Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum Attraction Type: Wax Museum Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Year(s) Operational: 1959-2001 (Clifton Hill location), 2005-Present (Victoria Ave. location) Designer(s): Stubergh-Keller/Ripley's Wax Studios, Louis Tussaud's Waxworks, Deroy & Associates, Waxattract By the 1950s, it had become clear that using Clifton Hill as a series of budget, away from The Falls tourist camps wasn't nearly as lucrative as the land could potentially be. Welland Securities had opened the Quality Inn Fallsway where Dinosaur Adventure Golf now sits in 1955, and the Park Motor Inn where Niagara Speedway now is in 1956. The Clifton Inn had also torn down it's old structure and built anew as the Pilgrim Hotel. Darling Cabins had torn down most of their cabins to make way for a low-rise motel building and rebranded as the Darling Motel. Change was afoot in the wake of Marilyn Monroe's breakthrough film "Niagara" in 1953, both cementing The Falls as a honeymoon destination and creating further general interest in visiting the city. Architects McPhit & Kelly's original 1925 sketch of the Clifton Hill side of the Foxhead Hotel, 1925. Tussaud's in the former section of the Foxhead, opening year. In 1959, Clifton Hill's first amusement attraction came onto the scene, Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum, located in a former section of the Foxhead Hotel that was just up Clifton Hill from the main building. The first floor, second floor and basement would become the museum with the third floor remaining the accounting offices for the neighboring hotel. The story behind the museum's early ownership and licensing is a bit hazy. It was an officially licensed franchise of the original Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum in Blackpool Beach, England, who also had their own art department dating back to the titular member of the Tussaud family in the late 19th century. That being said, the story goes that most of the Niagara museum's detailed figures were designed by Stubergh-Keller Wax Models, of Niagara Falls, NY who also owned the attraction. There's evidence to support both Louis Tussaud's and Stubergh-Keller studios contributing to the museum since day one, suggesting that perhaps Stubergh-Keller owned the museum but licensed the Tussaud's name, with Stubergh-Keller producing more work for the attraction simply due to it being much closer to home. The background and set design however was originally provided by Deroy & Associates of Toronto. The Foxhead and the museum in 1960. Guests were greeted with impressive displays before even entering the lobby. The attraction's sign would be a 22ft tall rotating Louis Tussaud himself, adorned in vibrant, colourful neon. There was also massive billboard-esque neon signage on the roof reading "Louis Tussaud Wax Museum." The signs were created and leased to the attraction by Pattison Signs, a large corporation who specializes in signs and billboards to this day. A figure of daredevil Charles Blondin was also suspended across Clifton Hill from the attraction to a pole across the street, actually appearing to be crossing over the road as if it were the Niagara Gorge. Though the figure was static and didn't move or cross the wire, this was still incredibly impressive for the time, and remains an incredibly unique feature today. Looking up Clifton Hill towards Blondin and the iconic sign, mid 1960's. 1960's advertisement showing only a handful of the royalty on display. Originally upon entering the museum, guests would see a depiction of Robert Cavalier De La Salle and Louis Hennepin overlooking The Falls, as their record of it is one of the earliest found. Next was a figure of Madame Marie Tussaud herself, the famed 17th and 18th century wax artist. Marie Tussaud is who the popular global chain of historic Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum attractions is based off, Louis Tussaud was her great grandson and the two chains share zero relation. One could argue the Louis Tussaud's chain may have been trying to get a slice of that pie, as "Stubergh-Keller Wax Museum" (as the Niagara location perhaps more accurately should have been called) doesn't have quite the same ring to it, despite the studio's artwork being gorgeous all the same. Other original scenes included Beethoven, Gandhi, Nikita Khrushchev (then premier of the U.S.S.R.), Joan of Arc, Mark Antony, Robin Hood and Friar Tuck, Winston Churchill, Cleopatra, Christopher Columbus, Niagara daredevil Red Hill Jr., and the assassination of Lincoln. The "Hall of Kings" was popular, featuring Henry VII, George III, Charles I (and VII), Edward VII, William III, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth I (and II) among others. Lincoln assassination, 1960's. Red Hill Jr., 1960's. Construction of the Robin Hood scene in June 1959. In this image from left to right, architect William Cartmel Jr., manager of Louis Tussaud's England William Cartmel Sr., and set designer Derek Deroy. Completed Robin Hood scene, 1960's The finale of the museum was the dim, dark Chambers of Horror in the basement. It included depictions of fictional monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster, and things loosely based on history like the "Streetsville Ghouls" or the "Compte De Lorge." The real show however were the real torture and execution methods showcased in the museum. These included the "Algerian Hook", a scalping scene, the "Cell of Little Ease", the "Woman in the Iron Cage", and burning of the eyes. While there was no motion featured in the figures and the gore wasn't as intense as it would be in later years (more on that later), it was still unlike anything most people had seen at the time, especially at that level of realism. Early scenes from the original Chamber of Horrors. From left to right: Entrance to the area, an incredible Count Dracula figure sculpted by Ron Booker of Stubergh Wax Models, and Frankenstein's Monster courtesy of Timothy Randall of Waxipedia. Tussaud's next to the rebuilt Foxhead, early 70s. The attraction was a smash hit, and kicked off the future of Clifton Hill, becoming Niagara's must visit location second only to The Falls itself. It opened the tourism floodgates further, and by 1960, all the cabin courts in the area had been demolished to make way for new motels, hotels, restaurants, and souvenir stores. In 1964 the Foxhead Hotel officially rebranded as the Sheraton Foxhead, demolishing the original structure and building a high-rise hotel in its place, but leaving the part of the building housing Tussaud's the same as the English Tudor style matched the theme of the museum. When the second wax museum in The Falls, the Burning Springs Wax Museum opened in the Fallsview district in 1963, Tussaud's attempted to sue the attraction for the giant words "Wax Museum" painted on the side of the building overlooking the busy Queen Victoria Park below, arguing it was knowingly causing confusion over which wax museum was Niagara's original. The case was obviously thrown out, as Tussaud's didn't have monopoly over the term Wax Museum (and the chain had even somewhat stolen their own Tussaud family name themselves.) Tussaud's losing the case (unknowingly then) forever changed the path of the Niagara Falls tourism industry. By the end of the 60s, there were six other wax museums/oddity museums with wax figures in the Clifton Hill area, with two more over in the Fallsview district. To stay above this new competition, change was necessary. Things would be shuffled around often to remain relevant and keep up to date. In 1964, the local Niagara Falls Women's Institute petitioned to get a figure of local hero Laura Secord placed in the museum. The museum accepted whole-heartedly, and the figure was one of the ones confirmed to have been sculpted by Louis Tussaud's wax studios back in England by 45 different artists. The figure was sent to Tussaud's in Niagara, and unveiled first to members of the Women's Institute who made the figure possible. The death of Lee Harvey Oswald was added as one of the museum's first scenes, and a "Hall of Assinated Leaders" later in the attraction. Marie Tussaud was eventually made the museum's first figure upon entering, and Charles VII the second. Whoever the current Canadian Prime Minister or U.S. President was also got a figure in the attraction during their time in office. Waxattract , Robert Dunham's company which was still in its infancy at the time, was also commissioned to create certain figures and displays for the attraction between the late 60s and early 70s after the success of his impressive Boris Karloff Wax Museum. Museum guide Phyllis Reese presenting the Laura Secord figure to reporter A. E. Huggens, and Wilfred Stewart of the Women's Institute who made it possible. Sidewalk advertisements outfront the museum, 1964. A fire broke out in the attraction the morning of February 16th, 1967 which destroyed the Streetsville Ghouls scene in the Chamber of Horrors. The flames were extinguished by the attraction's sprinkler system which also automatically notified fire crews, and limited the damage to the one scene. The attraction was extremely lucky, sprinkler systems wouldn't be mandatory in commercial businesses for nearly another 50 years, and their foresight paid off. If it were not for the sprinkler system, the attraction would have likely been lost, and clicking around on this site you'll find several other wax museums and attractions both in Niagara Falls (and abroad) weren't so lucky. The damage capped out at a relatively low $4,000, and was theorized by fire crews to have been started by a lit cigarette butt tossed into the scene (a usual culprit), however the fire alarm was tripped at 4:53 A.M. while the building was empty, so if that was the case it must have certainly been a slow, smoldering start. Many different displays would grace Tussaud's front window over the years, however perhaps it's most memorable would be added at this time to keep the attraction eye-catching. In 1970, local artist and engineer Derek Costello created a moving riser platform for the front window, which was decorated using Stubergh-Keller figures depicting the moon landing and set to music. This scene was later moved inside. A booth offering horoscope readings was constructed along the sidewalk and attached to the front of the building in the late-70s. It eventually became a discount photo developer in the late-80s and expanded in the early-90s, but was eventually later removed when Tussaud's got a new facade coinciding with the Sheraton next door remodeling in 1997. The discount photo booth and building facade in the late 80s. Ripley's International had bought out Stubergh-Keller Wax Studios back in 1970, and therefore the museum with it. This provides further evidence that the original Tussaud's in England had no stake in the attraction at all and simply licensed the name/provided some of the early figures. Ripley's eventually moved the Stubergh-Keller studios to the former Sheraton Foxhead accounting offices on the third floor of the attraction's building later in the decade. The 80s would understandably be a turbulent time for the attraction, with figures being shuffled around, refreshed and switched out constantly partially due to the ease of the studios being located in the same building. A 1982 Niagara Falls Review article talks about Ron Booker, one of the wax artists employed on the third floor, being interviewed for an episode of an unnamed U.S. morning show hosted by film critic Steve Reid. At the time Booker was working on a figure of Princess Diana destined for the Ripley's-owned Louis Tussaud's location in Copenhagen. Footage of this T.V. episode has yet to surface and remains lost media, but would be a fantastic glimpse into both the original Tussaud's and the legendary waxworks above it. The attraction underwent a massive overhaul in 1991 which debuted in June of that year, adding more pop culture figures in exchange for many of the remaining historical figures. Other historical scenes were updated such as a new Hall of Presidents, or new higher-tech ones added such as a projection effect in an ice cave showcasing indigenous peoples' story of Niagara Falls. The real update however, came to the Chamber of Horrors. The Ice Cave projection, 1991. Gone were the tamer fiction displays like Frankenstein's Monster and the Streetsville Ghouls, and in their place was a bloody, gory, pulls-no-puches torture chamber, completely historically accurate as well just in case guests wanted to try and brush it off as fiction. Several of the more brutal scenes that already existed were retained and updated to be more detailed, turning the basement into an extremely gruesome torture chamber that still haunts the minds of those who experienced it. While still featuring no animation other than a switch-activated electric chair and a shaking wooden trunk with screams emanating from it, the eerie atmosphere of the basement coupled with the Gregorian chanting that echoed through the halls added to the area's creep factor. The scenes were also particularly brutal, including updated eyeball torture and Algerian Hook scenes, the rack, flaying alive, starving prisoners, and a variety of severed heads that had met brutal ends, all in stunning realism. Local artist Bruce Randall, who had been employed by Stubergh-Keller in the 60's and rejoined them when they moved the studio to the Canadian side, was an integral part of the remodel. Above: Torture scenes seen in photos courtesy of Timothy Randall (son of artist Bruce Randall) of Waxipedia, who grew up running freely in the halls of the museum below his father's office. Top left: the original eyeball torture before the remodel. Bottom left: the much more graphic updated eyeball torture after the remodel. Above: The gruesome Algerian Hook. Another part of the remodel would be updates to the exterior, as the lease with Pattinson Signs ended. Local sign shop Signatures Signs would be asked by Tussaud's to rebuild the signage from scratch using only photographs of the old sign for reference. They did a fantastic job on making it identical to the original, and the giant neon Tussaud remains at Tussaud's current location. The rooftop billboard signage however would not be remade identical and would now be updated. While still reading "Louis Tussaud's Waxworks", the sign now had an updated font resembling the attraction's logo, and was on a black background to stand out more over the steel grid board used formerly. The same updated logo was also placed below the giant neon Tussaud. Ripley's International art department on the third floor would eventually be moved down to Florida in the 90's. While some materials were saved, many of the department's archives dating back to the Stubergh-Keller days were destroyed. The attraction meanwhile would remain popular until 2001, when the lease would be up with the Sheraton Foxhead Left: Jeff Wallis of Signature Signs installing neon on the new iconic cavalier, 1991. Right: The original Clifton Hill location in it's final days in the early 2000's. Sheraton didn't give Ripley's the option to renew the lease, as they had plans to completely revitalize the area around the Sheraton Foxhead and Sheraton Brock into the Falls Ave. entertainment complex in order to stay relevant with other major developments in the area. The original Tussaud's closed after nearly 42 years on The Hill, and the almost century old building originally part of the first Foxhead Hotel was essentially completely demolished. Very little of the structure was saved, and the building later home to the Extreme Movie Ride 4D and the MGM Great Movie Journey was built in it's place. Today the building is home to Niagara Distillery and BBQ (while the 4D Ride remains in the basement.) Niagara Distillery in place of the former location of the museum, late 2010s. The museum would rise again however after a four year hiatus in 2005, now reopening on Victoria Ave. in a former restaurant. It wasn't the first attraction in the space however, as the building was briefly home to the Wonderful World of Fantasy from 1974-1981. The old signage would be retained from the Clifton Hill location, as well as Blondin now crossing over Victoria Ave. The new location would be two floors rather than three, but in a much larger building. The new attraction would retain very little of the original collection, and while some figures would make a re-appearance, the majority would replaced with new scenes comprised of the computer-created figures (wax content debatable) that Ripley's uses in present day. Very few of the original figures from Stubergh-Keller and Louis Tussaud's studios remain, being mostly relegated to the historical figures on the balcony above the lobby. The museum, Blondin, and neon Tussaud relocated to Victoria Ave,, early 2010's. The Chamber of Horrors would now be more inspired by pop culture and fiction, and feature an animatronic zombie in a chair created by Lifeformations at the entrance to the area. The new building originally resembled the original style of the old Foxhead Hotel section the original museum occupied, but it was repainted in the mid-2010's to be more eye catching and given new lighting. It remains Canada's largest wax museum to this day, and while quite different than it's original form, Niagara's first amusement attraction is now entertaining it's sixth decade of visitors. The historic museum as it appears today.

