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Summer resort and event venue From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Conneaut Lake Park /ˈkɒniˌɔːt/ is a summer resort and event venue located in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania, United States. It has long served as a regional tourist destination, and was noted by roller coaster enthusiasts for its classic Blue Streak coaster, which was classified as "historic" by the American Coaster Enthusiasts group in 2010.[1] Conneaut Lake is Pennsylvania's largest natural (glacier) lake,[2] and is a popular summer destination for recreational boaters due to there being no horsepower limit on the lake.[3]
Previously known as Exposition Park | |
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Location | Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania, United States |
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Coordinates | 41.63556°N 80.315°W |
Opened | 1892 |
Owner | Keldon Holdings, LLC Todd Joseph Fenstermacher |
Slogan | "A traditional amusement resort with something for everyone!" and "Where the past becomes the future!" |
Operating season | May to October |
Area | 200 acres (0.81 km2) |
Attractions | |
Total | 8 |
Roller coasters | 1 |
Website | Official website |
Conneaut Lake Park was founded in 1892 as Exposition Park by Col. Frank Mantor as a permanent fairground and exposition for livestock, machinery, and industrial products from Western Pennsylvania. Prior to this time, 7 acres of land on which the park is located were purchased in 1877 by Aaron Lynce for use as a boat landing. Col. Mantor's company, the Conneaut Lake Exposition Company, purchased an additional 175 acres of adjacent land, 75 of which were given to Mr. Lynce as payment for his parcel.[4]
During its early years, buildings at Exposition Park included a dance hall, a convention hall (for lectures), and a bathhouse. Several of the structures from Lynce's landing were also retained, including a farmhouse on the property that was converted to a hotel. The park's first mechanical ride, a carousel, opened in 1899, and was soon joined by other rides and a midway.
Ownership of the park transferred to the Pittsburgh & Shenango Valley Railroad in 1901, during which time several hotels were built on the property. Originally accessible only by boat or train, trolley service was extended to the park in 1907. With its lakefront presence, hotels, and remote location, the park became a popular resort destination.[4] Although many of the park's original buildings were lost in a fire in 1908, new concrete block replacements were constructed, including the Dreamland Ballroom.
The park was renamed "Conneaut Lake Park" in 1920 to reflect a move toward more amusements and rides. Rides added over these years included a Tumble Bug, a bumper car ride, and a Figure Eight roller coaster (later renamed The Jack Rabbit). In 1938, the park's signature roller coaster, Blue Streak, was added.
In 1943, a large portion of a hotel on the properties, Hotel Conneaut, was destroyed in a fire. The ghost of Elizabeth, a bride who supposedly died in the fire, is said to now haunt the hotel.
Facing competition from corporate-owned theme parks, the park added a jungle cruise ride and other new attractions in the 1960s. As trolley service had been discontinued, the park's management began to focus on directing automobile traffic to the park.[4] "Fairyland Forest," a walk-through attraction, was constructed across the highway from the park's main entrance. Using a combination of fairy tale characters and animals to help attract families and appeal to young children, many similar attractions existed across the country at that time. Although popular, the area eventually fell into neglect and closed in 1985. It was replaced with a camper lot called Camperland in 1986.
By the 1990s, a series of ownership changes had taken their toll on the park. A 1974 takeover of the park by Dr. John and Mary Flynn had saddled the park with $750,000 in debt, and expansion slowed. Charles Flynn, long-time associate of New York City mayor Ed Koch and son of Dr. Gene decided to leave politics and become actively involved in the family business. Initially, this change in management was able to invigorate the park. In the early 1980s, rides such as the Paratrooper and Yo-Yo were added. The waterfront was improved. Along the park's midway, a waterslide tower was added, which proved popular. Several other attractions, including a miniature golf course and a karaoke stage were added.
For most of its history, Conneaut Lake Park functioned as a real-life community within an amusement park, as local traffic and waterfront cottages were interspersed with the amusement rides. Park Avenue and Comstock Street, the park's main walking paths, were shared by both patrons and vehicles alike.[4] In an effort to remain competitive, the decision was made to enclose the park for the 1990 season. For the first time in its history, admission would be charged. In a letter to customers explaining the changes, Flynn stated, "Traditional parks are dropping like flies and it's time we all realize that we have to take steps now and save our park before its too late to do anything about it."[4]
The new gated park format, coupled with a rainy summer, led to a decline in attendance in the 1990 season. In an effort to raise capital, several rides were sold off. After another disastrous season in 1991, a decision was announced: the park, with the exception of the water park, would be leveled and a new family entertainment complex would be built on the property. The new family entertainment complex would focus on special events, concerts, group picnics, and non-ride activities, such as batting cages, mazes, and sports activities. The Blue Streak roller coaster, which required an estimated $100,000 in repairs, would be scrapped.[4]
As some of the park's rides were auctioned off, a group of four local businessmen made an effort to purchase as many of them as possible. This group went on to purchase the park from the Flynn family in an attempt to preserve it as a traditional amusement park. Although nearly $1 million was spent in upgrading and refurbishing the park, attendance continued to dwindle, in part due to a public perception that the park had closed altogether.[4] The plans for the family entertainment center never came to fruition.
In 1995, the owners filed for bankruptcy and the park did not open for the season. However, by the 1996 season, a group called Summer Resorts, Inc., under the leadership of Gary Harris, completed a purchase of the park. Although Harris arrived at Conneaut Lake Park with a history of criminal charges, residents were optimistic that the park could be saved under his leadership.[5] The park reopened on July 4, 1996, but new problems arose in 1997 when Harris was convicted of tax evasion. To help extricate himself from his legal difficulties, Harris gave the debt-ridden park to the Conneaut Lake community in 1997, but later filed a lawsuit claiming that he held a 99-year lease on the park grounds and retained ownership of several rides.[6] When Harris lost the lawsuit in 2001, park ownership reverted to a court-appointed trustee.[7]
The park began the new century under the oversight of a non-profit corporation, The Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park. During this time, the park experienced a renewed interest, driven in part by roller coaster and amusement park enthusiast groups. Several of the park's rides, including Devil's Den and Blue Streak, were repaired by volunteers. In August 2010, the park received $50,000 in funds from a contest sponsored by Pepsi for use in restoring Blue Streak.
Several fires destroyed buildings on the property, including a fire in 2008 that destroyed the Dreamland Ballroom,[8] and a fire on August 1, 2013, that destroyed the dockside restaurant and the beach front building.[9][10]
Blue Streak received new NAD Century Flyer trains, replacing its original trains from 1938.
Name | Year installed | Year removed | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Blue Streak | 1938 | 2022 | An Ed Vettel out and back coaster. Received the ACE Coaster Classic and Coaster Landmark awards in 2010. |
Go Gator | 2011 | 2011 | A steel kiddie coaster. |
Jack Rabbit | 1902 | 1936 | Originally opened as "Figure Eight". |
Little Dipper | 1950s | SBNO | A steel Allan Herschell kiddie coaster that operated with its original cars for its entire lifespan. |
Scenic Railway | 1909 | 1937 | Wooden out and back coaster. |
Toboggan | 2002 | 2014 | A Toboggan coaster manufactured by Chance Industries. |
Virginia Reel | 1911 | N/A | A Virginia Reel coaster. |
