LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park facts for kids

LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park was a fun amusement park in Monroe, Ohio. It first opened in 1922 as a place for families to picnic and camp. By the 1940s, it grew into a full amusement park with rides, games, and an arcade.

In 1977, the park's name changed to Americana Amusement Park. After a big fire in 1990 caused a lot of damage, the park started to struggle. It closed down in 1999. A new owner briefly reopened it in 2002, changing the name back to LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park. But it didn't make enough money and closed for good. Most of the park's rides were either taken apart or sold. Since 2017, the City of Monroe, Ohio has been turning the old park into a city park and a bike trail.

Early Days: The 1920s

Edgar Streifthau, who lived in Middletown, Ohio, opened LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park on May 8, 1922. Edgar wanted to turn an old ice factory into a clean and fun place for people to picnic and swim. Building work started in 1921.

Edgar and his partner, Bill Rothfuss, built a bathhouse, a restaurant, and a dance hall. They also built a bridge over the old Miami and Erie Canal to connect the parking lot to the park. For swimming, they put a concrete bottom in the man-made lake.

It cost 10 cents to get in, 25 cents to swim, and 10 cents for a dance. LeSourdsville Lake quickly became popular, bringing in thousands of people. Edgar also built small cabins and tent platforms around the lake for vacations. His brother, Ernest, later joined him as a partner.

After two years, Edgar stopped hosting dances because of too many disagreements.

Growing Strong: The 1930s

Even during the Great Depression, Edgar kept making the park better. He made the bathhouse bigger and built a new parking lot and office. He also brought in over 1,000 tons of white sand for the beach. To help during tough times, he cut prices for tickets, food, and even employee wages.

In 1934, a fire accidentally destroyed the bathhouse. Edgar quickly rebuilt it with help from a talented designer named Don Dazey. The park reopened with a new bathhouse on May 30.

Don Dazey convinced Edgar that dances could work without problems. He built Stardust Gardens next to the bathhouse. Famous bands like Glenn Miller played there for many happy customers. Don also invited local companies to hold their picnics at the park, which became a long tradition.

Edgar added two toboggan water slides, a waterwheel, and several diving boards. In 1939, he bought a wooden roller coaster from Moxahalia Amusement Park for $35,000. It was rebuilt and named "The Cyclone."

A Golden Era: The 1940s

The 1940s were a very important time for LeSourdsville Lake. It became known as the "Miami Valley's Chosen Playground" and was the most popular summer spot.

In 1941, the park added The Whip and a Ferris wheel. Many popular bands continued to play at the Stardust Gardens Ballroom. Edgar also built a new main entrance and added more rides near The Cyclone roller coaster.

After World War II, LeSourdsville Lake kept growing. In 1947, two new trains were added to The Cyclone, and a kiddie racing car ride was installed. On July 4th that year, the park had its biggest day ever, with over 30,000 visitors!

In 1949, the park made big improvements. A new building was built next to The Cyclone. New attractions included the Fun Parade and a penny arcade. More big bands also made appearances.

Changes in the 1950s

The 1950s brought some changes as the park's popularity started to slow down a bit. Big bands that used to play all week now only played on weekends. Edgar updated the bathhouse to handle the many swimmers.

New rides in 1951 included a Rock-O-Plane and a Tilt-A-Whirl. By 1954, Edgar even started making his own line of small cars for a ride. Kiddieland, the children's area, got five new rides, including a steel roller coaster called the Jack Rabbit. In 1956, the Turnpike ride was built near the Screechin' Eagle (which used to be The Cyclone).

Edgar and Don realized they needed to modernize the park. Disneyland had opened in 1955, and people expected other parks to be just as new and clean. They decided to borrow money for a multi-year improvement plan.

In 1957, a stone tower and fountain were built at the main entrance. But in June 1959, Don Dazey passed away. Edgar missed Don's help with staff and visitors. A local bank then asked Edgar to pay back his loan right away. Edgar decided to sell the park instead of finding a new partner.

New Owners in the 1960s

The 1960s brought good times for the 40-year-old park. Howard Berni and Frank Murru, who used to run food stands at Cedar Point, bought the park for $550,000. They took over in 1961 and continued the improvements that had stopped earlier.

A Heinrich Wild Mouse roller coaster was a new ride for the 1961 season. An 18-hole miniature golf course and a new Arcade building were also added. The park even had a Hawaiian garden with carved Tiki statues. However, a lot of rain that year affected how many people visited. At the end of the season, the park started a "pay one price" plan. For $1.65 (adults) or 75 cents (children), you could ride all day!

In 1964, William "Bill" Barr became a partner. He brought many creative ideas to make LeSourdsville Lake a favorite park. Between 1962 and 1969, new attractions included a NAD train (called the Iron Horse), a remodeled Haunted House, and a new themed area called Tombstone Territory. Instead of big bands, the park started featuring local radio and TV stars.

The 1970s and a New Name

By the mid-1970s, LeSourdsville Lake was attracting about 600,000 visitors each year. Even with Kings Island amusement park opening nearby in 1972, Howard Berni wasn't worried. He thought Kings Island might even bring more tourists to the area, which would help LeSourdsville Lake too.

In 1972, a new Calypso ride was installed. In 1975, Bill Barr retired, and William "Bill" Robinson took over some of his duties. Bill was great at creating fun promotions. For example, in 1976, the park was named the country's only "Official" Bicentennial Amusement Park. They also had Coca-Cola/WSAI Radio Rock concerts and a Jell-O Jump contest where people jumped into gelatin to find a car key!

In the late 1970s, the park had short musical shows on the midway stage. These shows featured "Krazy Kritters" (people in animal costumes) and a band.