Quebec Comprising the top half of the Quebec City-Windsor corridor that runs through Quebec and Ontario containing the majority of Canada's residents, lower Quebec is particularly well-populated with attractions. The province also contains many vacation resorts in areas such as The Laurentians, fueling it's tourism industry. Bowling Alleys (Salons de Quilles) are extremely popular in Quebec as well. Amusement and Theme Parks Belmont Park - Montreal La Ronde - Montreal Mega Parc - Galeries de la Capitale, Quebec City Le Village du Pere Noel (The Village of Father Christmas/Santa's Village) - Val-David Arcades, Mini Golf and F.E.C.s Amusement Casino - St. Laurent Blvd., Montreal Amusements L-Z - S aint- Catherine St. W. , Montreal Amusement 2000 Plus - Blvd. Saint-Martin O., Laval Bar Billiard Blou - Boul. Henri-Bourassa, Quebec City Bar Billard le Huit - Bd. Greber, Gatineau Bar Billard Micky's - Chem. de la Riviere-Cachee, Boisbrand Bar Billard Notre Dame - Notre-Dame St. W., Montreal Bar Billard Scoop - Mont-Royal Ave. E., Montreal Bar Billard Super 8 - Boulevard Maloney E., Gatineau Bar Billard Terminus - Rue Jean-Proulx, Gatineau Bar Flush Billard - Bd. Cartier, Beloeil Bar Le Shooter - Rue King E., Sherbrooke Bar Salon Billard De Cowansville - Rue de la Riviere, Cowansville Bar Snooker Billard - Blvd. Laurentien, Montreal Bar Sporalie Billiard - Bd. de l'Ormiere, Quebec City Belleys Billard - Notre-Dame St. E., Victoriaville Billiard Centre-Ville - Rue Racine E., Chicoutimi Billard Des Pro - Boulevard des Laurentides, Laval Billard L'Effet/Dooly's - Av. de l'Hotel-Dieu, Sorel-Tracy Billard Exclusif - Ch. de Chambly, Longueuil Billard Fats - Saint-Cathereine St. W., Montreal Billiard Lounge L'Abasie - Rue Fusey, Trois-Rivieres Billard Maximum - Bd. Cousineau, Saint-Hubert (Longueuil) Billard Shooters - Sources Blvd., Pierrefonds (Pointe-Claire) Billard Stixx - Rue de la Place du Commerce, Brossard (Longueuil) Billard Terminus - Rue Jean-Proulx, Gatineau Billiard Vegas - Place Levis, Levis Bogeys Billard - Boul. Cremazie E., Montreal Le Casino/Amusements 2000 Plus - S aint- Catherine St. W. , Montreal Casino Royale - Saint-Catherine St. W., Montreal Centre d'amusements Palais - Avenue du Parc, Montreal Centre d'amusement Place Jack - Decarie Blvd., Montreal Club de Billiard L'Impact - Boulevard Sir Wilfred Laurier, Mont-Saint-Hilaire Cristal Billard - Boulevard Jean-XXIII, Trois-Rivieres Crystal Palace - S aint- Catherine St. W. , Montreal Cybermind V.R. Centre - La Ronde, Montreal Daniel Amusement - S aint- Catherine St. W. , Montreal Dooly's - Bd. Talbot, Chicoutimi Dooly's - Le Promenades de Levis, Levis Dooly's - Rue Daniel-Johnson O., Saint-Hyacinthe eSidze Billiards - Rue des Chenes O., Quebec City The Flix Billard - Rue Court, Gatineau F orum Amusements - S aint- Catherine St. W./Fort , Montreal Fun Plaza - Belmont Park, Montreal Generation Golf - Mirabel Glo-Golf Aventures - Coaticook Golf Dorval Mini-Putt - Dorval (Pointe-Claire) International Billard - Rue Saint-Dominique, Jonquiere International Centre d'Amusements - S aint- Catherine St. W. , Montreal Jeux Electroniques - La Ronde, Montreal Johnny's Bar Billards - Pierrefonds Blvd., Pierrefonds (Pointe-Claire) Joliette Arcade - Rue Lajoie, Longueuil Kahnawake Mini Putt - Kahnawake L'arcadium 268 - Saint-Catherine St. W./Bleury, Montreal Livrpool Bar - Bd. Harwood, Vaudreuil-Dorion Metamorphia - S aint- Catherine St., Montreal Mini-Golf Lac Des Pins - Franklin Mini Golf La Minerve - Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality MiniGolf Victo - Victoriaville Mini-Putt Baie-Saint-Paul - Petit-Riviere-Saint-Francois Mini-Putt Beauport - Quebec City Mini-Putt De Gatineau - Gatineau Mini-Putt De L'amiante - Black Lake Mini-Putt Lac-Delage - Lac-Delage Mini-Putt Shawinigan-Sud - Shawinigan-Sud Mini-Putt Valleyfield - Salaberry-de-Valleyfield Mini-Putt Vanier - Quebec City Montreal Amusements - Montreal La Perie Noire - Mont-Laurier Putting Edge Centropolis - Laval Putting Edge Downtown - Montreal Restaurant Mini-Golf - Prevost Putting Edge Spheretech - Montreal Resto Billard Snooker La Bande Au Coin - Rue Green, Saint-Lambert (Longueuil) Rigolfeur - Saint-Jerome Rigolfeur De Gatineau - Gatineau Rigolfeur Ste. Julie - Sainte-Julie Salon de Billard Heriot - Rue Heriot, Drummondville Salon de Billiard Loretteville - Rue-Louis IX, Quebec City Salon de Billiard Le Triangle - Place Laval, Quebec City Le Skratch Laval - Bd. Cure-Labelle, Laval The 755 - Rue Vachon, Trois-Rivieres Shery's Amusements - Cote-Saint-Luc Rd., Montreal Silver Amusements/Palais du Vidéo - St Laurent Blvd., Montreal Spot Billiard - Rue St Germain E., Rimouski S T Amusements - Les Terrasses/Montreal Eaton Centre, Montreal Video Palais Amusements - S aint- Catherine St. W./Drummond , Montreal Village DunnD's/Minigolf Chelsea - Chelsea Zone 15 - Laval Arcade (Name Unknown) - Alexis Nihon, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Complexe Desjardins, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Concordia University Shops, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Cote-des-Neiges (later moved to St. Laurent Blvd.), Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Peel Subway Station, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Place Bonaventure, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown, seperate from above) - Place Bonaventure, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Promenade de Gatineau, Gatineau Arcade (Name Unknown) - Saint-Catherine St. W./Guy, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Saint-Catherine St. W./University, Montreal Arcade (Name Unknown) - Station Gare Centrale, Montreal Dark Attractions, Wax Museums and Exhibits Flight to Mars - La Ronde, Montreal Grand Orient (Salem Aleikum) - La Ronde, Montreal Haunted House - Belmont Park, Montreal Laff-in-the-Dark - Belmont Park, Montreal Lost River - Belmont Park, Montreal Magic Carpet - Belmont Park, Montreal Le Moulin de le Sorcerier (Witch's Mill) - La Ronde, Montreal Musee de Cire - Quebec City Musée Grévin - Montreal Eaton Centre, Montreal Specialty Hotels and Gift Shops Hotel Valcartier (and Hotel de Glace) - Valcartier Vacation Village, Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier Theatres, Bowling Alleys and Miscellaneous Anik Bowling Hall - Gatineau Atelier Quilles Trois-Rivieres - Trois-Rivieres Bool - Saguenay Boule-O-Drome - Levis Bowling and Billard Lounge Sher-Mont - Sherbrooke Bowling Automatic Valois Lanes - Pointe-Claire Bowling G Plus (Rue Bannantyne location) - Montreal Bowling G Plus (Grenet St. location) - Montreal Bowling G Plus (Rue Saint-Jacques location) - Montreal Bowling G Plus (Rue Saint-Zotique E. location) - Montreal Bowling G Plus (Shevchenko Blvd. location) - Montreal Bowl-O-Drome - Pierrefonds (Pointe-Claire) Centre De Loisirs Joseph Niro - Chicoutimi Centre de Quilles 440 - Laval Centre de Quilles St-Luc - Alma Centre Recreatif Stanstead - Stanstead Cinema Starcite - Gatineau Cine-Parc Belle Neige - Val-Morin Cine-Parc Cine dans L'Pre - Baie-Saint-Paul Cine-Parc Oroford - Sherbrooke Cine-Parc St.-Hilaire - Mont-Saint-Hilaire Cooperative de Solidarite du Quillorama de la Minganie - Havre-Saint-Pierre Le Croquenotes (Wolf Pack 5) - La Ronde, Montreal Le Dallo Bowling Alley - Chicoutimi Darling Bowling - Montreal District 1 Lasertag - Longueuil District 1 Lasertag - Mirabel Drive-In Saint-Eustache - Saint-Eustache La Grosse Quille - Dolbeau-Mistassini Kingpin Bowling Alley - Sherbrooke Laser Action - Mascouche Laurentian Lanes - Montreal Le Marshall Billard, Bowling, Bar - Quebec City Pro-Quilles - Plessisville Quilles Loisirs Normandin - Normandin Quilles Moderne - Montreal Quilles Princeville - Princeville Quilles St-Gregoire - Becancour Quillorama Frontenac - Quebec City Quillorama Granby - Granby Quillorama Marieville - Marieville Quillorama Richmond - Richmond Royaume Des Quilles - Granby Saint-Pascal Bowling Room - Quebec City Salle de Quille Beloeil - Beloeil Salle de Quille Black Lake - Black Lake Salle de Quille Danis - Gatineau Salle de Quille Fleury - Montreal Salle de Quille King Pin De Buckingham - Gatineau Salle de Quille Le Riverain - Sainte-Catherine Salle de Quille Masson - Gatineau Salle de Quilles Paris - Gatineau Salon Nord-Quilles - Sept-Iles Salon de Quilles Bellevue Enr. - Quebec City Salon de Quilles BG Laval - Laval Salon de Quilles Centre Domaine - Montreal Salon de Quilles Champion - Greenfield Park (Longueuil) Salon de Quilles L'Entracte - Beloeil Salon de Quilles Fortin-Tremblay - L'Ascension-de-Notre-Seigneur Salon de Quilles Greber - Gatineau Salon de Quilles Horizon - Quebec City Salon Quilles Lac St. Charles - Lac-Saint-Charles Salon de Quilles Le Riviera - Coaticook Salon de Quilles Le 300 - Sorel-Tracy Salon de Quilles Le Triple de Charlesbourg - Quebec City Salon de Quilles La Place - Saint-Nicephore Salon de Quilles Laval - Laval Salon de Quilles Laval - Quebec City Salon de Quilles Memphre - Magog Salon de Quilles Pincourt - Pincourt Salon de Quilles Portneuf - Portneuf Salon de Quilles Rive-Sud - Longueuil Salon de Quilles Saint-Hyacinthe - Saint-Hyacinthe Salon de Quilles St.-Christophe - Cowansville Salon de Quilles St.-Etienne - Saint-Etienne-de-Lauzon Salon de Quilles St.-Nicholas - Saint-Nicholas Salon de Quilles le Temple - Quebec City Salon de Quilles Val-Belair - Quebec City Themed Restaurants, Bars and Stores Hard Rock Cafe - Montreal Planet Hollywood - Montreal Water Parks and Attractions AMAZOO - Granby Zoo, Granby Atlantide Water Park - Sainte-Calixte Camping Aqua Parc St-Pie - Saint-Pie Les Glissades D'eau - Le Village du Pere Noel (The Village of Father Christmas/Santa's Village), Val-David Mont Cascades - Cantley Valcartier Vacation Village - Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier

Tower of London Wax Museum Attraction Type: Wax Museum Location: Darling Motel, Niagara Falls, Ontario Year(s) Operational: May-September 26, 1976 Designer(s): Waxattract , Universal Android The Tower of London Wax Museum was perhaps one of (if not) Niagara's shortest lived attractions. That being said, it sits in a uniquely important spot in history due to being closely intertwined with both the House of Frankenstein and Castle Dracula in unique ways. It opened in late spring of 1976, purchasing a portion of the collection of the former Royal London Wax Museum on Falls Ave., which had closed in 1975. The Royal London was a Waxattract -built attraction co-owned between Waxattract's Robert Dunham and the Iannuzelli family, who owned the Hilltop Motel that they would commission Dunham to build the House of Frankenstein atop less than a year after the Royal London opened. The Royal London had also featured figures and scenery from local artist Bruce Randall and his Universal Android company as well. The attraction's sign, 1976. (Top): The building later home to the Tower of London as it appeared before the museum. (Bottom): The building being remodeled into a castle for the new attraction. (Right): The royal stagecoach in the attraction's front window, 1976. The Tower of London would utilize the circa 1925 building at the front of the Darling Motel plot on Clifton Hill. The building had housed a restaurant on the main floor as well as the motel offices (and cabin court offices before that) on the second since it's construction. The basement had later been dug out to add a gift shop below. The motel was formerly owned by the Reinhardt family, but was purchased by the Cade family in 1976. It's unknown how much of the structure was used for the new wax museum. The basement gift shop remained, and the restaurant was removed for the entire first floor to become museum space, however if any museum existed in the former motel offices upstairs and the offices relocated remains a mystery. Even if it did occupy two floors, the collection in the museum likely wasn't the entire contents of the Royal London, as the space that attraction occupied had been much larger. The building was remodeled to feature a castle facade, complete with turrets and archways. On September 26th, 1976, just a few months after the attraction opened, flames were seen coming from the side of the building in an alleyway between it and the Niagara Clifton Motel, which was promptly