Leaving Fantasy Island: Fans lament 'end of era' for amusement park

By Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

Fans of Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World are disappointed to learn that the former Fantasy Island property on Grand Island has gone up for sale. The “Fun Wow” entertainment factor has been a hit with residents and tourists for many of the park’s 65 years of existence under numerous ownerships.

The property is now listed by Hunt Commercial at a price of nearly $5 million.

Town Supervisor Peter Marson is hopeful that whoever purchases it will bring added value to the town, its residents and its tax base.

Scoping it out

“Several people have reached out to the town in my office inquiring, and we’ve made all the connections we can,” Marston said. He added that the questions pertain to zoning, the size of the property and similar information. “That’s about the extent of our role. We certainly can’t be the real estate agents on it. We try to facilitate answers for all their questions.”

Marston said, “I’m disappointed that we’re at an intersection we’re at, but I guess we’ll just have to see how this all works out in the future.”

He said there is public sentiment for keeping the property as an amusement park, but under different management.

“I frequently wonder if maybe it just needs to be a different ‘recipe’ here so the property succeeds in the future. But we can’t necessarily pick that, because it’s a private entity,” Marston said. “We’ll keep an eye on it and do whatever we can.”

As to community reaction, Marston said, “I think everybody’s sad. I think everybody hopes it comes back to some degree as an amusement park because Grand Island loves Fantasy Island. I think, culturally, they want to see that continue. But I think everybody also wants to see it succeed, too.”

Marston said the town would benefit from the property being on the tax rolls as a new business and an employer of area residents.

Operator opts out

On April 30, park operator IB Parks & Entertainment announced the amusement park would not open for the 2026 season, which would have been its fifth season of managing the park.

At the time, IB Parks management said, “Attendance and revenue levels in recent seasons were not sufficient to sustain the costs of operation and continued investment required to rebuild and operate the park responsibly.”

While IB Parks operated the amusement park under a five-year lease agreement (from May 2021-May 2026), the property has been owned by Store Master Funding IX LLC since 2016, according to Erie County real property documents.

Suggestions for an improved business plan

Debi Pogue and her husband, Darren, administer a Facebook fan page that can be found at Fans of Fantasy Island. Debi grew up on Grand Island and now lives in Lockport.

The Pogue family has years of experience visiting many amusement parks. They had a special enthusiasm for Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World.

“From the start, I was a huge cheerleader of the park, and especially excited that my son was the first guest (in 2021),” she said. “But when it was clear to me that they were not doing well financially, and I felt they didn’t have a good execution of a plan, I could see it was a big problem and basically felt it was a repeat of Apex.”

Apex closed its park on the site in February of 2020.

“There was no way they were going to bring in serious income, having to charge such low rates for tickets and season passes, especially if they couldn’t make the investments needed to get that park more established and have more attractions to attract more people,” Pogue said. "Unless some sort of established smaller park operator that is successful is interested in buying and taking over the park, I feel that property is about to get sold and dissected into multiple properties, because there’s more value in that.”

Pogue has a suggestion for the next operators, should the property still be used for the amusement park business: “They have to embrace trying to advertise to some of the larger employers in Western New York that have families, to really market themselves well.

“Think back to how both Fantasy Island and Darien Lake used to have company picnics. M&T bank used to do that, too, as well as others like KeyBank and other big local companies.”

Pogue pointed out that IB Parks & Entertainment closed another of its assets this year. Clementon Park and Splash World in Clementon, New Jersey, was shuttered after 119 years in business and is looking for a buyer.

“I feel that, when you compare small parks to big parks, the one formula that seems to be most successful as a standout example would be Waldameer & Water Park in Erie, Pennsylvania,” Pogue said. “They do charge a somewhat hefty rate for their season passes and their tickets to get in. But that’s to include all rides and/or the waterpark. On the flip side, you can walk in without paying a thing and then pay per ride using the ‘Wally Card.’ ”

“What they do is attract people looking for the full experience or those who can’t afford to pay for the full experience, yet they can still enjoy the park and spend money and keep the park thriving,” Pogue said.

End of an era

Moose Lodge No. 810 member Mary Ehde calls the potential sale of Grand Island’s amusement park “the end of an era.” She spearheaded a successful communitywide fundraising drive that brought July 4 fireworks to the amusement park for the past two years. For 2026, the community donated $20,000 to light up the sky over the amusement park.

“Personally, I’ve been pretty hopeful because none of the rides were taken down, and that led me to believe that they were still in the process of trying to sell it as a park, not as the land,” Ehde noted.

She said that has changed recently, as dismantling of some equipment has begun.

 “It’s sure not ever going to be a park again,” she said. “How will we ever have fireworks again? That’s No. 1 for me, and No. 2: What will they end up with?”

Signs of the times

The Moose Lodge will sponsor “Fantasy Island Carnival Day” “the End of an Era” from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. Ehde said she acquired five of the original Fantasy Island signs – including the “Fun? Wow!” sign, her favorite – from the amusement park, as well as one of the antique cars.

“A few weeks ago, I was standing there thinking, ‘This is the end of an era. What am I going to do with these signs and the car?’ ”

She said that’s when she decided to have a carnival with the signs as a backdrop and the car as an attraction, along with some 10-by-10-foot tents. The event is not connected in any way to IB Entertainment’s business.

Property profile

The price tag for the property is $4,999,900, as co-listed by Christina Cerrone Pecoraro and Jennifer Ranaletti of Hunt Commercial. The property includes more than 75 acres of commercial land and 53 small buildings on it that were used in the park.

Cerrone Pecoraro told Business First, “The business isn’t for sale, just the land and whatever rides are left there. … It’s being listed as another amusement park or redevelopment.”

The property description in the Hunt Commercial listing refers, in part, to the offering as: “A landmark destination since 1961. The former Fantasy Island property presents a rare opportunity for a visionary investor or developer. Spanning 80 acres of versatile land zoned Central Business District, this prime site is fully equipped to resume its tradition as a beloved regional amusement park or undergo a dramatic redevelopment into mixed-use housing, retail, dynamic hospitality or novel entertainment venture (with town approval).”