Specialty Hotels and Gift Shops Niagara Region Hotels featuring attached waterparks, Family Entertainment Centres, and other attractions are listed on this page. Here you'll also find hotels with a specific theme, or in rare cases those with no theme or attractions but located in an amusement district where it played an important part in the area's history. This doesn't include hotels with one-off, standalone waterslides without a theme. Also not listed are hotels/motels with small game rooms, as a majority contained them in some form from the 1980's-late 2000's. Specialty gift shops and souvenir stores located in amusement districts or featuring other attractions can also be found here. Americana Conference Resort Spa & Waterpark - Niagara Falls Best Western Carin Croft - Niagara Falls Best Western Fallsview - Niagara Falls Colonial Shops - Sheraton Foxhead/Sheraton Fallsview Hotel, Niagara Falls Falls Gifts - Park Motor/Venture/Comfort Inn - Niagara Falls (Fantasy) Fudge Factory - Niagara Falls Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls - Niagara Falls Hilltop Motel - Niagara Falls Honeymoon City Gift Shop/Niagara Falls Gifts - Honeymoon City Motel/Travelodge, Niagara Falls Honeymoon City Motel/Red Carpet Inn/Travelodge - Niagara Falls Imperial/Vittoria Hotel - Niagara Falls Maple Leaf Village Inn/Skyline Hotel - Maple Leaf Village/Falls Ave. Complex, Niagara Falls Niagara Clifton Gift Shop/Blue Moose Trading Co. - Niagara Clifton Motel/Thriftlodge Niagara Falls Niagara Clifton Motel/Thriftlodge - Niagara Falls Park Motor/Venture/Comfort Inn Clifton Hill - Niagara Falls Pilgrim Hotel - Niagara Falls Prudhomme's Landing Inn - Prudhomme's Landing, Lincoln Quality Courts/Inn Fallsway - Niagara Falls Seagram/Royal/Panasonic/Minolta Tower Centre - Niagara Falls Sheraton Brock/Crowne Plaza Hotel - Falls Ave. Complex, Niagara Falls Sheraton Foxhhead/Sheraton Fallsview Hotel - Falls Ave. Complex, Niagara Falls Greater Toronto Area Chelsea Hotel - Toronto Delta Toronto East - Scarborough (Toronto) Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Blue Mountain Resort - Blue Mountain (Collingwood) Georgian Inn Resort - Wasaga Beach Lakeview Motel - Wasaga Beach Miramar Motel - Wasaga Beach Osbourne's Castle of Gifts - Wasaga Beach Santa Fe Motel - Wasaga Beach Sauble Lodge Motor Inn- Sauble Beach Treasure Island/Sunsations - Wasaga Beach Villa Nova Motel - Wasaga Beach Ontario - Other Areas Lamplighter Inn - London French River Trading Post - French River Muskoka Store - Muskoka Nottawasaga Inn Resort - Alliston Wheels Inn - Chatham Alberta Best Western Plus Port O'Call - Calgary Deerfoot Inn & Casino - Calgary Douglas Fir Resort - Banff Dino's RV Nest/Dinosaur RV Park & Cabins - Drumheller Fantasyland Hotel - West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton Holiday Inn Lethbridge - Lethbridge British Columbia (and Northern Canada) Quebec Best Western Coquitlam Inn - Coquitlam Hotel Valcartier (and Hotel de Glace) - Valcartier Vacation Village, Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier Atlantic Canada (East of Quebec) Best Western/Ramada Plaza Dieppe/Moncton Crystal Palace - Crystal Palace, Champlain Place, Dieppe (Moncton), NB

Lost Media This section attempts to list, archive and track down pieces of media related to the Canadian amusement industry. "Lost Media" is any type of media confirmed to once exist, but is no longer available to the general public on the internet, in accessible archives, public libraries, or any other openly accessible resource. This section lists our most wanted pieces of media for our archives, most of which are extremely obscure and not discussed anywhere in other amusement and lost media communities on the internet. Castle Dracula Radio Spot - Castle Dracula (Lost radio commercials for U.S. l ocations, mid-late 1970s) Castle Dracula T.V. Commercial(s) - Castle Dracula (Lost television commercials for U.S. locations, mid-late 1970s) Coaster Chaos - FX Ride Theater (Lost edit of "Funhouse Express" ride film with additional footage, 2010) Country Hound Jamboree - Magic Harbour (Lost showtapes/footage of Waxattract-built animatronic show for U.S. park) Crystal Ball Projection Video - Castle Dracula (Lost film used to create special effect, 1974) Dracula Face Projection Video - Castle Dracula (Lost film used as projected face for figure in U.S. location, 1975) Captain Andy's Rivertown Revue - Boblo Island Amusement Park (Partially lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show) Captain Carnival Commercial - Captain Carnival Pizza Theatre (Lost commercial for family entertainment centre, 1983) Captain Carnival Show - Captain Carnival Pizza Theatre (Lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show) PARTIALLY FOUND "Cat in the Hat" Ride Film (Existence Unconfirmed) - Extreme Movie Ride 4D, MGM Studios Plaza (Lost motion ride film, 2002) "Country Jamboree" - Crystal Beach Amusement Park (Lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show) Ghostblasters Attraction Trailer - Ghostblasters, Great Canadian Midway (Partially lost advertisement for ride) Good Times Jamboree - Pyramid Place (Lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show, 1979) Good Times Jamboree Cartoon - Pyramid Place (Lost animated preshow film, 1979) Harry Houdini "Talking Head" Projection Video - Houdini Hall of Fame (Partially lost film used to create special effect) Hillbilly Bear Jamboree - Maple Leaf Village (Lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show, 1982) The Hot Air Fantasy - Marineland (Partially lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show, mid-late 1980's) "Ice Cave" Projection Video - Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum (Partially lost film used to create special effect) John Bradshaw Show Ripley's Episode - Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum (Lost television showcase of the attraction, 1964) Marineland Promotional "Sailor Seal" Video - Various locations (Partially lost advertisement used in promotional stands) Marineland "Sailor Seal" Show - Various locations (Partially lost showtapes/footage of animatronic used in promotional stands) Meet Mr. Lincoln - Maple Leaf Village (Lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show, 1984) Monster Mash - Castle Dracula (Lost showtapes/footage of animatronic show, 1974) Monster Mash Projection Film - Castle Dracula (Lost film used as projection effect in U.S. location, 1975) MGM Multi-Media Films - MGM Great Movie Journey, MGM Studios Plaza (Lost presentation films from attraction, 2003) Robots of Mars 3D Adventure - FX Ride Theatre, Great Canadian Midway (Partially lost motion ride film, 2005)

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum Attraction Type: Exhibit Location: Park Motor/Venture/Comfort Inn, Niagara Falls, Ontario Year(s) Operational: 1963-Present Designer(s): Ripley's Studios, Costello Productions Postcard from opening year in 1963 In 1963, an edition was put on to Welland Securities' Park Motor Inn bringing the structure right to Clifton Hill. This included more rooms, a gift shop and cafe (where Kelsey's has been since the 90s), The Yard pub (became the Rathskeller Pub in the late 60s, then Rumors Nightclub in the 80s, now divided up into multiple things like the relocated Kelsey's bathrooms and Zombie Attack) and the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum downstairs. Ripley's leased the space from Welland Securities (present day HOCO), making it Welland Securities' first attraction technically, even if they didn't run or own it. It was the second attraction in the Ripley company's popular chain of "Odditoriums", predated only by the original St. Augustine, Florida location. The museum would be a mixture of a sideshow, wax museum, and science exhibit showcasing strange, unique, or exotic "believe it or not" facts. It's wax figures and elaborate displays were created by the art department at Ripley's International, who provided fantastic theming and environments to accompany the oddities on display. There was a wide variety featured within including strange artifacts (and replicas of them), unique works of art, interactive scientific dioramas, and illusions. The building was packed, touting over 550 exhibits. Some of these included a replica of the Lincoln Memorial built out of 10,000 Lincoln pennies, Japanese swords amongst other items in an Oriental Room, the burial of a fly, the world's smallest violin, a shrunken head, the tree that spouted water, and recreations of various headstones in an elaborate graveyard scene. There was also a guitar, fiddle, and bicycle made out of matchsticks, as well as a replica of the fictional medieval torture device the "Iron Maiden" which guests could stand in (although it didn't do any impaling.) Some of the wax exhibits included Liu Ch'ung The Double-Eyed Man, Robert Ripley himself in a Ripley Room, The Woman Who Flew, The Man With a Hole in His Head, and the tomb of Chang T'ung the Human Candlestick who's mummified body served as a candle holder for 261 years. Re-creation of the Tomb of Chang T'ung as seen on this mid-60's brochure cover. 