Crystal Beach Amusement Park Comet Roller Coaster

[tjfreak]

CBA,my first Amusement park in the 60's as a tot(scared to death!),the elec boats& bumper cars,the lumberjack at the entrance,the fun house with crooked floors&room of mirrors.I just met the height req. for the yellow coaster in the late 60's last time there. It dawns on me that coasters are like cars. These RC's were rickety,noisy&scary,new ones are smooth & quieter & thrilling.New cars isolate us from noise & physical stimulation,in the old cars, you felt & heard & smelled everything.

[MrSammyD91]

Great coaster!! It's at the Great Escape! Every time I visit I ride that once or twice!!

[jeffinlondon]

The Comet was a great ride .... and the view across lake Erie from the top was just awesome. I spend time at Crystal Beach very summer in the 60's and 70's riding all the rides, but the Comet was always the highlight of the day!

[Sharptooth100]

Canada's Wonderland is much more wonderful than Crystal Beach and Darrien Lake. I will stick to Canada's Wonderland.

[Stngraybch]

It was amazing when it was good and sturdy. It looked like it would throw you into the lake. Loved it.

[neilaquilina]

When the coaster is stopping at the end, my dad Sam Aquilina is on the brake and I Leonard Aquilina is sitting behind him.

[sumo1250]

SO OLD 1989 WAS ITS LAST YEAR

[URYNOME]

Thanks!!! now I can ride this puppy anytime I want!!!

[elvismach]

man this ride was great..when i was young they would not let me on cause i was to small at the end of the day my friend got me on and we were seated backwards and lucky he was a very big guy he had to hold me in tight lol

[notaro335]

I loved this Coaster and also the Yellow wooden one (Can't remember what it was called.) We got to go every year on General Mills Day because my grandfather was in chaarge of some of the events. He worked at the Mill. We had so many tickets we used to give them to al our friends. Also the suckers were the best and the dances in the ballroom with the midnight ride on the crystal beach boat.

[coasteray]

@notaro335

The yellow coaster was called "Giant Coaster". I rode it with my family in 1988, a year before the park closed. It was a "side-friction" coaster, and also didn't have understop wheels, so it was a bit gentler, but it had some great moves!! The term "side-friction" refers to the wheels on the car sides rolling against boards on both sides of the train. It was built in 1916. A shame it wasn't saved. But "The Comet" runs today at Six Flags Great Escape in eastern NY state!!

[RocketRodder]

To think that this has the Cyclone's lift...

[Miketheyoutubization]

I don't like because it scares me.

[Stngraybch]

We all loved Crystal Beach. I don't live in that area anymore, but I still visit. If Crystal Beach was still there, I would spend time there even now and enjoy it.

[mieleD]

Yay!!!!! Thank you...

[magillavanzeppelin]

Awesome, thanks.  I LOVED this roller coaster. I rode it 53 times in one day back in the 80's. Back then, the front half cars were facing backwards, so you could ride it forwards or backwards. Crystal Beach was awesome, and sorely missed. I wish someone had video of going through the funhouse.

The Comet is now located at the Great Escape near Albany, NY

[ReviewCam]

I was always too scared to ride the Comet, though I did ride the yellow rollercoaster. Wild Mouse was too too scary! Scarier I think than the Comet.

LOVED Crystal Beach. We'd go there every summer. Those suckers they sold at the back entrance were delicious!

[kelsman59]

Thanks so much for posting this! I remember taking my last ride on the Comet, the final Summer of Crystal....I could travel to Lake George, but it can never be the same without the fear of plunging into Lake Erie!!!

[Toetinger]

Brings back many memories from decades ago. A group of us from West Seneca went every year in our youth.

[sangeez2005]

Wow I ThinkI Spent 1,000 Hrs In Line To Ride The Coment.. Maybe More, Love This Ride And Wild Mouse So Great To Look Back.

[TheeJilliePopStudios]

Where is this amusement park?

[MichaelMiland]

@TheeJilliePopStudios Crystal Beach, Ontario, Canada, is across the water from Buffalo, New York. They destroyed the amusement park at least 10 years ago, however.

