Clementon Lake Park Purchased by New Indiana Beach Owners at Auction

© NewsPlusNotes

 

It is being reported that there was a very positive outcome at the recent auction of Clementon Amusement park - the Philly Inquirer and Ford County Record (among others) are reporting that the owners of Indiana Beach, who saved that park last year, swooped in and bid high enough to be the new owners of Clementon and all its assets.  It is reported that the park went for $2.37 million, plus other fees making the total purchase around $2.6 million.

The Ford County Record references a press released put out by Gene Staples, the now owner of both classic amusement parks, noting that Clementon came to their attention in February and they were lucky enough to put in the high bid for the park.  He plans to use the knowledge he gained last year reopening Indiana Beach in order to bring Clementon and Splash World back to life.

It sounds like right now the immediate plan is to get Clementon back up to shape to welcome visitors, with Splash World possibly opening as soon as Memorial Day.  The rest of the park is planned to be opened as soon as possible, it sounds.  Obviously since the purchase just took place this week there will be changes in the plans, but it sounds like Clementon may have a bright future once again after all.

Clementon Lake Park is one of the oldest traditional amusement parks in the country, dating back to 1907 when it got its start as a trolley park.

Indiana Beach to Add New Flat Ride + Classic Schwarzkopf Coaster in 2021

© Indiana Beach

Indiana Beach has announced some major plans for their 2021 season, including adding a new flat ride and a famous triple looping Schwarzkopf roller coaster to their lineup.  The classic amusement park reopened this year after being saved from permanent closure, much to the joy of its fans.  Now it will be bigger and better than ever in 2021.

The new flat ride is named the Polyp, a famous creation that features five arms with four cars at the end of each.  The ride spins and undulates giving a variety of sensations for riders.  The ride was originally operated at Kiddieland Park in Illinois, and is already on site at Indiana Beach and receiving a full restoration.

The huge news is that the park will be adding one of Anton Schwarzkopf's classic triple looping roller coasters to its roster of thrills.  While the park did not include it in the official announcement, it has been confirmed that the coaster most recently operated as Quimera at La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico.  Originally a traveling coaster for the European fair circuit, it also previously was operated in Malaysia and the United Kingdom.  If not familiar with the ride, here is an on ride video from Coasterforce:

The coaster stands 111 feet tall, features 3,444 feet of track and has a top speed of 53 miles per hour.  As with many of Anton's creations, the coaster is known for its high forces and quick speeds as the trains travel through three vertical loops.

The ride does have some unfortunate history attached to it, as there was a serious accident on the ride while in Mexico in 2019.  Indiana Beach has assured fans that the coaster will be fully refurbished and brought up to current operating and safety standards.  I wouldn't be surprised if the park spends far more on improvements to the coaster than its actual purchase price.

The park promises to reveal the official name for the coaster, along with more photos and updates, throughout the winter.  The 2021 season, which is the park's 95th, is shaping up to be quite a memorable one!

A Round-Up of Recently Announced Park Reopenings

© Lagoon Amusement Park

Lagoon Amusement Park, located in Utah, announced that they will be reopening today, May 23rd.  They received notification from local authorities that they were allowed to open, and wasted no time in doing just that.  The park's water park, Lagoon-A-Beach, is also open.

The park has implemented a reservation system that must be used before visiting, in order to limit attendance.  The system only allows for reservations for the week following the current day, and season pass holders are limited to visits per week.

The park will be requiring visitors to wear a face mask at all times, and they will also ask everyone to sanitize their hands when they enter a ride queue.  Right now the park is following hours of 10 am until 8 pm on Saturdays, and 11 am until 8 pm other days.

© Gatorland

Another long time Orlando area attraction, Gatorland, has also reopened as of today.  The park is heavily promoting their Social Distancing Skunk Ape, a famed "Florida Cryptid" who is cousins with Bigfoot.  He feels very strongly about everyone keeping an appropriate distance and also keeping things clean, and I love it.  If you haven't seen it yet, make sure to learn more about him on this page.

