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Park Profilewww.parkworld-online.comMidway ParkTrolley park survivorLocated on Chautauqua Lakeabout 70 miles southwest ofBuffalo, New York, MidwayPark became one of the over1,000 “trolley parks” thatdotted the US during the1920s. Today, only 12 suchparks remain. Gary Kyriazidiscovers how the smallest,least known and leastattended has survivedThe park’s Zamperla dragon coasterAndy Hillman, general managerOpened in 1898, people crowded trolley carsheaded for Midway Park to enjoy lakebathing, roller skating and rides such as theJohn Miller-designed Jack Rabbit rollercoaster, whiledancing to the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Moreover,Midway Park survived when its closest trolley parkcompetitor, Celoron Park a mere 16 miles away, shutdown in 1962. How was all that possible?“There are two reasons,” 36-year-old generalmanager Andy Hillman explains. “First, it was thecommitment from the previous owners of over 50years, Martin ‘Red’ Walsh and his family, to keep theMidway Trolley Park nostalgia alive. Secondly, it wasthe purchase of the park by State of New York inOctober 2006. We're one of only two governmentownedamusement parks, the other being Playland inRye, New York, which has been owned by WestchesterCounty since it opened in 1929.”And why was New York interested in purchasingMidway Park? “The Walsh family was receiving veryattractive offers from condominium builders to razethe park. But Chautauqua Lake has very limitedaccess to the public, as most of the lakefront isprivately owned. We wanted to maintain that publicaccess, and also we felt a commitment to the historyof Midway Park and its influence on the localcommunity. The park is now listed as a State andNational Historic Site.”“Now,” Hillman adds, “we've got our work cut outfor us. There's a lot of infrastructure that needs work,particularly our Hippodrome building. Also, we've hadto remove our 1946 Allan Herschell carousel out ofits roundhouse building, as the roof on that buildingneeds refurbishing.”The cost of those two projects alone? Half-a-milliondollars. Can the state afford that? Are there morepressing issues than the preservation of a trolley park?“Absolutely. We're realistic about the priority level ofMidway Park, so we're trying to gather money fromother sources. To do so we formed a Friends ofMidway Park Group. They're a non-profitorganisation, and as such they can apply for grantmoney that we as a state agency would otherwise nothave access to. The Allan Herschell Museum in NorthTonawanda, New York (the legendary amusement ridemanufacturer) received such a grant for historicpreservation. We're hopeful Midway Park can behelped in the same way. The Friends Group wouldalso function as advocates and ambassadors,organising volunteers. Our carousel needs renovation,and we're looking at getting donations frombusinesses and private individuals for the strippingand repainting of one horse at a time.”The challenge is certainly a tough one for MidwayPark, surrounded as it is by such larger, moredeveloped, and magnetic parks as Kennywood, DarienLake, Fantasy Island and Waldameer Park. Plus,Midway is far off the beaten path from anymetropolitan area. Still, there is a considerable market.“Our season pass holders are local people. A lot ofpeople from out-of-state come to their summer homesaround the lake, and they bring their children andgrandchildren. We get Jamestown from the south,Fredonia and Dunkirk from the north. Of course,we're near Erie, Pennsylvania and Buffalo, and whilewe don't pull heavily from there, a lot of people havefond memories of Midway so they opt to travel a littlelonger distance to enjoy the nostalgia of riding thesame rides they rode when they were children.”Indeed, Midway Park is a museum of classic kiddierides, the majority being Herschell constructions. “It'svery helpful,” Hillman explains, “that the Herschellfactory is close. It's helpful for parts, blueprints, gettingour rides worked on; they're able to help keep usgoing.” Besides its 1946 carousel, Midway's Herschellrides include the Roller Coaster, Miniature Train,Helicopter Ride, Roadway, Kiddie Boats and SkyFighter. There's a William F Mangels' Roto-Whip, aminiature version of its famous Whip ride. Zamperla'sDragon Coaster, Sartori's Tidal Wave and HamptonRides' Tubs-of- Fun round out the kiddie ride arsenal.A Tilt-A-Whirl, Bumper-Boats, Go-Karts, Dodgem andclimbing wall provide diversion for the pre-teens.There are two main levels to Midway Park: the lower,historical section of the park including the Hippodrome,carousel roundhouse and the original arcade building,and a higher level near the park's entrance.The Tilt-A-Whirl dominates this view of the park50NOVEMBER 2011