Lake Compounce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lake Compounce

Previously known as Lake Compounce (1846–1985), Hershey Lake Compounce (1986–1987), Lake Compounce Festival Park (1988–1995), Lake Compounce (1996-Present)
Location	271 Enterprise Drive, Bristol, Connecticut, United States
Coordinates	41°38′30″N 72°55′24″W / 41.64167°N 72.92333°W / 41.64167; -72.92333
Status	open
Opened	1846
Owner	Parques Reunidos
Slogan	New England's Family Theme Park
Operating season	May through December
Area	332 acres (1.34 km2)
Attractions
Total	44
Roller coasters	5
Water rides	13

Lake Compounce is a fun amusement park located in Bristol and Southington, Connecticut. It first opened in 1846, making it the oldest amusement park that has been open continuously in the United States!

The park covers a huge area of 332 acres. This includes a beach and a cool water park called Crocodile Cove. The best part is that the water park is included in your ticket price! Lake Compounce is now owned by Parques Reunidos, a company that owns many parks around the world.

Lake Compounce has some amazing rides. One of its oldest is Wildcat, a wooden roller coaster that is the 14th oldest in the world. But don't miss Boulder Dash, another wooden roller coaster. It has won awards for being the #1 wooden coaster in the world for five years in a row!

Park History

The main gate of Lake Compounce

The lake's name comes from Chief John Compound, a Native American leader. In 1684, his tribe signed a deal. They gave the lake to a group of settlers, including John Norton. They received money and items like a large brass tea kettle in return. There's a local story that Chief Compound once tried to cross the lake in that brass tea kettle and drowned!

How the Park Started

The park's story began in 1846. A man named Gad Norton hired a scientist for an experiment. The experiment used explosives, but it didn't work out. Even so, many people came to watch! This gave Norton an idea to open an amusement park.

His park offered swimming and rowing on the lake. There was also a gazebo for band concerts and a few rides. The park became very popular for picnics after the Civil War.

In 1851, Isaac Pierce joined Norton to help run the park. In 1895, they built the first permanent building, a casino. Later that year, a trolley line was built to the park. In 1911, Lake Compounce bought its famous Lake Compounce Carousel for $10,000. This carousel is now a historic landmark!

Green Dragon roller coaster

In 1914, the park opened its first electric roller coaster, the Green Dragon. This coaster was taken down in 1927. It made way for the Wildcat, a new wooden coaster that is still at the park today.

The 1930s brought more fun. The casino got a bigger dance floor. Famous bands played at the Starlight Ballroom. In 1941, a huge crowd of 5,000 people came to see Tommy Dorsey's band, which featured a young Frank Sinatra.

Over time, fewer people used trolleys because cars became popular. This made it harder for parks like Lake Compounce to attract visitors. In 1944, Lake Compounce added a steam railroad. It was designed by William Gillette, an actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes.

New Owners and Changes

The park did well until the late 1960s, when fewer people started visiting. The Norton family owned the park until 1985. They worked hard to make it profitable again and bring back visitors. They didn't add many new rides during this time.

In 1985, the park was sold to the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. They owned Hersheypark and briefly renamed it "Hershey's Lake Compounce." But after only two seasons, Hershey sold the park. This was because of low attendance and rides often breaking down.

In 1987, Joseph Entertainment Group (JEG) bought the park. They renamed it "Lake Compounce Festival Park." They fixed up the park and built a huge outdoor concert area in 1988. Famous groups like Milli Vanilli performed there. However, JEG focused more on concerts than the rides. By 1991, the Wildcat roller coaster and other rides stopped working. JEG also had money problems and didn't open the park in 1992.

The park was closed for the 1992 and 1993 seasons. But the beach area opened for three days each Labor Day weekend. This helped the park keep its title as the oldest continuously operating amusement park. In 1993, Funtime Parks helped manage the park. They fixed old rides and added new ones, including water slides. The park reopened in 1994 and 1995.

Kennywood and Parques Reunidos Era

In 1996, Kennywood Entertainment bought Lake Compounce. They owned the famous Kennywood park. Lake Compounce became a popular family park. In 2000, the amazing Boulder Dash roller coaster opened. It quickly won awards for being the best wooden roller coaster!

In 2007, Kennywood Entertainment sold its parks to Parques Reunidos from Spain. This company now owns Lake Compounce. The park has big plans to make the Crocodile Cove water park even bigger. They even moved a road to make more space! In 2013, they added the Bayou Bay wave pool. In 2014, they opened Bear Creek Campground for visitors to stay overnight.

Lake Compounce SkyRide chair lifts (2010)

In 2016, a new roller coaster called "Phobia Phear Coaster" opened. It's a super fast ride with three launches and a loop 150 feet high! The park's general manager said it was the biggest investment in the park's history.

In 2017, the "Sky Ride" chairlift was closed. This ride took people on a 25-minute trip up Southington Mountain. It was closed for safety reasons after a similar ride had an accident at another park.

Special Events

Lake Compounce hosts two big events each year:

• Halloween Fun: During October, the park celebrates Halloween. The pathways are decorated, and many rides run in the dark. There's a haunted house called "The Haunted Graveyard." It's a 45-minute walk through spooky places like catacombs and castles. This haunted attraction started in 1991 and moved to Lake Compounce in 2001. Part of the money raised goes to help kids with diabetes.

