If you grew up in the 716 during the 1970s, there's a good chance the words "Fun-N-Games Park" just brought a smile to your face. Tucked just off the Youngmann Expressway near Colvin Boulevard in the City of Tonawanda, this small but mighty amusement park was a summertime staple for families across Western New York. It wasn't Crystal Beach or Fantasy Island — but for a lot of us, it didn't need to be. Fun-N-Games Park had its own kind of magic, and for the kids who spent sticky summer afternoons there, the memories have never faded.

A Little Park With a Big Personality

Fun-N-Games Park sat in the parking lot of the old Twin Fair department store, part of a tradition across the Buffalo area where small amusement rides popped up in shopping center lots to draw families in for a day of fun and retail. Twin Fair locations around WNY, including the one on Walden Avenue, featured similar "Kiddieland" setups — a concept popularized in part by North Tonawanda's own Allan Herschell Company, which had been manufacturing carousels and amusement rides since the 1880s. Many of the smaller rides found at parks like Fun-N-Games were Herschell creations, a proud local connection that most riders never even realized. You could even grab discounted tickets at B-Kwik Markets, a mid-sized grocery chain owned by Tops at the time.

The Legendary Whale Car Wash

Of course, you can't talk about Fun-N-Games without mentioning the landmark that stood right out front: the famous Whale Car Wash. Built in 1973 on Young Street, this enormous fiberglass blue whale — 83 feet long and 22 feet high — was impossible to miss from the road. It was originally called the "Whale of a Car Wash" and was designed to be the first in a national franchise. The whole scene was wonderfully over the top, with towering fiberglass palm trees, sea horse sculptures on the gas pumps, and garbage cans shaped like tropical animals. For kids in the back seat, spotting the whale on a drive down the Youngmann was an event in itself, and begging your parents to pull over was practically a rite of passage. By 1983, the whale had closed, and in 1985 it was torn down to make way for a Wendy's — but it remains one of the most fondly remembered roadside attractions in 716 history.

Part of a Bigger Story

Fun-N-Games Park was part of a golden era of small, local amusement spots across Western New York. From the Kiddie Ranch at the Thruway Plaza to Lalle's at Lake Bay in Angola, these neighborhood parks gave families affordable fun close to home. While the big-name destinations like Darien Lake and Fantasy Island drew the regional crowds, it was places like Fun-N-Games that made an ordinary Saturday feel special. The Twin Fair store behind the park eventually suffered a devastating fire, and the whole area went through a period of decline before being redeveloped — but the spirit of that era lives on in the stories we share.

Keeping the Spirit Alive

The 716 has always been a place that cherishes its history, and Fun-N-Games Park is a perfect example of why. These weren't flashy, nationally known destinations — they were ours. If you're feeling nostalgic for that era of locally made amusement rides, the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda is still going strong, offering rides on an original 1916 carousel and exhibits about the company that helped put WNY on the amusement park map. It's a wonderful way to support a local treasure and connect the next generation with the spirit of places like Fun-N-Games. So share your memories, dig out those old photos, and let's keep these stories alive — because in the 716, the past is always part of who we are.

Learn More

Source: Buffalo Stories — Fun-N-Games Park and WNY Amusement Parks Through the Decades

Source: The Buffalo News — WNY Amusement Parks Through the Decades

Source: The Buffalo News — Torn-Down Tuesday: Tonawanda's Whale Car Wash