Beech Bend Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Beech Bend Park

Overlooking the lake at Beech Bend Park in 2016
Location	Warren County, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S.
Coordinates	37°01′27″N 86°23′43″W / 37.02417°N 86.39528°W / 37.02417; -86.39528
Opened	1898
Owner	Dallas and Alfreda Jones
Slogan	It's always a good time!
Operating season	May–September
Attractions
Total	47
Roller coasters	3
Water rides	1

Beech Bend Park is a fun amusement park, campground, and race track. It is located in Warren County, near Bowling Green, Kentucky, in the U.S. state of Kentucky.

History of Beech Bend Park

The park gets its name from a bend in the Barren River. Many beech trees grow in this area. People started using the area for picnics way back in the 1880s.

Charles Garvin bought the park land in the early 1940s. He slowly added more fun things to do. The very first ride was a pony ride. Later, he added a roller skating rink, a dance hall, a bowling center, and a swimming pool.

Adding Mechanical Rides

After World War II, Garvin brought in mechanical rides. The first one was a Ferris wheel from the Chicago World's Fair. Racing also started around this time with motorcycles.

Soon after, car racing began on a dirt track. This track is still used today, but it is now paved. A special track for drag racing was added in the 1950s.

The Park's Golden Age in the 1960s

The 1960s were a very popular time for Beech Bend Park. It only cost ten cents to get in! They had "County Days" which focused on different counties each week.

There were many carnival-style rides. The Wild Mouse roller coaster was super popular. Games like Skee ball and Fascination were also a big hit. The campground grew huge, with over 1,000 spots at one point. It was even called the world's largest campground! A small zoo was also added for visitors to enjoy.

Challenges in the 1970s and 1980s

In the 1970s, the park started to face problems. Other theme parks, like Opryland USA in Nashville, Tennessee, became popular. Charles Garvin's health also got worse.

When he passed away in 1979, the park closed down. However, the racing tracks stayed open. A group, including country music singer Ronnie Milsap, bought the park. They ran it in 1981 and 1982.

Actor Jim Varney filmed his first TV commercial for Beech Bend. He was promoting an event with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in 1980. After a short time, the park closed again. The Garvin family got the ownership back.

New Owners and Reopening

In 1984, Dallas and Alfreda Jones bought the racetracks. They started hosting big drag racing events. The racetracks did very well.

Three years later, the couple bought the rest of the park. It had become overgrown with nature. The Jones family started to clear and fix up the park in the 1990s. In 1998, the swimming pool reopened. New amusement rides were also added, just like Charles Garvin had done years ago.

Recent Exciting Additions

In 2001, the park added the Looping Star roller coaster. It was 31 feet tall and 1,202 feet long. The Gold Rush Miniature Golf course opened in 2003.

In 2004, the Splash Lagoon water park opened. It had the existing swimming pool, plus new water slides and a children's play area. By 2005, Beech Bend Park had over 40 rides! It also had 500 modern campground spaces and great racing facilities. The park was hosting many Corvette racing events. This is because the park is close to the factory where the sports car is made.

In 2005, Beech Bend added a Zamperla Twisting Wild Mouse coaster. They also added a Zamperla Steamboat ride and a drop tower called Shock Drop.

The Kentucky Rumbler Roller Coaster

In 2004, Dallas Jones started talking about building a wooden roller coaster. On July 28, 2005, it was announced that the coaster would open in 2006. It would be 96 feet tall and have an 82-foot drop. Its top speed would be 47 miles per hour. A contest was held to name the ride.

On October 28, 2005, the park announced the name: Kentucky Rumbler. This amazing roller coaster opened on May 6, 2006.

More New Rides and Fun

In 2007, the park added permanent versions of some older rides. They also started a Holiday Lights Spectacular in winter.

The year 2008 brought a brand new Grand Carousel. There were new shows like "The Magic of Music" and "Cirque Africa." For kids, there was "Singing with Sammy the Squirrel." A new thrill ride called Scat 2 was also added.

The Sea Dragon ride from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch was installed at Beech Bend Park in 2009.

In 2009, Beech Bend introduced the Chance Rides Sea Dragon ride. This ride was bought from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. It was said to be his favorite ride! The Looping Star Roller Coaster was removed at the end of this season.

In 2010, a big water park expansion opened. It included a wave pool and a lazy river. A new amphitheater was also built. The old Ferris wheel was removed in 2011.

The Haunted House ride got a complete makeover in 2011. It received new effects and cars. The Shock Drop tower was removed.

In 2012, a new 140-foot-tall drop tower called Zero-G arrived. It was named by fans on Facebook. New ThunderVolt Speedway Go-Karts were also added.

In 2013, the park added the Vortex ride. This swinging pendulum ride swings riders 60 feet high. It can even suspend riders upside down!

The Flying Bobs ride, seen here in 2016, was refurbished in 2014.

In 2014, no new rides were added. However, several older rides were repainted and rebuilt.

In 2015, five new rides came to the park. The Tornado and Sizzler rides were replaced with newer versions. Power Surge was replaced by Air Race. A children's monster truck ride and Bluegrass Breeze, a Flying Carousel, also arrived. Sadly, on August 15, a train on the Dragon coaster derailed. This led to the ride being removed.

For 2016, Beech Bend invested a lot of money in the water park. Four new slides were added, including the Cyclone Saucers, which was the first of its kind in North America. A new spinning family coaster called Spinning Out replaced the Dragon Coaster.

Current Attractions at Beech Bend Park

Roller Coasters

Family and Thrill Rides

Kiddie Rides

Removed Rides