Lakemont Park: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Amusement park in Altoona, Pennsylvania}}
{{Infobox amusement park
| name = Lakemont Park
| logo = Lakemont Park logo.png
| image = [[File:Skyliner01.jpg|200px]]
| caption = [[Skyliner
| location = [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona]]
| location2 = Pennsylvania
| location3 = U.S.
| coordinates = {{Coord|40.4717632|-78.3954871|type:landmark|display=it}}
| homepage = http://www.lakemontparkfun.com
| owner =
| opening_date = 1894
| closing_date =
| previous_names = Boyertown USA
| season =
| area = {{convert|60|acre|m2}}
| rides =
| coasters = 3
| water_rides =
| slogan = Two
}}
'''Lakemont Park'''
Lakemont Park houses the world's oldest surviving [[roller coaster]], [[Leap-The-Dips]]. On June 19, 1996, Leap-the-Dips was added to the list of [[National Historic Landmark|National Historic Landmarks]] by the [[National Park Service]].
==History==
Lakemont Park opened in 1894 as a trolley park, and became an amusement park in 1899. It was donated to Blair County in 1937
▲Lakemont Park opened in 1894, was donated to Blair County in 1937, privatized in 1986, and remained in operation through 2016. The park closed at the beginning of the 2017 season, as many rides and attractions were undergoing maintenance. In 2018, Lakemont Park announced that it would remain closed with plans to reopen as a "family entertainment location with some amusements" in the summer of 2019. Lakemont indicated it is planning on selling most of the rides except for Skyliner, Leap the Dips, Antique Cars, Miniature Train, Paddle Boats, Indy Go-Karts, 4x4 Monster Trucks, Lil’ Leaper, and the Waterpark. <ref name="Lakemont to remain closed this year">{{cite web|url=http://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2018/03/lakemont-to-remain-closed-this-year/|title=Lakemont to remain closed this year|last=Stephens|first=Kay|date=March 7, 2018|publisher=Altoona Mirror|accessdate=March 12, 2018}}</ref> The park reopened in the summer of 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/local-news/after-two-summers-closed-lakemont-park-reopens-with-new-additions/|title=After two summers closed, Lakemont Park reopens with new additions|accessdate=July 14, 2019}}</ref>
Lakemont Park is also known for its 51-acre drive-through holiday light display, Holiday Lights on the Lake, which operates from November to January.
[[Image:Lakemontparkrides.jpg|thumb|right|200px| The
Lakemont Park has numerous
===Roller coasters===
Line 42 ⟶ 45:
|[[Leap-The-Dips]]
|align=center|1902
|A wooden, figure-eight type
|
|-
|[[Skyliner (roller coaster)|Skyliner]]
|align=center|1987
|
|
|-
|[[Little Leaper]]
|
|A standard [[Allan Herschell]] Little Dipper kiddie coaster
|
|-
|}
===
* Paddle Boats<ref name="lakemontparkfun">{{cite web|url=http://www.lakemontparkfun.com |title=Lakemont Park and The Island Water Park |publisher=Lakemontparkfun.com |date= |accessdate=2013-03-25}}</ref>
* Tin Lizzy
* * C.P. Huntington Train
* 4 Batting cages▼
* 18 Hole Keystone Falls Mini Golf
* 18 Hole Rabbit Hole Mini Golf
* 4 Basketball courts▼
* 2 Volleyball courts▼
* Corn hole boards
* Horseshoe pits
* Walking paths▼
===Kiddie rides and attractions===
*
* C.P. Huntington Train
* Lil' Leaper
* Playground▼
===Water park===
The water park closed in 2020 and has not opened since.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:79%"
|-
! style="width:13%" |Ride
! style="width:8%" |Opened
! style="width:8%" |Closed
!Description
! style="width:5%" |Ref(s)
|-
|Pool▼
|Three Water Slides▼
|
|2020
|3 foot deep pool
|<ref name="lakemontparkfun" />
|-
▲|Pool
|
|2020
|
|<ref name="lakemontparkfun" />
Line 90 ⟶ 104:
|Pirate's Cove
|
|2017
|Small
|<ref name="lakemontparkfun" />
|-
|Treehouse Activity Pool
|2019
|2020
|Treehouse-themed pool with fountains
|
|}
Like any amusement park that has been open for many years,
▲* Batting cages
▲* Basketball courts
▲* Volleyball courts
▲* Playground
▲* Walking paths
{| class="wikitable"▼
▲==Former attractions==
▲Like any amusement park that has been open for many years, rides are removed for various reasons. Below is a list of some of these rides.