The park is not requiring visitors to wear face masks, just encouraging them to do so.  The park's CEO has written a great deal about the measures they have taken in response to COVID-19.

Gatorland has also very smartly extended their Florida resident half off sale, which should help them attract some curious folks looking to get out of the house.

© Alabama Adventure

Alabama Adventure amusement park and Splash Adventure water park are planning to open on May 30th, if all goes well.  After announcing that opening date the county they are located in passed their own extension of stay at home orders, however as of today it seems the park has clarified that they can open and as such is back to planning to reopen on the 30th.  Regardless, the stay at home was only extended by one week so worse case is an opening around June 6th.

There isn't a lot on the park's website about specific changes that will take place in response to COVID-19, though as a small family run park we hope that they will double down on the safety of their workers and guests.

© Magic Springs

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park, located in Arkansas, has announced their reopening for June 1st.  The park will be limiting attendance to 30% of maximum occupancy for the theme park, and 50% of the maximum occupancy for the water park.

As a benefit the park will be offering season pass holders some extras, including $10 to spend in the park, extra bring a friend free passes and monthly discounts via coupons.

Magic Springs will not require reservations to visit the park, and they do encourage guests to purchase tickets online ahead of time.  It sounds like tickets can be purchased at the gate as well.  The park will not require face masks for outdoor parts of the property, but they are required to enter indoor food and retail locations.

The park is also asking guests to be patient as social distancing initiatives will create longer lines, all in the name of safety.

© Quassy Amusement P ark

Connecticut, home of Quassy Amusement Park and Waterpark, has announced that amusement parks will be able to open on June 20th.  As such, the park is already diving into hiring for the park's summer season, which is expected to start on that day.

Since this is a very recent development and the opening is still several weeks away, the park's website does not yet reflect much in the way of changes related to COVID-19.  I'm sure that as the official opening date draws closer the park will have more information to share.

© Indiana Beach

It wasn't long ago that we found out that Indiana Beach was being saved, and now we know that the park is planning to open for the 2020 season on June 27th.

The park is still hard at work building a new website, so we don't have any specifics yet related to COVID-19 changes that may be required.  Between trying to actually get the gates open again and all the work that comes with it, the new owners are probably about as busy as they can be these days.

Also of note, if you're interested in getting into Indiana Beach one day early the park is having a VIP Party on June 26th.  You'll have to purchase a VIP ticket along with a brick paver that will be installed at the park.  More information on that is available here.

Indiana Beach Has New Owner, Plans to Possibly Reopen This Summer

© Indiana Beach

A new owner has been revealed for Indiana Beach, one who is committed to reopening the park as soon as July of this year - depending on timing related to the current pandemic.

In a slightly unusual announcement, which saw the park's social media pages updated reflecting the park's reopening but with no real detail, most of the guts of the news comes from this Facebook story from News & Review, a local news source that publishes via social media. (however it has been confirmed in larger media outlets and through the local commissioners and Mayor)

The story lists the park's new owner as Gene Staples, a Chicago area investor who plans to restore the park to its former glory.  Described as an amusement park fan, Mr. Staples understands the importance of classic amusement parks and also what the property means for the local community.

The details are in the story, but it sounds like his first mission will be to get the park open and polished up.  It sounds like the debt needed to obtain the park will be structured in such a way that it will make the establishment viable in the long term.

Also, the season passes that people purchased, at least ones that were not refunded by Apex or credit card companies, will be honored when the park reopens.  The campground will also reopen, possibly sooner than the amusement park.

There is a section of the story that talks about reopening the park just after a large pandemic, which does leave some room for possibly pushing back the reopening to 2021.  That depends entirely on the way the virus battle plays out.

The park's official website is still reflecting a closed status, hopefully that will be updated with ongoing information as reopening plans are made.  Best wishes to the park's new owners, it's wonderful to hear that the park will remain!

Indiana Beach Hinting at a New Owner + Reopening in 2020

© Indiana Beach

After being closed for good by Apex Parks, Indiana Beach has had a lot of support from fans and local government who hoped to see the classic amusement park saved.  It is looking like that may indeed happen, as the park has started to post some fun hints on their social media about their status.

