Head To This Vintage Beachfront Amusement Park In New York For Beautiful Views And Family Fun

It may not be America's oldest amusement park, but Sylvan Beach Amusement Park is pretty darn close. With roots dating back to the 1870s, this family fun spot has been delighting upstate New Yorkers for generations. As its name implies, Sylvan Beach is a beachside getaway with rides, games, and lots of tasty treats. Its popularity is so significant that it even earned a moniker — the Coney Island of Central New York. Located alongside the picturesque Oneida Lake, the amusement park is open from May to September each year. Plus, it's free to visit! 

But don't think this vintage park is behind in the times. Although areas of it are historic in nature, it's still going through changes. It underwent a huge restoration that began in 2007 and was set to take 10 years. That plan included adding two new rides and fixing up current ones. 

Proprietor Doug Waterbury, who bought the property with Yesterday's Royale in 2007, told the Observer-Dispatch that he wanted to maintain the park's aesthetic. He wanted to hang on to "the old-fashioned, old-time charm" to preserve it "kind of like an early 20th century Coney Island feel."

With two dozen rides, Sylvan Beach Amusement Park is showing no sign of slowing down despite being almost as old as this massive Midwest gem of a park, Cedar Point. From the adrenaline pumping Galaxi Roller Coaster to the high flying Rock-O-Plane, there are plenty of thrills to make a day out of the park. Younger kiddos won't be left out either since the Kiddieland area has 10 rides made just for them including a Ferris wheel and boats. 

While access to the park itself is free, you do have to purchase bands for the rides. They include unlimited access as well as other perks like free beach access. That's right! You can even swim at Sylvan Beach.

This park also embraces the old school (and new school) gaming elements of a vintage amusement center. There are five different gaming areas for you to explore which include the historic Fascination arcade. Fascination looks a bit like Skee-Ball, but you're trying to hit five holes in a row to light up your backboard in a line. It is exceedingly rare to find a game of Fascination anywhere, so being able to play for just a quarter at Sylvan Beach seems like a terrific bargain. Or, if you'd rather stick with more modern gameplay, Playland has video game options, too. 

For families interested in more chills than thrills, you're in luck: Sylvan Beach is known for being haunted. Just as one of the oldest inns in the country has a resident ghost, this amusement park has a few of its own. Prevailing rumors of specters are popular enough that the park itself offers ghost tours every year from June to September. Ghost tours are hosted by CasperCop at Sylvan Beach and begin after the park is closed for the day. CasperCop encourages participants to record what they see throughout the tour as they meander the buildings thought to have paranormal activity. 

The reports of paranormal activity made the amusement park mainstream. The show "Supernatural" filmed an episode featuring Sylvan Beach Amusement Park. Even "Ghost Hunters" filmed an episode called "Scream Park" at Sylvan Beach. The episode, which aired in 2013, demonstrated encounters with the paranormal at the park. While the ghost hunters were there, they were told to keep an eye out for three ghosts in particular named Abby, Jack, and Scottie. During the investigation, the ghost hunters said they heard a disembodied voice and whistling in both the Play Land and Treasure Land arcades.