Lake Compounce
| Lake Compounce | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lake Compounce |
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| place | Bristol (Connecticut) , Connecticut , United States | |||
| opening | 1846 | |||
| Visitors | 1.5 million (2015) | |||
| surface | 1.34 km² | |||
| Website | [1] | |||
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Coordinates: 41 ° 38 '30 " N , 72 ° 55' 24" W.
Lake Compounce is an amusement and theme park in Bristol and Southington, Connecticut ; the eponymous Compounce Lake is located entirely in Southington. The park opened in 1846, making it the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States . The park covers 332 acres (1.3 km²) and also has a beach and a water park . The park is currently owned by Palace Entertainment , the American subsidiary of Parques Reunidos , and has been bought by Kennywood Entertainment Company . There is a wooden one in the parkRoller coaster that is the fourteenth-oldest roller coaster in the world: Wildcat . In addition, the wooden roller coaster Boulder Dash has won the Golden Ticket Award for the best wooden roller coaster in the world for five consecutive years .
history
The name of the lake goes back to Chief John Compound , a Mattatuck / Tunxis Indian chief. On December 3, 1684, he signed with his wife and several other tribesmen by fingerprinting a contract that made the "Compound's Lake" available to a group of white settlers, including John Norton , who had moved from Massachusetts to central Connecticut. The contract price was a small amount of money and various items, including a large copper jug. A local legend tells that Chief Compound drowned trying to cross the lake in a large brass teapot.
Beginnings
The history of the park goes back to the year 1846, when Gad Norton commissioned a scientist to conduct an experiment with explosives, which however failed. However, the experiment attracted large crowds, which inspired Norton to open an amusement park. Initially, the park offered a bathing area and rowing boats on the lake, a pavilion for concerts and several small carousels . In the post- civil war period , the park was particularly popular as a picnic area.
In 1851, Isaac Pierce , a "49er" of the California Gold Rush , agreed with Norton to turn it into a business. The two men obtained from the Local Legislators that their residence was transferred from the city of Southington to the parish of Bristol. In 1895 a casino was built. That same year, the Bristol and Plainville Tramway Company built the Southington and Compounce Trolley Line . Soon after, Lake Compounce purchased the Lake Compounce Carousel for $ 10,000 and opened it on Memorial Day 1911. Today, the carousel is on the National Register of Historic Places .
In 1914, Lake Compounce opened the Green Dragon , the first electrically powered roller coaster that lasted until 1927 when it was replaced by the Wildcat roller coaster.
In the early 1930s the casino was expanded and the Starlight Ballroom built. This was opened at Easter by Glenn Gray and the Casa Loma Band . The attendance record of 5,000 was reached in the spring of 1941 when Tommy Dorsey's band put on a Frank Sinatra show.
The Great Depression and the advent of automobiles resulted in a decline in the number of customers for trolleys in the United States, which also reduced the number of visitors to the amusement parks. This was true of Lake Compounce as well as other parks in the New England region , such as Canobie Lake Park and Riverside Park (now Six Flags New England). In 1944, Lake Compounce built a steam train designed and built by Connecticut actor William Gillette , the first to cast Sherlock Holmes in silent films .
Change of ownership
The park was consistently successful until the late 1960s, when visitor numbers plummeted again. It remained in the ownership of the Pierce and Norton Corporation until 1966 when Edward G. Pierce, the great grandson of Isaac Pierce, sold his stake to the Norton family. The Nortons continued to run the park until 1985 and were even able to increase profitability and improve visitor numbers again. However, no major new attractions were added during this period and the Nortons put the park up for sale in 1984. 1985 Lake Compounce was at the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company sold, also the Hersheypark in Hershey (Pennsylvania) operates, and the short time the park in Hershey's Lake Compounce renamed. Factors such as poor marketing, low attendance and repeated failures to the rides resulted in Hershey closing the park after a season, a decision that made local reps excited.
In the spring of 1988, the Joseph Entertainment Group bought the park and named it Lake Compounce Festival Park . Renovation work was carried out and an outdoor amphitheater with 20,000 seats was built. One of the first music events to be held in the new event building was the Milli Vanilli group , and their live performance was broadcast on MTV . The playback tape stopped, which revealed to the audience that the two musicians were not singing themselves. This Milli Vanilli scandal began with the song " Girl You Know It's True ". The Joseph Entertainment Group focused on concert promotion and neglected the Amusement Park portion. The Wildcat roller coaster and other rides were disabled until 1991. That year, financial troubles at JEG also became public when a company check on Guns N 'Roses broke and the concert was canceled. It later became public that JEG owed nearly $ 900,000 in taxes and also failed to repay nearly $ 300,000 owed to ticket buyers for 15 canceled concerts.