• Holiday Lights: In December, the park lights up for Christmas. It becomes a magical Christmas experience for everyone. Some children's and family rides are open. You can even meet Santa! The event also features a giant 100-foot-tall Christmas tree. It's the biggest Christmas tree in all of Connecticut!

Park Rides

Lake Compounce has many exciting rides for all ages!

Ride name	Picture	Opening year	Manufacturer	Description
Roller coasters
Boulder Dash		2000	Custom Coasters International	This was the first wooden coaster built on the side of a mountain! It's 4,725 feet long and has a 115-foot first drop.
Kiddie Coaster		1997	Molina & Sons	A fun roller coaster for kids. It has an oval track and cars that can hold two children or one adult and one child.
Phobia Phear Coaster		2016	Premier Rides	A thrilling coaster with three launches and a top speed of 62 mph. It features cool twists and loops.
Wildcat		1927	Philadelphia Toboggan Company	A very old and famous wooden roller coaster. It has won an award for being a coaster landmark.
Zoomerang		1997	Vekoma	This coaster goes forwards and backwards! It has a 125-foot drop, a cobra roll, and a vertical loop.
Amusement rides
American Flyers		1997	Rocco Amusements	A Flying Scooters ride where you can control how high your car flies.
Bumper Cars		1997	Reverchon Industries	A classic ride where you drive and bump into other cars.
Carousel		1911	Looff/Murphy	Built in 1898, this is one of the oldest carousels still running in the US.
Central Pacific Railroad, C.P. Huntington Train		1997	Chance	A fun train ride that goes along the east side of Lake Compounce.
Down Time		2004	S&S Power	A thrilling drop tower ride that drops riders 185 feet at up to 60 mph!
Giant Wheel		1997	Chance	A classic Ferris wheel that gives you great views of the park.
Ghost Hunt		1999	Sally Corporation	A spooky dark ride where you shoot laser guns at ghosts and ghouls to score points.
Pirate Ship		1986	HUSS	A classic swinging pirate ship that swings high into the air.
Rev-O-Lution		2011	Zamperla	A Disk'O ride that spins 360 degrees on a half-pipe track.
Saw Mill Plunge		1986	Arrow Dynamics	A classic log flume ride with a big splash at the end.
Sky Coaster		1998	Skycoaster Inc.	A Skycoaster ride that swings you like a giant pendulum.
Thunder N' Lightning		2006	S&S Power	A Screamin' Swing ride with two giant arms that swing riders up to 60 mph.
Thunder Rapids		1997	Hopkins	A classic river rapids ride where you float down a rushing river.
The Trolley		1997	Osgood Bradley Car Company	An open-air trolley ride using a historic trolley car from 1911.
Twister		2000	Wisdom Industries Ltd.	A tornado-style ride where you can spin your own car as the whole ride moves.
Wave Swinger		1986	Zierer	A wave swinger that tilts as riders swing in a circle.
Wipeout		2009	Chance Rides	A modern version of a classic Trabant ride that spins and tilts.
Zoomer's Gas N' Go		2007	Morgan	A fun 1950s' car-themed ride for children.
Children's rides
Caterpillar Train		1997	Zamperla	A small train ride where the cars look like a caterpillar.
Drop Zone		2004	Moser	A 40-foot drop tower just for kids! Riders are lifted up and then gently bounced down.
Drum Circus		1997	Sartori	Each seat is a drum that spins while the whole ride goes around.
Fantasy Carousel		1997	Morgan	A smaller carousel with different animals like fish, cats, and horses. Perfect for little ones.
Flying Elephants		1997	Sartori	Ride in an elephant that flies up and down as the ride spins.
Jolly Jester		2009	Visa SRL	A smaller version of the Pirate Ship, designed for younger riders.
Kiddie Swinger		1985	Dietz	A classic swing ride with sixteen swings for children.
Little Critters		1999	I. E. Park	Small bumper cars shaped like animals, where two riders can bump around.
Little Dare Devils		1985	Hampton	Ride on small motorcycles that spin around in a circle.
Rainbow Riders		2007	SBF Visa	Ride in hot-air balloon baskets that spin and lift 25 feet into the air.
Water rides
CrocoNile		2005		A Lazy river where you can float along, with an optional waterslide.
Bayou Bay		2013		A fun Wave pool where you can splash and play in the waves.
Buccaneer Bay		1998		A soak zone area with water features for splashing.
Clipper Cove		2003		Another soak zone area for water fun.
Compounce Cabana Boat		2007		A pontoon boat ride on the lake.
Keeper's Cottage		1998		A soak zone area with water play.
Mammoth Falls		2001		An enclosed raft slide for a thrilling water ride.
Riptide Racer		2012		A fast body slide where you race others.
Tunnel Twisters		2009		Twisting body slides that go through tunnels.
Wave Pool		1998		A large wave pool for swimming and playing.
Venus Vortex		2020		A thrilling raft slide.

Past Attractions

Here are some rides and attractions that used to be at Lake Compounce:

Images for kids

• 

  Decommissioned Lake Compounce chair lift on Tunxis Trail (2019)