Conneaut Lake Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Conneaut Lake Park

Previously known as Exposition Park
Location	Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates	41°38′08″N 80°18′54″W / 41.63556°N 80.315°W / 41.63556; -80.315
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

Conneaut Lake Park /ˈkɒniˌɔːt/ is a fun summer resort and event spot in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. It has been a popular place for tourists for a long time. Roller coaster fans especially loved its classic Blue Streak coaster. This ride was even called "historic" by the American Coaster Enthusiasts group in 2010. Conneaut Lake is Pennsylvania's biggest natural lake. It's a favorite summer spot for boating because there are no limits on boat engine power.

Park History: A Journey Through Time

How Exposition Park Began

Highway sign for the park

Conneaut Lake Park started in 1892 as Exposition Park. Colonel Frank Mantor created it as a permanent fairground. It was a place to show off farm animals, machines, and products from Western Pennsylvania. Before this, a man named Aaron Lynce bought 7 acres of land in 1877. He used it as a place for boats to land. Colonel Mantor's company, the Conneaut Lake Exposition Company, bought 175 more acres next to it. Mr. Lynce received 75 of these acres as payment for his land.

In its early years, Exposition Park had a dance hall and a convention hall for talks. There was also a bathhouse. Some buildings from Lynce's boat landing stayed, including a farmhouse that became a hotel. The park's first mechanical ride, a carousel, opened in 1899. Soon, more rides and a midway (a path with games and attractions) were added.

The park's beach

In 1901, the Pittsburgh & Shenango Valley Railroad took over the park. During this time, several hotels were built. At first, you could only get to the park by boat or train. But in 1907, trolley service reached the park. With its lakefront, hotels, and quiet location, the park became a popular resort. Many of the park's first buildings burned down in a fire in 1908. But new concrete buildings were quickly built, including the famous Dreamland Ballroom.

A New Name and More Fun

The park changed its name to "Conneaut Lake Park" in 1920. This showed it was focusing more on rides and amusements. New rides added during these years included a Tumble Bug, bumper cars, and a Figure Eight roller coaster. The Figure Eight was later renamed The Jack Rabbit. In 1938, the park's most famous roller coaster, Blue Streak, was built.

Hotel Conneaut

In 1943, a big part of Hotel Conneaut was destroyed in a fire. People say the ghost of Elizabeth, a bride who supposedly died in that fire, now haunts the hotel.

In the 1960s, the park added a jungle cruise ride and other new attractions. This was to compete with bigger, corporate-owned theme parks. Since trolley service had stopped, the park focused on getting cars to visit. "Fairyland Forest" was built across the highway from the main entrance. It was a walk-through attraction with fairy tale characters and animals. Many similar attractions existed back then to attract families. Fairyland Forest was popular, but it eventually closed in 1985. It was replaced by a camper lot called Camperland in 1986.

Challenges and Changes

Entrance gates at Halloween

By the 1990s, the park faced many challenges due to changes in ownership. The park had financial difficulties, which slowed down new additions. In the early 1980s, rides like the Paratrooper and Yo-Yo were added. The waterfront area was also improved. A waterslide tower was built along the park's midway, which became very popular. Other attractions, like a miniature golf course and a karaoke stage, were also added.

First drop on Blue Streak

For most of its history, Conneaut Lake Park was like a small town. Local roads and lakeside cottages mixed with the rides. Park Avenue and Comstock Street, the main paths, were used by both visitors and cars. To stay competitive, the park decided to add a fence around it for the 1990 season. For the first time, people had to pay to get in. The park's management explained that traditional parks were struggling, and they needed to make changes to save Conneaut Lake Park.

The new gated park, along with a very rainy summer, led to fewer visitors in 1990. To get money, some rides were sold. After another tough season in 1991, a big decision was announced. Most of the park, except the water park, would be torn down. A new family entertainment center would be built instead. This new center would focus on events, concerts, and non-ride activities like batting cages. The Blue Streak roller coaster, which needed a lot of repairs, was planned to be removed.

