As always, The Bomber and Laffland and other classic rides were creaking and twirling on Sunday, the last day of full operation at the Sylvan Beach amusement park.

As always, a crowd of September devotees showed up on "Thank You Weekend" to play Skee-ball, or to look across Oneida Lake from the top of the Galaxi roller-coaster, or to take a spin on an ancient carousel.

"This time of year is really great," said Ken Starrs, who walked hand-in-hand with his wife, Linda, through a sweat shirt-wearing crowd. "Once Labor Day is over, it's like someone threw a switch and the whole place quiets down."

This year,however, was not quite like other years. There was a change in the ownership structure at the amusement park for the first time in more than a quarter-century. Pat Goodenow, who has operated the park as a kind of poignant neon time capsule since 1981, took on Doug Waterbury, of Oswego, as a partner.

Waterbury has already revived Santa's Workshop, a Yuletide-themed amusement park near Lake Placid. He promises to bring new energy and new investment to Sylvan Beach. He said that he and Goodenow plan to spend $8 million to $10 million at the park over the next five years.

The result, Waterbury said, will be many new rides and attractions. He envisions water slides and thrill rides. He envisions personal watercraft rentals. He envisions parasailing, and the addition of a powerful boat seating 150 passengers that would take park visitors on high-speed rides around the lake.

"Today, these places are fragile," Waterbury said, referring to throwback amusement parks. "The easy thing to do is to sell it to some developer and let him tear it down for the waterfront property. We're not going to that here. We're going to keep the park."

At the same time, Waterbury said, he has no intention of losing the exquisite, timeless flavor that makes Sylvan Beach unique.

It was clear,from speaking with many of Sunday's customers, that atmosphere remains a major draw in itself, attracting pilgrims who seek something they thought they lost in their own youths.

"I'm kind of thinking to myself that I'm surprised all of this is still here," said Sherry Oyer, of Clinton, whose son, Brandon, ran from ride to ride. "So many of these places seem to be closing."

David and Shirley Smith, of Vienna, bring their grandchildren every year for the final weekend, which includes cut-rate prices. Many of the existing rides, painted multiple times, are rides that David and Shirley remember vividly from the 1950s.

The place, Shirley said, was even bigger then.

"I'd like to see them expand it, but just a little bit," she said.

Other visitors were leery of the change. Ken and Linda Starrs, who have a camp at Sylvan Beach, were upset that the village allowed the owners to build a new miniature golf course on a public park that is adjacent to the amusement park, at the main entrance.

That green space should have remained undisturbed, the couple said. They said they don't oppose expansion, but only if it can be done without cutting into a public park.

As for Cindy Clarke, of Canastota, who was at Sylvan Beach Sunday with her daughter and grandchildren, she questioned the manner of some pricing changes for this year's "Thank You" weekend.

While Cindy's 7-year-old granddaughter, Kaitlyn, was thrilled to keep going on a ride called The Teacups, Cindy was not so thrilled about paying a dollar every time. She said several Web sites, including the official village Web site, promised the traditional 50-cent ride bargain for "Thank You Weekend."

Waterbury described the price change as a misunderstanding, and he said the $1 cost was necessary to finance late-season maintenance and staffing.

For those who've grown up with the place, the larger question is how the owners will balance their planned changes with a park that rarely changes. What Sylvan Beach offers, the quality that makes it extraordinary, is the opportunity to show a child how an amusement park felt in 1955.

"It's always been like this," is the way that Cindy Clarke put it.

Waterbury and Goodenow say they can retain that atmosphere while making the park better. "We understand the feeling," Waterbury said. "We don't want to spoil it."

Goodenow said Sylvan Beach will not go to the "closed-gate," one-price-covers-admission philosophy of many modern amusement parks. He said the sense of wandering freedom is intrinsic to what makes the place unique.

He also said the park, even as it is right now, remains a strong draw. He estimated that more than 200,000 visitors passed through the amusement park this year, including the biggest turnout in years for what Goodenow describes as "Regrets Week." That's the week surrounding Labor Day, when parents who've stalled on summer promises to their children have one last chance to give the kids a summer treat.

Many keep their word with the old-time joys of Sylvan Beach, where whatever change is coming should not end in regrets.