1963 postcard of the Lincoln Memorial model built entirely out of Lincoln pennies. The attraction was instantly successful and was one of the first in the area, drastically contributing to not only the growth of Clifton Hill and it's character, but also to the growth of the Ripley company who would go on to turn the museums into a global chain after the Niagara location's success. It wasn't the first attraction on The Hill however with that title going to Tussaud's in 1959, and the Antique Auto Museum had opened around the corner on Falls Ave. in 1962. That being said, it did wonders for building Clifton Hill's unique charm, and was the second attraction on The Hill and the first considerably up it, with Tussaud's being located at the bottom and Ripley's at the very top. This greatly improved traffic up The Hill, as tourists who wanted to experience the museum were now traversing the entire street to see the attraction even if they weren't guests in any of the motels along it. A 1964 T.V. episode of the John Bradshaw Show on Hamilton's CHCH-TV showcased many of the scenes and displays in the museum, but like many of the television episodes, specials and commercials related to most attractions discussed on this site, the episode remains lost media. Due to the age of the episode it will likely never be found, as that was long before home off-air recordings existed and many TV stations (especially small local ones) erased and re-used their tapes at that time, as it was before historical preservation was thought about. The Graveyard, 1963. The Oriental Room (Left) and Robert Ripley himself (Right) in 1963. Exhibits were constantly updated, but major changes came in the early-70s to keep up with more attention-grabbing attractions that had popped up like The House of Frankenstein and Castle Dracula. These updates included a disorienting walk-through vortex tunnel, builder of the Great Wall of China Chin Shih Huang Ti, an ancestor skull from New Guinea, a "Catacombs" section, the animated candy machine used in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and several more detailed wax displays like Little Jack Homer and the "babes in the woods". A "floating tap" illusion fountain was also constructed in the attraction's lobby at this time and designed by local artist Derek Costello, who may have done more work for the attraction as well including some of the wax figures listed above. A large billboard-style neon sign was also placed on the building's roof in 1974. Little Jack Homer, mid 70's. A somewhat embarrassing incident for the Ripley company occurred in 1980 when a visitor to the Niagara museum successfully solved a block puzzle he had seen at the museum after two years and four months. The museum had touted that it would take "all the people on the Earth working day and night for a million years" for the blocks to be arranged in every possible combination, however the guest in question, who was a math teacher, proved otherwise. After his calculations were confirmed by computer, the display, which was featured in every Ripley's location at the time, had to be promptly removed from all of them. The 80's would see further updates as the Ripley's brand became more known for their attractions than the source books and T.V. show that inspired them. The building was remodeled in 1985 when Rumors Nightclub replaced the Rathskeller pub upstairs and the upstairs windows were removed. The new sign for the attraction, which would be added in addition to the pre-existing rooftop billboard, would appear to be running through the corner of the building. These unique facades would become a staple of the Ripley's Odditoriums all over the world. The lobby would also now feature an animatronic robot at a "broken pipe" fountain. The fountain reused elements of the floating tap, and the robot may have ironically been another piece by Costello, although this isn't confirmed. One large shred of evidence in that direction however is it's resemblance to the fully programmable T-100 Terminator he later built in his garage for Halloween, but that's another story for another time. Lady Elizabeth Raleigh presents her (ex)husband's head in the Catacombs, 1977. Top Left: The "Floating Tap" before the addition of the junkyard robot. Above: The re-themed fountain with the towering robot. Bottom Left: The remodeled attraction with Rumours Nightclub above. Moving in a more "world record" direction, the museum did away with some of the cultural artifacts and replicas as the world became more connected, and certain items no longer held the exotic allure they once did. While still containing several of those elements to this day, the museum began to move more in the direction of "world's smallest", "world's largest", "world's only" sort of displays. Strange taxidermy also became a staple of the attraction such as the legendary "Fiji Mermaids" the chain became known for, and the "Two Headed Calf" which became somewhat of a mascot for the Niagara location. A shooting gallery was also added inside the actual attraction, and a large arcade replaced most of the gift shop. Owner of the Ripley's company Jim Pattison along with the mayor attended the official ribbon cutting for the remodeled attraction on June 10th, 1987. The 1987 ribbon cutting for the updated attraction. The mysterious "Fiji Mermaid" in the early 2000's. Ripley's, who owned Tussaud's by that time and had moved the Ripley's International art department to above that attraction, even got up to some cross-promotion when a figure of O.J. Simpson (promoted as "The Greatest Running-Back of All Time!") was placed in Ripley's next to a plaque discussing his sports records. This was of course complete with a large sign reading "Wax figure courtesy of Louis Tussaud's English Wax Museum. Before leaving Niagara Falls be sure to visit this... WORLD FAMOUS ATTRACTION." And then, in somehow even larger text: "DOWN THE HILL." This scene probably aged about as well as milk, and was (understandably) removed in the early-90s for obvious reasons. Perhaps it would have been better suited for a "Believe Him or Not" museum. The horribly aged O.J. exhibit in 1977. Above and beside: Shots of the arcade in 1999. The attraction was extensively remodeled again in November/December of 2003 and into spring 2004, debuting in time for the tourist season that same year. The billboard sign on the roof installed in 1974 was removed, as was the sign through the building's corner. The facade would now be a massive replica of the Empire State Building turned on its side, with the antenna atop the building extending out over the street. A giant fiberglass King Kong was now standing on the structure, and a sideways helicopter with spinning blades was sitting on a landing pad. A sign resembling the original billboard formerly upright on the building's roof was placed sideways at the top of the toppled Empire State Building. The remodel also saw the edition of an animatronic worker climbing a rope