However, a group of local business people tried to save the park. As some rides were being sold, they bought as many as they could. This group then bought the entire park from the previous owners. They wanted to keep it as a traditional amusement park. They spent a lot of money fixing up the park. But attendance still dropped, partly because people thought the park had closed for good. The plans for the family entertainment center never happened.

In 1995, the park faced more financial trouble and did not open that season. But by 1996, a new group called Summer Resorts, Inc. bought the park. The park reopened on July 4, 1996. Later, in 1997, the park was given to the Conneaut Lake community. However, there were legal disagreements about who owned what. In 2001, the park's ownership went to a court-appointed trustee.

A New Start in the 2000s

The park began the new century managed by a non-profit group, The Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park. During this time, more people became interested in the park. This was partly thanks to roller coaster and amusement park fan groups. Volunteers helped fix several rides, including Devil's Den and Blue Streak. In August 2010, the park won $50,000 from a contest to help restore Blue Streak.

Sadly, several fires damaged buildings at the park. In 2008, the Dreamland Ballroom was destroyed. On August 1, 2013, a fire also destroyed the dockside restaurant and the beach front building.

Key Moments in Park History

1890s

• 1892: Exposition Park first opened its gates.

1900s

• 1902: The Figure Eight roller coaster began thrilling riders.
• 1908: A large fire destroyed many buildings, including hotels and the ballroom.
• 1909: The new Dreamland Ballroom opened. The Scenic Railway roller coaster also opened.

The park's historic Tumble Bug ride

1920s

• 1920: The park was renamed Conneaut Lake Park.
• 1925: The unique Tumble Bug ride was installed. The Temple of Music also opened.

1930s

• 1935: The Beach Club bar opened.
• 1936: The Figure Eight roller coaster closed.
• 1937: The Scenic Railway roller coaster closed.
• 1938: The famous Blue Streak roller coaster opened.

1940s

• 1946: The Temple of Music was destroyed by fire.
• 1949: The Tilt-A-Whirl opened.

Devil's Den

1960s

• 1961: A Fun House opened. The Wild Mouse roller coaster also opened.
• 1968: The spooky Devil's Den dark ride opened.

1970s

• 1973: Dracula's Cave (Pit of Death) opened.
• 1975: The Fun House closed. The Scrambler ride was moved into the building and renamed the Ultimate Trip.
• 1976: The Hell Hole rotor ride opened.

Flying Scooters

1980s

• 1981: Charles Winslow Flynn took over running the park.
• 1985: Dracula's Cave closed. Fairyland Forest also closed.
• 1986: Camperland opened where Fairyland Forest used to be. Cliffhanger Falls water slides were built.

1990s

• 1990: A new front gate was built. The Wild Mouse roller coaster closed.
• 1991: Connie Otter's Kiddie Cove and Otter Creek Adventure River were built, creating Splash City water park.
• 1992: Devil's Den was briefly renamed Dr. Moriarity's Wild Ride. The park celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was announced that many rides would be removed, and Blue Streak might be torn down. The Hell Hole ride was removed. The Flynn family sold the park.
• 1993: Local business people bought many rides at an auction to keep the park open.
• 1995: The park did not open due to financial difficulties.
• 1996: Gary Harris purchased the park. It reopened on July 4.
• 1997: The non-profit Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park group was formed to own the park. Blue Streak was fixed up. The park also bought four rides from a closed park, including Flying Scooters.
• 1999: The park purchased and opened a Roll-O-Plane ride. The annual Fall Pumpkin Fest moved to the park.