▲===Former roller coasters===
▲{| class=wikitable
|-
! style="width:13%" |Ride
! style="width:12%" |Manufacturer
! style="width:5%" |Opened
! style="width:5%" |Closed
!Description
! style="width:5%" |Ref(s)
|-
|Gravity Road
| align="center" |Amandus Sink
| align="center" |1894
| align="center" |1897
|
|<ref>{{cite news |title=Lakemont Park Is 25 Years Old Tomorrow. Popular Resort was Formally Opened on July 4, 1893, by Logan Valley Railway. |newspaper=Altoona Tribune |date=July 3, 1918 |page=12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Plenty of Work Goes on Now at Lakemont Summer Fun Spot. |newspaper=Altoona Mirror |date=April 14, 1961 |page=16 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=July 4 To Mark 60th Birthday Of County's Lakemont Park. |newspaper=Altoona Tribune |date=June 29, 1953 |page=12 }}</ref>
|-
|Twister
| align="center" |[[Philadelphia Toboggan Company]]
| align="center" |1927
| align="center" |1935
|
|
|-
|[[Toboggan (Lakemont Park)|Toboggan]]
| align="center" |[[Chance Rides]]
| align="center" |1991
| align="center" |2016
|A portable Toboggan coaster.
|
|-
|Mad Mouse
| align="center" |[[Allan Herschell Company]]
| align="center" |1993
| align="center" |2003
|
|
|-
Line 149 ⟶ 158:
== Incidents at Lakemont Park ==
* On July 23, 1959, a twelve-year-old boy named Frank Vestri drowned in the water park swimming pool, despite a life guard being on duty.
* On September 2, 1991, a seventeen-year-old ride operator for the Little Leaper Coaster named Chris Whitfield got dragged away by the roller coaster and lost his right leg after it got mangled between the train and its track/chain. The accident was featured on the television series ''[[Rescue 911]]'' on September 29, 1992 on [[CBS]].▼
▲* On September 2, 1991, a seventeen-year-old ride operator
== References ==
| |||
Revision as of 15:14, 7 February 2024
| Previously known as Boyertown USA | |
 | |
 Skyliner roller coaster | |
| Location | Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°28′18″N 78°23′44″W / 40.4717632°N 78.3954871°W |
| Opened | 1894 |
| Owner | Lakemont Park Center, LLC |
| Slogan | Two great Parks, twice the fun! |
| Operating season | May to Labor Day |
| Area | 60 acres (240,000 m2) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 8 |
| Roller coasters | 3 |
| Water rides | 6 – Currently closed |
| Website | http://www.lakemontparkfun.com |
Lakemont Park is an amusement park located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in 1899. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating, and the 8th oldest amusement park in the United States. The park was closed from 2017 to 2018, but re-opened in summer 2019.[1] It will be closed for the 2024 season.
Lakemont Park houses the world's oldest surviving roller coaster, Leap-The-Dips. On June 19, 1996, Leap-the-Dips was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks by the National Park Service.
History
Lakemont Park opened in 1894 as a trolley park, and became an amusement park in 1899. It was donated to Blair County in 1937. It was privatized on May 23, 1986 when it was purchased by the Boyer Candy Company, at which point it was called Boyertown USA. Although it was sold on July 1, 1988, it remained in continuous operation through 2016. The park was closed for the 2017 season, as many rides and attractions were undergoing maintenance. In 2018, Lakemont Park announced that it would remain closed for the season, with plans to reopen as a "family entertainment location with some amusements" in the summer of 2019. The park sold a lot of its former rides and attractions.[2] It successfully reopened in the summer of 2019.[3] The park will not operate during the 2024 season due to a lack of funds for ride maintenance.