up and down the side of the building. Also added were many comically destressed fiberglass characters hanging off, and even upturned cars and soil at the far side of the building where the toppled skyscraper's uprooted foundation would be. One of the pillars in the lobby's entrance was even disguised as a crushed phone booth the building had fallen on. With the new update also came the removal of the arcade in favor of the "Wax Zone" counter selling wax casts of customer's hands. Above: Removal of the iconic sign in 2003. Top right: The attraction 2002 before the remodel. Bottom right: The totally changed building following the extensive the remodel as seen in the early 2010's The animatronic lobby band, 2010. The impressive new facade was accompanied by a completely overhauled interior focusing more on interactivity and education. Many of the wax displays and darker areas (both thematically and literally) were removed at this time. The lobby robot would eventually be removed in 2010 while the fountain would remain. Instead of the robot, the lobby would now feature an animatronic show of sideshow performers singing current pop songs, located at the front facing the road into Comfort Inn (formerly Park Motor Hotel.) This new show (of admittedly debatable tastefulness) would feature the Three-Legged Man (loosely based on Francesco Lentini) on banjo, The World's Smallest Man (based on world's then-smallest man Chandra Bahadur Dangi) playing the bars of his cage, and a depiction of a woman of the Myanmar Padaung Tribe playing her neck extension bracket like a xylophone. The museum would close at the end of the 2015 season (after the attached Comfort Inn/former Park Motor Hotel had been torn down), and reopened on May 20th, 2016. The new version of the attraction would be modernized even further inside and out, and gone was the questionably-ethical animatronic band in the lobby (which had seen better days in recent years anyway) in favor of a much more Ripley's-esque display. The new animatronics, located in the front window facing Clifton Hill, are an elderly man in a replica of a vintage coin-operated car ride name the (self-aware) "Sonic Animatronic Flyer", with a large snail on the hood. His friend, an equally-elderly turtle standing on a nearby crate, holds a fan and blows wind in the man's face, as if to give him the sensation of speed. The random, sarcastic, zany nature of the display perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the Ripley's brand. The Sonic Animatronic Flyer that inhabits the lobby today. The facade was also repainted at the time, and the side facing Clifton Hill extensively remolded since Rumors Nightclub had been removed in 2015. The former stairs up to it were now gone, and the space formerly home to the bar was now home to Kelsey's new bathrooms and Zombie Attack, both of which are accessed from elsewhere. This allowed for the first floor of the building to expand to where the stairs had previously sat, this being the front window the new animatronics are displayed in. The fountain in the lobby was removed, however. The remodel also saw the removal of the wax hand casting counter in exchange for a re-expanded gift shop. The attraction as it's appeared since the removal of Rumours upstairs in 2015. An attraction like Ripley's is bound to change constantly as world records are set and broken, what's shocking or entertaining changes, and what's considered taboo becomes no longer (or becomes too taboo to continue to display.) Despite all the changes, updates, and remodels over the years, Ripley's continues to be one of Clifton Hill's most popular attractions. It paved the way for Clifton Hill's wacky personality, and other than Tussaud's (which Ripley's also owns) is currently the only other member of Niagara's sixth decade club of attractions who have been entertaining guests for over 60 years. It's also still in it's original location whereas Tussaud's has since moved to Victoria Ave., making it the oldest Niagara attraction in its original location and the oldest on Clifton Hill, Believe It... or Not.

The Great Canadian Midway Attraction Type: Family Entetainment Centre Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: 2002-Present Designer(s): White Hutchinsin Leisure Learning Group, Art Attack FX, Integrative Design Services HOCO's Dazzleland Family Fun Center had completely changed Niagara Falls attractions (and more specifically the complexes they were located in) when it debuted in 1992. Being the first family entertainment centre (an arcade-like complex that includes small rides and other attractions as well) in the Falls, it would usher in the direction the area's amusement industry was headed, and several more would open in the area in the decades to follow. Dazzleland Family Fun Center, mid-90's. When the government of Ontario was selecting the location for Casino Niagara in the mid-90s, HOCO apparently put in a bid to get the casino on their land. Eventually the casino went 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 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 F.E.C. to replace the second-floor mall in the now-renamed Sheraton Fallsview. Dazzleland (top, 2001) and the Great Canadian Midway (bottom, 2002) built atop the old Dazzleland foundation. With Dazzleland already being a massive success, and wanting to stay ahead of the curve, HOCO didn't just expand but also refine it into an entirely new attraction. More games reasonably equals higher guest enjoyment, and therefore profit. With this taken into account, the outdoor courtyard style with it's room for walkways between the buildings was re-designed, and HOCO again called upon the White-Hutchinson Leisure Learning Group (WHLLG), the firm who had designed Dazzleland. WHLLG designed not only a remodel of Dazzleland, but an incredible 5-step plan that if seen through to completion would have changed Clifton Hill even more than it ended up doing, leading up to an outdoor amusement park and a waterpark hotel in the field between Clifton Hill and the Skylon Tower. However, only steps 1 to 3 would actually come to fruition. Step 1 was remodeling Dazzleland into The Great Canadian Midway, which opened in 2002 and cost roughly $10 Million. 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 Comfort Inn, and Wendy's would remain above Circus World with the Midway built around it. 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. The Midway, like Dazzleland before it however, was divided into different themed areas and attractions, with the interior themed to an old-school amusement park at nighttime to make it feel outdoors. This makes the Midway somewhat of a spiritual successor to Dazzleland, which builds on the theme and retains the same atmosphere. The central area of the new Midway housed the Games Zone, with miscellaneous redemption games, arcade games, and strings of carnival-style lights between poles above the arcade. Surrounding this area was originally a variety of fake facades utilizing forced perspectives to resemble the buildings and stalls of a carnival midway. Inside the Midway in 2002. Wendy's remained, complete with the former entrance on the Dazzleland side that now exited into the Midway. The only change would be the removal of the hallway near washrooms at the back of the restaurant leading to Dazzleland, as the washrooms had also served as the washrooms for the attraction. The Midway would have its own, much larger washrooms, rendering the connecting hallway redundant. Next to Wendy's, roughly in the place of the former video game/pinball building in the back corner of Dazzleland, was the Ride Theatre. It was originally themed to a funhouse, as it showed the SimEx ride film "Fun House Express", also sometimes simply referred to as "Fun Express." The facade was made to resemble red and white carnival banners flanking the theatre's main sign above the ticket/control booth, which read "Ride Theatre" in a vintage-style carnival font. Clockwise to that was a funnel cake stand, and next to that the prize counter. Along