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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.

Cont ac t Submissions Welcome Have an old box of family vacation photos you've been meaning to scan? A dusty VHS tape with footage of an obscure attraction? Maybe you worked at, frequented, or even owned a place discussed on this site and have some info to share. Much of our information, content and inspiration comes from those who have been kind enough to share it with us. If you have any submissions, questions, or comments, please fill out the contact form below and we'll get back to you soon as we're able. Contact/Submissions - Let's Chat! Social Media First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

All Attractions by Region On these pages you'll find lists of all attractions categorized by the region they were/are located in. Regions more sparsely populated with attractions are divided into provinces or even entire sections of the country, whereas regions heavily dotted with attractions are divided into areas of a province or even greater metro areas. These regions are listed on this page by density of attractions, with each section being alphabetized. Button Niagara Region Button Greater Toronto Area Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Ontario - Other Areas Alberta Manitoba and Saskatchewan British Columbia (and Northern Canada) Quebec Atlantic Canada (East of Quebec)

News Blog Occasional updates on current industry happenings related to the site, important research breakthroughs, and behind the scenes information. Recent FOUND FOOTAGE: Captain Carnival Television Segment Feartek Catalog Surfaces The Search for the Lost Animatronic Shows of Enter-Tech FOUND FOOTAGE: Skylon Tower Amusement Park, Minolta Tower Arcade, Waltzing Waters, and more! Is this the find of the year? September 2025 (1) 1 post June 2025 (1) 1 post January 2025 (1) 1 post November 2024 (3) 3 posts July 2024 (1) 1 post