Above is Indiana Beach's cover photo on Facebook, which is a pretty obvious hint about their future.  Crossing off the "permanently" closed is about as bold a statement you can make, although no news has broken yet as to who may have purchased the park.

We can be sure that it isn't Apex Parks who just filed for bankruptcy protection on top of closing several of their properties.

© Indiana Beach

Hopefully it will not be long until a new owner is revealed, one who can sustainably operate the park and all its attractions.  This park is loved by many, and while some changes in attraction offerings and other features might be necessary to make it in the long run, even a modified version of the park is better than none at all.

Indiana Beach has also posted the above image, featuring their mascot asking us all of we can keep a secret?  Hopefully the secret is that they have a new owner!  Stay tuned, I doubt it will be long until we have an official confirmation.

Local Government Offers $3 Million Incentive to Help Indiana Beach Reopen

© Indiana Beach

Fans of Indiana Beach have been looking for even a glimmer of hope since it was announced that Apex Parks had closed the park for good.  While current times are making all park openings and reopenings difficult, the say the least, there were two recent good items related to Indiana Beach that came out.

First, local government officials came together to create a $3 million incentive package to help make the sale of the park more attractive to potential buyers.  The money (which includes no taxpayer dollars) would only be given to a new owner after the sale is complete, and the county can add stipulations to the incentive as well.  The hope is to preserve the large economic impact that the park has on White County, not only through to the park itself but through associated businesses in the area as well.

Another recent headline states that it is possible that the park can reopen as soon as 2020.  Apex Parks has stated that they are in talks with potential buyers of the park, though no further details are being offered.  We will have to take their word for it, but hopefully the discussions are real and maybe a buyer can be found.

If so, a 2020 reopening may not be realistic depending on how the pandemic plays out in North America - but even a 2021 reopening for Indiana Beach would be better than never!

Apex Parks Group to Permanently Close Both Indiana Beach and Fantasy Island Amusement Parks

Sad news for the amusement park industry - Apex Parks Group has announced the permanent closure of both Indiana Beach (Monticello, Indiana) and Fantasy Island (Grand Island, New York).

News had just started to break that the amusement operator, which owns many family entertainment centers under the brands of Boomers and SpeedZone, no longer had the resources to invest in and operate the two longstanding amusement parks and now they've confirmed that the parks are indeed closed for good.

Apex did released a statement regarding the closures for both parks, using almost the same wording for both:  "Despite significant effort and a great deal of investment in infrastructure and rides, we have not seen an improvement in operating results. As such, we made the difficult decision to cease operations. This was not a decision entered into lightly. Team members are being assisted by their supervisors and the company is working to minimize impact to those affected."

It is said in several new stories that Apex tried to find a buyer for both of the parks, with no success.

Indiana Beach © Google Maps

At the same time that the parks were announced as closing, Apex is also shopping the rides from the parks to other operators.  They plan to keep some of them, but many are up for sale or being retired.  According to this post from ACE, all of the steel roller coasters at the parks are for sale, but the only wooden coaster listed is the Silver Comet from Fantasy Island.  That leaves the three wooden rides at Indiana Beach seemingly destined for destruction.

Interestingly, all four of the wooden roller coasters between the two parks were built by Custom Coasters International.

Fantasy Island © Google Maps

Indiana Beach first opened in 1926 and was a longtime family-owned favorite vacation spot for people as it sat nearly in the middle of Lake Shafer.  Scott & Carol have shared a great deal of wonderful stores about the park through the years, you can scroll through them at this link to learn much more about the park.

Fantasy Island, which was for a long time known as Martin's Fantasy Island, opened in 1961 and was also family owned park that was run privately under a handful of owners for many years.  It was just purchased by Apex near the start of the 2016 season.

The news of the parks closing has hit many fans, both inside and outside the amusement industry, as a punch in the gut.  Sadly it seems the time for possibly saving these parks is over, especially since Apex already tried to find new owners.

