Conneaut Lake Park is a permanent fairground originally founded by Col. Frank Mantor. It’s located on the west side of Conneaut Lake in Western Pennsylvania. The park was originally named Exposition Park when opened in 1892. In its early days, the area operated as a fairground and exposition for livestock, machinery and industrial products from Western Pennsylvania. Earlier than the years of the park, in 1877 a man named Aaron Lynce had purchased 7 acres of land on which the park is located to use for a boat landing. The park originally included a dance hall, a convention hall and a bathhouse. There were also several structures from the boat landing owned by Lynce, including a farmhouse, which would eventually be converted into a hotel. In 1899, the park welcomes its first mechanical ride; a carousel. It was not long after that more rides were added, along with a midway.

Only a couple years later, ownership would switch hands to the Pittsburgh & Shenango Valley Railroad in 1901. The company then decided to build numerous hotels on the property. At this time, the only way to reach the park was by boat or train. By 1907, trolley service was extended to reach the park, and it quickly began to grow as a popular resort destination. During a fire in 1908, most of the original buildings were completely burned, and unfortunately lost. Newer concrete block buildings went up in their place, including the Dreamland Ballroom.

In 1920, the park was renamed to “Conneaut Lake Park” to help showcase the presence of more amusements and rides for guests. Rides such as the Tumble Bug, a bumper car ride and a Figure Eight roller coaster (The Jack Rabbit) were added over the years. One of the most notable additions to rides came in 1938, when the Blue Streak roller coaster was added. The Blue Streak remains one of the most notable coasters among roller coaster enthusiasts to this day.

Unfortunately, another fire broke out in 1943, claiming a large portion of the Hotel Conneaut. After that fire, it has been said that Elizabeth, a bride who died in the fire now haunts the hotel.

As corporate amusement parks grew, so did competition for Conneaut Lake Park. To deal with the heavy competition, more rides and attractions were added in the 1960s, including a jungle cruise. During the 1960s, trolley service was discontinued, and more ideas were being brought to the table of how they could direct more automobile traffic to the park. This led to the creation of “Fairyland Forest” – a walk-through attraction, which was constructed across the highway from the park’s main entrance. With this, they had hoped to attract families, as well as appeal to younger children. It remained popular for a handful of years, but would eventually become more and more neglected over time as popularity fell. It was closed in 1985 and replaced with Camperland in 1986.

When the 1990s rolled around, the park had undergone numerous different ownership changes, which had definitely taken a toll on the park. Some owners brought large debt to the park, and were unable to expand, while others helped the park grow by adding rides. One such owner was Charles Flynn – son of Dr. John and Mary Gene and long-time associate of New York City mayor Ed Koch. He had decided to leave politics and become involved in the family business. In the early 1980s, he had added the Paratrooper and Yo-Yo, and made improvements to the waterfront. A popular addition during this time was a waterslide tower along the park’s midway.

The park operated like a community rather than an amusement park, with roads for local traffic passing between rides and waterfront cottages. Park Avenue and Comstock Street were the park’s two main walking paths, which were shared by both patrons and vehicles. While some would be annoyed by this at times, many were proud of the unique appeal it brought to the park. It was different, and enjoyed by many.  

For all of these years, the park had remained free of admission. It wasn’t until 1990 that the decision would be made to charge an entry fee. It was indeed unfortunate, but in a letter to customers Flynn stated, “Traditional parks are dropping like flies and it’s time we all realize that we have to take steps now and save our park before it’s too late to do anything about it.” The park was then enclosed and gated. The following summer brought a lot of heavy rain, which led to a sharp decline in attendance. Rides were sold off in order to raise capital to make up for lost income. More bad news would come as the park would see yet another bad season to follow. It was decided that the park would be leveled and replaced by a newer family entertainment complex. This complex was to focus on special events, concerts, group picnics and non-ride activities, such as batting cages, mazes, and sports activities. Plans to repair the Blue Streak roller coaster were scrapped, as nobody wanted to pay the $100,000 for repairs.

When the park’s rides went up for auction, four local businessmen decided to purchase as many of them as they could. They then purchased the park itself from the Flynn family, and had hoped to preserve it as a traditional amusement park. The group of businessmen spent almost $1 million on upgrading and refurbishing the park. While their efforts were definitely appreciated by many, attendance still continued to follow a steady decline, as many still had the perception that the park had been closed.

In 1995, the group filed for bankruptcy, and it would be the first year that the park failed to open.

In 1996, a group called Summer Resorts, Inc. had purchased the park. The park was opened once again on July 4, 1996. However, in 1997, the new owner, Gary Harris, was convicted of tax evasion. Harris eventually gave the park up to the Conneaut Lake community, but later filed a lawsuit claiming that he held a 99-year lease on the park grounds, claiming continues ownership of many rides. That lawsuit was of course lost in 2001, and ownership was turned over to a court-appointed trustee.

In the early 2000s, the not-for-profit corporation, The Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park took control of the park. There had been a renewed interest, mostly brought on by roller coaster enthusiasts and amusement park enthusiast groups. I’ve always thought it was interesting how things can come in and go out of style, with history repeating itself in patterns. People long for the nostalgia even of things that they haven’t experienced. For those in the older generation, it may just be pure nostalgia, but the younger generation comes to appreciate what was around before they were born, wanting to learn and experience it all first hand as much as possible.

Through the 2000s, the group, along with the help of many volunteers, had repaired several of the park’s rides, including the Devil’s Den and Blue Streak Roller Coaster. In August 2010, the park had received $50,000 in funds from a contest sponsored by Pepsi. These funds would be used to further help in restoring the Blue Streak.

A fire would break out for a third time in 2008, this time destroying the Dreamland Ballroom, and again on August 1, 2013 destroying the dockside restaurant and the beach front building.

Though the park has been through a lot of tough times over the years, including these many unfortunate fires, it has continued to open every year into 2019 (its 127^th season.) Numerous improvements have been made over the years, and there has been a stronger sense of community support coming back to the park. Rides have been added, including a regular-sized Ferris Wheel at the end of the midway facing the lake. Moving into 2020, it will be great to see the park open for its 128^th season, and hopefully continue for many years to come.

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