evacuated. Shortly after the flames erupted at 1 A.M., a large explosion blew the front window of the attraction out completely, sending broken glass sailing across the street. Fire Sgt. Raymond Crown remarked that "It was a good thing nobody was walking past or they would have been killed." One firefighter even had to be hospitalized and taken off the scene on a stretcher for smoke inhalation while battling the blaze. During the fire, firefighters also apparently had to fight off local teenagers who kept trying to dart in the front window to steal fake jewels off the figures in the lobby. Imagine running into a building engulfed in flames to steal a plastic crown jewel? The power of realistic figure design I suppose. Flames shot 25 feet into the air in a two-alarm fire that completely gutted the building, however the firefighters' quick response prevented the historic 1925 building's structure from being lost. (Left): A firefighter gets removed from the scene of the blaze on a stretcher. (Right): The Queen peers with melancholy from her once-royal, now smoldering stagecoach in the aftermath of the fire. Astonishingly, the structure could be saved, and after the fire was put out, the building was boarded up and left abandoned for the remainder of the year and into early 1977. The fire was deemed extremely suspicious, with detectives heavily hinting the explosion which accelerated the fire was the deliberate result of some sort of propellant, however nothing ever publically materialized of this. Damage was estimated at $250,000, with $150,000 of that coming from the contents alone. The owners said they were insured and initially said they planned to rebuild, but unsurprisingly, they eventually decided to sell the land instead. Take all that information as you will and come to your own conclusions, but there are rumors floating out there. Even more surprising than the structure's survival is the survival of the plywood castle facade and towers. It was this that would serve as the basis for Castle Dracula's iconic castle facade once the attraction would move there in 1977 from it's original home on Victoria Ave. It was when Castle Dracula moved in that the Darling Motel closed. What remained of the motel's historic cabins were demolished, so all that was left was the two story motel building running along the back of the property, and the former Tower of London building at the front of the property facing Clifton Hill. A new structure was built connecting the two in the middle, to create one long two story building running from the front to the back of the property. This can be clearly seen from satellite images as well as from the Skywheel looking down. The castle being remodeled in early 1977. The fact that Castle Dracula's bones date back to 1925 is shocking enough, but when coupled with the fact that the building has survived a raging fire as well, it becomes downright unbelievable. There's a poetic irony to the building being filled with relocated Waxattract figures from a defunct nearby attraction during the Tower of London's short run, and the exact same thing happening again when the building was resurrected as Castle Dracula, the Waxattract figures from the original incarnation of that attraction being relocated there. We can only hope the building, (which has finally received a renovation after years of neglect due to Castle Dracula's new owners), lasts for a second century. The castle as it appears today, no longer home to the Queen, but to the Count.

All Video Galleries Here you'll find galleries of footage, film clips, tourist-shot videos, commercials and more pertaining to all attractions. This list is categorized by region due to many videos containing panoramic shots of several attractions in an area at a time. Videos of attractions located inside an amusement park, F.E.C., or other complex are located in the video gallery for the wider complex, as other attractions are also usually featured in these videos. More about these attractions specifically can be found on their respective History pages. Video sources are credited in these galleries, and fall under fair use copyright law as they are being used for research/study. Niagara Region Circus World 1981 Section Under Construction

All Photo Galleries Here you'll find historical photo galleries pertaining to all attractions. This list is categorized by region due to many panoramic shots containing several attractions in an area at a time. Photos of attractions located inside an amusement park, F.E.C., or other complex are located in the photo gallery for the wider complex, as other attractions can also usually be seen in these images. More about these attractions specifically can be found on their respective History pages. Image sources are credited in these galleries, and fall under fair use copyright law as they are being used for research/study. This area is under construction and will be greatly expanded upon. Niagara Region Niagara Region General Photos & Street Shots Alien Encounter Boris Karloff Wax Museum/Haunted House Canadia Castle Dracula/ Dracula's Haunted Castle Circus World Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum Crystal Beach Amusement Park Dave & Buster's/ Captain Jack's Pirate Cove/ Fun Zone (Clifton Hill Location) Dazzleland Family Fun Center Dinosaur Park Miniature Golf/ Dinosaur Adventure Golf Great Canadian Midway Guinness World of Records Museum Houdini Magical Hall of Fame House of Frankenstein/Hilltop Motel Indian Village Maple Leaf Village Movieland Wax Museum (Hollywood Wax Museum) Jungleland Miniature Golf Marineland Nightmares Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum Marvel Superheroes Adventure City/Adventure City Prudhomme's Landing Pyramid Place Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum Rock Legends Wax Museum Screamers (and affiliate attractions) Seagram/Royal/ Panasonic/ Minolta Tower Complex Skylon Tower Complex Tivoli Miniature World/Miniature Golf WWE Niagara Falls White Water/ Typhoon Lagoon Other Falls Ave. Company Attractions Wonderful World of Fantasy Other Harry Oakes Company Attractions Other Niagara Clifton Group Attractions Miscellaneous Niagara Region Attractions Greater Toronto Area Canada's Wonderland Centreville Amusement Park Cullen Gardens & Miniature Village Chuck E. Cheese's Locations (GTA) Fantasy Fair (& Woodbine Centre) Ontario Place Sunnyside Amusement Park Yonge Street Strip Attractions Miscellaneous GTA Attractions Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Castle Village Enchanted Kingdom Playland Park Sauble Beach Fun World Wasaga Waterworld Other Wasaga Beach Attractions Miscellaneous Lake Huron Attractions Ontario - Other Areas Boblo Island Amusement Park Storyland Loose Moose/Splash Canyon Storybook Gardens Wally World Wheels Inn Other Miscellaneous Ontario Attractions Alberta West Edmonton Mall Miscellaneous Alberta Attractions Manitoba and Saskatchewan Miscellaneous Manitoba & Saskatchewan Attractions British Columbia (and Northern Canada) Bedrock City Chilliwack/Dinotown Bedrock City Kelowna Dyck's Dinosaur Park Fantasy Gardens/ Fantasy Garden World Playland (Happyland) at the P.N.E. Royal London Wax Museum Miscellaneous B.C. (& Northern Canada) Attractions Quebec Belmont Park Downtown Montreal Arcades La Ronde Miscellaneous Quebec Attractions Atlantic Canada (East of Quebec) Crystal Palace (& Champlain Place) Rainbow Valley Miscellaneous Atlantic Canada Attractions

Royal London Wax Museum (Niagara) Attraction Type: Wax Museum Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: 1971?-1975 Designer(s): Waxattract , Universal Android Robert Dunham's Waxattract constructed the Royal London Wax Museum in the early 1970's. It replaced the Antique Auto Museum on Falls Ave. (located in the parking garage building attached to the Sheraton Foxhead hotel) when it moved to Clifton Hill and became the Cars of the Greats Museum. The Royal London was themed after the royal family and was a Waxattract built and owned attraction, but was a co-project of sorts, with some of the scenes and figures being created by Bruce Randall's Universal Android. The attraction was also co-owned, likely being Waxattract's first partnership with the Iannuzelli family who Waxattract would go on to build both House of Frankenstein locations for, as well as co-own with them for several years. Details on it's exact opening year a little hazy however. The Dunhams themselves recount that it opened in 1971 just before the first House of Frankenstein on Clifton Hill, which makes sense considering Waxattract shifted their focus to haunted attractions after the House of Frankenstein's massive success and began to move away from the more traditional historical wax museums. 1971 also lines up with the year the Antique Auto Museum closed, adding validity to that being the opening year as there's no record of anything occupying the space in between. That being said, newspaper articles discuss it as a soon-to-open attraction in 1973, however it could be that the publication is referring to a "new" updated version of the attraction or simply it's grand opening for that tourist season, if seasonal. The only style of brochure that has surfaced for the attraction. Due to it's short lifespan, it's quite possible it was the only kind produced. The building was adorned with regal neon signage, and in the front window sat a beautiful recreation of the Queen's royal stagecoach. The Dunham family allegedly had the coach sitting in their home's driveway when it was awaiting it's transfer to the attraction. Despite its gorgeous displays, it faced one problem: at the time, the Western world had no interest in the royal family. The museum was very well received by those lucky enough to experience it, but it simply was not a topic most people were willing to tour an entire museum on. Dunham's Boris Karloff Wax Museum he built and managed was performing much better simply due to its theme, despite being in a much less trafficked area of The Falls, whereas the underperforming Royal London was in perhaps one of the most heavily trafficked areas in the whole country. Dunham took note of this as well, and an attraction was on its way that would change Niagara Falls, and the amusement industry, forever. The lesson of the importance of a horror theme, as well as establishing Waxattract's product quality with the Iannuzellis, would have made the Royal London an important step in the eventual creation of the House of Frankenstein(s), if the attraction did infact debut first. (Left): The Royal London Wax Museum seen in this digitally-enhanced shot from a blurry 1973 8mm film reel. (Right): The Queen's ornate stagecoach that sat in the window. The small building that would eventually become home to the Tower of London Wax Museum as it looked many, many years prior in the 1930's. In 1975, with the Iannuzellis now seeing high returns from the House of Frankenstein(s), as well as Dunham finding success with Castle Dracula and shifting his focus to building attractions in the U.S., the decision was made to close the Royal London Wax Museum. It's collection was sold to the upcoming but ill-fated Tower of London Wax Museum on Clifton Hill, which opened in 1976. It's unknown how much of the collection was purchased by the Tower of London, but if the Royal London Wax Museum had occupied the entirety of the former Antique Auto Museum space, the entire collection likely wouldn't have fit into the small, 1925 building at the front of the Darling Motel property which the Tower of London was built in. The building was two floors and a basement, however the gift shop that had previously existed in the basement remained, meaning the museum only occupied two small floors at the maximum, or one if the motel offices remained upstairs and weren't relocated. Regardless, the less that ended up there the better, as it would suffer a suspicious fire just a few months after it opened, destroying the entire museum. The once glorious stagecoach can be seen charred in the window in photos taken after the blaze, a far cry from how it would have looked rolling out of the Dunhams' driveway. The sad, charred end of the collection and the royal stagecoach in the window of the (former) Tower of London Wax Museum, 1976.

