
Seabreeze Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park located in Irondequoit, a suburb of the City of Rochester, in the Finger Lakes region of Western New York. It opened as a trolley park in 1879, making it the fourth-oldest operating amusement park in the United States. The park features four roller coasters including North America's oldest continually operating roller coaster (and the world's fourth oldest roller coaster),[1] The Jack Rabbit.
History
Seabreeze Amusement Park first began operations in 1879 after the Rochester & Lake Ontario Railway purchased surplus rail equipment from the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 in order to connect Seabreeze with central Rochester. Land at the meeting point of Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay was acquired and the first trains began traveling between Downtown Rochester and Seabreeze with an inaugural ride on August 5, 1879.[2]
On January 1, 1900, the Rochester & Suburban Railway Co. took over operations at the park as well as the train lines that operated to and from the park. This acquisition brought with it the introduction of new electric trains with overhead lines ending the need for steam powered streetcars and trains.[2]
By 1915, crowd sizes were expanding rapidly and a new railroad pavilion and station building were constructed to handle the masses. The pavilion still stands today and is utilized as the Park's main offices. Throughout the following years the park would continue to grow and feature rides from some of the biggest names in the business at the time such as Ingersoll, Miller & Baker, Philadelphia Toboggan Company, as well as many others.[2]
In 1920, Seabreeze saw the addition of its most prized attraction, The Jack Rabbit, a roller coaster constructed by Miller & Baker and designed by the Dayton Fun House and Riding Device and Manufacturing Company. The out and back roller coaster would go on to be the oldest continuously operating roller coaster featuring the revolutionary Underfriction wheel design that has allowed for the steep drops and bends of even the most modern roller coasters today. It took only 8 weeks for 120 workers to assemble this now historic roller coaster that continues operation today having celebrated its centennial in 2020.[1][2][3]
Over the next many years, a variety of innovative rides would come and go as the park traversed the ups and downs of the economic trials of the times. The park also faced multiple devastating fires that put its future in jeopardy. However, the driving force of George Long Sr. and his son George Long Jr. would insure the park survived these setbacks. In 1940 with their purchase of the park, Seabreeze became known as "Dreamland". Future generations of the family would later take the reins and continue this spirit of ingenuity and resilience. By 1970 the park's name had returned to Seabreeze and the introduction of beloved rides like the Gyrosphere were introduced in what the park saw as a new era of opportunity.[2][3]
Until the 1980s, the park featured open grounds. Guests paid a per attraction fee. At this point a fence was erected around the rounds and a standard admission price was put in place. Alongside this change came the introduction of the water park.[2][3]
On March 31, 1994 crews were conducting roof maintenance on the carousel building when sudden gusts of wind caused sparks to ignite the structure, leading to the loss of Philadelphia Toboggan Company No. 36, which had been a staple at the park since 1926. PTC No. 36 was the ninth oldest surviving PTC Carousel in operation at the time of the fire and the first such carousel to be lost in a fire since the 1970s.[2][3][4].
In 1997 Seabreeze unveiled their new in house built carousel, the Seabreeze Carousel, that would take the place of the famed PTC No.36. This carousel was handcrafted by members of the (Long) Norris family in the spirited tradition of their predecessors who were also famed carousel builders themselves.[3]
On July 30, 2020, the park announced that it would not reopen until 2021, citing a lack of guidance from the state during the coronavirus pandemic.[5]
Awards
On August 6, 2021 Seabreeze was awarded the New York State Senate Empire Award in recognition of their continued upkeep and preservation of the historic Jack Rabbit roller coaster in addition to the park's continued presence over the previous 143 years.
The award was presented by New York State Senator Samra Brouk and State Assembly member Sarah Clark and received by park president Rob Norris.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the award was unable to be presented for the Jack Rabbit's 100th anniversary in 2020, and was instead presented in 2021 during the Jack Rabbit's 101st year in operation.[6][7]
Roller coasters
Present
Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bear Trax | E&F Miler Industries | Kiddie | 1997 | Operating |
Bobsleds | George W. Long | Hybrid | 1962 | Operating |
Jack Rabbit | Harry C. Baker | Wooden | 1920 | Operating |
Whirlwind | Maurer AG | Spinning | 2004 | Operating |
Past
Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bunny Rabbit | Allan Herschell Company | Kiddie | 1985 | 1996 | Relocated to Island in Pigeon Forge |
Figure 8 | Ingersoll Construction Company | Wooden | 1903 | 1915 | Scrapped |
Greyhound | T.M. Harton | Wooden | 1916 | 1933 | Destroyed by Fire. Renamed or converted to Greyhound in 1927; facts uncertain. |
Jr. Coaster | George W. Long Jr. | Wooden | 1954 | 1961 | Converted to "Bobsleds" |
The Dips | T. M. Harton | Wooden | 1916 | 1933 | Converted or Renamed as Greyhound in 1927; facts uncertain. |
Quantum Loop | Soquet | Sit-down | July 1994 | 2003 | Relocated to Salitre Magico |
"Stahley's Roller Coaster" | Unknown | Wooden | 1886 | 1900 | Destroyed by Winter Storm |
Kiddie Coaster | George W. Long | Wooden | 1949 | Unknown | Scrapped |
Virginia Reel | Henry Riehl | Virginia Reel | 1921 | 1930 | Destroyed by Fire |
Wildcat | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | Wooden | 1926 | 1935 | Removed winter 1935. Some sources state Destroyed by Fire, no evidence of fire in 1935-1936. Likely removed due to Depression. |
Rides
Present
Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened |
---|---|---|---|
Bumper Cars | SDC | Dodgems | Unknown |
Seabreeze Carousel | Self-built | Carousel | 1996 |
Great Balloon Race | Zamperla | Balloon Tower | 2014 |
Log Flume | Hopkins / George W. Long | Log Flume | 1984 |
Music Express | Bertazzon | Superbob/Musik Express | 2008 |
Revolution 360 | Zamperla | Disk'O | 2010 |
Screamin' Eagle | Zamperla | Ranger | 1998 |
Sea Dragon | Chance Rides | Pirate Ship | 1991 |
Spring! | Moser Rides | Junior Drop Tower | 2003 |
Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner Manufacturing | Tilt-A-Whirl | 1976 |
Time Machine | Technical Park | Miami | 2017 |
Twirlin Tea Cups | Zamperla | Junior Teacups | 2011 |
Wave Swinger | Bertazzon | Waveswinger | 2014 |
Windstarz | Zamperla | WindstarZ | 2024 |
Past
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Jack Rabbit: 100 Years of Fun". Seabreeze Amusement Park.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Futrell, Jim (2018). Seabreeze Park. Images of America. Foreword by John Norris. Charleston, South Carolina, USA: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781467129374. LCCN 2018930640.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "History". Seabreeze Amusement Park. 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ↑ Cho, Janet H. (April 1, 1994). "Seabreeze Carousel Fire Loss". Newspapers.com. Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester, NY).
- ↑ "Enchanted Forest Water Safari, Seabreeze Amusement Park to stay closed until 2021". Syracuse.com.
- ↑ "Seabreeze Recieves New York State Senate Empire Award". RochesterFirst. WROC TV. 2023-08-06. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ↑ "Seabreeze Recieves NYS Senate Empire Award". New York State Senate. 8/6/2021. Retrieved 8/30/2021.
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(help) - ↑ "PAY ONE PRICE!". Democrat and Chronicle. 1971-05-15. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ↑ "PAY ONE PRICE!". Democrat and Chronicle. 1971-05-15. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
External links
- Seabreeze Amusement Park on the Roller Coaster DataBase.