[GeannaDi]

This amusement park used to be in Crystal Beach near Fort Erie Ontario. It had a fabulous beach with cabanas, a wonderful Fun House, many rides, and the creamiest most delicious vanilla soft custard. Outside of the park were refreshment stands with icy Loganberry drinks. It's gone now and in it's place are mostly "summer cottages" owned mostly by Buffalo NY residents who live just a short distance over the Peace Bridge.

[Stngraybch]

Is the comet still there. I loved that ride.

[665yoman]

@Stngraybch when crystal beach closed it moved to the great escape amusement park near Albany

[ricekrispies26]

love this coaster! never rode it at crystal beach but at its new home at the great ecape

[RavishingRedheadd]

lol id be terrifed lol my grandparents lived out there years ago.

[harrisoncarroll]

Thanks for uploading this. It sure felt good to ride it again, if only by watching the video.

[electricpole1]

I rode it in the 1960's. I was sitting in the second seat one time, and a kid in front of us "lost his lunch" at the bottom of the first hill, most of it loganberry from the color. I ducked and the kids behind me got the full load! Although I was too young to take the Canadiana (or the "Crystal Beach Boat"), I was able to see it in the dock in Buffalo, and an antique machinery club I belong to recently salvaged the giant steam engine from it. Thanks for the memories of a more innocent time.

[RavishingRedheadd]

@electricpole1 yes it sure was a more innocent time nowadays doesn't compare.wish i could go back to a time when i wasn't here

[tanneriscool123]

WOW the memories that brings back. Good ole Crystal Beach. Bought some Logan Berry and Crystal Beach suckers this summer while visiting.

[DaemonicNimrod]

I cut my teeth on the Comet at 11 years of age. Been a coaster junkie ever since, but this one will always have a special place in my heart along with the fond memories of summers spent at Crystal Beach as a kid. I still shake my head in sadness to know they bulldozed 101 years of Crystal Beach magic into the ground to make way for...a.....gated community........BLECH!!

[jerrysch]

Thank you for bringing back such a great memory!!! Awesome!!!!!!!

[RackedNation]

I knew it

[bufsabres06]

That just brought back memories!!! Good Times!!!

[1287bella]

The best of the older wooden coasters! Reminds me of growing up in Buffalo and summers spent at Crystal Beach!!

[ashdance101]

this sorta looks a little like the canadian mindbuster combined with the wild beast from canadas wonderland ! :P

[RackedNation]

@ashdance101 Thats because it is the canadian mind buster...they bought it

[ashdance101]

@RackedNation ohh really .... ? i've never been to the amusment park here, i just went to the beach. So, thats why i didnt know ... it did seem realllly familiar ! just that when you dropped down it would have been funner/scarier since theres a lake right beside you went you drop down so it would look like your about to go into the lake ... anyways thanks (:

[69rm21]

@RackedNation what are you on? the mind buster and wild beast are stil at paramount canada'swonderland where they have been since the day the park opened. the one and only comet from crystal beach is at lake george, ny...all the tea in china wouldn't buy that ride from them now. its a goldmine for them

[GravityFlyersInc]

@69rm21 Canada's Wonderland is not ownedby Paramount anymore their owned by Cedar Fair

[MichaelMiland]

@ashdance101  It pre-dated both!

[dwaldick]

Having rode this coaster dozens of times I still recognize every part of this ride. Thanks for the video and the memories.

[otis116]

This was my first roller coaster experience as a kid. Scared me to death. I was afraid we were going to fall into Lake Erie!

[otis116]

This was my first roller coaster ride as a kid. Scared me to death! I thought we were going to fall into Lake Erie!

[anglerfly]

YOu can still ride it at Martin's fantasy island grand island NY.

[becdye]

WRONG!!!



[becdye]

@anglerfly 

[becdye]

wrong

[anglerfly]

@becdye It must be a replica!

[becdye]

wrong



[mmmilardi]

OMG this is great. I loved Crystal Beach!!! The Bee Suckers...The Magic Carpet Ride, Laugh in the Dark!!!!!

[rsscbell]

When I rode it in '82 it was a $2.00 upcharge from the p.o.p. Worth every penny!

