Take a walk through the park's colorful history of providing family fun for over 130 years. c. 1879, The Park Opens The park opens in 1879 as the final stop on the Rochester & Lake Ontario Railroad Company's steam train line, running from the city to the lakefront. Each summer, thousands flock to the Sea Breeze picnic groves for recreation and the cool breezes off the lake. c. 1886, Rooms with a View Taking advantage of beautiful surroundings, the Sea Breeze Hotel provides fine food and refreshments to riders of the Rochester & Lake Ontario Railroad. Irondequoit Bay is on the left of the hotel, with the park later being developed up the hill on the right. 1889, The Sea Breeze Hotel The hotel, located where the Whirlwind in today, overlooks the lake and the bay, and offered fine dining, dancing and top vaudeville acts. While the hotel burns in 1909, a fountain - seen to the right of the crowd - remains in the park until the 1960s. 1900, A Day at the Park The trolley car soon becomes the major method for traveling to Sea Breeze. Passengers get off the cars inside the park; later on, the tracks are moved to let people off outside. This picture was taken from the park's front lawn looking northward. 1902, Training for the Industry While spending off seasons in Philadelphia, George Long's family spends summers in Rochester and other waterfront spots, running their carousels. The first 4 train passengers shown here are George Long Sr., daughter Kathleen, Mother Long and son George Long Jr., - whose love for carousels blossoms into a livelihood. 1903, First Permanent Ride Already established as a great place for picnics, a wooden roller coaster is added to attract new guests. Built where the Jack Rabbit is located today, the figure-8 coaster is a major attraction for its time. And while smaller in size, it's the start of something big. 1904, A Long Family Tradition Members of the Long family build and operate their own carousels in Northeastern cities. George W. Long, Sr. brings his to Sea Breeze. The family also comes and lives in one of the two rooms attached to the back of the building. George W. Long, Jr. (age 12) can be seen to the right of center. 1906, Turning on the Juice Electricity comes to the area, bringing with it trolley cars, lighting, longer stays by guests - and offering bigger and better rides for summer fun-lovers of all ages. The giant Circle Swing operates at the north end of the park, just south of the Sea Breeze hotel. 1910, The Ships Come In People come to Sea Breeze by boats, which dock at the pier north of the park. Ferries such as the "Ontario" and the "Thorne" arrive from Charlotte Beach and downtown via the Genesee River, and then make their way along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. 1910, A View of the Beach As the Sea Breeze area develops, this boat pier and other lakeside attractions are built to handle the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy swimming, boating and picnicking. The pier was found just across the street from the park's northern end. c. 1910, The Long Family Carousel Over time the Longs make modifications to their carousel - such as adding rounding boards, creating inner row jmpers and carving new legs. This merry-g-round is later moved to and operated at Seneca Park, making room at Sea Breeze for PTC#36. 1917, Everybody Dance! It's the 1920s and the whole country is caught up in the "dance craze". Sea Breeze answers the call by building "Dreamland" just north of the Jack Rabbit. The dance hall burns down in 1923, but "Danceland" is built a year later in today's Jack Rabbit parking lot. 1920, The Jack Rabbit Using the area's natural terrain and an out & back design by Miler & Baker, a wooden classic comes to life. The station and track have been updated, but the Jack Rabbit - today the nation's oldest continuously operated wooden coaster - provides legendary thrills. 1921, The Virginia Reel At this time, 3 roller coasters are in operation. The Virginia Reel is on the foreground, the Dips (later called the Greyhound) to the right, and the Jack Rabbit at the south end of the park. Note the sign that asks riders to pay as they leave. c. 1921, Park and Ride Always a popular destination, visitors come to the park by train, trolley, boat, and eventually the Model T. Familiar sights here include the 1915 carousel building and what is now the park office. The office building was later picked up and moved to its present location. 1925, The Natatorium Billed as "The World's Largest Salt-Water Swimming Pool" at 125 ft x 30 ft, the Natatorium opens just south of the Jack Rabbit. Features include fountains, play elements and seating for water shows. Filled with filtered water from the bay, salt was then added. 1926, The Wildcat Summertime in the Twenties means taking a ride on the Wildcat roller coaster. It was located just north of the Jack Rabbit, with its station where the Flying Scooters is today. In the background is the Midway - before its overhanging porch was installed. 