ONTARIO

Jordan

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Prudhomme's Landing
(Wet `n' Wild)
(? - 2002?)

    Prudhomme's Landing started out as a small water park on a man-made hill near Jordan, Ontario between Grimsby and St. Catherines. It was located behind Victoria Hall, a 40s-style dance hall. It originally had two or three water slides but eventually came to have a wave pool, two water slides, a lazy river, and a tube rapid ride (riders get in an inner tube, go to the top of a hill, and descend through a large trough-type slide to the bottom). This area was called "Wet `n' Wild".

    The amusement ride section included Bumper Boats, Bumper Cars, (Gettone), Go-Karts (Gettone), and a "Tilt-A-Whirl" (Selner). A miniature train was also there in the Miniature World attraction. (See farther on.)

Ride Tokens
1980s

Left and below are some park ride tokens. These were for the bumper cars and the go-karts.

They were used to activate a timer on the cars to run for a set amount of time. The upper token is zinc plated steel while the one at the left is brass.

    An old mansion on the grounds was made into a haunted house. It was created by Robert Gibbs, who was nicknamed "Bobber". He used to live in the upstairs portion of the house. Robert later went on to open Nightmares at Maple Leaf Village.

    Terry Brown of Niagara Falls, Ontario, says regarding the haunted house attraction: "Perhaps this was the invention of the `chicken door' where several would watch humiliated scardy cats! The house was inspired by the scary movies of the 1980s and was known for its `real people' and pitch blackness. A rite of passage for Niagara-area teens in the 80s!"

    Associated with Prudhomme's was Tivoli Miniature World. It was in a separate area next to the amusement park and required separate admission. Dick Passmore comments: "A part of the fun of Prudhomme's Landing was Tivoli Miniature World. They had scale models of famous world landmarks, such as The Eiffel Tower, The Tower of Pisa, and The CN Tower."

    A television advertisement proclaimed there would be "...big fun at Miniature World". One of the attractions was a miniature train which ran around the grounds inside Miniature World. Eventually, it was moved when Prudhomme's closed.

    Ken Jones of Niagara Falls, Ontario says: "Miniature World was relocated to the corner of Ferry & Victoria in Niagara Falls. I believe it lasted only two or three seasons, before being closed down and moved over seas. The train, however, remains here in Niagara Falls. It was sold about three or four times and now resides at a local campground, but it is in non-operating condition."

    Prudhomme's closed around 2002 and is mostly gone, now. An unknown poster to an Internet forum said recently: "I took a trip to the now defunct park yesterday. Sadly, the haunted house is no more then a pile of haunted rubble. The park has been closed about a year and a half and most of the buildings are already gone."

    Ken Jones closes: "The waterslides and tube ride are still set up, although many of the buildings along the outer edge have been removed. There was an auction company selling off the remains like the restarant equipment, bumper boats, go carts, bumper cars and `Tilt-a-Whirl'."

    Ken Jones January, 2007 Update: "As of my drive by today, all the front entrance/office buildings which were used by the park are gone!! THe waterslide mountain and slides are stil there, but looks like everything else has been removed."

    For another look at this park, see:

• -Prudhomme's Landing - Wet 'N' Wild

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