Let’s Go Around

Herschell Twister Ride and Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel

The Friends of Midway, Midway State Park, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation have a shared commitment to restoring as many vintage rides as possible at Midway, a trolley park that has been in continuous operation since 1898. Each successful restoration brings us all closer to those treasured memories of the park’s heyday.

Recently, Midway purchased a 1948 Eli Bridge Ferris wheel and a 1960 Herschell Twister ride from Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The Ferris Wheel opened for the 2023 park season and has been a great thrill for park patrons, but work continues to machine new parts to fully restore the Twister. And as always, we are on the lookout for other classic vintage rides like the Paratrooper from the Herschell era to make the park experience more complete.

“It inspires as well, as noted in the famous E.B. White quote, “I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel.”

In recent years, your support has brought back Midway’s iconic miniature train, its carousel, and the miniature golf course. Now you have the chance to do it again. Please contribute to our ride restoration fund for the maintenance and purchase of classic rides for Midway.

Thank you for your support today. We can’t wait for you to enjoy these classic rides next year. To donate, simply complete click the button below.

How to Donate

• Pay online
• Pay by check, make check payable to Friends of Midway State Park, in the memo section add “Ferris Wheel and Twister Ride”

Mail check to:

Friends of Midway State Park

Post Office Box E

Maple Springs, NY 14756