Chippewa Lake – Abandoned Since 1978
Chippewa Lake Park is a former Medina County theme park, which operated for 100 years, from 1878 until 1978. Since the park’s closure, it has sat vacant.
Early history
Initially opened by Edward Andrews as Andrew’s Pleasure Grounds in 1875, the park offered a picnic ground and beach, a steamboat, and the park’s first roller coaster. In 1878, the park was renamed Chippewa Lake Park. It operated for a short time with a bit of success, but grew to deteriorate over time. Twenty years after the name change, the park was sold to Mac Beach in 1898. He made numerous improvements to the park and had also placed a ban on liquor sales. His son, Parker Beach, managed the park during its most successful years: The Roaring ‘20s.
During the 1920s, the first modern coaster, designed by Fred Pearce, was built in the park. It had originally been called the Big Dipper, but later simply became known as ‘the coaster.’ It was in operation by 1925. It was a smaller roller coaster, at about only 50 feet high. The coaster remained in operation until the closure of the park in 1978. About thirty years later in 2010, the coaster was demolished.
Chippewa sees great success
The park saw great success for the entire time it was run by the Beach family. Chippewa Lake Park had eventually featured three roller coasters, flying cages, a Ferris wheel, carousel, Tumble Bug, ballroom and numerous other rides. Seven nights a week, the park featured live music. Families flocked to the park during vacation throughout the summer time year after year.
Chippewa Lake Park is sold
The Beach family sold the park in 1969 to Continental Business Enterprises. The company had plans to transform the park into a sort of summer resort, but these plans drew little interest from the public, and were eventually shelved. By 1978, the park had seen heavy competition from nearby Cedar Point and Geauga Lake amusement parks, coupled with the decline of steel and rubber production in surrounding areas. It’s unfortunate that the park’s 100th season would be its last. There had been no media coverage announcing the park’s closure prior to it happening. After its closure, former park owner Parker Beach had requested to his family that he be buried in the park when he died. His family had agreed, and followed through with his wishes. The site where Beach is buried in the park is still unknown.
Chippewa is abandoned
When the park was abandoned, all of the rides and buildings were left standing, and up until the end of the 1990s remained in fair condition. Unfortunately by the 2000s, trees and foliage had begun to grow through rides, and several buildings had deteriorated or collapsed. Rust now covered the roller coasters, and the amount of damage caused by years of neglect left little hope for anything to be brought back to life.
At 4:00pm on Thursday, June 13, 2002, the ballroom was burned down.
By 2008, many other buildings had also been burned, or simply collapsed due to rotting for 30 years. Not much of the original park remained, but the land was put up for sale at a price of $3.5 million. It was sold the same year to Chippewa Partners LLC, who had announced plans for a development called “Chippewa Landing.” The proposed development was to feature a hotel and spa, fitness center, restaurants, a conference and music center, small shops and other entertainment venues. Demolition of trees, structures and debris had begun in April 2009, and development was to start soon after this was finished. The grounds were opened for tours in Spring of 2009. Those tours ended on June 19, 2010.
Lawsuit filed
In April 2012, a lawsuit was filed against Chippewa Partners LLC, and their plans to redevelop the property were scrapped. The Chippewa Lake Park property then went into foreclosure, and was put up for auction in August 2012. The auction of the property failed, but in October 2013, an organization called Flying Cages took ownership, attempting to attract investors to contribute and turn the former park into an outdoor entertainment venue.
For years nobody wanted anything to do with the former Chippewa Lake Park property, until June of 2020 when the Medina County Park District stepped in.
The Medina County Park District has purchased 94 acres of land, which formerly held the Chippewa Lake Park. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens from here.