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

Atlantic Canada (East of Quebec) Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. While these provinces are smaller in size they've contained a wide variety of attractions over the years due to population centers like St. John's, Moncton, Halifax and the tourist hotspot of Cavendish Beach. Amusement and Theme Parks Atlantic Playland/Atlantic Splash Adventure - Lucasville, NS Axtion - St. John's, NL Crystal Palace - Champlain Place, Dieppe (Moncton), NB Magic Mountain - Magnetic Hill (Moncton), NB Magic Valley Fun Park - Greenhill, NS Rainbow Valley - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Sandspit Cavendish Beach - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Shining Waters Family Fun Park - Hunter River (Cavendish Beach), P.E.I. Upper Clements Park(s) - Upper Clements, NS Arcades, Mini Golf and F.E.C.s AJ's Bar & Billiards - Corner Brook, NL Backstreet Amusements - Prince St., Halifax, NS Breakers Sports Lounge - Torbay Rd., St. John's, NL Burlington Go Karts - Kensington (Burlington), P.E.I. The Boardwalk - Magnetic Hill (Moncton), NB Buccaneer's Cove Mini Golf - Gage Golf and Curling Club, Oromocto, NB Carmen Creek Mini Putt - Carmen Creek Golf Course, Fredericton, NB Cavendish Beach Adventure Zone - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Classic Cue - Grand Falls-Windsor, NL Corner Pocket - Airport Blvd., Gander, NL Cybermind V.R. Centre - Halifax, NS Cybermind V.R. Centre - Moncton, NB Darnley Greens & The Red Zone - Darnley, P.E.I. Doolys - Amherst, NS Doolys - Antigonish, NS Doolys - Caraquet, NS Doolys - Causeway Shopping Centre, Port Hawkesbury, NS Doolys (Elmwood Dr. location) - Moncton, NB Dooly's - Greenwood, NS Doolys (Main St. location) - Fredericton, NB Doolys (McDonald St. location) - Saint John, NB Doolys - Mirimachi, NB Doolys - (Mountain Rd. location) - Moncton, NB Doolys - North Sydney, NS Doolys - Oromocto, NB Doolys - Parkway Mall, Saint John, NB Doolys - Prince Edward Square, Saint John, NB Doolys (Prospect St. location) - Fredericton, NB Doolys - Riverview (Moncton), NB Doolys - St. Stephen, NB Doolys - Summerside, P.E.I. Doolys - Sydney, NS Doolys - Truro, NS Doolys (Wilmot Alley location) - Fredericton, NB Drive-U-Crazy Mini Golf - New Glasgow, P.E.I. East Coast Karting - Greater Lakeburn (Moncton), NB Eastside Billiards & Lounge - Chain Lake Dr., Halifax, NS Electric Avenue - Sobeys Square, St. John's, NL Electric Avenue - Village Square Shopping Centre (later moved to Hamlyn Rd.), St. John's, NL Exit 88 Go-Kart Racing - Grand Falls, NB Fantasy 2000 - Dartmouth, NS Fire Fly Recreation - Hampton, NB GeForce Funderdome - Mt. Pearl, NL Go-Karts - Atlantic Playland/Atlantic Splash Adventure, Lucasville, NS The Golden Cue - Corner Brook, NL Good Guys Golf - Fredericton, NB Goodwood family Golf Centre - Goodwood, NS Gypsy Mini Golf - Centre (Lunenburg), NS Hartt Island Mini Golf - Springhill (Fredericton), NB Hi-Ball Bar & Billiards - Stephenville, NL Ironwood Pitch & Putt - St. John's, NL JJ's Billiards & Lounge - Main St., Burin, NL Kartbahn Racing - Halifax, NS King's Billiards - Yarmouth, NS Kingswood Entertainment Centre - Hanwell (Fredericton), NB Locas Billiards - George St., Halifax, NS Magic Mountain GolfZone - Magic Mountain, Magnetic Hill (Moncton), NB Mariner's Cove Miniature Golf - Mariner's Cove Boardwalk, P.E.I. Maurie's Mini-Putt & Ice Cream - Morrison Cove (Miramichi), NB McNally's Billiards - Commonwealth Ave., Mount Pearls, NL McNally's Billiards - Powell Dr., Carbonear, NL Mini Golf - Atlantic Playland/Atlantic Splash Adventure, Lucasville, NS Miss Cue - Mountain Rd., Moncton, NB Musgrave Harbour Amusements - Musgrave Harbour Municipal Park, Musgrave Harbour, NL Pit Stop Karting - Sandspit Cavendish Beach, Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. PonyBoat Social Club - Kent St., Charlottetown, P.E.I. Putting Edge - Halifax, NS Quinpool Amusement - Quinpool Rd., Dartmouth, NS Quinpool Billiards - Quinpool Rd., Dartmouth, NS The Rack Bar and Billiards - Stewart St., New Glasgow, NS Riverdale Fun Centre - Conception Bay South, NL Rockhouse Pub - St. John's, NL Sandpit Miniature Golf - Sandspit Cavendish Beach, Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Shooter's Bar and Billiards - Main St., Burin, NL Sir Admiral John's Adventure Golf - St. John's, NL Snow Queen Leisure World - Antigonish, NS Splash "n" Putt Resort - Traytown, NL Starcade - Avalon Mall, St. John's, NL Super Cue Billiards - Sackville Dr., Lower Sackville, NS Sussex Adventure Mini Golf - Sussex, NB Tables Billiard Lounge - Bay Roberts, NL 21st Century Billiards - Carten St., Liverpool, NS Union Bar & Billiards - Corner Brook, NL Vegas Family Entertainment Centre - Saint John, NB West Side Charlie's - Bay Roberts, NL West Side Charlie's - Carbonear, NL West Side Charlie's - Clarenville, NL West Side Charlie's - Conception Bay South, NL West Side Charlie's - Mount Pearl, NL West Side Charlie's - New Minas, NS West Side Charlie's - Paradise, NL West Side Charlie's (Torbay Road location) - St John's, NL West Side Charlie's (Kenmount Rd) - St John's, NL West Side Charlie's (Topsail Road location) - St John's, NL Dark Attractions, Wax Museums and Exhibits Enchanted Castle - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Haunted Castle - Atlantic Playland/Atlantic Splash Adventure, Lucasville, NS Musée de Cire d'Acadie (Acadian Wax Museum) - Village Historique Acadien, Bertrand, NB Halifax Wax Museum - Halifax, NS The Haunted House - Upper Clements Park(s), Upper Clements, NS Pioneer Museum - (Name Unconfirmed, Location Unknown, same as Musée de Cire d'Acadie?) Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Route 6 Haunted Motel - Cavendish Beach Adventure Zone, Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Royal Atlantic Wax Museum - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Rum Runners - Rainbow Valley, Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Wax World of the Stars - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Witch's Cave - Rainbow Valley (Later moved to Shining Waters Family Fun Park), Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Woodleigh Replicas - Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Specialty Hotels and Gift Shops Best Western/Ramada Plaza Dieppe/Moncton Crystal Palace - Crystal Palace, Champlain Place, Dieppe (Moncton), NB Theatres, Bowling Alleys and Miscellaneous Acadian Bowling Lanes & 9th Lane Lounge - Little Brook, NS Alley 4 Bowling Alley - Belliveaus Cove, NS The Alley Restaurant and Bowling Alley - Charlottetown, P.E.I. Animaland Park - Penobsquis, NB Avon Valley Lanes - Windsor, NS Bowlacade - Bible Hill, NS Bowlacade - Woodstock, NB Bowlarama - Dartmouth, NS Bowlarama - Dieppe (Moncton), NB Bowlarama - Halifax, NS Bowlarama - Spryfield (Halifax), NS Bowl-More Lanes - Bridgewater, NS Brackley Drive-In - Brackley Beach, P.E.I. Brunswick Lanes - Yarmouth, NS Cape Breton Drive-In Theatre - Grand Lake Road (Sydney), NS Castle Bowling Centre - Miramichi, NB Cine-Parc Satellite Ltee - Bois-Blanc, NB Clarenville Twin Cinemas/Caribou Lanes Bowling Alley - Clarenville, NL Corner Brook Centre Bowl - Corner Brook, NL The Drome by Trailway - Fredericton, NB Exploits Lanes - Grand Falls-Windsor, NL Fairlanes Bowling Centre - Moncton, NB Fairview Lanes - Saint John, NB Greenwood Bowling Centre - Greenwood, NS The Hangar Laser Tag Arena - Cavendish Beach Adventure Zone, Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Heather Bowling Lanes - New Glasgow, NS Holiday Lanes - St. John's. NL Holy Bowly - Riverview (Moncton), NB King Pin Bowling - Amherst, NS Lanes at Membertou - Membertou (Sydney), NS Liverpool Bowling Centre - Liverpool, NS Old Mill Fun Centre - Bay Roberts, NL Pajo's Bowling Alley - Lunenburg, NS Paradise Bowl - Paradise, NL Peyton's Pins/Andy's Alleys - Gander, NL Pins Bowling Centre - Antigonish, NS Plaza Bowl - St. John's, NL Riverdale Fun Centre - Conception Bay South, NL Seaside Bowling Centre - Shediac, NB Shoebox Drive-In - Westville, NS St. Pat's Bowling Lanes and Lounge - St. John's, NL Strand Bowling Alley - Sydney Mines (Sydney), NS Super Bowl - Lower Sackville (Halifax), NS Supernova XD Theatre - Splash " n" Putt Resort, Traytown, NL Sussex Drive-In - Sussex, NB Swansburg's Bowling Alley - Shelburne, NS Town Center Lanes - Glace Bay, NS UnBOWLievable Lanes - Musquodoboit Harbour, NS Valley Drive-In Theatre - Cambridge Station, NS Wilson's Bowling Centre - Digby, NS Winter Games Lanes - Lewisporte, NL Maze (Name Unknown) - Mariner's Cove Boardwalk, Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. Water Parks and Attractions Atlantic Splash Adventure - Atlantic Playland/Atlantic Splash Adventure, Lucasville, NS Shining Waters Water Park - Shining Waters Family Fun Park, Hunter River (Cavendish Beach), P.E.I. SplashZone - Magic Mountain, Magnetic Hill (Moncton), NB "360ft Water Slide"/Pools - Splash " n" Putt Resort, Traytown, NL Thunderland Amusement Park - Badger, NL

