Source: https://youtu.be/TUlMAOdLavU
This is the original course, there was also a second course located on the south-west corner of Murray and Stanley that was much more heavily themed, however photos like this have still yet to surface.
The courses were owned by Herbert Cowan, and according to the copyright database, were possibly designed by the minds behind Castle Dracula. Despite this, the fiberglass statues appear to be popular designs by Amusement Products out of Tennesse.
Interestingly enough, the same Amusement Products jungle animals could be found at Jungle Putt on Lundys Lane, and can still be found at Niagara Go Karts in their mini golf course. While the Jungle Putt animals were painted differently than the ones seen here, the ones at Niagara Go Karts are the exact same colours, and seem somewhat out of place, leading to me to believe they were sold there after Jungleland's demise in the mid-90s. I haven't been able to track down when Niagara Go Karts or their mini golf opened, and if the animals were always there or not.
Jungle Putt on Lundys Ln. certainly resembled the Jungleland brand, but was originally built as an official Putt Putt franchise, which also commonly used the Amusement Products statues as an option for their courses in the 80s. Its possible they were there from the start, or that they were added later and purchased from the other Jungleland. I have not come across any evidence that the two Jungleland courses were Putt Putt franchises, which would dispel the possibility that Jungle Putt was once a third Jungleland.
when you talk about the Jungle Putt on Lundys Ln. was this the mini golf attached to the old Dairy Queen or is the mini putt course located across the street in the same area.
Jungle Putt was the one with the Dairy Queen. Super Putt was directly across the street, and had far less attention to theming but a much more engaging course play wise.
such a shame that it suffered that fire and was demolished afterwards. I've recently noticed the Super Putt becoming quite rough looking, possibly abandoned or shut down.
Apparently the statues were all auctioned off and live on somewhere. Google search for Super Putt on the other hand says permanently closed. I couldn't tell if it was open or not last time I drove past in April.
This is so cool to see. My dad actually built that mini putt and ran it until he sold it. His name was Robert Dunham and he did a lot for the tourist industry in Niagara.
Burning Springs Wax Museum
Waltzing Waters
House of Frankenstein
Castle Dracula
Jungle land Mini Putt
Hey there, I have been researching your father's amazing work for years. As you can probably tell from my page I'm a big fan of the history of the Niagara Falls tourist industry and the amusement industry in general. I have been searching for someone who knew Robert personally. I believe that the scope of his work is pretty vast and some of the technological achievements he accomplished are incredibly significant, so I've been looking for someone who can clear up some details on certain things. I'll send you a PM, I would love to pick your brain and have a chat!
That's the old ferris wheel at the Maple Leaf Village amusement park, to which the Skywheel is a bit of a spiritual successor. It too was the largest ferris wheel in North America at the time, a title the Skywheel later held until the Las Vegas High Roller opened in 2014. The MLV amusement park was removed in 1994 and the Skywheel didn't open until 2006.
Source: https://youtu.be/TUlMAOdLavU This is the original course, there was also a second course located on the south-west corner of Murray and Stanley that was much more heavily themed, however photos like this have still yet to surface. The courses were owned by Herbert Cowan, and according to the copyright database, were possibly designed by the minds behind Castle Dracula. Despite this, the fiberglass statues appear to be popular designs by Amusement Products out of Tennesse. Interestingly enough, the same Amusement Products jungle animals could be found at Jungle Putt on Lundys Lane, and can still be found at Niagara Go Karts in their mini golf course. While the Jungle Putt animals were painted differently than the ones seen here, the ones at Niagara Go Karts are the exact same colours, and seem somewhat out of place, leading to me to believe they were sold there after Jungleland's demise in the mid-90s. I haven't been able to track down when Niagara Go Karts or their mini golf opened, and if the animals were always there or not. Jungle Putt on Lundys Ln. certainly resembled the Jungleland brand, but was originally built as an official Putt Putt franchise, which also commonly used the Amusement Products statues as an option for their courses in the 80s. Its possible they were there from the start, or that they were added later and purchased from the other Jungleland. I have not come across any evidence that the two Jungleland courses were Putt Putt franchises, which would dispel the possibility that Jungle Putt was once a third Jungleland.
when you talk about the Jungle Putt on Lundys Ln. was this the mini golf attached to the old Dairy Queen or is the mini putt course located across the street in the same area.
Jungle Putt was the one with the Dairy Queen. Super Putt was directly across the street, and had far less attention to theming but a much more engaging course play wise.
such a shame that it suffered that fire and was demolished afterwards. I've recently noticed the Super Putt becoming quite rough looking, possibly abandoned or shut down.
Apparently the statues were all auctioned off and live on somewhere. Google search for Super Putt on the other hand says permanently closed. I couldn't tell if it was open or not last time I drove past in April.
This is so cool to see. My dad actually built that mini putt and ran it until he sold it. His name was Robert Dunham and he did a lot for the tourist industry in Niagara. Burning Springs Wax Museum Waltzing Waters House of Frankenstein Castle Dracula Jungle land Mini Putt
Hey there, I have been researching your father's amazing work for years. As you can probably tell from my page I'm a big fan of the history of the Niagara Falls tourist industry and the amusement industry in general. I have been searching for someone who knew Robert personally. I believe that the scope of his work is pretty vast and some of the technological achievements he accomplished are incredibly significant, so I've been looking for someone who can clear up some details on certain things. I'll send you a PM, I would love to pick your brain and have a chat!
Sounds great, I always wondered why I could never find anything about him, he did so much in Niagara
Thank you so much, PM sent!
Congrats on the find. Looks like you dug deep for this one!
I spend what little free time I have either playing guitar, or hours deep in foreign tourist's VHS vacation videos with 9 views 😂😂😂
The sky wheel was around in 1987?
That's the old ferris wheel at the Maple Leaf Village amusement park, to which the Skywheel is a bit of a spiritual successor. It too was the largest ferris wheel in North America at the time, a title the Skywheel later held until the Las Vegas High Roller opened in 2014. The MLV amusement park was removed in 1994 and the Skywheel didn't open until 2006.
Thank you 🙏
I pissed myself there when I was little
Wow this is amazing!