Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Hours of Operation

• 2024 Operating Season
• View the 2024 Operating Calendar

• Regular Operating Days

  - Memorial Day Weekend: Saturday, Sunday & Monday
  - June: Saturdays & Sundays only

  - July 3 thru August 16: Wednesdays thru Sundays

  - Labor Day Weekend: Saturday, Sunday & Monday

  ALL rides and attractions will operate 11am - 6pm; Gates open 9:00 am to 6:30 pm

  Plus - July & August, Mini-golf is open until 8:00pm on Fridays & Saturdays (Except Aug 30)

• Unique Days
  - July 13, Saturday: Rides and Attractions open 11am-10pm with fireworks at 10:15pm to celebrate Midway's Anniversary.
  - August 21-24, Wednesday-Friday: Rides and attractions open regular hours (11am-6pm), but ride availability may be limited. 

• All Non-Regular Operating dates:

  - All Mondays & Tuesdays (except May 27 & Sept 2), and August 28-30. 

  Playground, picnicking and restrooms are available 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

  
  

  Please call the park office for additional information: 716-386-3165

• School Picnic Days & Open to the Public

  - May 29-31:  Wednesdays thru Friday, limited rides, 10am-2pm

  - June 5-28: Wednesdays thru Fridays, limited rides, 10am-2pm
  

Fees & Rates

• Arcade
• $0.01-$5 per play
• Attraction Tickets

• Required for Mini-Golf and Go-Kart drivers.
  Attraction Ticket - $5

• Every-Kid-In-A-Park Pass
• Please note: The Every-Kid-in-a-Park 4th Grade Free Entry Program does not apply to rides and attractions wristbands, tickets or passes.
• Wristbands

• Include all rides except: Mini Golf & Go-Karts & Water Wars
  Are non-transferable: Can only be used by one person per purchase.

  Regular Operating Days:   Wristbands $15 
  School Picnic Days:           Wristbands $8

• Regular Tickets
• Individual tickets optional in lieu of wristbands for most rides 
  Required for Go-Kart Passengers & Water Wars

  Rides require 1-2 tickets each ride

  Single Ticket                    $1.25 each 
  Value Pack (10 Tickets)   $11.00

  Not valid for Mini-Golf or Go-Kart Drivers - See Attraction Tickets
  

• Group Permits/Rates
• Note: Under NYS Park Regulations (Section 372.7 (l)(1), Groups of over 25 are required to have a permit. Please contact the park at 716-386-3165 if you are planning to have a group of more that 25 people for an outing or picnic at Midway. There's also a discount available for groups purchasing more than 25 wristbands for Regular Operating Days!
• Season Passes
• Season Passes are good any operating day. They are the same as a wristband and do not include Mini-Golf, Go-Karts or Water Wars. They must be purchased at the park office. Previously purchased season passes cannot be combined into a family pass. Passes purchased prior to 4/30 are priced at a 15% discount.
  
  
  Child Passes $75
  Adult Passes $65
  Family Passes (4) $265
  Each additional $70
  Replacement fee $5

Highlights of Midway State Park:

• The bedrock underlying Midway Park consists of the Upper Devonian shale and siltstones of the Ellicott Formation.
• This small waterway is found along the southwestern boundary of the park. It feeds into the lake and is home to various aquatic invertebrates.
• Midway State Park offers vistas of Chautauqua Lake from the shoreline and various vantage points within the park.
• A colony of little brown bats can sometimes be found roosting in the upper sections of the Hippodrome. This maternal colony consists of mother bats and their pups; the young bats stay with their mothers for 21-28 days.
• Chautauqua Lake is recognized as in Important Bird Area by New York Audubon, an organization which recognizes places that are vital to birds and other biodiversity. In the fall, hundreds of birds, including ducks, swans, geese, and loons, stop at Chautauqua Lake during their migration. Also check out the birding from Long Point State Park, also on the shores on Chautauqua Lake.
• Bring your rod & reel! Chautauqua Lake is home to a large fish population, including Walleye, small- and largemouth bass, yellow and white perch, crappie, and muskellunge.

What will you see? Plan your visit today!

Look and listen for these birds at our Park:

• Black Tern
• Bonaparte's Gull
• Canvasback
• Common Loon
• Hooded Merganser
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Tundra Swan

Everyone is a Steward: Be a Midway State Park Hero!

• Respect other visitors and their experience. Avoid excessive noise.
• Respect wildlife and observe from a distance.
• Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
• Use extra caution when using headphones. You may not be able to hear warnings.
• Don't litter.

For more information, please read our Trail Tips!

When you enter or leave Lake Chautauqua:

• Clean and remove all visible plants, animals, fish and mud from your boat, trailer and other equipment and dispose of it in a suitable trash container or on dry land.
• Drain water from bilge, live wells, ballast tanks and any other locations with water before leaving the launch. Disinfect when possible.
• Dry your boat, trailer and all equipment completely. At least 5 days of drying time is recommended. Drying times vary depending on weather and material.

Ask a Naturalist!

Q: Can I feed the ducks and geese at Midway State Park?

A: It is important to remember not to feed any wildlife at Midway State Park. Because of its location, Midway has abundant waterfowl species such as ducks. Feeding waterfowl unnatural and high calorie or protein foods can result in angel wing, a deformity of the joint in one or both wings that renders birds flightless.

Interesting Facts about Midway State Park!

Lake life:

• The Kidneyshell, a rare freshwater mussel, was noted along the shoreline of Chautauqua Lake in 2008. We can help support the growth and survival of Kidneyshell mussels by keeping the park clean. When we litter in the park, water runoff eventually carries that waste into the lake. Protect the lake's water quality by keeping garbage out of the lake!
• In addition to the rare native Kidneyshell Mussel, Chautauqua Lake is also home to the zebra mussel, an invasive species which threatens native mussels and the Lake ecosystem overall.

Bats:

• Little Brown Bats are becoming rarer at Midway and across New York State because of a fungal infection known as white-nose syndrome. This deadly fungus has already spread throughout the northeastern United States and threatens several bat species with extinction.