Scott and Carol Present - Halloween Horror at Indiana Beach

  

There's something new this fall on the shores of Lake Shafer. In the midst of the fog, Indiana Beach takes on a whole new look for the season of fright.

IB Crow takes over a store window to welcome the fearless to Halloween Horror at Indiana Beach.

Many of the residents change their makeup after the Trick or Treat Trail closes at 6:00 PM. The dance party starts off the scary stuff, and after a few quick pictures, they are off to there scare zones.

The walkway between Frank's Funhouse, aka Frankenstein's Castle and the Swinging Ship transforms into party central, and an occasional scar-actor passes through to terrify the crowd.

A mad scientist makes an appearance at Franks's  Funhouse

Here is the crew that brings horror to Indiana Beach, but also the delightful fun for those who want to dress up in costume and collect candy. Guests are invited to take home their own coffin memories.

Chemikill Spill is a very creative scare zone in daylight. The rains came in like a hurricane and we were not able to experience it after dark. Maybe next time.

For the Nightmare on Shafer Drive there are nice little pluses everywhere!

This couple looks like they are just dying for a good nights sleep

Luckily for you, this guy isn't responsible for whipping up the seasonal offerings like zombie pizza, with all the meats, or even bacon on a stick. And don't forget to try the deep fried red velvet Oreos and Mummy's fingers. Halloween never tasted so good.

Here is a group shot of the denizens of Nightmare on Schafer Drive with the lights on. They look a lot better in the dark, but then, it's easier for them to sneak up on you. The ballroom never raised pulses higher than the way this team works together to distract you before surprising you from another direction.

A great way to see another side of Indiana Beach, and this is just their first year. Our thanks to the fantastic folks at Indiana Beach and Apex. Hope you have hauntingly Happy Halloween!

Indiana Beach Renovates Popular Ride for Park's 90th Anniversary

Now that new owners of Indiana Beach, Apex Parks Group, have settled in a bit, they're ready to start to talk about some changes they have planned for the 2016 season.

The first of these that has been announced is a full refurbishment of the park's Giant Wheel, which was first installed at Indiana Beach in 1989.

The entire Giant Wheel will be disassembled and sent to the original manufacturer, Chance Rides, for a full restoration.  Chance Rides will have the 90 foot tall ride at their facility for at least 4 months, after which it will be shipped back to Indiana Beach and reassembled for next season.

“The Giant Wheel refurbishment is just one project of many that will be completed before next season,” stated John Collins, General Manager of Indiana Beach Boardwalk Resort. “This off-season promises to be an exciting and busy one under the new ownership of Apex Parks Group. Watch for additional announcements in the near future as we prepare for the upcoming 2016 season.”

While on the subject of Apex Parks Group, Blooloop recently ran an interesting interview with its President and CEO, Al Weber, on the history of the company, its currently operations and the future.  Mr. Weber has held high positions in both the Paramount Parks and Six Flags, among others, so he certainly knows his way around an amusement park.  Check out that story here.

Scott And Carol Present Breaking News - There's More Than Corn in Indiana. Indiana Beach Sold to Apex Parks Group

After eight seasons of trouble and turmoil Morgan RV has finally decided to get out of the amusement park business. Which is great news for those of us who love traditional amusement parks. and great news for the park it's self. The Apex Parks Group announce the acquisition of Indiana Beach Amusement Resort today

In 2016 Indiana Beach will celebrate their 90th Anniversary, It all started with Indianapolis businessman, Earl Spackman creating a sand beach along the shore of the newly formed Lake Shafer. And, had since grown into a wonderful family vacation spot.  

Here is the press release from the Apex Parks Group website

Indiana Beach Amusement Resort Is the Newest Member of Apex Parks Group

Aliso Viejo, CA – September 1, 2015 California-based Apex Parks Group (“Apex Parks”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Indiana Beach Amusement Resort (“Indiana Beach”). This is the second significant addition to the company since its founding less than a year ago.