In 1978, the park's name changed to Americana Amusement Park - the Great American Amusement Park. With the new name came a $3.5 million plan to update the park over three years. New attractions included a circus tent with the Hanneford Family Circus, a Trabant ride, an animated band called the Bear Country Jubilee, and the Coca-Cola Great American Thrill Show theater.

Challenges in the 1980s

A tough economy in the early 1980s started to affect how many people visited the park. So, in 1982, the ticket price was lowered from $6.95 to $5.50. That year, the circus tent was changed into a platform for Bumper Buggys, a softer version of bumper cars.

The biggest new ride of the decade was the Raging Thunder Log Flume in 1984. This was the largest investment in the park's history and helped bring annual visitors back up to over 500,000. The flume was built in the old Tombstone Territory area, which was renamed Logger's Run.

In 1985, the park sold off the horses from its 1924 carousel. Sadly, the carousel later burned down in an accidental fire in 1988, causing over $500,000 in damage. The park's 1925 Dodgem ride was also lost.

In 1987, the Galleon swinging ship was installed in Logger's Run. After the carousel fire, the park bought a used Galaxi roller coaster from Nobles Funland Amusement Park. It was named The Serpent. The park still managed to attract about 500,000 visitors.

The 1990s: Decline and Sale

On January 8, 1990, a big electrical fire broke out in the Bathhouse and Stardust Gardens Ballroom. This caused over $5 million in losses, destroying many buildings and ride parts. The park quickly got help from local workers to rebuild before the April opening. By May, a new food court, arcade, Dodgem ride, and a fixed Flying Scooter ride were open.

However, the park had problems with its insurance company. Also, Ron Berni, the owner's son and a key person at the park, left for another job.

Hiring enough staff was also a challenge. The park tried to hire Mexican college students, but this led to bad news stories about poor living and working conditions. Local groups who usually held picnics at the park canceled their events. Attendance dropped to an all-time low of under 200,000. The park's insurance company only paid $3 million, leaving the park with $2 million in unpaid costs. In December, the park had serious money problems and had to get help from the law to sort things out.

In Spring 1991, a group of former park managers called Leisure International bought and reopened the park. They worked hard to fix the park's image. They built a petting zoo and opened a new restaurant in 1992, which helped attendance grow to over 330,000. In 1993, the Bear Country Jubilee show was sold. Attendance kept rising, reaching 412,500. Leisure International spent another $6 million on park upgrades in 1994 and 1995. By 1995, they realized a bigger company with more money was needed, so Americana was put up for sale.

In 1996, Park River Corporation, which owned Coney Island of Cincinnati, bought Americana for about $3 million. They spent over $1 million upgrading the Screechin' Eagle roller coaster and adding new rides like a carousel, Ferris wheel, and the Tempest. In 1997, the owner of Park River died, and his family worried about the park's future. The park was quietly put up for sale in 1998.

In January 2000, Park River made a surprising announcement: the park would be closed for the 2000 season.

The 2000s: Final Attempts and Closure

On May 24, 2000, businessman Jerry Couch bought the park. He said he would rename it "Couch's Americana Amusement Park at LeSourdsville Lake" to honor its history. He planned to open it year-round with Halloween and Christmas events, and add a campground.

In April 2002, a new management group, the Pugh Family, was hired to run the park. They changed the name to "The Great American Amusement Park at LeSourdsville Lake."

Over $3 million in improvements were made, including 10 new leased rides like a fun house, a swinging pirate ship, and the Zipper. An expensive ride safety system was also installed. When the park opened on June 5, the name was changed again to "LeSourdsville Lake" because, as a spokesperson said, "that's how people remember it."

The park was open Thursdays through Sundays and had successful weekends. However, it unexpectedly closed a week earlier than planned and announced it was looking for new management for 2003. Plans for a Halloween event were canceled. The Pugh management team had financial problems and didn't pay some employees. Many of the leased rides were taken back after the season ended because they weren't paid for.

In January 2003, Couch opened an RV Super Center at the park. He still hoped to combine an RV park with an amusement park. In April, local news wondered if the park would open for 2003. Several options were being considered: updating rides, running it with a new team, or selling it. Couch also sued the Pugh management group for unpaid bills, but the lawsuit was dismissed due to their financial issues.

In February 2004, another park owner, Carl Jennings, tried to buy the park, but a deal couldn't be reached. On May 17, 2006, it was announced that most of the rides would be sold, and the park would not open as a traditional amusement park again.

In 2009, the park's steel roller coaster, The Serpent, found a new home. It opened in May 2009 at Kokomo's Family Fun Center in Saginaw, Michigan. The park was also shown on the History Channel's Life After People: The Series. The show looked at how the park would fall apart without people taking care of it.

The 2010s: Demolition and New Plans

In August 2011, the Screechin' Eagle roller coaster, which had stood for over 60 years, was taken down without public notice. The owner, Jerry Couch, was worried about people illegally entering the park. Parts of the track and trains were sent to the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives.

In early 2015, Jerry Couch retired and closed his RV showroom. Buildings and parts of rides at the Americana section of the park were left empty.

In 2017, Butler Tech announced it bought the Americana parking lot and the nearby Fantasy Farm amusement park land to build a campus. Jerry Couch then gave the former LeSourdsville/Americana park land to the City of Monroe. The city is now turning it into a city park and a regional bicycle trail.

In 2018, most of the park's remaining buildings were torn down. Only a few structures, like the sky ride station, the old administrative building, the main entrance arches, and some picnic shelters, were left.

The 2020s

On August 27, 2020, the park's entrance arches, which were added after the 1990 fire, were removed.

Rides and Attractions

• LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park at the Roller Coaster DataBase