Toboggan

2000s

• 2000: The park briefly closed for four days before the trustees took control again.
• 2001: Dr. Moriarity's Wild Ride was changed back to its original name, Devil's Den.
• 2002: The original 1938 trains were put back on Blue Streak. The park bought and opened the Toboggan roller coaster.
• 2003: The park opened with help from a loan. A new board of trustees was formed. The park hosted its first "Holiday in the Park" event. A book about ghosts at Hotel Conneaut sparked interest in ghost hunts.
• 2005: The park tried to bring in tigers, but public protests led to the idea being dropped. A new book, Images of America: Conneaut Lake Park, was published, bringing new interest.
• 2006: The Flynn house was demolished. Fundraising began to repair the park's miniature railroad. The Yo-Yo ride was sold. The Witch's Stew ride returned. The Bessemer and Lake Erie Miniature Train and the Tumble Bug ride reopened. The ferris wheel was retired. This was the last year the Toboggan coaster operated.
• 2007: The resort did not open due to lack of money.
• 2008: The Dreamland Ballroom was destroyed in a huge fire. The bowling alley also collapsed. Scenes from the 2009 movie The Road were filmed at the park.
• 2009: The resort opened for Memorial Day weekend. The amusement park fully opened later that summer.

2010s

• 2010: The park opened with most rides working. Splash City opened on July 4. The American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) held their convention at the park, and Blue Streak was declared a historic coaster. An arson fire destroyed Kiddieland's restrooms. The Skydiver ride was removed.
• 2011: New portable rides were added, including Jitterbug and Fun Slide. The Roll-O-Plane ride was removed. Splash City closed and stayed closed for six years.
• 2012: The amusement park opened on Labor Day with many rides working, including the Carousel, Tilt-A-Whirl, and Devil's Den.
• 2013: A fire destroyed the Beach Club and Dockside Pavilion. A new walk-through dark ride, Hostile Hostel, opened. Two women were injured on Blue Streak.
• 2014: The park opened on May 23. The park faced significant financial challenges. The Toboggan was removed and put up for sale. The park filed for bankruptcy to stop a sale. The Super Round-Up ride was also removed.
• 2015: The park opened on May 22. The courts allowed the park to get loans to open despite bankruptcy. A new pump was added to the Front Gate Fountain.
• 2016: Splash City reopened for the first time in six years. Areas of the park were cleaned up. The first drop of Blue Streak was re-tracked.
• 2017: The park opened on May 27 for its 125th anniversary. Picnic shelters were removed for a new parking lot. A new park entrance was built.
• 2018: The park opened on May 26. The second drop of Blue Streak was re-tracked. Tumble Bug was repainted. A Ferris Wheel was announced for 2019.
• 2019: The park opened with two new Ferris Wheels and many improvements. Buildings and rides received new roofs and paint. Work continued on Blue Streak.

2020s

• 2020: The park did not open due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2021: The park was sold to Keldon Holdings, LLC. The new owners began removing old wood and checking ride safety. Tumble Bug was put into storage, but later found to be beyond repair. Blue Streak was announced to be closed for the year.
• 2022: On January 4, while Blue Streak was being taken down, a controlled fire spread and destroyed the rest of the coaster. Splash City was also demolished in March 2022.

Former Rides: A Look Back

Roller Coasters

Dark Rides

Other Rides

Splash City: The Water Park

Splash City entrance sign

Splash City was the water park located inside Conneaut Lake Park. It had three main attractions: Cliffhanger Falls, a pair of water slides; Connie Otter's Kiddie Cove, a children's play area; and Otter Creek River Adventure, a lazy river. There were also sunny decks on an island in the lazy river for relaxing.

The water slides were added in 1986. The rest of the water park, including the kiddie area and lazy river, was added in 1991. Splash City operated for many years, but then closed for a while. It reopened in 2016, with Otter Creek River Adventure opening first, followed by Cliffhanger Falls and Connie Otter's Kiddie Cove. Sadly, Splash City was demolished in March 2022.

Former Water Attractions

Otter Creek Adventure River and Cliffhanger Falls

Kiddieland: Fun for Little Ones

Kiddieland entrance

Kiddieland was a special area of the park just for younger children. It was located behind the main Carousel. The original restrooms in Kiddieland were destroyed by a fire in 2010, but they have since been rebuilt.

This section of the park also offered pony rides. Children could ride ponies on a small, circular track.

Former Kiddie Rides