The burst of warm summer weather across Western New York is a reminder that it will soon be time to head out to our favorite amusement parks.

Get our free mobile app

If you're like me, you love the rush of a roller coaster, and a day spent wandering around your favorite amusement park.  As far back as I can remember, summers meant road trips to amusement parks.  We are lucky to have three of them within a short drive of us here in Western New York, and another just over the border in Erie, PA.

Here's a look at the opening dates for the four closest parks to our area.

Six Flags Darien Lake/Darien Center, New York - a 1,200-acre park and resort. Six Flags Darien Lake features a theme park, water park, campground, and hotel.

Opens for the season Friday, May 27th

9993 Alleghany Rd, Corfu, NY 14036

Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World/Grand Island, New York - An 85-acre park that features a water park, and is adjacent to a KOA campground.

Opening date for the season TBD

2400 Grand Island Blvd, Grand Island, NY 14072

Seabreeze/Rochester, New York - A 35-acre park that first opened in 1879.  Seabreeze is the fourth-oldest operating amusement park in the United States and the thirteenth-oldest operating amusement park in the world.

Opens for the season Saturday, May 21st 

4600 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14622

Waldameer Park & Water World/Erie, Pennsylvania:  The fourth oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania, and the tenth oldest in the nation. A unique feature is that the park is admission-free, as you pay on a per-ride basis.

Opened for the season Saturday, May 7th

1 Waldameer Road, Erie, PA 16505

Darien Center, NY - OPENS MAY 27th

Vintage Fantasy Island Rides

Erie, PA - OPENED MAY 7th

Six Flags Darien Lake Roller Coaster Power Rankings

Here's a list of roller coasters at Six Flags Darien Lake, ranked!

 

More From 92.9 WBUF