the wall adjacent to that one was a large neon design resembling the marquee of a carnival game stand. Underneath it was all the carnival-eqsue redemption games, including Skee-Ball, Boom Ball, Roll-a-Ball and a Hi-Striker hammer game in the center. Top Left: The main sign for the Ride Theatre as seen from Clifton Hill. Top Right: The funnel cake stand between the ride theatre and the prize counter. Bottom Left: The prize counter, with the Skee-Ball machines visible along the adjacent wall under the carnival marquee. Bottom Right: Shot of the Games Zone facing the carnival marquee. Entrance to the Game Factory. Continuing clockwise around the Midway's walls would bring you to the Game Factory, with a crooked, askew factory building acting as it's facade provided by an Edmonton company called Art Attack FX. When Dinosaur Park was moved, the Boston Pizza and Sports Zone was built in it's place. These were also accessible from the Midway via a staircase up immediately to the right when you walked in the doors. The Sports Zone used the same tokens as the Midway, housing most of the sports games for the arcade, including pool tables and a bowling alley, and you could walk through the restaurant to get to the area from the Midway. It was under this area that the Game Factory existed in the Midway below, with all the water, utility, and power hookups necessary for the restaurant and arcade above being cleverly incorporated into the factory theme of the lower-ceilinged area. This is where several pinball machines and other miscellaneous games originally resided, and a few originals still reside to this day. Boston Pizza and the Sports Zone, 2002. One of these includes an old western-themed shooting gallery that may have come out of Circus World, or a variety of other locations. The Falls have seen a variety of western-themed shooting galleries over the years, mostly "Bonanza" shooting galleries dating to the 70s. If the Midway's is in fact recycled from another attraction, it stands to reason it's most likely it came out of Circus World, who rented their space from HOCO and formerly operated a similar sized shooting gallery that was removed around this time. It's contents have mostly been updated over the years, but some of the animatronics and props it originally contained include a bear, a drunk bandit, a fox, a snake, a skunk, a coyote, and a cowboy in a covered wagon with a rifle. The Game Factory formerly housed another shooting gallery called Blasteroids, which was a one of a kind custom shooting gallery game by Lazer-Tron. The game was themed to a laser tag-esque practice range bunker, featuring blacklight targets with bright, flashing sensors that moved around on arms. The back corner of the Game Factory is also where you can find the washrooms. Wild West Shooting Gallery, mid-2000's. Blasteroid in the Game Factory, early 2010's. Original Ghostblasters facade as it still appeared in the late 2010's. Located next to the Game Factory underneath the rest of Boston Pizza and the Sports Zone is Ghostblasters, a backlight, interactive laser shooting dark ride by the Sally Corporation of Florida. The ride was a package offered by Sally Corp., and was already installed in four other locations. The Midway's however would be the grandest. Rather than being themed to a regular mansion as was the pre-packaged story of the ride, the Midway's version was themed to a haunted hotel to match the history of the local area. In addition to all the props that came with the ride, several custom ones were made by Sally Corp. for HOCO to match the custom theme. Despite being one story underneath Boston Pizza, it originally had an impressive two story facade with crooked roof peaks, also provided by Art Attack FX. The Midway's logo has genius design, with the individual letter fonts making up the word "Midway" referencing all the areas and attractions originally in the complex, which flies right over most people's heads now that many of said elements have been changed or removed. The "M" is patterned with a design similar to that of the arcade's original carpet, the bowling pin "I" is a reference to the Sports Zone, the old-school lightbulbs on the "D" reference the lights that made up the word "Snacks" above the funnel cake stand, the art-deco font of the "W" is similar to the font of the original Ride Theater's logo, the spooky and slime-covered "A" is a reference to Ghostblasters, and the industrial typeface of the "Y" is a reference to the Game Factory area. The Great Canadian Midway's creative logo. The exterior of the attraction features this logo proudly on a double-sided sign which can be seen from either up or down the Hill. The sign is perched on a large overhang that offers a large covered area to the sidewalk below, calling tourists in through the attraction's massive, slide-up bay doors. On the wall of the building flanking the overhang was originally a sign on each side, each promoting a different ride within. Signs remain in these spots today, however the originals were very different. The one on the downhill side of the main sign was a poster for the Ride Theater, and on the uphill side of the main sign was the exterior signage for Ghostblasters, which included gargoyles, lanterns, and a tall sign showing a photo of the ride and it's logo surrounded by a three-dimensional gothic border. Under this sign was the set of double-doors, and on either side of them the thematic signage continued. On each side was a lenticular poster in a faux-stone box showing images of the attraction that changed as you walked past. These double doors are always unlocked while the Midway is open, but are mainly used when the large bay doors must remain shut in the winter. Left: Ride Theatre's original exterior signage, 2002. Right: Original outdoor Ghostblasters sign, late 2000's. To say the Midway did well (and continues to do well) is an understatement. It became an instant icon of Clifton Hill, it's giant sign becoming synonymous with the street itself. In total it originally provided 60,000 square feet of games, rides, entertainment, and dining across two floors, and was home to over 250 games in total, many of which were kept from the Dazzleland days. These included the ever-popular Wheel Em' In (which had been Dazzleland's most profitable game), the aforementioned Skee Ball machines, Roll-a-Ball and Boom Ball machines, several video games and pinball machines, and the giant Sega Super GT 4-player racing game that was placed in front of the Ride Theatre. There would also be several then-new games however, including large-screen Sega simulator titles like Top Skater, Water Ski, and Prop Cycle, several new coin pushers joining those held over from Dazzleland, Konami's Mocap Boxing, a TsuMo Multi-Game Motion System machine, "The Maze of Kings" Egyptian-themed light gun video game, dancing games, and much more. Large-screen Sega games along the Wendy's wall, 2002. The Sports Zone upstairs even featured 3 linked large-screen Harley Davidson motorcycle simulator games, a 4-player Daytona USA with TV monitors atop it so gameplay could be watched by Boston Pizza bar patrons, a Real Sports virtual sports simulator cage, and several more redemption, video, and pinball games. There was also a second, smaller redemption counter upstairs in the Sports Zone, as well as the aforementioned Cosmic Bowling glow-in-the-dark bowling alley featuring six Brunswick Bowlingo lanes. The alley featured a large, three-dimensional blacklight mural beside it matching the Cosmic Bowling theme. Rare light gun video games Brave Firefighters and Maze of Kings, 2002. Daytona USA simulators, 2002. Above: Sports Zone, early 2000's. Right: Pool tables and Cosmic Bowling, early 2000's. All this safely squashed any chance of the Falls Ave. Complex overshadowing the attractions further up the Hill, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Marvel Superheroes Adventure City would end up being the F.E.C. that replaced the Sheraton's Colonial Shops in 2004. It's unclear exactly when certain elements