Putt Putt Golf & Games/Jungle Putt Attraction Type: Miniature Golf Course Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: Late 1980's-1994 (as Putt Putt), 1994-mid 2010's (as Jungle Putt) Designer(s): Putt Putt, Amusement Products Canada's first officially franchised Putt Putt (the American chain of miniature golf courses responsible for popularizing the game in the 1950s) was located at 7280 Lundy's Ln., next to the Days Inn hotel (now Falls Inn.) It was located where the gravel lot is now on the East side of the building. It opened as a licensed franchise of the Putt Putt chain sometime in the late 1980s, with a Dairy Queen, large children's playground, and an arcade. Putt Putt actually differs from traditional miniature golf due to its unique ruleset, such as all greens being par 2, and players completing a hole before the next member of their group takes their first putt. The attraction actually featured two 18-hole courses, for a combined total of 36-holes. Jungleland's elephant in the winter 1985. Could this be the same one that ended up at Putt Putt? 1993 newspaper advertisement for the attraction. It remained a standard Putt Putt course until 1994, when the jungle animal statues were added. The animals were part of the "Jungle Kingdom" line by Amusement Products out of Tennessee, who also did the figures for Waxattract 's original Jungleland Golf location on Victoria Ave. where it becomes Ferry. While the fiberglass statues were available as optional franchisee additions for Putt Putt locations in the 80s and 90s, it's quite possible the figures came from Jungleland after it's closure the same year. It's also possible that Niagara Go-Karts located off the QEW received the Jungleland statues, as they have the same figures albeit painted in different colors, which seem sort of out of place in their mini golf. The year the Victoria Ave. Jungleland closed, the Tivoli Miniature World, an outdoor miniatures garden, moved to the Jungleland plot from Prudhomme's Landing, and a large sign reading "Miniature World" was built. Ironically, in 1995 the garden was returned to being a miniature golf course, now titled Tivoli Miniature Golf, and the giant sign changed to "Miniature Golf". It would later close in 1996, with the giant sign being sold to Putt Putt, which ironically may have got the statues which were once part of Jungleland that also formerly occupied the site the sign came from. Putt Putt/Jungle Putt's elephant on top of a rock cave built when the course gained the jungle theme. This faced the road and became the course's centerpiece. The course was on life support by the late 2000s, operating very sporadically. It was around this time that it was renamed Jungle Putt, likely ending the official Putt Putt franchising. The DQ closed around that time and was replaced with a string of several take out and ice cream places over the years, each with varying degrees of success. The arcade was also severely decreased in size, with only a small room containing a handful of machines remaining. Sometime around 2014 or 2015 the course saw its last player, and became abandoned shortly after. In 2016, a fire deemed arson broke out in the arcade, resulting in damages that required the entire ice cream/arcade building to be demolished. It was at this time that the property owner decided to demolish the whole course. The animal statues were auctioned off to various buyers, none of which have since resurfaced. Evolution of the Miniature World/Miniature Golf sign. The sign at Tivoli Miniature World (top left), Tivoli Miniature Golf (top right), and Putt Putt/Jungle Putt (bottom left.) (Above): The course layout seen from a satellite image taken shortly after the fire. (Left): The arcade in the back half of the building during the final minutes of the blaze.

Marvel Super Heroes Adventure City/Adventure City Attraction Type: Family Entertainment Centre Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: 2004-2009 (as Marvel Superheroes Adventure City), 2009-Present (as Adventure Cty) Designer(s): Blacklght Attractions/Dark Rider The attraction as seen from Clifton Hill, 2004. When the government of Ontario was selecting the location for the government-run Casino Niagara in the mid 90's, the Harry Oakes Company (HOCO) who owns the attractions on the south-west side of Clifton Hill apparently put in a bid to get the casino on their land, however it ended up going to the Falls Ave. Company, replacing the Maple Leaf Village mall between the Sheraton Foxhead and Sheraton Brock Hotels. This ended up being a financial injection large enough to start a bit of an attraction arms race against HOCO. After the rebranding of all the hotels in the Falls Ave. complex, the opening of Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood, and a massive 2002 expansion to the complex consisting of Rainforest Cafe, WWE Niagara Falls, and the Extreme 4D Motion Theatre, the Falls Ave. Company was well into a several-stage redevelopment plan. The plan also featured upcoming additions of more attractions to fill out the already built, and soon-to-be-named, MGM Studios Plaza that the 4D Motion Theatre sat in the basement of, as well as an indoor Family Entertainment Centre (F.E.C.) to replace the mall on the second floor of the now-renamed Sheraton Fallsview. "La Piazza" restaurant formerly located in the Sheraton's second-level mall as seen in 2003, shortly before the remodel of the entire level into Adventure City. Captain America Games Zone, 2004. Above: Captain America Games Zone, 2004. Notice the Dr. Doom helment replica located on the right hand side of this image. Right: The attraction as seen from the corner of Falls Ave. and Clifton Hill, an eye-catching footing to the famous street of fun. In 2002 HOCO would open the Great Canadian Midway, forever changing Clifton Hill and giving it a focal point. It's unclear when exactly the Falls Ave. Company came up with certain elements of their plan, however the impact and influence of the Midway was clear. The F.E.C. that eventually replaced the mall would be an attraction officially licensed from Marvel Comics, dubbed Marvel Super Heroes Adventure City. Designed mostly by Blacklight Attractions who had designed the MGM Great Movie Journey in the MGM Studios Plaza, it was a sprawling arcade and amusement centre that encompassed the entire second floor of the hotel, from Clifton Hill all the way to the Hard Rock Cafe, to which it connected. It also connected to the MGM Studios Store and Rainforest Cafe. The main, massive arcade area was home to the Captain America Games Zone, adorned with neon, murals of cityscapes, prop replicas, and various easter egg references to Marvel. The attractions lined the area somewhat similar to the layout of the mall the attraction replaced. Spiderman: The Ultimate Ride was the crown jewel of these, an interactive laser shooting, blacklight, dark ride. Riders would assist Spiderman with rounding up villains from the series, and ride aboard a vehicle equipped with "web shooting" devices. Riders would battle Scorpion, The Lizard, Electro, and the Green Goblin moving through a themed area for each. They would then have to face off with Dr. Octopus in a climatic final battle. Other attractions included Mr. Fantastic's Candy Laboratory (a fill-your-own-cup candy counter), X-Men Combat Cars (bumper cars), Daredevil's Obstacle Challenge (a timed obstacle course), and the Spidey and Friends Funhouse (a small children's funhouse themed to the Avengers characters, complete with ball-shooting machine.) There was also a Marvel Shop selling both new and vintage Marvel collectables ranging from t-shirts, to comic books, to action figures. Clockwise from top left: Entrance to the que for "Spider-Man: The Ultimate Ride" interactive dark ride, Mr. Fantastic's Candy Laboratory, The Daredevil Obstacle Challenge, and X-Men Combat Cars. One attraction however was unlike anything else done at the time: The Incredible Hulk Encounter. It was a walk-through haunted attraction themed to the Incredible Hulk, a truly theme-park quality attraction which incorporated an otherwise family friendly intellectual property into a haunted attraction seamlessly. The attraction featured a blend of animatronics and live actors, with the live actors playing scientists who were guiding you on your journey. Most of the scary elements were startles as the recently-transformed Hulk breached containment and went on a rampage, which the would-be hero has not necessarily directed at you, but you find yourself in the firing line of. A similar attraction, the Incredible Hulk Mini Golf, also existed in the complex. There's evidence to support that this attraction may have replaced the Incredible Hulk Encounter, however there's also evidence they both exited at the same time. The two never appear on the same brochure or advertisement for the complex, with the haunted attraction being mentioned in ealier brochures and the mini golf replacing it's mention in later brochures. The course contained interactive animatronics and special effects triggered by different actions on the course, such as making a hole or hitting an obstacle. It also utilized several of the same props as the haunted attraction, hinting that it may have recycled them and the actual space. On the other hand, it's possible these props were produced in multiples by Blacklight Attractions, as photos from the company's studio during the attractions' development show duplicates in the studio. There's also images dated 2004 where the edge of the mini golf sign can be made out, which means if dated correctly, they both existed at the same time when the attraction opened, and the former Hulk Encounter appears to have since become the relocated arcade prize counter, not the mini golf. Employees at the entrance to the Incredible Hulk Encounter, 2004. Left: Duplicates of a Hulk figure at Blacklight Attractions' studios providing proof that multiples were infact created. Above: The letters "olf" can be seen in the top left corner of this image supposedly taken in 2004, adding evidence that the mini golf was there from opening year. Above: Spider-Man rotates to talk to the Green Goblin, suspended above the pre-purchase ticket booths along Clifton Hill for the attractions inside. Right: The fully raised Green Goblin floats above the pit on his hoverboard, addressing Spider-Man and taunting guests to take a crack at defeating him inside the attraction. Outfront Adventure City on Clifton Hill, an animatronic Spider Man hung upside down from the ceiling. He would turn to face a pit next to the stairs up to the attraction which a figure of the Green Goblin would rise up out of on his hoverboard. The two bantered outfront, beckoning customers in. In addition to signage along Clifton Hill, Falls Ave., and the corner of the two streets facing the Falls, a massive several-story tall sign on the side of the hotel was constructed. The complex was full of neon and bright signage, themed in the colourful, cartoonish, comic book style that the Marvel brand had at the time, before the more serious turn the franchise would take later in the 2000s. However, that same distinct style that made it so appealing ended up leading to the downfall of this amazing attraction. Despite being hugely popular, the attraction lost its Marvel license due to no fault of it's own after the cost dramatically increased in 2009. There were very few new Marvel films coming out at the time, so the decision not to renew was a justified one. It of course would later come out that Disney had bought Marvel, and it would go on to become the biggest film franchise in the world, explaining the drastic preemptive price increase. The entertainment centre simply became known as Adventure City. The Hulk Mini Golf became jungle themed, and Spider-Man references were (poorly) removed from the dark ride. Initially, the words "Spider" and "Ultimate" were just removed from the sign, becoming "The Man Ride" for a season, then the "Super Hero Laser Ride." It's been abandoned and used for stoage since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and doesn't appear to be reopening any time soon, now blocked off entirely with games and being used for storage with the blacklights eerily still on. The X-Men references were (also poorly) removed from the bumper cars, with the large "X" logo still visible on the gaurd rails around the attraction. The Hulk Encounter, Daredevil Obstacle Challenge, Mr. Fantastic's Candy Laboratory, and Marvel Shop were all removed entirely. Above Top: The re-themed mini golf, the "Mini Golf" neon being recycled from the Hulk days. Above Bottom: The suspiciously named Super Hero Laser Ride stands dormant behind a wall of arcade games. Left: The former que and load station for the dark ride being used a storage area in 2023, mostly for arcade prizes. It's unknown if similar clutter stretches through the attraction's halls. References to Marvel could still be found in the arcade up until the 2020's, such as Spider-Man's face carved into a tree that was only covered up a few years ago, a severely downsized and repainted section of the Spidey and Friends Funhouse, and several mass-produced Marvel themed coin-operated children's rides. The doorhandles into the arcade are even still shaped as a giant letter "M", for Marvel. The pit that the Green Goblin animatronic formerly rose from outfront the attraction was left empty and abandoned, eventually being sealed off when a bumper car was placed on top of it (which has also since been removed.) Left: The stripped down building when it first became simply "Adventure City" in 2009. Right: This strange T-posing "Mario" inflatable has recently been placed on top of the sealed pit fromerly housing the Green Goblin. Above: The massive Incredible Hulk sign promoting the differnet attractions within as seen from up the Hill in the late 2000's. Right: The Games Zone during the glory days in the mid 2000's, with several other attractions seen in the background. Of the many attractions that have come and gone in The Falls over the years, Marvel Superheroes Adventure City is one of the most sorely