[gjc82071]

I really miss Crystal Beach. As a child, I went there several times. Sadly i remember, I was around 17-18yo, we were going to Sherkston Beach next to Crystal,...we wanted to go the the park too, but saw it was permanently closed. It's been 25yrs since my last visit but I can still kinda remember the basic layout of the place. Laff in the Dark & the fun house, near the entrance, the Octopus ride, The Comet, etc. Amusement parks in the 70's-80's were so.FUN! I miss them & that era. :-(

[EHC45]

Such fond memories of Crystal Beach! TY.

[Tbob15]

this very ride is now at 6 flags great escape

[irishhockey81]

one price admission killed this park.

[ProjectCoaster]

i used to love this place

[markape1]

I luved it! Check out a video I made in my local park: PRANKSTERS IN THE PARK.

[essex36]

Great coaster.  Would love to go there.

[roxy888999]

isnt that the beast from canada's wonderland

[brainiak20]

This was the best coaster! I remember as I kid when I was finally tall enough to go on this at Cryatal Beach. Great memories...! Thanks for posting this vid!

[yodeldee]

They added trim brakes on the Mean Streak at Cedar Point as well. What once was a magnificent "woodie", delivering a white knuckle, bone shaking ride has now turned into a meandering sky tram...really sad.

[gjc82071]

@yodeldee I LOVE Cedar Point. I went there in the late 70's as a child, then back again in 2001. Twice in 1 summer! 1st time we stayed in a Sandusky motel. Took 3hrs to travel 7 miles to the park. Took 20min just to get OUT of the motel parking lot! 2nd We stayed at the hotel right in the park $300 a night split 4 ways was worth it! Got up & out the door as the park opened to ride the Millennium Force coaster.  10min wait. After the ride was over, 3hr wait. Place is packed on weekends!

[jerrysch]

Ahhhhh! Memories!!!!!!!

[nemplesexie]

we have a cottage in the midle of crystal and bay beach

[Oichi247]

Behemoth is WAY better

[RavishingRedheadd]

i heard that ride is a death trap lol and the music is really creepy lol

[pianoplayerlol]

th is ride look so boring :]

[woodencoasterfan]

It's hard to believe that this coaster had a more daring life as one of Harry Traver's infamous Cyclones before it was completely reconfigured into what you see on this video.

[Keaster2000]

If you want to ride THIS comet take a trip to Lake George N.Y. It's at Six Flags Great Escape.

It's painted white now and is the crown jewel of the park...well worth the trip.

[matters9319]

Except they added trim brakes to make it more tame. So it's not worth the trip anymore. You're not really riding the comet that once was.

[woodencoasterfan]

That's so typical of Six Flags. They take a great wooden coaster and they tame it down because people complain about it being rough. HELLO PEOPLE, it's a woodie so it's gonna be rough. Bye the way, when did they put in a trim brake and where is it on the ride?

[corvettefan96]

ever ride the predator at the former six flags darien lake park. Now that is rough even for a wooden cooaster. even when they resurfaced the track.

[woodencoasterfan]

I haven't been there, yet.

[TylersTown]

would love to be there

[ernoinferno77]

This is a wonderful kaleidoscope of historic note with nostalgia nicely noted by the author who is best known for his Blizzard of '77 book, White Death."--J.B.

[BunnyDrops]

Wow!!! Seriously outrageous. I miss the great times we had at Crystal Beach and this roller coaster was the best. Thanks for one last ride.

[bergkamp48]

Every summer the big companies in Hamilton - Westinghouse, Dofasco, Procter & Gamble - would have their employee picnics at Crystal Beach. In the 1950's we'd go by steam train; later by bus. Thanks for the post...

[pinktartan153]

I miss the comet sooo much...best coaster ride ever riding along the lake like that.....it was nice to take another ride =)

[KaraMarisa]

I like howthe Crystal Beach Amusement Park is now a gated community lol

but it would've been really khool to have an amusement park!

[Jason29n]

Pretty lame for a roller coaster no?

[Hardydude3]

this is like 18 years ago, of course its lame as hell

[mhvoivod]

Comet is one of the greatest ever built. What is lame about it? Except that you never rode it? And what the hell does "18 years ago" have anything to do about judging how lame it is? It is a classic.

[Hardydude3]

sorry i think it is a good caoster my bro must have been on my account.

[mhvoivod]

peace

[buffalobraves9]

"There are places I remember, all my life, though some have changed...Some forever not for better, some have gone and some remain, all these places have their moments..."