Indiana Beach is located on the banks of Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana. 2016 will mark the 90th anniversary of the park which has established itself as a true family vacation destination, spanning a total of 376 acres. The amusement park boasts a broad array of family entertainment and thrills; including one of the top wooden roller coasters and steepest drop steel roller coasters in North America. The theme park boasts children’s rides, zip lines, a waterpark, an arcade, miniature golf, traditional amusement park games and much more. Indiana Beach also offers more than 1200 accommodation alternatives, including 42 in-park motel rooms, 114 cabins, cottages & townhomes, over 1180 campsites, and 100 boat docks.

Apex Parks Group CEO, Al Weber, Jr. explains: “Indiana Beach is a fabulous addition for us. We are pleased to work with the park team and local community to grow this jewel of a resort in mid-state Indiana. We look forward to building upon the 90 year heritage of this park and providing families with a life time of great memories.”

The General Manager of Indiana Beach, John Collins, is optimistic about the future of the park. “This is a very big and meaningful step for Indiana Beach. In our 90-year history, Indiana Beach has developed a loyal following of family visitors. We believe the resources that Apex Parks brings to Indiana Beach will provide us opportunity for expansion and improved infrastructure. We're very confident that, as part of Apex Parks Group, we will take this great property and take it to the next level.”

“Over the past 8 seasons we have prided ourselves in keeping the history and nostalgia of Indiana Beach while investing in the future of the resort by upgrading and adding amenities, accommodations and attractions.  This is an exciting time for Indiana Beach," said Bob Moser, former owner of Indiana Beach. “With the decades of experience Apex Parks brings, we are certain they are committed to providing a high quality experience for our guests for years to come.”

Al Weber adds, “Our management team and investor group led by Broad Sky Partners and the Edgewater Funds Group are committed to building Apex into a valuable out-of-home entertainment business. The addition of Indiana Beach is a leap toward achieving this goal.”

Indiana Beach will continue to operate the remainder of its regular 2015 schedule and will be open September 4 – 7 for Labor Day weekend, and September 12, 13, and 19. For park information and operating hours, please visit www.indianabeach.com

About Indiana Beach Amusement Resort

Indiana Beach is located in Monticello, Indiana on Lake Shafer. The amusement resort was founded in 1926 and features a Boardwalk Funway, six roller coasters, 41 rides, a one-of-a-kind zipline over Lake Shafer, an aerial ropes course, Kiddyland, the Shafer Queen sightseeing paddlewheel boat, two campgrounds, rental accommodations, and an on-property hotel. Indiana Beach’s current water park, Ideal Beach, includes the original swimming pool with sand beach, water slides, an action river, and kid’s spray area. For more information, please visit www.indianabeach.com.

About Apex Parks Group

Apex is a privately held company based in Aliso Viejo, California with 13 Family Entertainment Centers and 2 Water Parks in California, Texas, Florida, and New Jersey. Apex Parks Group is currently one of the largest owners of Family Entertainment Centers in the United States. Apex Parks was founded in 2014 to acquire and operate best-in-class out-of-home entertainment assets and is committed to excellence, to the communities we serve, and to delivering value that exceeds expectation. For more information, please visit www.apexparksgroup.com.

About Broad Sky Partners

Broad Sky Partners is a sector-focused, middle market private equity firm that invests in companies in the Media, Communications & Business Services (MCBS) and Consumer Products & Services sectors.  Broad Sky partners with outstanding managers to create sustainable value in companies with strategic importance.  With a focus on driving organic growth, Broad Sky leverages a deep bench of Operating Executives and the significant industry-specific experience of its Founding Partners and professionals to help companies realize their maximum potential. Additional information can be found at www.broadskypartners.com.

About The Edgewater Funds

The Edgewater Funds is a Chicago-based private equity firm with $1.4 billion in committed capital. Edgewater partners with management to help accelerate growth in their businesses. Edgewater focuses on funding high quality middle market companies to add substantial value through capital and experience. Edgewater leverages the experience of its Partners and the Executive Advisory Board who have distinguished themselves as successful CEOs and business leaders. For more information, please visit www.edgewaterfunds.com.

