Ready to ride

Rye Playland’s makeover includes new rides and much more

For a 95-year-old person, a facelift may seem an excessive indulgence. But for an amusement park nearing the century mark, a major makeover is a necessary step. Parts of Rye Playland will be a grand work in progress for the next couple of years, but, executives say, it’s all in the name of steering the park toward a brighter future.

The park had been run by Westchester County until last year when Standard Amusements, founded by local boy made good, Nick Singer, was awarded a 30-year-management agreement. With the deal in place, both the county and the company are pouring resources into Playland. “Nick wants to return the park to its glory,” says Playland’s new general manager Jeff Davis. “We’ve met with community groups, and they’ve been great. Everybody wants Playland to succeed and communication is good.”

Last year, the park didn’t open until June because of construction, so 2023 marks Standard Amusement’s first full season. The work is continuing, so Playland’s prices are remaining low. (Westchester County residents already get discounts across the board.)

“It’s a great time to come because we’re a real value proposition,” Davis says. “We’re probably the cheapest amusement park around right now.”

Davis says all the work is necessary because the park had fallen into some disrepair. “When the work is complete, almost every part of the park will be touched and Playland will look brand new while retaining its historical features.”

The park added a new ride last year, The Old Rye Motorbike Factory, and has another newcomer, Jack the Puppeteer, coming here,’” Davis adds, pointing to the “gorgeous location” on the water as another benefit. haven’t been here in a while,” Davis says. “We want to re-educate people so they know it’s new and improved with all these things to see and do.”

The beach will have volleyball courts and kayak and paddleboard rentals, the Tiki Beach restaurant on the pier has a new owner with a new beer garden and a refreshed menu and paddle boats, shaped like dragons and swans, are being reintroduced on the lake. At the fountain plaza-- which, like the boardwalk and other parts of the park, is open to the public without charge— there’ll be a new interactive adventure called Play!Verse, with 10 unique thematic rooms that feature LED light shows, interactive infinity mirror tricks and more, creating a multi-sensory and dynamic photo op for all, as well as a new retail shop. “We’re taking the park into the future, even while the rides are paying homage to the history,” Shuster says.

Davis says the New York market is big enough to accommodate Playland and multiple amusement park competitors but that there’s so much out there-- from big league sports to Broadway-- that Playland must find ways to stand out. “There’s so much noise,” he says. “There’s so much to do, forget about the money, it’s about getting people to part with their time.” from Italy this summer, with a new ride for 2024 in the works. (It will be announced later this summer, Davis says.)

Last fall, the park ran a Black Friday promotion offering discounts on summer passes. Shuster says the season pass sale was “a chance to try different messaging” and a way to get people thinking about Playland at a different time and hopefully to spread the word about all the renovations and additions.

Meanwhile, Standard Amusements refurbished the area around the beach-- adding a 35-foot slide for kids, along with new furniture and kayaks. “Additionally, the County did a beautiful job of creating a gorgeous $30M family- style pool, with a four-foot depth maximum, as well as redid the locker rooms and Bathhouse,” says Davis “We are doing a heckuva lot of work here.”

Director of Marketing and Sales Stacy Shuster says change begins at the front door. For the first time, she says, the park will have a grand entrance-- “a fountain plaza, with water and music and lights” -- that will give visitors “a sense of arrival.”

Beyond that, Playland aims to fulfill Nick Singer’s vision of something new to do every ten feet.

“Giving people lots of unexpected things to do is a key here,” Shuster says.

“We want to turn this into a campus, a destination where people will know about all the things to do and say, ‘Let’s spend a weekend

Davis wants people not only to stay longer on each visit but to come back more often. Toward that end, he’s looking to extend the calendar by opening earlier to take advantage of spring break and extending into the fall with activities around Halloween. “I don’t think there’s a park out there that doesn’t do something like that,” Davis says, adding that he’d even look for Christmas possibilities, like a lighting exhibit, ice skating or a holiday marketplace. He also envisions public art around the property. That’s something that he says will also appeal to the locals in the community who come to enjoy the beach and boardwalk for free.

“There are people here every day, in every kind of weather, which provides a unique energy.”

To make this all happen, Standard Amusements has brought in a slew of new staffers, including Davis and Shuster. “We added expertise across the board, from the finance guy to the rides guy,” Davis says, adding that while there are still some county employees working in maintenance and other areas, some retired from or left the county’s employ to come work for Standard Amusements. Playland is also a major employer of local youth each summer-- Davis says the park employs more than 800 locals and the food vendor, whose employees go through Standard’s training too, adds another 200 hires.

With all these new ingredients, the next step is bringing people out to sample the goods.

“It’s amazing how many people know Playland, but

Pass members, who are traditionally locals, are vital, Davis says because they provide a financial foundation. “They push you through the slower weekdays and the days with questionable weather,” he explains. “Then when summer time arrives we get the vacationers who tend to spend more and they push you through that season. So, we need a multi-faceted approach in driving attendance.”

Now that they can offer a full day or even a weekend’s worth of action, Shuster says. Playland will try to expand its circle first by going after people in the further reaches of Westchester. But then she will also target Long Island and New York City, starting with promotional outreach on Metro-North, which is how many city folk would travel there. After that, she’s set her eyes even further afield; hoping to draw visitors from Connecticut’s Fairfield County, with one day hopes to become a national and international destination.

Get your thrills on new and classic rides, make a big splash at our beach and pool, and create unforgettable memories all day long at Playland. Get your tickets today at playland.com.