The Twenty - Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous
Number 12
Darien Lake Theme Park
In 1960, Buffalo entrepreneur, Paul Snyder, opened a small campground and picnic area in the town of Darien and called it, Snyder’s Darien Lake. In the early 1970s, Snyder added a pair of waterslides and other attractions and ten years later it became known as Darien Lake Fun Country. 
The park’s first roller coaster, The Viper, was added in 1982 and a year later they added the world’s largest Ferris wheel (at the time) from the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. By the early 1980’s it was billed as the largest privately owned attraction in New York State.
In 1983, Snyder sold 50% of the park to Funtimes Parks Inc. Throughout the next decade, the park was improved and many attractions were added including a theatre, kid’s area, a water park and more roller coasters.
In the early 1990s, Snyder sold his remaining shares to Funtime and 1995 the park was sold to Premier Parks. Premier Parks acquired the Six Flags brand of theme parks in 1998, and began to rename their parks. In May 1999, the former small campground and picnic area opened as Six Flags Darien Lake. In 2007, the park was sold again to CNL Lifestyles Properties and operated by PARC Management and is called Darien Lake Theme Park Resort.
How Does It Make Genesee County Famous?
The park is one of the largest attractions in the region. Over 1,000,000 visitors go through the turnstiles every year from every state and all over the world. As advertised, it is New York’s coaster capital and is the largest theme park in the state. From the cotton candy girls to the ride operators, the park is the largest employer of seasonal help in New York, and with more than 1,200 campsites, it is the largest privately owned campground in the state.
The amphitheater, with its 20,000 person capacity, draws the biggest names in music including Bruce Springsteen, The Who, The Counting Crows, Britney Spears and the Jonas Brothers. The venue hosts over 20 concerts per year.
One way to judge the popularity of a place in the county is by the traffic it creates, and all those cars equal a huge economic impact of the park. This can also be measured in terms of hotel stays, sales tax revenue, visitors to other area attractions (including the Holland Land Office Museum), and property taxes.
Links:
Darien Lake Theme Park Official Site
History of Darien Lake Fun Country for the Snyder Corporation's website
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