were planned for the Falls Ave. Complex, and if the attraction's details were planned before or after the Midway opened, but the Midway's influence on Adventure City in at least some form is clear. Shortly after this, the Midway itself would see it's first wave of updates. The first of these would come in the form of a renaming of the Ride Theatre to the "FX Thrill Ride Theatre", which received updated signage outside the Midway. The new signage featured a fiberglass ride vehicle protruding from the wall as if it had crashed through it. The ride vehicle resembled the one you're supposedly sitting in during the events of the ride film, and featured a clown sitting in the car. The theatre would see a massive overhaul in 2005. It would now show "Robots of Mars", a film that itself is now shrouded in a bit of mystery. It was a privately created film licensed to Simex ride systems, available in both a standard 21 minute version and a cut-down, ride theatre version. It's possible a portion of the film which took place before the events of the ride version (and were therefore cut from it) were used as the pre-show on the screen in the attraction's waiting room. This is of significance as both the ride version and the full, unedited standard version of the film with the 21 minute run time are currently considered lost media. It's estimated the film was likely only shown at an extremely small handful of ride theatres the world over, leading to it's obscurity. The Lost Media Wiki doesn't even have it listed on the website despite a limited search existing in YouTube comment sections. Updated theatre signage, early 2010's. Theatre re-themed to"Robots of Mars", mid-2000's. The exterior of the theatre would now be themed to the film, complete with the ride's sign atop a massive flying saucer protruding out of the wall, adorned with flashing lights. The wall itself would now feature a massive mural themed to the film that stretched from the wall Wendy's is along, over the ride's entrance, over the Sega Super GT game, and all the way to the Funnel Cake stand. The mural made several references to the film, the most prominent being the giant painting of one of the sand creatures you escape from in the film over the Sega Super GT Game. Under the flying saucer sat the ticket/control desk, flanked by the attraction's entrance and exit. Fiberglass statues portraying characters from the film, namely an Marty the Martian and "Doc" the robot, stood next to the entrance and exit which were located under giant, glowing tower structures. Art Attack FX was once again called upon to provide the theming for the updated theatre. The impressive theming of theatre during its FX Thrill Ride Theatre days, 2005. Ghostblasters would receive updates as well, with the ending of the ride being changed a few years after it opened. The final battle against "Boocifer" (the attraction's antagonist) in the scene after the "Boo Bomb" is detonated, being removed in favour of a much more elaborate graveyard scene. All the props from the original ending were relocated elsewhere in the ride. The new figures for the scene (as well as additions to the lobby) were produced by an Ohio company called Scarefactory at this time, and the lobby was given new, more hotel-theme-fitting wallpaper featuring a ghost pattern instead of the gothic brick design it opened with. Original Ghostblasters lobby (Top) versus how it has appeared since the update (Bottom). Robots of Mars would be replaced by the "Cosmic Coaster" film in 2007, but the thematic elements would remain as they matched the space theme of the new film, save for Marty the Martian who was moved to the lobby of Galaxy Golf. The Cosmic Coaster film would later outlive the thematic elements outside the theatre (more on that later) but the film would begin a hiatus in 2008 with the theatre showing the "Time Riders" film, hosted by John Cleese. It too would be short-lived, and end up being the last film shown fitting the sci-fi theme of theatre. It ended up being replaced sometime around 2010 by an edited version of Fun House Express with additional shots and footage, now dubbed "Coaster Chaos". This would be the last film shown using the original ride system and theatre layout, somewhat poetically as the original Fun Express, had been the first. The original theatre would drop the word "Thrill" from most of it's branding and usually be referred to as simply the "FX Ride Theatre" in it's final days, it's carnival-themed movie somewhat juxtaposed to the heavy space theming outfront. The Midway would see rapid changes throughout the 2010's. By this point the final stages of HOCO's aforementioned 5 stage plan that began with the Midway had been scrapped in favor of a new redevelopment plan in the wake of massive changes to the entertainment industry. With a different design company (Integrative Design Solutions) doing the groundwork and no amusement park to lead up to anymore, many of the thematic elements the Midway opened with would be removed and replaced in the next decade. The first to go in this less-structured era of direction for the Midway was the funnel cake stand beside the FX Theatre, being replaced with an expanded area of ticket counting machines in the very early 2010s. The expanded area of ticket counter machines can be seen on the lefthand side of this image (2011) in the former location of the funnel cake stand. Strike Rock n' Bowl in it's early days shortly after the remodel, early 2010's. Strike! Rock 'N Bowl opened in 2011 as an expansion/rebranding of the Sports Zone connected to Boston Pizza upstairs. The new 7-lane bowling alley replaced the Bowlingo alley that had previously been upstairs, and the Real Sports simulator was removed (along with the Cosmic Bowling mural) due to the wall it was along being the one knocked out for the expansion. The large-screen racing games that patrons could view from Boston Pizza's dining area were moved to the Game Factory around this time, and the space along the wall filled in with various other games. The FX Thrill Ride Theatre was gutted, the theming removed, and reopened as the "XD Theatre". The new ride was built by motion ride system company Triotech, with the new ride system utilizing individually moving seats rather than the entire seating section being on one moving platform. This allows for a higher rider capacity, more comfortable seating, and guests to be able to switch the motion on or off individually. The ride reopened with the new moniker in 2012, the first film it showed being none other than the Cosmic Coaster. A new, flat, printed sign for the theatre replaced the themed signage outside the Midway, a the giant 4-player Sega GT game previously along the wall outside the theatre was moved into the Game Factory. Left: The XD Theater in the mid-2010's. Right: XD Theater signage which replaced the FX Ride Theatre vehicle sign. The gradual phasing out of many of the games the Midway opened with ramped up around 2014, with the older pinball and video games being the first to go. Other updates came in 2016 when the Blasteroid shooting gallery was removed from the Game Factory, the carpeting for the entire arcade was replaced, and the Safari Adventure film (which briefly replaced the Cosmic Coaster) was replaced by the Wild West Coaster film in the XD Theatre, the entire theatre now taking the name of the latter. Two of the Daytona USA and two of the Sega Super GT machines were also removed, and the giant "Sega Super GT" header would follow suit shortly after. By this point, the integration of the Sports Zone (now Strike! Rock 'N Bowl) as part of the actual Midway had begun to fall away, and the area became steadily less sports-themed and more akin to a second, separate arcade. This was furthered even more by a sign reading "Sports Zone" in the main Midway's Games Zone below located on the wall next to the XD Theatre after the old theatre's theming was removed, however this area always seemed to have a revolving door of randomly themed games save for a couple basketball toss machines. Updated