missed and nostalgically beloved by fans. Despite only being open for five years in its original glory, it's theme made it a highlight of the childhoods of Marvel fans everywhere, and it's uniqueness and clever design even made it a highlight for those who didn't know anything about the brand. It had a nearly universal appeal, with it's timeless characters drawing in the young and old alike, and its variety of attractions and over-the-top-theming even appealing to those uninterested in the franchise. Adventure City made a lasting impression on those who were lucky enough to experience it during the short 5 years that it had the Marvel Super Heroes name attached, and it's original iteration won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Dazzleland Family Fun Center Attraction Type: Family Entertainment Centre Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: 1992-2001 Designer(s): White Hutchinson Leisure Learning Group Overview of Dazzleland as seen from the Pilgrim Motel, mid 90's. In 1992, the final piece of the puzzle for Clifton Hill's present day atmosphere would click into place. Welland Securities changed their name to HOCO (Harry Oakes Company) and beginning in the late 80's, took ownership of attractions that were formerly just tenants of theirs including Movieland , The Niagara Marketplace, The Space Spiral Tower, Golf-a-Rama atop Circus World, and the Cliffside Motel (which had its pool removed and was integrated into a wing of the adjacent Quality Inn.) The only attractions that would continue being leased were Ripley's and Circus World, meaning HOCO not only owned all the land on the South-West side of the hill, they now ran everything between Circus World and Ripley's, as well as the Harry's Burgers space and the ice cream stand immediately down the hill from Circus World. With the driveway in to the former Cliffside wing no longer needed, as it could now be accessed by the Quality Inn lot, it would become the last section of land to be developed along Clifton Hill. In the driveway's place was now a large empty space between Circus World and Movieland, with the Space Spiral Tower (with a relatively small footprint) stuck in the middle. HOCO called upon attraction design and layout firm White Hutchison Leisure Learning Group (WHLLG) to design an attraction around the Space Spiral that would use the final undeveloped land on Clifton Hill. And so WHLLG designed Dazzleland Family Fun Center, a courtyard of buildings arranged in roughly the same layout as the Great Canadian Midway (for reasons we'll get to later) that sits on the land now. The space surrounding the Spiral Tower that Dazzleland would later occupy, as it looked when it was occupied by Golf-a-Rama and the driveway in to the Cliffside, 1980's. The buildings around the outside of the courtyard were long and narrow, picture a courtyard of carnival game trailers but permanent, appealing buildings in the architecture style of a European village. Carnival lights adorned much of the signage, and the complex featured an abundance of neon on the attraction's large sign, on many of the buildings' exteriors, and signage featuring the word "DazzleLand" on the wall in many of the buildings. Bird's eye view of Dazzleland's courtyard taken from the Spiral Tower, late 90's. At the front of the attraction facing the street, on either side of the large open entrance to the courtyard, were two fast food restaurants. On the downhill-most side, the Wendy's was built on top of Circus World, replacing the Golf-a-Rama mini golf that had formerly been on the attraction's roof. It featured an outdoor patio in the back corner of the dining area overlooking Clifton Hill, but this would be enclosed in later years. At the back of the dining area next to the washrooms was also a hallway that led into Dazzleland, as the washrooms also served as the washrooms for the attraction itself. Across the entrance to the courtyard from Wendy's was a Domino's Pizza, roughly where stairwell just to your right is when entering the Great Canadian Midway now. Unlike Wendy's however who had the option to dine-in, the Domino's was only a take-away counter. Above: Wendy's in 1993 above Circus World. Right: Domino's Pizza seen along with the Spiral Tower and camera store, mid 90's. Clockwise when entering the actual courtyard of Dazzleland, the first building, built into the side of Wendy's, was the Whac-a-Mole building. This section housed several Bob's Space Racers (the co-inventors of Whac-a-Mole) late-80's "Version B" Whac-a-Mole machines. In the same building along the same wall was a handful of various redemption games. The next building, running alongside the forested hill down to Queen Victoria Park, was a larger walk-in building that served as the main redemption arcade area, housing all the miscellaneous ticket redemption games. This area was also home to one of the strangest arcade games in the Falls, a shooting gallery utilizing water guns rather than infrared light guns. It was called "Fire Department 911" and appeared to be a custom build, with the targets consisting of cut-out flames. The manufacturer remains unknown. Above: The main redemption game building, 1993. Right: The Fire Department 911 water gun shooting gallery. Whac-a-Mole machines, 1993, Miscellaneous games occupying the back half of the Whac-a-Mole building, 1993. In the back corner, roughly where the XD Theatre now sits in The Midway, was the largest building in Dazzleland, the main Arcade. This is where the large collection of video games and pinball machines were located, as well as the Cyclone redemption game. This section could also be accessed via a doorway in the back corner of the redemption game building. The building next to the Arcade was also connected via a doorway on the other side as well, and ran along the back of Dazzleland. This building housed various carnival style coin operated games such as the Skee Ball, Boom Ball, and Roll-a-Ball style games. A couple smaller redemption games were also located against the pillars along the front of this building. The final building along the outside (between the Skee-Ball building and Domino's) was the Sports Games building, which included racing, basketball toss, football toss, and pitching games. A section of this building with a checkered floor contained racing-themed games, like 4 linked Sega Super GT racing simulators that would be added in the late 90's, and later go on to also be a staple of the Midway, as would nearly all of Dazzleland's games. Above top: Entrance to the main arcade. Above bottom: Inside the main video and pinball arcade, mid 90's. Left: Interior of the Skee Ball building and it's side entrance to the main arcade, as seen in a 2001 brochure. Right: Boom Ball style, Roll-a-Ball, water gun race, and Skee Ball machines, mid 90's. The racing-themed section of the sports games building with the checkered floor, 2000. In the middle of the courtyard was a small carousel, a small pond that contained an RC boat game, and a building housing the carousel's control booth which had miscellaneous games wrapping around it on the other three sides. A smaller building in the back half of the courtyard outfront the Arcade building was the ticket Redemption Centre and prize counter. The courtyard was also full of claw machines and coin operated rides. The Space Spiral and camera store next door were incorporated into Dazzleland, still being accessible directly off the Hill. As mentioned elsewhere on this site, the tower was exactly where the Fudge Factory now is, as the circular store was once the loading area for the tower. Along Clifton Hill, between the camera store and the Dominos was a fortune teller machine built right into the wall: "Ask the Brain". The brain still lives on inside Movieland, except now he wants a loonie instead of a quarter. Left: The RC boat pond with the sports building in the background, 1993. Right: "Ask The Brain" in 2000. To fill the consumer need left after the mini golf atop Circus World was replaced with the Wendy's, a new, much more challenging course would be constructed just up the Hill from the Spiral Tower. It's entrance was right on the Hill, but the course wrapped around the tower and ran back behind Dazzleland, between the back of Dazzleland and the parking lot of the Quality Inn. It would have no real theme for its first two years of operation, and feature generic statues like a comical man teeing off from the course's main waterfall, dolphins jumping out of the fountains, and a replica of the Skylon Tower at the back. It's debatable if this attraction could technically be considered part of Dazzleland. While built at the same time and wrapping around Dazzleland proper, it wasn't technically inside it. It's unknown if this course had its own name or was originally considered part of the complex. It would also outlive Dazzleland in its later form as Dinosaur Park Miniature Golf (see below), moving around the area and eventually evolving into the present-day Dinosaur Adventure Golf. Dazzleland under construction in 1991, showing the full layout of the mini golf. Above: The miniature golf course as seen from the driveway into Quality Inn, 1992. Left: A fiberglass statue of a down-on-his-luck golfer tees off from the waterfall at the entrance to the course on Clifton Hill, 1993. This early version of the Dazzleland complex would be very short lived, with changes coming just two years later in 1994. The Whac-a-Mole and prize buildings would be switched around, and the water gun shooting gallery would also switch places with the miscellaneous games next to the Whac-a-Mole machines. The biggest change however would come in the form of a retheme of the mini golf. Riding off the success of the film Jurassic Park, the course would now become "Dinosaur Park Miniature Golf." Unique fiberglass dinosaurs now populated the course, and a dragon/sea serpent was added to the RC boat pond. It's unknown who sculpted these figures (possibly someone from within WHLLG). Left: Dinosaur Park Miniature Golf in a 2001 brochure. Right: The dragon in the RC boat pond, 1998. The sign for the Redemption Centre after it switched places with the Whac-a-Mole building. Dazzleland was an instant success, being one of the crucial moments in the development of the Niagara Falls tourism industry that forever changed the area. It was the first Family Entertainment Centre in the Falls, combining arcade machines with other rides and attractions all in one arcade-like complex, more accessible than an amusement park yet more captivating than an arcade. Almost every arcade to open in the Falls since Dazzleland has also been an F.E.C., a clear indication of it's influence. The complex had a unique but distinct atmosphere, having no exact theme other than a whimsical, fantasy-like environment as represented by the stars and moons on the attraction's signage. The carnival-like atmosphere and variety in the attraction made it stand out from the other arcades in the area at the time, and it became a go to-hang out for both tourists and locals alike. It's variety also made it popular with all demographics, featuring pinball and video games popular with teenagers and adults, redemption games and rides largely popular with children and families, and an open, appealing atmosphere even drawing in those who wouldn't usually be arcade-goers. It's popularity however would also be it's demise, and it would be relatively short-lived, only lasting a decade. The success of the attraction led HOCO to expand the concept further, and more games = higher guest enjoyment, and therefore profit. The outdoor courtyard style with it's room for walkways between the buildings was re-designed, and HOCO again called upon WHLLG. WHLLG designed not only a remodel of Dazzleland, but an incredible 5-step plan that would have changed Clifton Hill, however only steps 1 to 3 would come to fruition... Step 1 was remodeling Dazzleland into the Great Canadian Midway , which opened in 2002. The level, concrete foundation Dazzleland was built on was kept as the foundation of the Midway, hence why it has a similar footprint. Dinosaur Park Miniature Golf was moved to a former parking lot in front of the Comfort Inn. Rather than have several different buildings, the Midway would all be one indoor space, allowing for more games and year round operation, a genius business move. After it's closure, Dazzleland would fall into obscurity. In the early days of research that would eventually evolve into this website, Dazzleland only existed as one-line mentions in old HOCO Attractions brochures and the vauge memories of the author, becoming somewhat of my "white whale". HOCO themselves eventually uploaded some limited photos of the attraction on their Clifton Hill Fun Facebook page, and as time went on and my original historical postings on Reddit began to receive attention, more people began to comment that they remembered Dazzleland fondly. Many details of the attraction came out along with it, and eventually, after years of scouring old tourist vacation videos on YouTube, the full layout and story of the attraction's changes over the years came to light. Arials of Dazzleland (2000) and the Great Canadian Midway (2024), showing how the Midway was built upon Dazzleland's pre-established layout. The gorgeous double-sided neon sign at the entrance to the complex, which acted as a beacon of Clifton Hill, 2000. While Dazzleland may be gone, the Midway took the carnival-like atmosphere that Dazzleland offered and turned it into the entire theme of the Midway, which is actually themed to an outdoor carnival midway complete with strings of lights between the pillars. It also features several attractions around the outside walls surrounding the main arcade space, creating somewhat of an indoor courtyard. This makes the Midway somewhat of a spiritual successor to Dazzleland that builds on the theme and retains the same atmosphere. Dazzleland continues to live on in the memories of those who visited, frequented, and worked there as well as the millions of visitors who have since visited the Midway, whether they realize it's hidden influence or not.