[LadyMoondancer]

that was fantastic! thank you. I always LOVED the Comet. I was jumping in my chair just now and going whoosh with that one quick turn to the left that made you think you were going to go into the lake.

thank you so much for giving me these memories. LadyM

[SPDRACR4]

Oh My God! That almost made me cry... Those were the sounds of my childhood and beyond. I grew up staying at our cottage on Oakwood, 4 blocks from the park every summer from May till Labor Day. Crystal Beach is one of the greatest places on earth! Still! I've been living in Oregon since 1988 but that's Home, Go Bills!

[blk98MGT]

I really miss the clicking sound the old wooden roller coasters make while climbing to the top, adds to the anticipation. I was glad i could hear it in this video......like it was yesterday. oh, and i felt the lake being so close added to the overall experience as well.

[mattdragonfire1]

I just rode the comet at Fantasy Island...so much fun

[buffalobraves9]

That is the Silver Comet a remake of the original. The original Comet still exists in Lake George NY.

[123qrss]

I could't believe it, my sister who lives in Boston emailed me with a link to this! Wow...I remember going to Crystal beach during our neighborhood "Crystal beach Days".We'd stand in line for the Comet, get off and get back in line to go on it again.Then repeat that by 8 or 9x. Then tell each other the next day how many times we went on it. Great memories!!

[thekings1996]

my dad loved this peace of crap rollercoaster ,that rollercoaster isn't as good as the superman ride of steel

[tuttalumillinciani]

How would you know? Did you ever ride it?

[geezer1946]

He'd probably have to change his shorts if he ever rode that wooden coaster. Rode it plenty of times in my day

[123qrss]

You couldn't possibly know what a great place that was. Us "older" ones have been there and on the comet, and have since then been to all the others to be able to make a comparison.

[54spiritedwill54]

So cool!!!

[tamacalla]

Great video! I ran the "Magic Palace" & "Laff in the Dark" the final year of '89. I was 15yrs old and never rode it (only the "Giant") I'm making a trip this summer to Lake George to finally ride it!!

[exaudi33]

Wonderful memory. I hitch-hiked to Crystal Beach from Point Abino the moment I turned 11 and was eligible to ride on this great coaster. Thank you!

[swordhockey]

My memories of Crystal Beach always involve the hallis Suckers with the coconut mmm, what about the skeleton playing the piano in front of the Laff in the Dark? and when you road the Comet towards nightime you always got a face full of sandflies, mmmm I also seem to remember a TV commercial with some Buffalo /Sabres players (I also thought they had reversed some seats facing backward at some point) but the players had wet themseves while telling you about how they weren't scared. Any help?

[sandymcf]

what great memories this brings back! many of u touched on my favorites, the sound the comet made, Halls Candy Suckers, but don't forget about the sugar waffles!!! I wondered where the Comet went, thanks for updating!

[WonderDogRescue]

I almost fell off the comet... my dad made me go on with my brother when I was just a little kid.... hah, probably HE was too afraid. I remember STANDING in the car on those first hills... going down and just holding on to the little bar on the seat in front of me......... geeeeez what a great place, there'll never be another Crystal Beach!

[Justiceaquilina]

i saw my uncle and grandpa at the end there

[becdye]

my mistake....the Grand Opening was in May 1994.

[bmxer507]

wow this is weird to see its identical to the coaster in ny at six flags great escape

[becdye]

thats because it IS the same roller coaster! The Crystal Beach Comet reopened at Six Flags Great Escape in Lake George NY in 1995.

[becdye]

My Dad took me to Crystal Beach every summer and I treasure every moment of it...the swift hills of the Comet, the clickety-clack of the (yellow) Giant Coaster, the Halls Candy Suckers, Leo The Paper Eater, the Magic Palace with the slide at the end (before they were replaced with stairs),and just the general excitement of where we were going that day, til my Dad had to spill the beans at the border..."citizenship? U.S. Where are you headed? Crystal Beach...all day long!!!!!

[sbanks3]

I miss crystal beach :(

[jwhoogs]

I still think the Comet is the best wooden coaster out there. It still is good at the great escape in Lake George

[bananaizcool]

So cool!!! My parents had been to Crystal Beach before it was taken down. Sounds oh so fun!!!