SeaWorld Ohio facts for kids

SeaWorld Ohio was a fun theme park and marine animal park located in Aurora, Ohio. It was owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. This Ohio park was the second SeaWorld ever built, opening just six years after the first one in San Diego. The park was created by George Millay, who started the whole SeaWorld idea. After SeaWorld Ohio closed, a waterpark called Wildwater Kingdom opened on the same land in 2005. That waterpark closed in 2016.

The Story of SeaWorld Ohio

How SeaWorld Came to Ohio (1970–2000)

Back in 1966, a man named Earl Gascoigne from Cedar Point amusement park was really impressed by the success of SeaWorld San Diego. He wanted to team up with SeaWorld's founder, George Millay, to build a new park in Ohio. Millay didn't like the first location Gascoigne suggested.

Two years later, Millay and his team were looking to expand SeaWorld to the eastern United States. They wanted a spot between Detroit and Pittsburgh because many people lived and worked there.

Earl Gascoigne had left Cedar Point and was now helping to improve Geauga Lake, another amusement park near Cleveland. He got back in touch with George Millay. Gascoigne convinced Millay to build the second SeaWorld park right next to Geauga Lake. The plan for SeaWorld Ohio was announced in 1968.

SeaWorld Cleveland, also called Sea World of Ohio, opened its doors on May 29, 1970. It took almost two years to plan and build. The park was about 20 miles southeast of Cleveland, in Aurora, Ohio. On its first day, over 5,500 people visited the 25-acre marine park. It cost $5.5 million to build. Everyone was surprised by how popular it was! In its first 100-day season, more than 1.1 million people visited the park.

The park was very beautiful with many trees and plants. It even won national awards for its landscaping. By the year 2000, SeaWorld Cleveland had grown to 232 acres. However, it couldn't add roller coasters or big water rides. This was because of a special agreement with its neighbor, Geauga Lake.

After SeaWorld Ohio, other SeaWorld parks opened. These included SeaWorld Orlando in 1973 and SeaWorld San Antonio in 1988.

Becoming Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (2001–2003)

On January 10, 2001, Six Flags announced that it would buy SeaWorld Cleveland. They paid $110 million for it. Six Flags then combined SeaWorld with the nearby Six Flags Ohio (which used to be Geauga Lake). They also included a campground and hotel.

The reason SeaWorld was sold was because of that old agreement with Geauga Lake. It stopped SeaWorld from adding new rides and growing bigger.

Starting in 2001, the combined park was called Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. It was huge, covering 750 acres! The park had three main parts:

• Wild Life: This was the old SeaWorld park.
• Wild Rides: This was the former Geauga Lake.
• Wild Slides: This was a 10-acre water park.

You could visit all three parts with just one ticket. When Six Flags bought the park, they didn't get the killer whales or dolphins. The killer whale show was replaced by dolphins from another Six Flags park. Later, a new killer whale named Shouka came to visit from France. Six Flags also added new animal exhibits, two family rides, and a Batman-themed water ski show. Six Flags planned to add more attractions like submarines, volcanoes, and rainforests. They also wanted a monorail to help people get around.

In 2000, Six Flags Ohio had 1.7 million visitors. After becoming Worlds of Adventure in 2001, the number of visitors jumped to 2.7 million.

Changes to Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom (2005–2007)

On March 10, 2004, Cedar Fair, the company that owns Cedar Point, bought the entire Six Flags Worlds of Adventure property. Cedar Fair paid $145 million for all 750 acres. However, Six Flags kept ownership of all the animals. Six Flags said selling the park helped them pay off debts and look for other opportunities.

In 2004, the park opened without any animal attractions. Much of the old SeaWorld area was closed off. Cedar Fair changed the park's name back to Geauga Lake for the 2004 season. They also had to remove all the Six Flags themes, like DC Comics and Looney Tunes characters, because they didn't own the rights to use them.

On June 17, 2005, Wildwater Kingdom opened. It took up 17 acres of the old SeaWorld Cleveland site. With the new waterpark, the whole property was renamed Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom. Cedar Fair hoped the waterpark would make up for losing the animal attractions. Many buildings in the old marine life section were torn down or updated for the new waterpark.

The number of visitors to Geauga Lake dropped a lot under Cedar Fair. It went from 2.7 million in 2001 to 700,000 in 2004. Attendance stayed around 700,000 through 2006. After the 2006 season, Cedar Fair removed three rides, including two roller coasters. They also made the park season shorter and stopped the Halloween events.

