Fallsville Splash Park was a

water park A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other baref ...

located in

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...

. It was adjacent to the former Niagara Falls Convention Center.

History

The park originally opened as Niagara Splash Park on May 29, 1988 as part of a large development in downtown Niagara Falls, NY that also included two entertainment complexes along Old Falls Street and a hotel. Construction cost was $18 million. The park struggled due to poor staffing, lack of advertising and attractions, and a high admission price, and was ordered closed in 1991 by then-Niagara Falls mayor Jake Palillo due to unpaid water bills. The city council voted to take over the park in 1992 and operated it until 1998. The park again closed and remained dormant until 2005, when it was reacquired by the original operators and received $4 million in renovations, including repair of damage caused by vandals while the park sat dormant. The park never turned a profit. In 2006, the property was seized by

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

using

eminent domain Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...

, given to the non-sovereign Seneca Gaming Corporation, and demolished. Now a vacant lot, no redevelopment activity is underway as of 2015. Executives from the Seneca Gaming Corporation have said that a water park would add to the atmosphere of

Seneca Niagara Casino Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is a casino in Niagara Falls, New York. It was built by the Seneca Nation to compete with Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Formerly known as the Niagara Falls Convention a ...

and may attract families to the adjacent hotel. The area contains custom water park fixtures, which adds to the possibility that the park may be rebuilt.

Legal issues

The park and the surrounding area adjacent to the

has been the subject of a class-action lawsuit filed by attorney John Bartolomei in October 2010 on behalf of Fallsite, LLC and several Niagara Falls residents. The Seneca Niagara Casino is located on sovereign land owned by the

Seneca Nation of Indians The Seneca Nation of Indians is a federally recognized Seneca tribe based in western New York. They are one of three federally recognized Seneca entities in the United States, the others being the Tonawanda Band of Seneca (also in western New Yo ...

. However, the land adjacent to the casino, including parking garages adjacent to Niagara St., the site of a former

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...

on the corner of Niagara St. and John B. Daly Blvd., the

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a division ...

property on the corner of 3rd Street and Duggan Drive, the former Niagara Aerospace Museum in between 3rd and 4th Streets and Niagara Street and Wendel Way, the former E. Dent Lackey Plaza (now a parking lot) in between Wendel Way, Duggan Drive, 3rd Street and 4th Street, empty private residences on 5th and 6th Streets, and the Splash Park Property on the corner of Falls Street and John B. Daly Blvd, is owned by the Seneca Gaming Corporation. This land is not sovereign, therefore it is taxable. If taxed, the corporation would be the largest taxpayer in the City of Niagara Falls.

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Niagara Falls, New York Defunct amusement parks in New York (state) Water parks in New York (state) 1988 establishments in New York (state) 1993 establishments in New York (state) 2005 establishments in New York (state) 1991 disestablishments in New York (state) 1996 disestablishments in New York (state) 2006 disestablishments in New York (state) Amusement parks opened in 1988 Amusement parks closed in 2006