Kennywood and Parques Reunidos :
In 1996 an agreement was reached with Kennywood Entertainment , the owner of Pittsburgh's historic Kennywood Amusement Park, through which he acquired Lake Compounce. In 2000 the roller coaster Boulder Dash opened, which in 2004 received the Golden Ticket Award from Amusement Today for the best wooden roller coaster. At the end of 2007 Kennywood Entertainment sold its park to the Parques Reunidos group from Spain .
There are plans to enlarge Crocodile Cove Water Park . In 2013 the Bayou Bay Wave Pool was built and in 2014 the park was supplemented by the nearby Bear Creek Campground with weekend cottages, tent and caravan pitches and a main building (main lodge).
In 2016, the Phobia Phear Coaster was built with a looping 150 ft (= 46 m) height for several million dollars.
Events
In October the park hosts a Halloween event where the roller coasters ride in the dark and a haunted house " The Haunted Graveyard " is open to visitors. This attraction consists of a 45-minute walk through catacombs and rooms. The Haunted Graveyard was created in 1991 and didn't come to Lake Compounce until 2001. A portion of the entrance fees will be donated to the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation during this time .
In December the park is transformed into a "Christmas Experience" (Christmas wonderland). There is a chance to meet Santa and a 100 ft (30 m) high Christmas tree will be erected - the largest in Connecticut.
Rides
| Surname | Illustration | Opening year | Manufacturer | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| roller coaster | ||||
| Boulder Dash |
|
2000 | Custom Coasters International | First roller coaster that was built entirely on a mountain. the length of the runway is 4,725 ft (1,440 m) long. The first descent is 115 ft (35 m) high. |
| Kiddie Coaster | 1997 | Molina & Sons | Children's roller coaster with oval track. Five wagons for two people each. | |
| Phobia Phear Coaster | 2016 | Premier Rides | A model in the style of the Superman Ultimate Flight . With inline twist , non-inverting loop , 3 LSM (linear motors) and a top speed of 62 mph (100 km / h). | |
| Wildcat |
|
1927 | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | The heart of the roller coasters in the park. Wooden planks from the original from 1927 are still intact in the machine house. |
| Zoomerang |
|
1997 | Vekoma | A Vekoma boomerang roller coaster with a 125 ft (38 m) high descent, a cobra roll and vertical loop. |
| Amusement attractions | ||||
| American Flyers | 2003 | Rocco amusements | Carousel that was originally set up in other parks. | |
| Bumper cars | 1997 | Reverchon Industries | Bumper cars | |
| Candy carousel | 1911 | Loof / Murphy | Built in 1898 and since 1911 in Lake Compounce, one of the oldest working carousels in the US | |
| Central Pacific Railroad, CP Huntington Train |
|
1997 | chance | Narrow gauge railway (2ft = 610mm) along the east coast of Lake Compounce |
| Down time |
|
2004 | S&S Power | Free fall tower with a fall height of 185 ft (= 56 m) and a speed of 60 mph (= 97 km / h) |
| Giant wheel | 1997 | chance | Ferris wheel | |
| Ghost hunt |
|
1999 | Sally Corporation | Themed ride in which the drivers shoot ghosts with laser cannons. |
| Pirate ship | 1986 | HUSS | Ship swing | |
| Revolution | 2011 | Zamperla | Disco | |
| Saw Mill Plunge | 1986 | Arrow Dynamics | Flume | |
| Sky Coaster | 1998 | Skycoaster Inc. | Skycoaster | |
| Thunder N 'Lightning |
|
2006 | S&S Power | Screamin 'swing with two arms running at a speed of 60 mph (= 97 km / h) and up to 3 G |
| Thunder Rapids | 1997 | Hopkins | Rapid River | |
| The trolley | 1997 | Osgood Bradley Car Company | A standard gauge railway (4ft8.5in = 1435mm) owned by the historic Connecticut Company . # 1414 trolley car from 1911. | |
| Twister | 2000 | Wisdom Industries Ltd. | Tornado-style ride (carousel) | |
| Wave swingers |
|
1986 | Ornamental | Chain carousel |
| Wipeout | 2009 | Chance rides | Trabant ride | |
| Zoomer's Gas N 'Go | 2007 | Morgan | 1950s style car carousel | |
| Children's rides | ||||
| Caterpillar Train | 1997 | Zamperla | ||
| Drop zone | 2004 | Moser | Free fall tower with a height of 40 ft (= 12 m) | |
| Drum circus | 1997 | Sartori | carousel | |
| Fantasy carousel | 1997 | chance | Carousel with menagerie animals. | |
| Flying Elephants | 1997 | Sartori | carousel | |
| Jolly Jester | 2009 | Visa SRL | Ship swing | |
| Kiddie swingers | 1985 | Dietz | Chain carousel | |
| Little Critters | 1999 | IE Park | Pit cars | |
| Little Dare Devils | 1985 | Hampton | Motorcycle models | |
| Rainbow Riders | 2007 | SBF Visa | Carousel with tethered balloons that ascend and descend 25 ft (7.6 m). | |
Water park
The water park includes several zones and water features such as wave pools, water slides, current pools, etc. The play equipment is named in detail: Anchor Bay (2005), Bayou Bay (2013), Buccaneer Bay (1998), Clipper Cove (2003), Compounce Cabana Boat ( 2007), Keeper's Cottage (1998), Lights Out (1998), Mammoth Falls (2001), Riptide Racer (2012), Tunnel Twisters (2009), Wave Pool (1998).
