Growing up in Northeast Ohio, there was one thing I always looked forward to in the summer: Going to Geauga Lake.
Less than an hour from the house I grew up in, Geauga Lake was Ohio's first amusement park. Established in 1888 as a lake campgrounds, a steam-powered carousel was built in 1889. Later, in 1925, Ohio's first wooden roller coaster, The Big Dipper, was constructed. Throughout the years more and more rides were added, securing Geauga Lake's position as Ohio's very first amusement park. As ride technology improved, the park expanded. Across the large lake of which the park was named, the Busch corporation built Sea World over Ohio. For years the parks operated harmoniously, until Premier Parks purchased Geauga Lake in 2000 and renamed it Six Flags over Ohio. It was around this time that Busch decided to start adding rides to their Sea World parks, but with Six Flags over Ohio so close to their Ohio location, they offered to buy the park from Premier Parks. Premier Parks counter-offered, and sought to buy Sea World instead. When the purchase took place, Six Flags over Ohio merged with Sea World over Ohio and became Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. In 2004, Cedar Fair, the company that owned Cedar Point and the Paramount (King's Island, King's Dominion, etc.) Parks, purchased the property from Premier Parks and reverted the entire thing back to good ol' Geauga Lake. Lots of rides were renamed, the Looney Tunes and Warner Bros. logos and stuff were removed, but it seemed Geauga Lake was back to its roots, with a few more rides to boot.
It wasn't meant to be.
Apparently attendance has gone down since all the changing, and Cedar Fair has announced that the amusement park side of Geauga Lake will not be reopening in 2008. The water park area where Sea World used to be will be a standalone water park; it will continue to be expanded upon, though the historical parts such as the carousel and the Big Dipper, will be dismantled and the land sold off.
This is like a part of my childhood dying and vanishing. This park was such a significant part of my life growing up, and is so rich with history. I love Ohio and the area I grew up, and this place was a symbol of that place, surviving almost 120 years. I even took my wife there for our "poor man's honeymoon" the week we got married, just this summer. It's hard to see it go, and I have hundreds and hundreds of very fond memories of the place... I guess no matter what happens to the place, I'll always have those.
Rest in peace, Geauga Lake. I'll never forget the fun we had.
