Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom
| Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| |
| amusement park | |
| Location |  |
| Status | Defunct |
| Operated | 1887 to September 16, 2007 |
| Owner | Cedar Fair |
| Previous names | Six Flags Worlds of Adventure |
Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom was an amusement park in Aurora, Ohio, USA. First opening in 1887 as a local recreational area; Geauga lake would gain its first ride, a steam powered carousel, in 1889. It closed on September 16, 2007. The water park continued to operate until September 5, 2016.
History[edit | edit source]
In 1969, a group of former Cedar Point executives formed Funtime Parks and purchased Geauga Lake.[1] The company owned the park until 15 August 1995, when it was sold to Premier Parks as part of a $60 million deal in which it acquired Geauga Lake, Darien Lake, and Wyandot Lake.[2]
It was renamed Six Flags Ohio in 2000.[3] In 2001, the nearby SeaWorld Ohio became an animal park and became Six Flags Worlds of Adventure.
After the 2003 season, Six Flags Worlds of Adventure was struggling as it faced financial problems. In 2004, the park was sold to Cedar Fair.[4] The DC Comics and Bugs Bunny franchise were replaced by Peanuts franchise and some of the rides were renamed. The animal park was also removed and Hurricane Harbor became Hurricane Hannah's.
In 2005, Wildwater Kingdom opened in the former animal park.
Staring in 2006, Geauga Lake began to downsize the attractions, because Cedar Fair wanted Geauga Lake to become a small family park, like Michigan's Adventure. Mr. Hyde's Nasty Fall was dismantled prior to the 2006 season. In addition, the Halloween Haunt event was removed and Geauga Lake began to run from Memorial Day weekend to mid-September.
Geauga Lake's final operating day was September 16, 2007. Five days later, Cedar Fair would publicly announce the park's closure on September 21, 2007. The rides were dismantled and sold to other Cedar Fair parks. However, Wildwater Kingdom remained open for the next few years.[5]
On August 19, 2016, Cedar Fair announced that Wildwater Kingdom would close on September 5th and would not reopen for the 2017 season.[6]
Former roller coasters (14)[edit | edit source]
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed | Relocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Land Mine Ride | Zierer | Family | 2000 | 2007 | - |
| Big Dipper | John A. Miller | Wooden | 1925 | 2007 | - |
| Corkscrew | Arrow Dynamics | Sit-Down | 1978 | 1995 | MGM Dizzee World |
| Cyclone | Pinfari | Sit-Down | 1976 | 1980 | Holiday World |
| Dominator | Bolliger & Mabillard | Floorless | 2000 | 2007 | Kings Dominion |
| Double Loop | Arrow Dynamics | Sit-Down | 1977 | 2007 | - |
| Head Spin | Vekoma | Shuttle | 1996 | 2007 | Carowinds |
| Little Dipper | National Amusement Device Company | Wooden Family | 1952 - 1962 | 1975 | - |
| Raging Wolf Bobs | Dinn Corporation | Wooden | 1988 | 2007 | - |
| Steel Venom | Intamin | Shuttle | 2000 | 2006 | Dorney Park |
| Thunderhawk | Vekoma | Inverted | 1998 | 2007 | Michigan's Adventure |
| Villain | Custom Coasters International, Inc. | Wooden | 2000 | 2007 | - |
| Wild Mouse | B. A. Schiff & Associates | Wild Mouse | Unknown | Unknown | Chippewa Lake Park |
| X-Flight | Vekoma | Flying | 2001 | 2006 | Kings Island |
Closed attractions[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Favorite family place gears up for the 1990's", The Akron Beacon Journal.
- ↑ "3 Theme Parks Sold To Premier", The Daily Oklahoman.
- ↑ Geauga Lake to Expand and Become Six Flags Ohio. Ultimate Rollercoaster
- ↑ Cedar Fair, L.P. completes acquisition of Six Flags Worlds of Adventure - Amusement Today (Wayback archive)
- ↑ Geauga Lake silences rides; water park remains
- ↑ Cedar Fair Pulls the Plug on Ohio's Wildwater Kingdom - NewsPlusNotes
| Amusement parks operated by Cedar Fair | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | California's Great America • Canada's Wonderland • Carowinds • Cedar Point • Dorney Park • Gilroy Gardens • Kings Dominion • Kings Island • Knott's Berry Farm • Michigan's Adventure • Valleyfair • Worlds of Fun | ||||||||
| Former | Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom • Knott's Camp Snoopy | ||||||||
| Amusement parks operated by Six Flags | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | America • Darien Lake • Discovery Kingdom • Fiesta Texas • Frontier City • Great Adventure • Great America • Great Escape • La Ronde • Magic Mountain • Mexico • New England • Over Georgia • Over Texas • St. Louis | ||||||||
| Future | Zhejiang | ||||||||
| Former | AstroWorld • Belgium • Bellewaerde • Elitch Gardens • Holland • Kentucky Kingdom • New Orleans • Warner Bros. Movie World Germany • Warner Bros. Park Madrid • Wild Waves and Enchanted Village • Worlds of Adventure | ||||||||
| Cancelled | Dubailand | ||||||||