Did You Know New York Is Home to One of the Oldest Amusement Parks in America?

While some believe Coney Island is one of the oldest amusement parks in the country, the honor actually belongs to a beloved attraction located in Upstate New York.

America's Oldest Parks

Mental Floss recently came out with a list that chronicles the oldest, continuously-running amusement parks in America. In the #1 spot is a place this Connecticut native know very well: Lake Compounce.

Located in Bristol, the park opened in 1846 and is home to one of the oldest, continuously running carousels in the country. However, the place is more famous for being the grounds where the group Milli Vanilli was exposed as lip syncers during a concert there in July, 1989.

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Following LC is Six Flags New England, which opened its doors in 1870. Located in Agawam, it was originally titled Gallup's Grove. After undergoing several name changes, it was acquired by Six Flags in 2000 and underwent its current rebrand.

However, a few hundred miles away from both stands America's fifth oldest amusement park: Seabreeze.

History of Seabreeze

Located in Rochester, a park was set up where Irondequoit Bay meets Lake Ontario. Opening up as a trolley park on August 5, 1879, the beloved attraction began expanding in 1900.

Mental Floss states that Seabreeze was temporarily renamed Dreamland in 1940, but it revered back to its original title 30 years later, in 1970.

Now, 145 years later, the park continues undergoing exciting changes. New in 2024 is the Windstarz ride, which is a glider that lifts thrillseekers up into the air who have to use a control bar to catch the wind and soar to new heights.

Other major attractions include the Jack Rabbit rollercoaster, which started operations in 1920. For those searching for a more white-knuckled excursion can ride on the Whirlwind or Screamin' Eagle.

Those who say "no thanks" to roller coasters can also enjoy a log flume, tilt-a-whirl, bumper cars and tons of water park rides.

Seabreeze opens for a new season on May 18.

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