History View All Attractions by Region View Artists and Developers Amusement and Theme Parks Amusement and Theme Parks Canadian amusement and theme parks from the mid 20th-century onward. The histories and uncovered details of the forgotten, famous, abandoned and still operational. GO > GO > Arcades, Mini Golf and Family Entertainment Centres Here you'll find every kind of arcade imaginable, as well as miniatu re golf courses and Family Entertainment Centres. These are grouped together for convenience, since many mini golf courses also had large arcades, and many F.E.C.s contained both. Arcades, Mini Golf and Family Entertainment Centres Dark Attractions, Wax Museums and Exhibits Dark Attractions, Wax Museums and Exhibits Haunted Attractions, Wax Museums, Dark Rides, Fun Houses, and Walk-Through Exhibits. Wax monsters, celebrities, and oddities. GO > GO > Water Parks and Attractions Dedicated water parks as well as stand-alone water slides and attractions. Water Parks and Attractions Themed Restaurants, Bars and Stores Themed Restaurants, Bars and Stores Immersive dining and shopping experiences now largely seen as a nostalgic product of their time. The ones that are gone are sorely missed, and those that remain are beloved. GO > GO > Theatres, Bowling Alleys and Miscellaneous Various forms of theatre shows including ride theatres, animatronic show theatres, lightshows and movie theatres with special theming or significance. In this section you'll also find all other miscellaneous attractions such as bowling alleys, roller rinks, laser-tag arenas and more. Theatres, Bowling Alleys and Miscellaneous Specialty Hotels and Gift Shops Hotels and Gift Shops with some sort of unique theming, attraction, or relevance. Significant hotels, motels and souvenir stores in amusement districts will also be included in this section. GO > Specialty Hotels and Gift Shops

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 bucket 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.