carpeting in the arcade. The "Sports Zone" sign added next to the XD Theatre. In 2018 Boston Pizza was heavily remodeled and much of it's custom location-oriented theming removed as part of an initiative to match HOCO'S franchised restaurants with the standard styles of them found elsewhere in the country. This included the removal of the games against the wall along the walkway through Boston Pizza from Strike! Rock 'N Bowl to the staircase to the Midway. The staircase itself would finally be sealed off entirely when the pandemic hit in 2020. This was likely because you had to walk through the restaurant to get to the bowling alley, and during the pandemic an employee would have had to man the stairwell at all times, carding people for proof of vaccine. It was most likely not the only contributing factor to the decision however, as long before the pandemic, carding people for ID when the upstairs area became 19+ after a certain time had required someone staffing the stairwell during the evening hours anyway since it opened, and was likely a costly endeavor. The same year, Ghostblasters had the large haunted house facade (and gothic signage for it outside the Midway) removed and would be replaced with flat cutout signage. The Game Factory followed suit the following year. The Wild West Coaster was updated as well, now reverting to the name XD Theatre and welcoming back a revolving turnstile of films, starting with the Cosmic Coaster's second return to the Midway in 2022. Several older games from the Dazzleland era continued to be phased out including the original Skee-Ball machines, Roll-a-Ball, the Water Gun game, Boom Ball, Knock Down, Bromley's Rock n' Bowl, Namco's incredibly rare (and now highly valuable) Godzilla Wars Jr., Treasure Falls, Hungry Dragon, Wacky Gator, the last remnants of Sega Super GT and Daytona USA, as well as several more. Former staircase up to Boston Pizza while walled off, 2022. The biggest change in the Midway's history however came in February of 2024, when the entire arcade switched from a traditional token and tickets operation to running on a play card system. This had various impacts on the Midway, the most obvious being it leading to the removal of all of the token action games, many of which were the last remnants of Dazzleland by this point. This included Wheel Em' In, Smokin' Token, Goin' Rollin', Wonder Wheel, Deep Freeze, Simpson's Kooky Carnival, Big Shot, Lite Em' Up, Big Haul, and all the coin pushers save for the more modern "rapid fire" ones that use recycling tokens which never leave the machine. Various new games filled in the space created, including a large number of e-claw electronically-fixed claw machines. It also led to the removal of the ticket counter machines next to the prize counter. One positive to seemingly come out of it however was the re-opening of the staircase from the Midway up to Boston Pizza/Strike! Rock 'N Bowl (now named Strike! Games Zone), perhaps due to the cross-compatible play cards proudly displaying the logos of both the Midway and the bowling alley. Updated Ghostblasters and Game Factory facades after the removal of their 3-dimensional theming. When the Midway debuted the play card system, Bone Blaster Shooting Gallery (which had briefly occupied the front half of the former Fun Factory store space next to Movieland) was moved into the arcade along the Wendy's wall. The gallery was built by Daniel's Wood Land, the benchmark name in shooting galleries, and for good reason. It's incredibly well designed, witty, and worth the money, despite taking up a huge amount of former arcade floor space. The impressive "Bone Blaster! Shootin' Gallery" The Midway has now been entertaining guests for over two decades, three if you include it's past incarnation as Dazzleland. It may be very different than it was when it opened both in contents and concept, but the Midway still offers a wide variety of games for various styles of arcade-goers. The future for the attraction remains unclear, as it has always seemed to and always will be a reflection of larger industry trends, but while the glory days of it's thematic elements and storytelling are gone, several elements such as Ghostblasters, the wild west shooting gallery, the string carnival lights and marquee in the main Games Zone, and an increasingly smaller handful of older games remain. Between Adventure City's even more lackluster attempts at removing it's theming, some of the totally themeless F.E.C.s that have recently opened in the area, and the lack of maintenance at the Skylon Tower's Skyquest (despite its impressive collection of rare and vintage games), the Midway continues to be a stand out location that still rises above the rest.

External Links and Resources Here you'll find links to various other websites containing information, photographs and videos on the amusement industry in Canada and abroad. While some this information is also available here, many of these sites offer a compelling different look or angle into the specific niche they fill. Access Niagara - A blog dedicated to the more day-to-day happenings in Niagara's tourism industry. While not dedicated specifically to attractions, they are often discussed here. Arcade Heroes - News site following updates in the classic arcade gaming world, including updates and closures to historic arcades and amusement centres. Best Edmonton Mall - A website dedicated to the history of Canada's largest shopping and amusement centre. Matthew Dutczak has done some incredible research to create this phenomenal site. Bill Tracy Project - Website dedicated to American dark ride legend Bill Tracy, which also chronicles some of his projects here in Canada. Tons of great information on his props and story can be found here. Canadian Coaster Enthusiasts - A great history and database website focusing on the history of roller coasters in Canada. Many of the rides and parks discussed on this site predate parks we talk about here at Canadian Amusement History, so if you're a history buff, be sure to give this site a visit. Classic Arcade Game Locations - This massive online database is a user-submitted list of locations of physically-playable classic arcade machines across North America. This site features not only arcades, but also one-off machines that have managed to hang on in the corners of pizza parlours and laundromats through the years. Dark Ride Archive - A Facebook page and YouTube channel documenting the history of both permanent haunted attractions and temporary Halloween haunts. Creator Adam Lee's incredible archival work covers both the U.S. and Canada, and was he was incredibly generous by providing images and media for Canadian Amusement History. Please consider supporting his project. Laff in the Dark - Named after the early mass-produced dark ride of the same name, this website features several articles and resources on dark ride history specifically. Niagara Falls Public Library - The Niagara Falls Public Library and their incredible archives have been by far one of the largest resources in the creation of this website, please consider browsing their collections, which date back much farther than the information you'll find discussed here, or donating if you're able. Pinball Map - A crowdsourced map of Pinball machines at a variety of locations across the world. It currently consists of over 40,000 machines across almost 10,000 locations. Retrontario - Archival website focused on preserving Ontario-specific media. This incredible website's creators have put an amazing amount of time and effort into it, with most of their content coming from tapes and materials they found themselves in the attics and storage rooms of donators. Roller Coaster Database - A global archive of former and current roller coasters, their histories, locations, and dates of opening/closure. ShowbizPizza.com - Named after the American chain of Family Entertainment Centres of the same name, this site is an archive of animatronic shows in various F.E.C.s, restaurants, amusement parks and more.