Lakemont Park is also known for its 51-acre drive-through holiday light display, Holiday Lights on the Lake, which operates from November to January.
Current rides and attractions
Lakemont Park has numerous outdoor attractions.
Roller coasters
| Ride | Opened | Description | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leap-The-Dips | 1902 | A wooden, figure-eight type coaster with three four-seat trains. Only two figure-eight type roller coasters still survive in the world. Leap-The-Dips features 1,452 feet (443 m) of track and is one of the few surviving roller coasters with side friction. The ride was closed for all but two weeks in 2005, because of maintenance. The ride was also closed from 1986 to 1998.[4] | |
| Skyliner | 1987 | A wooden coaster. Skyliner was relocated from Roseland Park in Canandaigua, New York, where it was built in 1960. It was moved to build up the park for the failed Boyertown USA project. This marks one of the few instances of a wooden roller coaster being moved. | |
| Little Leaper | A standard Allan Herschell Little Dipper kiddie coaster. |
Other family rides and attractions
- Paddle Boats[5]
- Tin Lizzy Antique Cars
- Motorway Go-Karts[5]
- C.P. Huntington Train
- 4 Batting cages
- 18 Hole Keystone Falls Mini Golf
- 18 Hole Rabbit Hole Mini Golf
- 4 Basketball courts
- 2 Volleyball courts
- Corn hole boards
- Horseshoe pits
- Walking paths
Kiddie rides and attractions
- 4X4[5] Monster Trucks
- C.P. Huntington Train
- Lil' Leaper
- Playground
Water park
The water park closed in 2020 and has not opened since.
| Ride | Opened | Closed | Description | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool | 2020 | 3 foot deep pool | [5] | |
| Three water slides | 2020 | [5] | ||
| Pirate's Cove | 2017 | Small pirate ship with water cannons and palm trees | [5] | |
| Treehouse Activity Pool | 2019 | 2020 | Treehouse-themed pool with fountains |
Former roller coasters
Like any amusement park that has been open for many years, some of Lakemont Park's roller coasters have been removed over the years for various reasons.
| Ride | Manufacturer | Opened | Closed | Description | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravity Road | Amandus Sink | 1894 | 1897 | A switchback railroad-style roller coaster built by Amandus Sink. The ride was torn down in 1897. | [6][7][8] |
| Twister | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | 1927 | 1935 | A Herbert Schmeck wooden roller coaster named "Twister" from 1927 to 1935. The ride was destroyed in a flood in March of 1936, and was removed a year later. | |
| Toboggan | Chance Rides | 1991 | 2016 | A portable Toboggan coaster. The ride featured four single cars. | |
| Mad Mouse | Allan Herschell Company | 1993 | 2003 | A steel spinning coaster. The ride closed in 2003 due to increasing maintenance needs. |
Incidents at Lakemont Park
- On July 23, 1959, a twelve-year-old boy named Frank Vestri drowned in the water park swimming pool, despite a life guard being on duty.
- On September 2, 1991, a seventeen-year-old ride operator named Chris Whitfield was injured by the Little Leaper coaster. He lost his right leg after it was caught between the train and its chain. The accident was featured on the television series Rescue 911 on CBS in 1992.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "After two summers closed, Lakemont Park reopens with new additions". Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ^ Stephens, Kay (March 7, 2018). "Lakemont to remain closed this year". Altoona Mirror. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
- ^ "After two summers closed, Lakemont Park reopens with new additions". Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ^ "Leap the Dips Roller Coaster". P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., Consulting Engineers. December 21, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Lakemont Park and The Island Water Park". Lakemontparkfun.com. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
- ^ "Lakemont Park Is 25 Years Old Tomorrow. Popular Resort was Formally Opened on July 4, 1893, by Logan Valley Railway". Altoona Tribune. July 3, 1918. p. 12.
- ^ "Plenty of Work Goes on Now at Lakemont Summer Fun Spot". Altoona Mirror. April 14, 1961. p. 16.
- ^ "July 4 To Mark 60th Birthday Of County's Lakemont Park". Altoona Tribune. June 29, 1953. p. 12.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lakemont Park.