Lake Compounce is an amusement park located in Bristol and Southington, Connecticut. Opened in 1846, it is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States. It spans 332 acres (134 ha), which includes a beach and a water park called Crocodile Cove, both included in the price of admission. The park was acquired from Kennywood Entertainment Company by Palace Entertainment, the U.S. subsidiary of Parques Reunidos. In addition to the 14th oldest wooden roller coaster in the world, Wildcat, its newer wooden roller coaster, Boulder Dash, has won the Golden Ticket Award for the #1 Wooden Coaster in the World for five consecutive years.
The main gate of Lake Compounce
Green Dragon roller coaster
Lake Compounce SkyRide chair lifts from the Tunxis Trail Compounce Ridge side trail (2010)
Decommissioned Lake Compounce chair lift on Tunxis Trail (2019)
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often featuring multiple areas with different themes. Unlike temporary and mobile funfairs and carnivals, amusement parks are stationary and built for long-lasting operation. They are more elaborate than city parks and playgrounds, usually providing attractions that cater to a variety of age groups. While amusement parks often contain themed areas, theme parks place a heavier focus with more intricately-designed themes that revolve around a particular subject or group of subjects.
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida – Cinderella Castle, the park's icon.
Al-Shallal Theme Park in Saudi Arabia.
Unity Park zoo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Frederick Savage's 'Sea-On-Land' carousel, where the riders would pitch up and down as if they were on the sea, was the first amusement ride installed in Dreamland Margate in 1880 England.