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

MGM Studios Plaza & MGM Great Movie Journey Attraction Type: Gift Shop/Exhibit Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario Years Operational: 2002-Present (Extreme Movie Ride 4D only), 2003-early 2010's (full complex). Designer(s): Blacklight Attractions/Dark Rider, Iwerks 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 the additions of Hershey's Chocolate World and the Coca Cola Store, a massive 2002 expansion would be the next addition to the complex. This expansion would focus more on new attractions to face Clifton Hill, consisting of Rainforest Cafe and WWE Niagara Falls. Bigger plans were in store for the Sheraton Fallsview however, which was connected to the former Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum building, dating back to an original section of the 1920 Foxhead hotel. Most of the Tussaud's building was completely demolished, little of which was saved and remodeled into a new structure as part of the 2002 expansion. The structure work for the new building was done done by architecture firm Raimondo + Associates. The same year, the basement of this new building would become a 4D motion theatre while work continued on the three floors above, as well as on the former mall that filled the second floor of the neighboring, now-renamed Sheraton Fallsview. The Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum building which the structure for the MGM Studios Plaza would replace shortly after this photo was taken. Deemed the "Extreme Movie Ride 4D", the theatre is a ride simulator built by SimEx-Iwerks, the leading name in motion theatre technology at the time, who was also building the Ride Theatre for the soon-to-open Great Canadian Midway at the same time. The ride is a moving theatre on a tilting platform which guests board to watch a 3D ride film, with the motion being the fourth dimension. A temporary attraction while the building was still being completed was a live magic show located above the theatre. The details of this show are extremely vague, as it only ran for one year. The theatre opened with the film "Dino Island II", which would remain a constant in the theatre for years alongside a revolving door of other secondary films. The first of these secondary films remains a bit of mystery. The MGM Studios Plaza under construction in the former Tussaud's location, Fall 2002. Three banners originally located on the side of the building featured Spiderman, the Cat in the Hat, and a dinosaur. Spiderman's banner featured the words "Live! Performances" on it, implying he was either part of the magic show or a walk around character near the complex. The Cat in the Hat and dinosaur banners both read "Box Office", implying that the original secondary ride film was based on the Dr. Seuss character. However, no evidence of this film's existence is available online, which would be incredibly strange for something based on an IP and officially licensed from one major company to another. By Fall of that year, the banners had been removed and "Mad Racers" was being shown as the secondary film, despite the building still not being completed. It's very possible that the original secondary film was Mad Racers from the start, and the Cat in the Hat was perhaps incorporated into the magic show, and Spiderman simply a walk around character, thus explaining the taglines on the advertisements. Shots of the building under construction with the ride theatre and magic show already in operation, Summer 2002. The MGM logo on the front of the building, 2004. In 2003 the three levels above the theatre were completed, and the building officially opened as the MGM Studios Plaza. A large fiberglass sculpture of the MGM logo and the famous Leo the Lion replaced the banners on the side of the building, letting tourists know this was the officially licensed, real deal. The building would house the MGM Studio Store on the first floor, where guests could buy movie themed merchandise and memorabilia. This gift shop would later be connected through to Marvel Superheroes Adventure City when it opened next door in the Sheraton the following year. A two level walkthrough interactive museum called the MGM Great Movie Journey was located on floors 2 and 3. The museum held many real movie props, and was designed by Blacklight Attractions. In addition to showcasing screen-used props, it also acted as a behind-the scenes glimpse into movie magic, letting guests experience many special effects. Entrance to the MGM Studio Store in 2004. After watching a pre show on a small movie screen, the screen would open, and guests would walk through. Features of the experience itself are vague, but one detail the attraction's designers heavily promoted was a recreation of M's office from the 007 franchise, complete with a sliding bookcase revealing a hidden FX control room. Located on the roof of the building would be the Pink Panther Balloon Ride, a Zamperla Rides "Samba Tower" ride model themed to the Pink Panther painting the neighboring building, seated atop the ride's center tower. The ride cars were themed to balloons attached to buckets of paint. Despite being a relatively slow moving, tame attraction, the elevation at which it existed and winds it would usually experience made it quite thrilling. Despite the Sheraton towering above it right next door, it actually provided spectacular views of the Falls, which weren't blocked by the structure. The sliding bookcase revealing behind-the-scenes movie magic in the Great Movie Journey, 2003. The Pink Panther Balloon Ride atop the plaza. Connecting all the attractions in the plaza was a large spiral staircase located at the front of the building, accessed from the MGM Store. The stairwell ran from the basement to the roof, although the ride theatre in the basement had its own additional entrance just down the Hill. Movie posters for various MGM films were placed along the stairwell and equipped with motion sensors. When a group of guests walked past, the poster would light up and play a sound clip of a quote from the matching film. The impressive completed plaza in 2004. The sign for the Pink Panther Balloon Ride. Judging by the poor condition of the neon signage below, this image was taken later in the attraction's life. Despite being one of the most high-profile intellectual properties to ever have an attraction based off it in the Falls, it never matched the popularity of the other additions to the Falls Ave. Complex. Rainforest Cafe, WWE Niagara Falls, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, and Marvel Superheroes Adventure City are all far more frequently reminisced about, and (in the case of those that have also since closed) more vividly remembered. Very little documentation of the MGM Studios Plaza exists, aside for exterior shots of the building and a short promo from Blacklight Attractions discussing their work on the Great Movie Journey. While it would stick around longer than Adventure City next door held on to its Marvel branding, Adventure City lost its branding due to the fallout of Disney's purchase of Marvel, whereas the MGM Studios Plaza simply seemed to quickly fizzle out when the area began to change once the 2010's hit. In the early 2010's, The MGM Studio Store became a generic gift shop despite retaining the MGM theming, and the Great Movie Journey shuttered. This was exceptionally strange considering the giant MGM logo, as well as the occasionally operational Pink Panther Balloon Ride, remained on the exterior of the building. This meant that despite the walkthrough closing and the store ceasing to sell MGM merchandise, the Falls Ave. Company was still paying the licensing fee (or MGM simply wasn't aware). A ride film based on the movie Happy Feet finally replaced the long running Dino Island II in the 4D Theatre in 2013, which was quickly replaced with another dinosaur themed film named "Terrapolis" in 2015. As mentioned above, the Pink Panther Balloon Ride's operating schedule became increasingly sporadic and random, likely running for the final time around 2014. For the years it was open past the Great Movie Journey, the staircase up to the ride actually took riders past the entrance and exit of the closed museum. Around the time the Pink Panther ride stopped running in 2014, the gift shop became expanded arcade space for the connected Adventure City, with the MGM Great Movie Journey walkthrough above on floors 2 and 3 ending up being abandoned for almost 10 years. One somewhat creepy fact is that once the gift shop was replaced with the arcade and there was no employee monitoring the area, guests could easily slip upstairs to the abandoned attractions. But that's not all: the motion-activated movie posters along the staircase still worked, their once charming movie quotes now startling and eerie as they cut through the totally silent building, located just mere feet away from one of the busiest locations on earth. Things sat this way until the building became the Niagara Distillery bar and barbecue restaurant in 2019, which occupies all 3 floors of the building (not including the basement). The Pink Panther Balloon Ride remained abandoned on the roof until after the pandemic in 2021, a horribly out of place relic of another time in the tourism industry, decaying in plain sight as the Hill changed around it. It was eventually sold to an unknown buyer in Europe and dismantled that October. By this point you might be wondering what the fate of the motion theatre was, but that's because there hasn't been one. The ride still operates, with its secondary entrance right on the Hill allowing it to operate without the rest of the MGM plaza. In fact, it even recently received a new animatronic dinosaur head on the front of the building, promoting the Terrapolis film, which has now been running for almost 10 years. The theatre is now all that remains of this once grand attraction that brought behind the scenes movie magic to The Falls. Like the theatre itself, it's original sign is now the final remnant of the building's former glory. The building as it appears today, complete void of colour and personality, especially compared to it's former self.