We are very pleased with this news and would like to extend a warm Hoosier welcome to Apex Parks Group! 

Large Expansion Project Announced for Indiana Beach

Indiana Beach has announced the addition of a water park area named Beach Bay, to be located in a former parking area located behind the Steel Hawg roller coaster.  The mini-water park will open sometime during the Summer of 2015.

© Indiana Beach

The amusement park released this aerial view of Beach Bay, showing off all it has to offer.  The centerpiece of the expansion is Breakers Beach, a 25,000 square foot wave pool that will hold over 800,000 gallons of water.  Located next to the wave pool will be a single slide tower that will have a set of racing slides, and also a traditional bowl water slide.  Lining the opposite side of the wave pool will be a row of cabanas that will be available to rent.

The addition of Beach Bay represents a multi-million dollar expansion, and will be included in the Funday single admission ticket.  Indiana Beach already has several waterslides located on the park's grounds.  The park promises to keep everyone updated as construction continues on the project.

Indiana Beach Brining New Family Rides for 2014

Indiana Beach has announced the addition of four new family rides to the park's lineup for 2014 season.  The attractions are not thrill rides, instead they are squarely aimed at families with smaller children - many of the new rides can be ridden with parents and child side by side.

The Growler is a spinning ride that takes seated guests around in the air at a twenty degree angle providing gentle fun.  The Rock N Tug is a swaying and spinning ship ride that has already proven tremendously popular at parks across the globe, and the Baby Baron is a circular plane ride that the smallest children can enjoy.

The fourth new ride being added is a small children's roller coaster, named the Dragon Wagon.  The powered ride features 60 feet of track and will make a perfect first coaster for many young visitors to Indiana Beach.

Scott And Carol Present - Opening Day At Indiana Beach

After a very busy week, it was nice to go to Indiana Beach for opening day. The weather was forecast for scattered showers with highs in the 60's. Only one shower all day and the temperature rose into the high 70's for a while so since we were having so much fun we stayed most of the day.

Our first ride was on the Giant Wheel, and with this shot of the boardwalk you can see some of the new paint this year.

From the bridge, you can see lots of coasters but the real surprise is the extensive track work done by Rocky Mountain Construction that becomes very evident when you get up close. Many sections have been completed and the park plans further improvements.

This is the dive beneath the bridge, and you can see outside rail was completely topped off with two new layers of treated wood. This section was painful last year, but it rode great on opening day. Smooth and fast, that's how the coasters ran that day.

While we were up there, a whole family roared by on Hoosier Hurricane.

This is some of the work on Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain. It wasn't running that day, but should be operating soon. This much improvement on the track should restore it to the exciting experience it was when it first opened.

The entire first drop of Cornball Express was redone, and it is running faster than it has in years.

Some more Lost Coaster new track, it looks like they kept the same profile in this section.

Inside the building, the mystery awaits. What all have they done inside the mountain? We shall have to make another trip to find out the secret details.

Here is the steep entry into the building towards the end of the ride. Hopefully the hard jerk from this turn will be a little easier to negotiate, increasing the reridability of the roller coaster.

The Flying Carpet was moved to between the Hoosier Hurricane and the cabins. It is currently awaiting parts for its rehab.

And the swings, Indiana Beach's signature ride, were returned to their rightful location where adventurous guests can "Feed the fishes" with lost items.

The rehabbed Roof Garden will feature all new furniture and bar. They were doing some testing of the show lighting while we were in there.

With all this new buffet equipment, we can't wait to see what Chef Dave will cook up in the Skyroom Restaurant. Long a favorite of guests, it will be opening soon. A wonderful place to relax at a window table and feel like you are still in the park, except with air conditioning and fine food. When darkness falls on the boardwalk, you have a great view of the lights.

Carol has been trying to persuade me to eat more salads, so with this many choices maybe I can find something I like. If I could just convince her that Carrot Cake was a vegetable, my happiness would be complete. We look forward to another visit to see the menu.

Our thanks to Sherry for taking time out of her day to chat with us and for arranging the beautiful weather!