1926, PTC #36 Comes to the Park Built in 1915, this Philadelphia Tobaggab Company machine first placed at Rochester's Seneca Park, and then swaped with the Long carousel operating at Sea Breeze in 1926. Originaly the machine needed no light fixtures, since the park closed at sundown. Lights were later added by George W. Long, Jr. 1945, Giggling Gertie If you were taking a ride on the Subway, located under the Jack Rabbit, it was hard to miss Giggling Gertie. She stod over the ride entrance, laughing at everything. When Gertie was removed, some missed her face - but few missed her constant laughter. 1945, Take a Break at the Pagoda After riding the Jack Rabbit, the Cterpillar, and the Subway, you could catch your breath at the Pagoda, a refreshment stand located where the Tilt-a-Whirl is today. Long a mainstay of the south end, the Pagoda offered 15-cent hamburgs and Anderson's Beverages. c. 1946, The North End A look northward offers a view of attractions like the Goofy Hpise, Hey Day, Loop-O-Plane, minature golf, Thunderbolt, the Sky Ride and a popcorn & peanot stand. A America rediscovers its love for summer fun, George Long buys the park and renames it Dreamland. c. 1950, Live On Stage Guests flock to see live acts at he main stage area, located where the Log Flume is today. From horse shows and lion taming to high wire acts, thousands enjoy a wide variety of exciting shows every weekend. The later growth of television marked the decline in the popularity of live acts. c. 1950, Miniature Golf In the 1950s miniature golf became popular, and the park built its own course. Located next to the Bobsleds, the course uses lanterns from the Virginia Reel to liven thing up; today the lanterns light up the Train Depot. Miniature golf at the park eventually gave way to more space for parking in the 1980s. c. 1950, Staying on Track The Scenic train takes you out for a beautiful view of Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay, at a spot where the water park is today. The original train cars were actualy mine cars, altered to carry passengers rather than cargo. Later the cars and engine were modified, capturing the old fashioned look that you see today. c. 1960, Fairyland Dreamland's new petting zoo is located behind the Bumper Cars, where the picnic groves are today. Visitors enjoy an assortment of animals like ducks, sheep, Henrietta the Tapir, and Spitzy the Llama. For an underwater view of the fish pond, you could walk into the mouth of a giant concrete whale. c. 1960, Laughing on the Lightning Bug Introduced in the mid-1940s, the Lightning Bug entertains guests of all ages for a number years in the spot where the Music Express stands today. Behind the Bug is the gift shop and barn of Fairyland, and just to the left is the Junior Coaster. c. 1960, Over the Falls Built in 1954 and powered by a giant paddle wheel, Over the Falls delivers the steepest flume drop in the world at the time. Other rides include a river boat ride on the Delta Queen and a trip on the scenic Train. Laterm the U-Drive-Em Boats appeared in the Pond. 1961, Monkeying Around Designed to help promote the park at parades and other off-site locations, this Crosley truck was made out of two separate vehicles. The chimp in the back was on loan from one of the free acts performing at the park at the time. 1968, The Bobsleds In order to make the ride more modern and exciting, park crews rebuild the Junior Coaster and create the classic Bobsleds coaster. Using a ten state-of-the-art tubular track design and adding a third story, the new ride becomes a George Long and Seabreeze original! 1975, The Seventies A look north reveals plenty of fun on the Paratrooper, Hot Rods, Manhandler, Rock-O-Planes, Enchanter and more. It's also the time of Report Card Days, Kiddie Fun Day, Carlos' Tacos and C. Breezy, complete with his green polyester leisure suit. "Dreamland Park" changes its name to "Seabreeze" and a new era begins. 1976, George Long, the Carver Upon retirement, George LOng devotes his energies and carving abilities to creating over 600 miniature horses. In addition to single horses, Long builds two complete working miniature carousels. One celebrates the country's Bicentennial; another miniature, shown here, is a duplicate of PTC #36 (seen in the background). 1977, The Gyrosphere This Seabreeze-designed ride featured a Scrambler inside an inflatable dome - and later a tension structure. The custom light, sight & sound show was updated periodically, but the most remembered music is "Fire On High" by Electric LIght Orchestra. 1992, Just Add Water Seabreeze begins adding water slides to its list of varied attractions in 1986. The combination of "wet and dry" attractions, a modern-day reflection of its proud history, continues to make the park one of the area's most popular destinations. 1996, A New Carousel is Born After a devastating 1994 fire which destroys PTC #36 and other attractions nearby, the fifth generation of the Long family decides to build a new hand-carved carousel. This magnificent "revolving work of art" is the result of two years' hard work by a dedicated crew. 2004, A Spin on Things The debut of the unique Whirlwind spinning steel coaster is the perfect way to celebrate 125 years of fun. Other highlights of this time include the new Seabreeze Passport program and the return of live shows to the Center Stage. Look forward to another 125 years!
Comments 0 comments