World a Million Years Ago Attraction Type: Exhibit Location: Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls, Ontario Year(s) Operational: Early 1970's-1990s? Designer(s): ? When discussing the most obscure attractions that have ever existed in Niagara Falls over the years, a handful come to mind. The Niagara Gun Museum on Clifton Hill which only lasted a few months. The Pirate's Cove Wax Museum only seen in old aerial photography of the Fallsview area. The Haunted Graveyard of Niagara who's exact location is even unknown and has only been discussed in passing by it's creator. The Canadian Wildlife Exhibit taxidermy museum who's sole legacy is newspaper ads (and articles about its eventual demise by arson...) But how about an attraction so lost to time that it only exists in the memories (and Facebook comments, hence this article being possible) of those who experienced it? That brings us to the World a Million Years Ago attraction in the Skylon Tower's base. The attraction existed beginning sometime in the early-70's, lasting until at least the 80's, but possibly slightly later. The three-level base of the Skylon Tower at that time was quite the sight to behold. The bottom level contained an indoor amusement park, a massive arcade, vendors, and a miniatures museum amongst other things. The second floor was home to a small mall of stores, as well as the main ticket counter for elevator rides to the top of the tower. The third floor housed a roller rink that was also used for concert space, as well as more vendors and the World a Million Years Ago attraction. Evidence points to it being added at the same time the amusement park, arcade, miniatures museum and roller rink all took over former convention spaces in the early-70's, as this is when people's earliest memories of it occur. The attraction consisted of several mechanical dinosaurs, prehistoric creatures, and cavemen presented in simple early animation, similar to that seen in a department store Christmas window. The figures however were apparently quite large and the cavemen life size. It's unknown if the attraction was a more museum-oriented educational exhibit or a more Disney-esque attraction focused more on theming than historical accuracy. Either way, no photos, videos, brochures, mentions of it in other Skylon or city brochures, mentions of it in newspaper articles, or copyright/business records seem to exist. All three levels in their heyday can be seen in this 1970's promotional shot of the park's Ferris Wheel. The third floor's many vendors are visible. This strange undated image comes up when searching "Niagara Falls 1970's" on Facebook, but has no caption or description. Could this be the only photo of this lost attraction? This archeological internet discovery certainly fits all the subject matter... Who designed the figures is also a mystery. Even the mysterious "Ocean World" attraction listed in Enter-Tech (formerly Waxattract's) portfolio of completed projects in an early-80's brochure was obviously designed by them. Despite that being the only shred of evidence of that attraction (making it World a Million Years Ago's only competition for title of Niagara's most obscure attraction), we at least know who produced it, just like all the other obscure attractions listed at the beginning of this page. With World a Million Years Ago we have nothing, not even a confirmed glimpse on how the figures looked to use as a reference, which brings us to our next subject: the Pterodactyl. The mysterious Pterodactyl can be faintly seen on the lefthand side of this image, perched on the cave above the staff-only doors. Could these doors have been a former entrance to a relocated version of the attraction on the bottom level? The Adventure Into the Unknown dark ride which debuted in the amusement park on the first floor of the Skylon in 1975, had a Pterodactyl animatronic placed outside at least as early as the 1990's, above a set of employee-only doors. It's theorized this prop may have been recycled from World a Million Years Ago after it's closure, however it's also possible the Pterodactyl was a separate piece original to the dark ride. Armando's Tamignini, the Italian artist who created the ride's figures which were ordered from overseas, was known to create similar pieces to the Pterodactyl, offering some conflicting evidence that it may have actually been outside the dark ride since day one and unrelated to World a Million Years Ago. Dinosaurs were also part of the park's miniature golf course by the mid 90's, and could have possibly been relocated from the attraction, however also may have been there prior or come from another source. A Dilophosaurus inhabits the park's mini golf in the late 1990's, adding to the theory that props from the attraction may have been strewn about the park after the exhibit's closure. After World a Million Years Ago was long gone, the vendors had all vanished, and the roller rink closed at some point in the 90's/early 2000's (possibly at the same time as the amusement park) the escalators to the third floor were turned off, along with the majority of the lights up there. Battle of the Titans, an educational animatronic dinosaur attraction which was located in the former roller rink space and unrelated to World a Million Years Ago (and not located exactly where it was either), opened in 2014. The dinosaurs were designed by Hall Train, and the attraction explored ecology through dinosaurs using some great technology. It was a great example of a more modern attraction utilizing technology while still retaining the spirit of attractions past, and was (perhaps unknowingly) an extremely ironic attraction to be located next to the former World a Million Years Ago. However, it was unfortunately only open for a year, and after it closed the escalators to the third floor were once again shut off, now blocked outright with signage so curious guests couldn't even traverse them. The entire third floor is now completely abandoned, including where World a Million Years Ago was located, which offers even less insight into unraveling the mystery of this obscure attraction which now seems prehistoric. The breathtaking yet sadly short-lived "Battle of the Titans" in 2014.