & Entertainment
Operated by	IB Parks & Entertainment
Area	85 acres (0.34 km2)
Website	Official website

Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World^[1] (formerlyFantasy Island,Two Flags Over Niagara Fun Park, andMartin's Fantasy Island) is an 85 acres (34 ha)amusement park inGrand Island, New York nearNiagara Falls. It features anamusement park and awater park. The park is owned byStore Capital and operated by IB Parks & Entertainment.^[2]

Fantasy Island was founded by real estate developer Lawrence Grant, and opened on July 1, 1961. It was planned by co-financier and local jeweler Gerald Birzon, with buildings designed byMilton Milstein & Associates.^[3] The ownership group was formed under the name Fantasy Land, Inc. before changing soon after to Fantasy Island, Inc. The group had originally planned to call the park Fantasy Land, but changed the name for legal reasons after discovering there was an area ofDisneyland calledFantasyland.^[4]

Upon opening, the park occupied only 12 acres (0.049 km²) of land that was divided into five themed areas: Action Town, Animal Kingdom, Garden of Fables, Indian Village and Western Town.^[5] Action Town featuredamusement rides, Animal Kingdom featured apetting zoo, Garden of Fables featured explorable recreations offairy tale scenes, Indian Village featuredNative American dancers, and Western Town featured a liveWild West show.^[6]

To promote the park,WGRz aired a live weekly television program on Saturday mornings from 1961 to 1962 titledFantasy Island Show, featuring the park's characters and puppeteers performing for an all-children live studio audience. The show's host and protagonist was Buckskin Joe, portrayed by park general manager Clyde "Buddy" Farnan.^[7][8]

A 2,500-seat outdoor arena was constructed in 1965 for Frenchlion tamer Jean "Tarzan" Zerbini's circus.^[9] ActorJim Carrey grew up in nearbyOntario and would vacation at Fantasy Island, citing Zerbini's show as a fond memory.^[10]

The park was expanded to 85 acres (0.34 km²) in 1974 to make room for more thrilling rides and to broaden the park's appeal.^[11]

Citing the1979 oil crisis and rising cost of gasoline, the park reported a 62% drop in profits during the 1979 season.^[12] The park was put up for sale that same year.^[13]

After dwindling attendance stemming from Western New York'sRust Belt economic decline, Fantasy Island, Inc. declared bankruptcy and the park did not operate for the 1982 season.^{[citation needed]}

The park was acquired out of bankruptcy in November 1982 by Charles R. Wood Enterprises, headed byCharles Wood, founder ofSix Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor inQueensbury, New York.^[14]

A water park called Water World was added in 1984. Wood also installed an 800-seatpicnic pavilion that was previously used at the1982 World's Fair.

Arto Monaco was commissioned to redesign Garden of Fables, constructing a castle with amoat that was encircled by ahorse-drawn carriage he had previously built forLand of Makebelieve.^[15]

Wood sold the park to International Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) in April 1989 for $36 million.^[16] As part of the deal, Wood would remain thechief executive officer of the park, and his son-in-law, Tom Wages, was retained as general manager.^[17]

Following the 1989 closure of nearbyCrystal Beach Park, that park's famedThe Comet roller coaster was purchased by Charles Wood at auction in October 1989 for $210,000, disassembled, and stored indefinitely at Fantasy Island.^[18]

In June 1990, Michael Murach was paralyzed from the head down while performing ahigh diving act at the park when he slipped on a diving board during a comedy act and fell 20 feet (6 m), hitting his head on the edge of the concrete pool. Years later, Murach was awarded damages of $58.6 million after a jury found International Broadcasting Corporation 100% liable for his injury. The end of the diving board was not installed at a proper distance away from the edge of the pool to prevent such an incident from occurring.^[19]

In August 1991, 14-year-old Kenneth Margerum fell 60 feet (18 m) to his death from the park'sFerris wheel after his seat dropped from its axle. It was revealed that the park operators routinely removed one or two seats from the ride each day to prevent the ride from moving around in high winds during off-hours. Each time the ride opened, the seats were bolted back onto the frame of the ride. Investigators found that only one side of the victim's seat had been bolted properly, causing Margerum's seat to drop from its axle, subsequently leading to his death.^[20]

Charles Wood reacquired the park in October 1992 for $14 million when International Broadcasting Corporation went bankrupt. In his second stint of ownership, Wood changed the park's name to Two Flags Over Niagara Fun Park.

Martin DiPietro, owner of Martin's Shows, purchased the park and renamed it Martin's Fantasy Island in January 1994.^[21] Charles Wood took the stored The Comet roller coaster and reassembled it atSix Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor later that year.^[22] DiPietro would install his own roller coaster namedSilver Comet in 1999, inspired by the original.^[23]

Martin DiPietro sold the park's land to Store Capital in May 2016, and Apex Parks Group began leasing the property from Store Capital that same month.^[24][25] The park returned to its original name of Fantasy Island.

Reports surfaced in 2018 and 2019 that the general condition of the park had deteriorated, with many attractions not operational due to mechanical failure and understaffing.^[26][27]

On February 19, 2020, following reports that Apex Parks Group had put the park's rides up for sale, the company confirmed that the park had permanently closed.^[28][29] A settlement was reached with the Attorney General's office to refund customers that had purchased 2020 season passes.^[30]

Gene Staples, owner of IB Parks & Entertainment, entered a long-term agreement to lease the property from Store Capital in May 2021. Staples also owns and operatesClementon Park and Splash World andIndiana Beach. The park was renamed Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World, and reopened in August 2021.^[31] The 2021 season featured only the water park, as rides were refurbished and reinstalled in the dry park.^[32] The full park reopened for the 2022 season.^[33]

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Name	Picture	Opened	Manufacturer	Notes
Silver Comet		May 1, 1999	Custom Coasters International	Ahybridwooden roller coaster inspired byThe Comet.
The Serpent		August 27, 2024	S.D.C.	AGalaxi coaster that previously operated at Noble Park Funland (1987–1988),LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park (1989–2002), and Kokomo's Family Fun Center (2009–2019). The Serpent arrived in pieces to the park in 2022. It didn't open to the public until 2024.[34]

Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World owns a large collection of attractions that are in varying states of construction or storage. Listed below are rides that have not been opened to the public since the park reopened. The reopening timeline for all rides listed is vague and unclear. The Comet, a kiddie coaster named Miner Mike, and a drop tower named Strike-U-Up were briefly in storage at the park as well, but have since been removed and were never constructed.

Many of the park's rides were sold by Apex Parks Group following the closure of the park in 2019.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMartin's Fantasy Island.

• Official website
• IB Parks & Entertainment
• Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World at theRoller Coaster DataBase

• Operating amusement parks
• 1961 establishments in New York (state)
• Amusement parks opened in 1961
• Amusement parks in New York (state)
• Buildings and structures in Erie County, New York
• IB Parks & Entertainment
• Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982
• Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020

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• Use American English from July 2025
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