Central New York Couple Purchases Thunder Island Water Park

I remember the jingle playing on television like it was yesterday:

"The most fun in the sun, where you'll meet everyone-- Here on Thunder Island! THUNDER ISLAND!"

Thunder Island was a staple of my childhood. I could actually argue that as a kid, the water part I visited the most was Thunder Island. I have family that lives in Oswego County, so the park at 21 Wilcox Road in Fulton was the closest way to cool off on a summer day.

A few weeks ago, Thunder Island was listed for sale on the real estate market. Its former owner, Ronald Falise, died in a tragic accident on the property back in August of 2021. According to Syracuse.com, the property will live on thanks to a couple in Bernhards Bay.

Shane and Gale LaBeef are already working at the park, cleaning up, making repairs and replacing items. They hope to open for the season in the next two to three weeks.

The couple, according to Syracuse.com, own the AAA Paintball Park in Constantia and Shane & Son’s Heating and Cooling in North Syracuse.

Shane and his wife, Gale, had already seen the ad and they were seriously considering the possibility of buying the park. They just hadn’t gotten around to making a call yet, they said.

They toured the park and made an offer. According to the real estate agent for the park, there was also offers in from potential buyers in Nevada, Colorado, Utah and California. But, because the LaBeef family was local, they had the advantage in the sale.

Get our free mobile app

Syracuse.com says that once they get the water park up and running, the LaBeefs said they have plans to expand Thunder Island.

They want to add laser tag and gel ball, a family-friendly version of paintball for younger kids, on an empty 10-acre lot adjacent to the park. Down the road, they also want to add a petting zoo with goats, rabbits, a mini cow and a pot-belly pig, but said they’ll first need to get town approval. They’d also like to add extra parking in that area.

Did you ever take a visit to Thunder Island? Let us know in our station app.

5 Indoor Water Parks Across New York State

Literally, there are plenty of places within driving distance of Central New York and the Mohawk Valley that you can make a weekend getaway out of. Water slides, heated pools, and tropical temps....inside a building......where if you look outside you'll see inches, or feet, of snow.

Through our research, we were able to find at least 5 indoor water parks in New York: