Conneaut Lake Park Is Back Baby, Yeah! (Part 1)
Editor's Note: This post is the first in a two-part series covering NPN's recent visit to Conneaut Lake Park. Be sure to check out Part 2 as well!
Thus far in our coverage of our ambitious quest to tackle four historic parks in three days, Mike and I have taken you to Idlewild and Kennywood. While each of those parks has its own unique personality, they also share many things in common--classic rides, tree-lined midways, a good old-fashioned amusement park ambiance, and perhaps most importantly, a firm and unwavering commitment to preserving the historic foundations on which the entire industry was built. It is a winning formula, and one that has brought both parks much success through the decades.
But if it were that easy to operate a traditional park in this continually evolving age of modern mega-theme parks, everyone would be doing it. Idlewild and Kennywood are among the rare specimens that have enjoyed gifted leadership and consistent patronage through the years. Not every park has been so lucky, as evidenced by the increasingly small number of traditional parks still in existence. The next stop on our tour took us to a park whose path has diverged quite drastically from that taken by the Kennywood family of parks.
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Yet there is an intangible vibe at Conneaut Lake that is unmistakable. It is hope. It is pride. It is determination. It is what has kept this resilient little park afloat through the many trials and tribulations it has seen in recent decades.
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The Liskos' first encounter with this classic amusement resort came in Fall 2008, when they operated rides at the park as part of the area's annual Pumpkin Fest event. After forging a relationship with the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park, the organization which owns the park, the two parties came to a multi-year lease agreement which would allow the Liskos to operate the park's rides during the regular season. Since this torch was passed, the changes at Conneaut Lake have been quite remarkable. Mike and I had an opportunity to chat with Tim Lisko during our visit, and I'll be sharing some of his thoughts with you as we explore.
As you survey Conneaut Lake Park's offerings today, you'd never guess that this is the park's first summer season since 2006. The colors are vibrant, the midways are clean, and the rides are operating like the well-oiled machines that they are! But if you had visited the park a few short months ago, you would have beheld a much different scene. "It was rough," Tim told us. Years of neglect and idleness had left much of the park in shambles, and it was all the Liskos could do to get the majority of the rides up and running in time for the park's 2009 debut.
Luckily for them, they had help. The story of Conneaut Lake Park cannot be told without mentioning the scores of volunteers who continue to selflessly give of their time and resources to ensure that this park has a future. Nowhere is this more evident than at the annual Fall and Spring volunteer clean-up events, during which volunteers descend upon the resort from all directions to tidy the place up and give the various rides and structures a little TLC. "If it wasn't for all the volunteers, I still think we'd have been behind," Tim told us. "With them cleaning up and doing all the other stuff, it definitely helped."
Mike and I had not been at Conneaut Lake for very long before we discovered that this sense of community and pride extends to the park's employees as well. As we stood on Park Avenue admiring the second Traver Tumble Bug we would have the pleasure of experiencing during our trip, an employee working at a nearby concession booth struck up a conversation with us and proceeded to tell us all about the ride's history. And lest we think that this event was a fluke, the ride operator himself did much the same thing later in the evening, immediately before treating us to a VERY lengthy and much appreciated spin on this classic. (My love of all things Traver was most definitely stoked on this trip. I could hardly contain myself!)
While Conneaut Lake Park already has the distinction of featuring one more dark ride than some of the most well-known corporate theme parks, Ken told us that Devil's Den may welcome a "frightening" sibling in the near future. Back in 2006, local developer Greg Sutterlin (who has been affiliated with Conneaut Lake Park for many years) purchased the Fright Zone dark ride which once operated at both Westview Amusement Park in Pennsylvania and Erieview Park in Ohio. Fright Zone is a last-of-its-kind ride that was manufactured by the Allan Herschell Company in the 1950s. The ride is currently sitting in storage at Conneaut Lake, and according to Ken, the park is investigating options for installing it.
While a 2010 debut is within the realm of possibility, Ken said we will likely have to wait just a bit longer for this classic ride to make its official comeback. But I think we can all agree that such an achievement would be well worth the wait!
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Perhaps our reluctance to participate in simpler pastimes was spawned by this sight. Located toward the far end of Park Avenue, this lonely concrete slab is all that remains of what was once billed as the largest ballroom between New York and Chicago. Over its many decades of service, the Dreamland Ballroom played host to everything from weddings to corporate conventions. It was a Conneaut Lake institution. Sadly, the dream came to an abrupt and untimely end on February 1, 2008, when a blaze set by an arsonist burned this historic structure to the ground. At a time when the entire park was teetering on the brink of extinction, this horrific event added insult to injury.
While the damage done to the Dreamland Ballroom was irrecoverable, there is a glimmer of hope for what remains of the old bowling alley. As if in an act of defiance, the original concrete facade which served as the building's entrance stands tall and proud above the wreckage, and it has not gone unnoticed by park officials. According to Ken, they hope to preserve this facade and use it in the construction of a new building on the same site. And the future occupant of that building very well may be the Fright Zone!
The Beach Club symbolizes many things to many people. For me and Mike, it symbolized our first real meal in 12 hours. Let it never be said that we don't bust our your-know-whats for this blog!!
Like most other projects at Conneaut Lake, this one is a community effort. Earlier this year, a public campaign was launched to raise the funds required for the reconstruction. Donations of any amount are welcome, and for a cool $100 you can even personalize a board! Additional options are available for the "big spenders" in our midst who may be interested in donating something a bit more substantial.
In Part 2, we'll take a look at some more fruits of this community's labors. Spoiler alert: You may even be given the opportunity to get involved and make your own mark on Conneaut Lake Park! [Okay, I know it's not much of a surprise since you already know about it, but let's pretend that it is. It will make the story that much more exciting!]
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