Ontario - Other Areas This page contains all Ontario attractions not located in the Niagara Region, G.T.A., or on the shores of Lake Huron. Among the many towns and cities' attractions found on this page are those in Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Kitchener/Waterloo, Windsor, Newmarket and many more. Amusement and Theme Parks Boblo Island Amusement Park - Amherstburg Santa's Village - Bracebridge Storybook Gardens - London Storyland - Renfrew Wild Zone - Wheels Inn, Chatham Arcades, Mini Golf and F.E.C.s Ace Arcade - Clarence St., London Admirals Cup - Masonville Place, London Adventure Village - Hamilton Arcade Room - Coronet Motor Hotel, Kitchener/Waterloo Bad's Amusements - Oro Medonte Balacade - Bala Barrie Billiards - Barrie Bayfield Mall Games (Mall run game area)- Bayfield Mall, Barrie Bernie's Arcade - Charles St., Kitchener/Waterloo Big Wigs Billiards - Newmarket Bingemans Funworx Kitchener/Waterloo Blackbird Falls Putting Course - The Marshes Golf Club, Ottawa Bopper's - Windsor Broken Cue - Bank St., Ottawa Caddy Shack - Bloomfield Captain Carnival's - London Captain Carnival's - Windsor The Casino - King St./Hughson St. N., Hamilton Chuck E. Cheese's - Newmarket Coboconk Go-Karts & Mini-Putt - Coboconk Coco Club - Dunlop St., Barrie The Cove - University Shops Plaza, Kitchener/Waterloo Crystal Palace - King William/Walnut, Hamilton Crystal Palace - Wyndham/Quebec, Guelph Dooly's - Gladwin Crescent, Ottawa Downtown - St. Paul St., Thunder Bay Duffer's by the Bay - Barrie Duffer's Mini Golf - Duffer's Golf Centre, Barrie Dunlop/Alliance Billiards - Dunlop/Ferndale, Barrie East Park - London Electric Flipper - West St., Orillia Elmvale Flea Market Arcade - Elmvale Flea Market, Elmvale Evergreen Golf - Washago Fast Eddy's - Windsor Fat Lee's Scoop and Putt - Bonville Fire Button Arcade - Richmond/Woodroffe, Ottawa Fire Button Arcade - St. Joseph's Blvd., Orleans (Ottawa) Flynn's Arcade - King St., Kitchener/Waterloo Flynn's Arcade - University Shops Plaza, Kitchener/Waterloo Front Row McGinnis - Kitchener/Waterloo 4 Wheelies Roller Skating Center - Ottawa Fun & Games - Eastgate Square Shopping Centre, Stoney Creek (Hamilton) Fun & Games - Norfolk Mall, Tilsonburg Fun & Games - Tilsonburg Gateway Centre, Tilsonburg Fun & Games - Tilsonburg Town Centre, Tilsonburg Fun Land - Boblo Island Amusement Park, Amherstburg The Games - Eastgate Square Shopping Centre, Hamilton The Games - Lime Ridge Mall, Hamilton The Gamesroom - Rideau/Vanier, Ottawa Gateway Billiards - Second Ave. West, North Bay Golden Castle Games - Thunder Bay Happy Man Arcade - Dunlop St., Barrie Happy Man Arcade - Main St., North Bay Imperial Arcade/The Gamesroom - Bank St./Gloucester, Ottawa In Play - Newmarket It's a Small World - Midhurst JD's Billiards - Bell Farm Rd., Barrie The Junction - Windsor Jungle Mini Golf - Wild Zone, Chatham Jungle Quest Mini Golf - Nottawasaga Inn and Resort, Alliston King Arthur's Court - Merivale Rd., Ottawa King Arthur's Court - Rideau/Dalhousie, Ottawa Kozlov Shopping Centre Games (Mall run game area) - Kozlov Shopping Centre, Barrie Little Critters/In Play - Barrie Little Joe's/Bayfield Family Amusements/Cybercity/Technogames/Playquest - Bayfield Mall, Barrie Little Joe's - Market Mall, Sault St. Marie Little Joe's - New Sudbury Shopping Centre, Sudbury Little Joe's - Northgate Shopping Centre, North Bay Little Joe's - Stanley Park Mall, Kitchener/Waterloo Little Joe's/EJ's - Station Mall, Sault St. Marie Mer Bleue Miniputt & Batting Cages - Orleans Microplay - Towers/Food City Plaza, Barrie Mini Golf Gardens - Ottawa Mini Putt Hawkesbury - Hawkesbury Mister Arcade - Bank/Alta Vista, Ottawa Muskoka Store Mini Golf - Muskoka Store, Muskoka Northern Adventure Mini Putt - Cardinal Golf Club, Newmarket 1Up Games - King St., Hamilton The Palace - King St., Hamilton Pappa's Billiards - George St., Peterborough Park Play Micro Golf - Belleville Pop's Place Mini Golf and Arcade - Turkey Point Putting Edge - Barrie Putting Edge - Nepean (Ottawa) Putt N' Blast - Kingston Quarry Links Championship - Kingston Expert Tees, Kingston Retro Planet - Mapleview/Veteran's, Barrie Rideau Arcade - George/Dalhousie, Ottawa Rideau Arcade - Rideau St., Ottawa Rideau Arcade - Rideau/Ottawa Regional Rd., Ottawa Roller Skating Place - Orillia R.O.N.'s Virtual World - Thunder Bay Sandbaggerz Driving Range & Mini Putt - Port Perry Smuggler's Alley - Dundas St., London South Baymouth Ferry Terminal Games (Terminal run game area) - South Baymouth Space World - Lansdown Place Mall, Peterborough Splitsville - Guelph Splitsville - Hamilton Sports & Leisure Dome - Nottawasaga Inn Resort, Alliston Tee Burg Golf Academy - Tilsonburg 1000 Island Mini Golf - Thousand Islands Timber Creek Mini Golf & Fun Centre - Whitchurch-Stouffville Tommy's Arcade - Tommy's Variety, Kitchener/Waterloo Tommy's Arcade (Unrelated to above) - Mississauga St., Orillia Top Hat Billiards - Orillia Top Hat - Wellington Plaza, Barrie Tour D'Orleans - Place d'Orleans, Orleans (Ottawa) Towne Billiards - Mary/Dunlop, Barrie Tropical Mini Golf and Games - Hamilton Video Odyssey/VG's Arcade - Mary/Dunlop, Barrie Wally World - London Western World - George St., Peterborough Wild Zone Arcade - Wild Zone, Chatham The Wiz - White Oakes Mall, London The Wizard - Bank/Slater, Ottawa The Wizard - Bayshore Shopping Centre, Ottawa The Wizard - Blair St., Ottawa The Wizard - Shopper's City East, Gloucester (Ottawa) The Wizard - Shopper's City West, Ottawa Wizard's - Dundas St., London Wizard's Castle - Center Mall, Hamilton Wizard's Castle - Conestoga Mall, Kitchener/Waterloo Wizard's Castle - Dundas St., London Wizard's Castle - Kozlov Shopping Centre, Barrie Zapper's - King St., Kitchener/Waterloo Zapper's 2 - King St., Kitchener/Waterloo Arcade (Name Unknown) - Adelaide Rd, Mount Brydges Arcade (Name Unknown) - Argyle Mall, London Arcade (Name Unknown) - Bank/Heron, Ottawa Arcade (Name Unknown) - Bayview/Little Plaza, Barrie Arcade (Name Unknown) - Billings Bridge Shopping Centre, Ottawa Arcade (Name Unknown) - Carleton University Centre, Ottawa Arcade (Name Unknown) - Gloucester Centre, Gloucester (Ottawa) Arcade (Name Unknown) - Hamilton Rd., Dorchester Arcade (Name Unknown) - Jackson Square, Hamilton Arcade (Name Unknown) - York Town Square, Newmarket Arcade (Name Unknown) - Orillia Square Mall, Orillia Arcade (Name Unknown) - Place Centrum, Orleans (Ottawa) Arcade (Name Unknown) - Rideau/Dalhousie (Above Rideau Theatre), Ottawa Arcade (Name Unknown) - St. Laurent/Pleasant Park, Ottawa Arcade (Name Unknown) - Waterloo Town Square, Kitchener/Waterloo Arcade (Name Unknown, Existence Unconfirmed) - 320 Bayfield St. Plaza, Barrie Mini Golf (Name Unknown) - Bayfield St., Barrie Dark Attractions, Wax Museums and Exhibits Confederation Wax Museum - Ottawa Flight to Mars - Boblo Island Amusement Park, Amherstburg Phantom Express - Boblo Island Amusement Park, Amherstburg 1000 Islands Wax Museum & Aquarium - Hill Island (Thousand Islands, Skytower complex?) House of Haunts - Gananoque (Thousand Islands) Specialty Hotels and Gift Shops Lamplighter Inn - London French River Trading Post - French River Muskoka Store - Muskoka Nottawasaga Inn Resort - Alliston Wheels Inn - Chatham Theatres, Bowling Alleys and Miscellaneous AMF Frederick Lanes - Kitchener/Waterloo Ajax 5 Pin Bowling Centre - Ajax Bowlerama - Brookfield Plaza, Peterborough Bowlerama - Chatham Bowlerama - Guelph Bowlerama - Stoney Creek (Hamilton) Bowlerama - Wellington Plaza (later moved to Bayfield Mall), Barrie Bowlerama/C&D Lanes - Woodstock Bowlerama/Echo Bowl - Brantford Bowling on Broadway - Orangeville Captain Andy's River Towne Revue - Boblo Island Amusement Park, Amhurstberg Coldwater Bowling Centre - Coldwater Fleetway - London Hanover Drive-In - Hanover Haunted Theatre - Boblo Island Amusement Park, Amhurstberg Huntsville Bowl - Huntsville Kempview Bowl - Barrie Kingpin Bowlounge - Bingemans Funworx, Kitchener/Waterloo Lakeview Bowl - Market Plaza, Peterborough Leisure Bowling Lanes - Oshawa Lindsay Twin Drive-In - Lindsay Mario's Bowl - Thunder Bay Merivale Bowling Centre - Nepean (Ottawa) Mountain Lanes - Hamilton Muskoka Bowl - Muskoka Muskoka Drive-In - Muskoka Mustang Drive-In - Guelph Mustang Drive-In - London North Crest Lanes - Sault St. Marie Orillia Bowl/Rock n Bowl - Orillia Orleans Bowling Centre (and Striker's Billiards) - Orleans (Ottawa) Oxford Drive-In - Woodstock Partners Billiards and Bowling - North Bay Plaza Bowl - Sudbury Port Elmsey Drive-In - Perth Riverbowl & Billiards - Burk's Falls Skylight Drive-In - Pembroke Skytower/1000 Islands Tower - Lansdowne (Thousand Islands) Skyway Bowl - Hamilton Springwater Lanes - Elmvale Stardust Drive-In - Newmarket Starlight Drive-In - Hamilton Stellar Lanes - Newmarket Strike Point Bowling Centre - Lindsay Sunset Drive-In - Oro Medonte Tri-Town Bowling Lanes - Haileybury Underground Bowl - Bradford University Lanes - Dundas (Hamilton) UxBowl/Parish Lanes - Uxbridge West Park Bowling - Ottawa Themed Restaurants, Bars and Stores The Disney Store - Georgian Mall, Barrie The Disney Store - Lime Ridge Mall, Hamilton The Disney Store - Masonville Place, London The Disney Store - Rideau Centre, Ottawa The Disney Store - Upper Canada Mall, Newmarket Hard Rock Cafe - Ottawa La Casa de Madre - Wheels Inn, Chatham Water Parks and Attractions Bingemans Big Splash - Bingemans Funworx, Kitchener/Waterloo Calypso Theme Waterpark - Gagnon East Park Water Park/Wally World at East Park - East Park, London Loose Moose/Splash Canyon - Midhurst Wally World Water Park - London Wild Waterworks - Hamilton

Waltzing Waters Attraction Type: Dancing Fountain/Lightshow Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: 1962-2000 Designer(s): Robert Dunham/Waxattract Waltzing Waters was a dancing fountain that was synchronized to music, and even lights at night. It opened in 1963 when Arthur White purchased the neighboring Burning Springs building and overhauled it as the Burning Springs Wax Museum . In addition to the museum, he built Waltzing Waters between it and the neighboring Seagram Tower . Guests would pay admission to enter the viewing area for the large outdoor fountain, which required an operator at a switchboard to control. The Seagram complex in 1962 before the wax museum moved into the old Burning Spring building. The blue Waltzing Waters pool can be seen in the middle. The fountain was lightyears ahead of it's time, and at a time when computers were in their infancy. It was built by Robert Dunham, creative genius who would go on to make major advancements in the world of special effects, animatronics, and haunted attractions with his Waxattract company. Dunham was a painter who had recently opened Fantasy Land, his first amusement attraction, at the nearby Crystal Beach Amusement Park. Waltzing Waters however would be his first attraction in Niagara Falls proper, and first commission for an amusement attraction owned by another party. The fountain at the bottom-middle in this 1965 image. The cut out area on the right side of the fountain is the control booth, which the pool surrounded on three sides. It's unknown how exactly the show itself changed year-to-year, but the fountain would expand in 1971. With the switchboard operating system, the show could in theory be different every time, or customizable to whatever song was currently being played. A similar switchboard setup could later be found in the Lightshow rooms of Dunham's international chain of Castle Dracula attractions. The Waltzing Waters switchboard operator in 1972 was Werner Maetzke, as evidenced by a newspaper article from July of that year. The same article states that the $150,000 switchboard he's pictured sitting at was brought in from West Germany the year prior, hinting that the attraction's technology was updated in 1971 as well. Werner Maetzke, the show's maestro, at the updated