Wildwater Kingdom's Final Years (2008–2016)

The SeaWorld Cleveland entrance as it looked after 2008, when it became Wildwater Kingdom.

On September 21, 2007, Cedar Fair announced that the Aurora park would become only a waterpark for the 2008 season. They said Wildwater Kingdom was the most popular part of the park. They hoped a waterpark would attract more local visitors.

Cedar Fair announced on August 19, 2016, that Wildwater Kingdom would not open in 2017. The waterpark closed for good on September 5, 2016. The park was torn down in November 2017. In August 2020, work began on a new project for the land. It will include homes, shops, and park areas.

What to See and Do at SeaWorld Ohio

SeaWorld Cleveland had many things to see and do, including shows, animal exhibits, and a few attractions.

Rides and Play Areas

When SeaWorld bought the land in 1970, they agreed not to build roller coasters or big water rides. This was part of the deal with Geauga Lake next door. So, SeaWorld focused on shows and interactive attractions. Instead of thrill rides, there were several fun playgrounds for kids.

• Mission: Bermuda Triangle (2000-2003): This was a motion simulator ride. It showed underwater videos and had special effects. Guests felt like they were traveling underwater in the Bermuda Triangle. This was the biggest new attraction SeaWorld added to the Ohio park.
• Pirates 4-D (1997-2003): This was a 4-D movie that first played at SeaWorld Cleveland. It starred famous actors like Leslie Nielsen.
• Shamu's Happy Harbor (1992-2007): A three-story climbing structure with nets and a pirate ship playground.
• Cap'n Kids' World (1975-1991): A large pirate ship playground with a ball pit. Some parts of this were used for Shamu's Happy Harbor.

Animal Exhibits

The park had many animal and cultural exhibits where you could learn about marine life.

• Patagonia Passage (1996-2003): This exhibit featured Commerson's dolphins and Magellanic penguins.
• Dolphin Cove (1995-2003): Here, guests could see, touch, and even feed dolphins.
• Shark Encounter (1993-2003): Visitors rode a moving walkway through a tunnel surrounded by sharks and other fish.
• Penguin Encounter (1985-2003): You could watch dozens of penguins on "snowy" rocks and swimming in the water.
• Sea Lion and Seal Community Pool (1982-2003): An outdoor pool where guests could feed seals and sea lions.
• World of the Sea Aquarium (1973-2003): This aquarium had many colorful fish. It also had "see-and-touch" tide pools.
• Japanese Deer Park (1971-1984): A special attraction where guests could pet and feed fallow and sika deer.
• Japanese Village (1970-2003): In this area, women called Amas would dive for oysters to find pearls for jewelry. The ponds were full of beautiful Koi fish. The village also had Japanese art and items.

Places to Eat and Shop

SeaWorld Cleveland had many places to eat and shop. Gift shops sold thousands of items from around the world. Food spots served meals like "Whaleburgers" and fish and chips. There was also Polynesian-style dining. Snack stands sold popcorn, soft pretzels, ice cream, and drinks.

Show Venues

The park had several stadiums and theaters for live shows.

• Harbor Theater (1997-2007): A large 4-D theater that opened in 1997.
• Nautilus Theater (Olympic Theater) (1977-2003): A large stadium that hosted shows like "The Canadian Lumberjack Show" and "Olympic Spirit."
• Sea Lion and Otter Stadium (1970-2003): A 3,000-seat stadium shaped like a seashell. It opened with the park in 1970.
• Shamu Stadium (1970-2003): A 4,000-seat stadium, also shaped like a seashell. This is where the famous Shamu shows took place. Some popular shows included "Shamu Goes Hollywood" and "Shamu's Night Magic."
• Ski Stadium (Baywatch Stadium) (1971-2008): A 3,500-seat stadium right on the shore of Geauga Lake. SeaWorld Ohio was the first SeaWorld park to have a water ski show. Because it was so popular, the stadium was made bigger a few years after it opened. Shows included the "Tommy Bartlett Ski Show" and the "Baywatch Ski Show."
• Woods Arena (1988-2003): A large stadium that hosted shows like the "Wild Wings Bird Show" and the "Lumberjack Show."

Images for kids

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  Shamu performing in 1999.