Wild Mouse | 1961 | 1990 | Wild Mouse spinning coaster. |
Name | Year installed | Year removed | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Devil's Den | 1968 | SBNO | A Pretzel Manufacturing gravity-powered dark ride. |
Dracula's Cave (Pit of Death) | 1973 | 1985 | N/A |
Fun House | N/A | 1975 | Walk-through attraction. |
Hostile Hostel | 2013 | N/A | Walk-through attraction. |
Name | Manufacturer | Type | Year installed |
---|---|---|---|
Bessemer and Lake Erie Miniature Railway | N/A | Miniature railway | N/A |
Bumper cars | N/A | Bumper cars | 1920s |
Carousel | Muller | Carousel | 1910 |
Cuddle-Up | N/A | Cuddle-Up | N/A |
Dodg'ems | N/A | Bumper cars | 1997 |
Ferris Wheel | N/A | Ferris wheel | 2019 |
Flying Scooters | Bisch-Rocco | Flying Scooters | 1997 |
Hell Hole | N/A | Rotor | 1976 |
Jungle Cruise Ride | N/A | Boat ride | 1960s |
Music Express | N/A | Music Express | N/A |
Octopus | Eyerly | Octopus | 2021 |
Original Carousel | N/A | Carousel | 1899 |
Original Ferris Wheel | N/A | Ferris wheel | N/A |
Paratrooper | Frank Hrubertz & Company | Paratrooper | 1981 |
Roll-O-Plane | N/A | Roll-O-Plane | 1999 |
Sea Dragon | N/A | Pirate ship | N/A |
Sky Thriller | N/A | Ranger | 1997 |
Skydiver | N/A | Skydiver | N/A |
Super Round-Up | N/A | Round-Up | 1997 |
Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner Manufacturing | Tilt-A-Whirl | 2021 |
Trabant | Chance-Morgan | Trabant | 1997 |
Tumble Bug | N/A | Tumble Bug | 1925 |
Ultimate Trip | N/A | Scrambler | 1970s |
Witch's Stew | N/A | Tempest | 2006 |
Yo-Yo | N/A | Yo-Yo | 1980s |
Name | Type | Year installed | Year removed | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cliffhanger Falls | Water slide | 1986 | 2022 | A pair of two 415-foot-long water slides. To get to the top, riders climbed several sets of stairs, up a 48-foot-tall tower. |
Connie Otter's Kiddie Cove | Children's pool | 1991 | 2022 | A children's splash pool with three attractions. These included a small water slide, a waterfall, and a fountain in the center of the pool. It was located directly behind Cliffhanger Falls. |
Otter Creek Adventure River | Lazy river | 1991 | 2022 | A 160,000 gallon lazy river ride, with other water effects including a mushroom sprinkler and waterfall. |
Splash City was a water park located in the middle of the park. It contained three attractions: Cliffhanger Falls, a pair of water slides; Connie Otter's Kiddie Cove, a children's area; and Otter Creek River Adventure, a lazy river. There were also two decks on the island of the lazy river for sunbathing. They could be accessed by a bridge on the right end of the lazy river. The slides were added in 1986, and the rest of the water park was added in 1991. Splash City operated from 1986 to 1994, 1996–2006, and 2009–2010. The water park sat idle from 2011 to 2016. In October 2015, the park announced Splash City would be reopening in 2016.[33] On May 28, 2016, Otter Creek River Adventure reopened to the public. On August 6, 2016, both Cliffhanger Falls and Connie Otter's Kiddie Cove reopened to the public.[26] In March 2022, Splash City was demolished. Only a portion of the Cliffhanger Falls water slide remained standing, which was later torn down.[34]
Kiddieland was a small, enclosed section of the park, containing rides specifically for children. It was located behind the Carousel and across from the Witch's Stew and Trabant. The original Kiddieland restrooms were destroyed by an arson fire in 2010. They have since been rebuilt.
The Kiddieland section of the park also offered pony rides in a small, circular, tethered track.
Name | Type |
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Boat Ride | Spinning boat ride |
Fairyland Forest | Walk-through attraction |
Fun Slide | Slide |
G.I. Joe Jeeps/Beetle Bailey Jeeps | Spinning cars |
Hot Pursuit | N/A |
Jitterbug | Spinning ride |
Jumbo Jumper | Air pillow |
Jumpin' Star | Dropping ride |
Kiddie Carousel | Carousel |
Kiddie Ferris Wheel | Ferris wheel |
Mini Train/Kiddy Train | Train ride |
Pony Parade | Spinning ride |
Pony Track | Pony ride |
Swings | Swings |
Tubs of Fun | Spinning cars |
Water Otters | Spinning ride |