Past attractions
- Sky Ride: Chairlift to the summit of Southington Mountain, 1997-2017.
- Enterprise: Gondola Carousel, 1986-2015.
- Miniature Golf , 1959-2004.
- Anchor Bay: amphitheater with 20,000 seats, 1988–1997.
- Arctic Express: Musikexpress, 2008.
- Green Dragon: Roller Coaster, 1914–1926.
- Lake Plunge: Water Slide, 1999-2011.
- Musik Express: 1985-2008.
- Top Spin: 1997-2002.
- Twister Sisters: Slide, 1985-2007.
- Rotor: centrifugal carousel, 1997-2010.
- Paddle boats: 1985-2005.
- Swan Boats: 2005-2007.
- Mark Twain: 'Steamship' 1999-2007.
- Gillette Railway: steam train, 1943–1997.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Global Attractions Attendance Report 2015. (PDF) TEA, accessed on July 3, 2016 (English).
- ↑ Park information. ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. lakecompuonce.com.
- ↑ Oldest Amusement Parks in the United States. The Best of America, americasbestonline.com.
- ↑ Acres. themeparkinsider.com.
- ↑ Photos: 21 oldest roller coasters in the world. Los Angeles Times, latimes.com.
- ↑ Golden Ticket at Boulder Dash. Golden Ticket Awards.
- ↑ America's First Family Theme Park Lake Compounce History ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ↑ Lake Compounce at angelfire.com November 2017.
- ↑ a b Lake Compounce: Bringing Amusements to the State's Residents Since 1846 . Connecticut History.
- ^ Lake Compounce Trolley History . bera.org. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ NRHP Confirmation . npg.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ↑ Schmeck wooden roller coaster, built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.
- ↑ Lake Compounce Facts . onlyinyourstate.com. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ↑ Gillette Trains Coming Back . Courant.com. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ 140-year Run of Fun at Lake Compounce Perseveres . June 29, 1986. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Bristol Fights Park Closing . The New York Times. October 11, 1987. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ↑ Tamar Anitai: Vintage Video: Milli Vanilli Performs 'Live' On Club MTV In 1989 . MTV. May 15, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- ↑ When the Carousel Comes Grinding to a Halt . The New York Times. July 4, 1992. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ↑ Guns N 'Roses Bows Out . Hartford Courant. September 21, 1991. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ↑ 2004 Golden Ticket . lakecompounce.com. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ^ Bristol News . Bristol Press. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- ^ Lauren Sievert: New multi-million dollar roller coaster coming to Lake Compounce next year . In: Record-Journal , July 10, 2015.
- ^ Andrew Stillwell: Lake Compounce Announces "Phobia" for 2016 . Coaster101. July 10, 2015. Accessed July 10, 2015.
- ^ Haunted Graveyard . hauntedgraveyard.com. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ Haunted Graveyard among top Halloween treats . CT Post. October 24, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ↑ Holiday Lights . lakecompounce.com. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ Tallest tree in CT . cbslocal.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ↑ Phobia Phear Coaster - Lake Compounce (Bristol, Connecticut, USA) .
- ^ Robert A. Hamilton: In the Region / Connecticut; An Amusement Park on a Roller-Coaster Upswing . In: The New York Times , June 13, 1999, p. 2. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ↑ Connecticut Trolley Museum: Hartford County Trolleys . Arcadia Publishing. 7th November 2017.
- ^ The Shore Line Trolley Museum: Articles: Lake Compounce .