controls in 1971. The much larger fountain after it's expansion in 1971, pictured here in the 1980's. The show was free for the 1972 and 1973 seasons, being changed to $1 admission for adults (free for children) in 1974. A combination ticket was also offered that included White's Burning Springs Wax Museum and National Marine Aquarium of Canada , which set guests back $3.95. it's unknown at what point it became free again, but late-70s newspaper advertisements promote it being free by at least 1978 and offering three shows nightly. It's unknown if it ever reverted to an admission ticket afterwards. Above and below: series of postcards from the early 70s when the neighboring tower was named the "Royal Inn Tower", and the complex the "Royal Centre." These postcards show just how vibrant and impressive the fountain was, yet likely still don't do it justice. The fountain was on land leased to White from the Seagram (later Royal Heritage) Tower, which White eventually became owner of (and therefore Waltzing Waters entirety) in 1970, renaming it the Royal Inn Tower (later Panasonic Tower.) The Tower would be sold again along with the Burning Springs Wax Museum and National Marine Aquarium of Canada in 1976 to Japanese businessman Takeshi Shimizu, and from him to the Bolus family who owned the land the attractions were on in 1981. White however would retain ownership of the fountain through all this until 1992, when it was auctioned off. The old Burning Springs building next door, which had most recently housed the Dare Devil Gallery, was demolished the same year. The fountain would be bought by an unknown buyer and continue to run in it's original spot until 1995, when it was moved across the street to make way for the Marriott Falls View. It lasted in its new home until 2000. It's unknown if anyone bought the equipment for the fountain or where it went, and the attraction ended up being demolished and disappeared from the Niagara attraction landscape for good. The fountain and Panasonic Tower, 1970's.

Nightmares Fear Factory Attraction Type: Haunted Attraction Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: 1984-Present Designer(s): Robert (Bobber) Gibbs, Frank La Penna The earliest roots of Nightmares actually date all the way back to 1966, across Lake Ontario from the Niagara Region. A charity organization which Robert "Bobber" Gibbs belonged to opened a seasonal Halloween spook house which ran for the days leading up to Halloween in an old farmhouse in Oshawa, and the following Halloween moved to a farmhouse in Whitby. Keeping the concept's further potential in mind, he would revisit it for the 1980 Halloween season and open a seasonal haunt of his own as a business, this time in an old farmhouse in Markham on the North-West corner of Warden/Steeles, literally across the street from Toronto's Scarborough borough. It would be named "13 Rooms of Terror", as it moved through thirteen rooms of the renovated house, each with a different theme or scare, and would be open for all of October. The location closer to the City made the haunt even more popular than Gibbs' setups in the 60's, and it would return in the same location the following year since Gibbs owned the building. The intersection of Warden and Steeles today as seen on Google maps, with a large business plaza now sitting where Gibbs' old farmland and once sat. It would prove to be so popular that Gibbs began to contemplate the profitability of turning his ideas into full blown haunted attractions, and he would do just that in 1982. Gibbs would open his first permanent haunted attraction as a concession at Prudhomme's Landing, an amusement park in Lincoln on the shores of Lake Ontario, just inside the Niagara Region. The "Haunted House" would again remodel the bones of an old home, renovating the old Prudhomme house (the family which the land was named after) that stood on the land and predated the park. This sign was all that remained of the Haunted House after it was eventually demolished in the 1990's. This photo was taken in 2011, nine years after the park was abandoned. The thing the Haunted House was known for (as all Gibbs' subsequent attractions would be) was that the actors actually touched guests, poking and prodding them in the pitch darkness and grabbing their ankles as they walked past. The attraction was notoriously scary, and quickly became a rite of passage for Niagara Falls teens. It's extreme nature and the live actors' dedication to intensity provided an unrelenting experience through the twisting corridors of the old building. Despite the aging structure and maze-like nature of the attraction, Gibbs always had a strong mind for safety, stating "What I want is a safe place that looks terrible" in the initial proposal to the planning committee of Lincoln. This ahead of it's time thinking wouldn't become widespread in the haunted attraction industry until the tragic 1984 Haunted Castle fire at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey which killed 8 teenagers. Perhaps if Six Flags had been thinking like Gibbs, it could have been avoided. The live actors actually touching and poking guests was both ahead of it's time and a relic of it. While it's trendy for many haunted attractions today to have guests sign waivers before actors physically interact with them to hype up the fear, and it was perhaps something that occurred without any thought to the matter in haunts of the 70's, The Haunted House fell somewhere in the middle. The era it existed in and the identity of the attraction made it completely unexpected, as no other permanent haunted attraction in the area at that time had actors physically interact with guests, yet it wasn't at a time when guests would be likely to turn around and sue for profit as they'd be more likely to today. Nightmares would take this same concept and push it even further, creating a successor to the Haunted House. Nightmares would open in 1984 on the first floor of the mall portion of Maple Leaf Village in Niagara Falls, Gibbs' first haunted house in a space he was able to completely design from scratch. It would be a start to finish, relentless assault on the senses. The rooms and mazes in the attraction were lit only by small red lights high on the wall close to the ceiling. As guests made their way through each area, the lights were their only guide through the illusions, strange sensations, jump scares, and being grabbed by the actors. Not only that, the rooms and corridors were able to switch and change, trapping guests in dead ends and forcing them to walk in circles. Perhaps the most memorable feature of Nightmares was "Tommy the Tongue", a wet sponge on the end of a pole in the darkness which would "lick" guests' faces. The main scare in the attraction however was the goalie mask sporting actor who would chase guests around, and be one of the only seen elements in the attraction. For guests to be rescued from this nightmare, they had to yell "Nightmares", admitting defeat. The scares would stop and the staff would lead you out a "chicken exit", giving you a souvenir card of shame stating so. The Maple Leaf Village mall sandwiched between the two hotels on Falls Ave., with the amusement park in behind, 1980. The attraction offered a totally different experience from other haunted attractions at the time, being focused almost entirely on psychological horror instead of physical sets and props. While there were illusions and disorienting mazes in other attractions like Castle Dracula , The Haunted House on Clifton Hill (unrelated to Gibbs' attraction), and the Maple Leaf Village amusement park's Mysterious Mansion, the charm of Nightmares was that you, the guest was left to fill in the blanks as to what was after you in the darkness, hence the name. While it wasn't necessarily better than the immense detail, scenery and storytelling in other attractions, it was certainly different, and stood out in almost an apples-and-oranges kind of sense. Original green card from Nightmares. The rite-of-passage aspect of the Haunted House at Prudhomme's was also now marketed as a challenge at Nightmares, with colour-coded cards being given to anyone who completed the attraction. The colour on the card you received indicated how brave you were during the experience, with guests who barely scraped by receiving a pink card, guests who were visibly frightened receiving an orange card, guests who only appeared occasionally startled receiving a green card, and only a completely unflinching, unbothered guest receiving the coveted blue card. This was a genius move on Gibbs' part, as it secured repeat patronage as guests tried to memorize and predict the jump scares inside in an attempt to stay stonefaced during the attraction. With clever live actors however, this was easier said than done. Gibbs would operate Nightmares and the Haunted House simultaneously during the 1984 season, with the Haunted House's operations being transferred to Prudhomme's Landing themselves in 1985 so Gibbs could focus on Nightmares. Nightmares' popularity led to it receiving a direct sequel shortly after it opened, right next door. The attraction moved to a larger space on the third floor of the mall to accommodate the addition. The new attraction, Nightmares II, would be a progression of the original with the same kinds of scares, however if it was a separate ticket or just an expanded area of the pre-existing walkthrough is unknown. This would be quickly followed up once again with Nightmares III - The Black Journey, a hybrid between a haunted house and an obstacle course. All three attractions would have the card level system. The most notable feature of Nightmares III was the very first room. Guests would enter, the room would seal off behind them, and they would be left there for 10 minutes in pitch darkness and silence, feeling around the walls without even a red light on the wall to give them a sense that this was supposed to be happening. This apparently seriously freaked people out, and understandably so. Some guests allegedly even thought they had somehow wandered into a backstage area between the walls and were sent into a panic. A small hatch along the bottom of the wall opposite to the side of the room you entered through would eventually open near the floor, and guess would have to crawl through the claustrophobic tube-like tunnel to the next area, all in pitch darkness. They would then have to navigate a series of psychologically and physically demanding obstacles of a similar nature, with various degrees of lighting. It was elements like this that were beginning to gain the Nightmares brand fame, as the extremity of the psychological torment was revolutionizing the industry. New attractions had started implementing similar features as early as the year after Nightmares opened, with Screamers also opening on the third floor of Maple Leaf Village in 1985 after an ex-Nightmares employee had a dispute with Gibbs so decided to start his own attraction. Glow-in-the-dark pins from the attractions. Screamers, "Where Nightmares Become Reality", 1995. One of the most obscure and undocumented aspects of Nightmares however would also be one of its most important, as it affected not just the haunted attraction industry, but also the world of mini golf. "Nightmares Fore" opened as the fourth and final installment in the Nightmares brand, also on the third floor of the mall. It was a blacklight miniature golf course with horror theming, one if not the first blacklight mini golf courses. It was also the first with a horror theme, a popular theme for blacklight miniature golf courses today. A similar concept named "Monsterland Golf" was in the planning stages just a couple years earlier by Robert Dunham's Waxattract/Enter-Tech company, and would have used animatronic figures created from the same molds used to create the figures in The House of