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

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

Water Parks and Attractions Here you'll find both indoor and outdoor water parks, as well as stand-alone water slides and attractions. This list doesn't include community splash pads or one-off waterslides in hotels and community pools, unless they contain multiple attractions (thus making them a water park) or have some sort of unique/heavy theming. Niagara Region Americana Indoor Water Park - Americana Conference Resort Spa & Waterpark, Niagara Falls Fallsview Indoor Water Park - Falls Ave. Complex, Niagara Falls Great Wolf Lodge Water Park - Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls Wet 'n Wild - Prudhomme's Landing, Lincoln White Water/Typhoon Lagoon - Niagara Falls Greater Toronto Area Children's Village Waterpark/Soak City - Ontario Place, Toronto Splash Works - Canada's Wonderland, Toronto Sunshine Beach/Wild Water Kingdom/Wet 'n Wild - Brampton White Water - Shopper's World, Brampton Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Plunge! Aquatic Centre - Blue Mountain Resort, Blue Mountain (Collingwood) Slipper Dipper Water Slide - Blue Mountain Resort, Blue Mountain (Collingwood) Tube Ride - Blue Mountain Resort, Blue Mountain (Collingwood) Wasaga Super Slides - Wasaga Beach Wasaga Waterworld - Wasaga Beach Ontario - Other Areas Atrium Oasis - Lamplighter Inn, London Atrium Pool - Wheels Inn, Chatham Bingemans Big Splash - Bingemans Funworx, Kitchener/Waterloo Calypso Theme Waterpark - Gagnon East Park Water Park/Wally World at East Park - East Park, London Loose Moose/Splash Canyon - Midhurst Wally World Water Park - London Wild Waterworks - Hamilton Alberta Bonzai Waterslide Park - Calgary Discovery Canyon - River Bend Golf & Recreation Area, Red Deer Douglas Fir Water Park - Douglas Fir Resort, Banff Londonderry Fitness and Leisure Centre - Edmonton Mariner's Cove Water Park - Holiday Inn Lethbridge, Lethbridge Mill Woods Rec Centre - Edmonton Oasis River Country Water Park - Sheraton Cavalier Calgary Hotel, Calgary Riverside Waterslide - Medicine Hat Southland Leisure Centre - Calgary Village Square Leisure Centre - Calgary Wild Rapids - Sylvan Lake Wild Waters - Edmonton World Waterpark - West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton Manitoba and Saskatchewan Atlantis Indoor Waterslides - Winnipeg, MB Fun Mountain Water Slide Park - Springfield, MB Penguin Village - Saskatoon, SK Skinner's Wet 'n Wild - Lockport, MB Soaked! Waterpark - The Atlas Hotel, Regina, SK Splasher’s Indoor Pool and Waterslide - Canad Inns Destination Centre, Brandon, MB Splasher’s Indoor Pool and Waterslide - Canad Inns Destination Centre Fort Garry, Winnipeg, MB Splasher’s Indoor Pool and Waterslide - Canad Inns Destination Centre Garden City, Winnipeg, MB Splasher’s Indoor Pool and Waterslide - Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park, Winnipeg, MB Splasher’s Indoor Pool and Waterslide - Canad Inns Destination Centre, Portage la Prairie, MB Splasher’s Indoor Pool and Waterslide - Canad Inns Destination Centre Transcona, Winnipeg, MB Splasher’s Indoor Pool and Waterslide - Canad Inns Destination Centre Windsor Park, Winnipeg, MB Splash Island Water Park - Portage la Prairie, MB Turtle Tide Water Slides - Grand Marais, MB British Columbia (and Northern Canada) Big Splash Water Slide Park - Tsawwassen Bridal Falls Waterpark - Bridal Falls Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre - Chilliwack Cultus Lake Waterpark - Cultus Lake H20 Adventure Centre - Kelowna Salmon Arm Waterslides - Salmon Arm Splashdown Vernon - Vernon Quebec 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 Atlantic Canada (East of Quebec) Atlantic Splash Adventure - Atlantic Playland/Atlantic Splash Adventure, Lucasville, NS Shining Waters Water Park - Shining Waters Family Fun Park, Hunter River (Cavendish Beach), P.E.I. SplashZone - Magic Mountain, Magnetic Hill (Moncton), NB "360ft Water Slide"/Pools - Splash " n" Putt Resort, Traytown, NL Thunderland Amusement Park - Badger, NL

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.