Frankenstein and Castle Dracula locations. Unfortunately Dunham passed away in 1985 before the attraction made it to the actual development stages, and it would never see the light of day. It's unclear if Gibbs knew about Monsterland, where it was planned to be located, or if the space it was meant for somehow evolved into Nightmares Fore. No photos, footage, or promotional material from the attraction have surfaced aside from a mention on the completion cards from Nightmares III. Nightmares III completion card mentioning the cleverly-named "Nightmares Fore." Allegedly the attractions grew a little stale from their original glory over the years as actors got less creative, employees began to give the colour-coded cards out at random to anyone who completed the attractions, and other attractions such as Screamers were doing similar things. Maple Leaf Village would begin a rapid, somewhat planned demise beginning in the early 90's. Several tenants began to leave, with the amusement park behind the mall closing in 1994, and the mall itself eventually closing in 1996 to become Casino Niagara. The heavy-duty wiring and power hookups the mall had for its many arcades, restaurants, and attractions were actually specifically designed for the mall to one day become a casino if it had to. Nightmares cleverly saw the writing on the wall back in '93, and Gibbs would begin plans to move the attraction to Victoria Ave. By the time the attraction moved, the total chicken count between Nightmares I, II, and III was allegedly up to 43,610. The new attraction would combine the elements from all three of these attractions and turn them into one, two-story, mega attraction. The attraction on Victoria Ave., 1996. The building on Victoria Ave. which Nightmares would move to would be the building formerly home to the original Castle Dracula from 1974 until it moved to Clifton Hill in 1977. The building dated back much further than that however, originally being constructed as a Bell Telephone office building and eventually becoming home to the Canadian Corps in the 1960's. It's unknown what the building was from 1977-1993, photographs from the early 80's show it seemingly abandoned, however a news article about Nightmares taking the structure over mentions something called "Plantation" formerly being there, presumably a restaurant that occupied a small portion of the space. Nightmares would have you believe the building was formerly the "Cataract Coffin Factory", which while great storytelling, isn't true despite a majority of tourists actually believing it. Being the former home of Dracula however is surprisingly fairly close to that, so perhaps there is some tounge-in-cheek truth to it after all. This is where things get a little hazy. Frank La Penna owned the building and allegedly provided Gibbs with roughly $80,000 of renovations. The building itself had notoriously been an issue with several of its past occupants. The Canadian Corps moved out due to the absolutely massive, old building being much too large and costly to maintain. One reason Castle Dracula was sold off by it's creators and moved to Clifton Hill was due to how expensive it was to heat the building, and difficult to run power through it. It's unknown when exactly La Penna came into possession of it, the state it was in, or what was there most recently (as mentioned above) by the time Nightmares moved in. Some sort of financial dispute arose between Gibbs and La Penna, with La Penna eventually coming out on top and owning the Nightmares business itself by 1994. It's unknown if the attraction operated at the Victoria Ave. location for the 1993 season under Gibbs or remained closed while the dust was settling between the two parties. The attraction apparently opened for Halloween night 1993, but due to a massive snowstorm that night, only saw 10 guests. La Penna would continue to build upon the attraction once it was his. The earliest evidence of the attraction actually in operation on Victoria Ave. full time isn't until 1994. Frank La Penna posed lurking in his attraction, 1994. Whatever occurred wouldn't deter Gibbs however from being in the haunted attraction industry, and he would open the Scares 'n Dares Haunted Warehouse up in Wasaga Beach in 1994, occupying a former section of the Playland Arcade there which was walled off for the attraction. The section of the building was at the back of the arcade and was originally constructed as the bowling alley and expanded arcade area for Playland Park in a 1950s expansion to their penny arcade. The bowling lanes had since been removed and were replaced with various games before Gibbs moved in, leaving the area looking like a warehouse, likely where it got it's name. It's unknown how similar to Nightmares the experience was, however it would move across the street to a former gift shop when the section of the arcade building it was in was torn down, dropping the "Haunted Warehouse" portion of the name. It eventually became "Nightmares Wasaga Beach" in 1997, a direct version of the Niagara Falls attraction done in the same style, which would last until 2005. Scares 'n Dares Haunted Warehouse (above, 1994) and it's later incarnation as Nightmares Wasaga Beach as seen on the righthand side of this image. (right, late 90's) Back in Niagara Falls, La Penna's "new" Nightmares was kicking things up a notch in an attempt to stay relevant in the face of similar attractions which had sprouted up since the original opened in 1984. The attraction would initially still operate on a completion card system, however only a "Chicken" and "I Survived" card would be given out instead of the colour-coded bravery scale. Yelling "Nightmares" to be rescued from the experience was also a feature held over. The Nightmares building itself is located on a slight hill, so at the front along Victoria Ave., the first floor is level with the ground, whereas around the back of the building, the first floor would be a sort of underground basement, and the second floor is level with the ground. The front half of the first floor was occupied by Frank's Steakhouse for years, a popular local restaurant (that would later expand out the side of the building), and the back half of the first floor was home to the lower level of Castle Dracula during its tenure there. You entered Castle Dracula through a door on Victoria Ave., then were immediately greeted with a stairs up to the lobby, gift shop and arcade on the second floor, exactly where the Nightmares lobby is today. Upper portion of the coffin display in it's original colours, early 2000's. Lower portion of the coffin display as it originally appeared, 1990's. The head has since been removed. Nightmares however doesn't take you down to a lower level on the first floor, only occupying the top two floors of the space. It remains a mystery if the former lower level of the original Castle Dracula exits abandoned under Nightmares, but the less exciting reality is that it probably became an expanded area of the restaurant years ago. Frank's eventually became Carlos O'Brien's, which was what it was at the time Nightmares moved in. The restaurant has since been "The Wild Mushroom", and later underwent major renovations to become Weinkeller currently. Like Castle Dracula before it, guests enter Nightmares through a door on Victoria Ave., however it's now under a giant gothic stone facade complete with a massive fiberglass Grim Reaper with glowing eyes which was added in late 1998. After passing a coffin display in the front window, guests traverse upstairs to the lobby and gift shop. Live screams of guests were originally broadcast on speakers both in the lobby and outside the attraction, however this was eventually discontinued, assumingly due to the fact guests likely let an array of expletives out while being scared senseless. After buying your ticket, you then venture upstairs to the top floor and begin your journey... The attraction now features the aforementioned story of being the abandoned coffin factory, originally deemed the "Cataract Casket Company" but later changed to "Cataract Coffin Company" at some point early in the location's life. Nightmares has fully embraced this, officially becoming "Nightmares Fear Factory" in the late 90's. In a genius way to provide story and a theme to an attraction based almost entirely on pitch darkness and psychological terror, the majority of it's storytelling exits in its promotional material. No brochures from the attraction feature photos of the interior, and photography/filming is forbidden. It's also never discussed what's inside, and the story that the building is haunted and was formerly a coffin factory never deviated from, even to the press. This has created a cloud of mystery around how exactly the contents of the attraction have changed around over the years since the move, if at all. In one of the only pieces of media discussing the attraction as *not* being a real haunted factory, the 1994 newspaper article on the attraction moving to Victoria Ave. provides some insight into the creation of the scares. La Penna was a contractor, not a haunted attraction designer or amusement operator, but apparently had a blast reworking the attraction and seeing how extreme he could take things. "I Survived" and "Chicken" cards from the late 90's. Several elements have been kept from the original Nightmares attractions in Maple Leaf Village, including the red guiding lights, the crawl-through tunnel, Tommy the Tongue (although he is now nameless), and the dead-end room, although they don't leave you in there as long as it's original incarnation. New additions included bars which actors hit electrified poles on to create sparks, a room with inflatable walls that close in on either side of you, and most famous of all: the car. The original lobby, later remodeled in 2008 to include more room for merchandise as the attraction's fame grew. Nightmares features a car bumper and headlights on the wall beside guests at one point in the attraction, with a camera located directly above that takes a photo at the exact moment the headlights turn on and an unbelievably loud car horn blares. The photo of you and your friends in a raw state of petrified horror can be purchased in the gift shop. This gimmick was always popular dating back to the location's opening in the 90's, however following the rise of mainstream social media in the late 2000's, it absolutely exploded. This simple effect, used in dark rides as far back as the 1950's, took the already popular attraction and propelled it into the international spotlight when coupled with the hidden camera and the power of the internet. When the photos began circulating online, so did the tales of the intensity of the attraction, as well as people's stretched truths and misconceptions of what they had just been through. Tales of the attraction as well as it's story of being located in a former coffin factory spread like wildfire, and people started travelling to The Falls for the attraction alone, something a haunted attraction hadn't accomplished since The House of Frankenstein and Castle Dracula opened back in the 70's. A group captured by the "Scare Cam" in the early 2000's. Wallpaper has since replaced the mural backdrop to these iconic photos. It may have been years ahead of it's time and taken a while to reach the fame it has, but at every turn, Nightmares ended up being savvy to trends and technology the same way Niagara's other iconic attractions were in the eras when they debuted. This has secured it as a mainstay Niagara Falls classic, a well-deserved spot for an attraction who's roots lie not in a haunted coffin factory, but a humble, charity-run Halloween haunted house in an Oshawa farm field in the 1960's. The attraction as it appears today. The reaper lost his scythe around the turn of the millennium, but finally gained it back in 2019.