Lake Compounce
 | |
| Slogan | New England's Family Theme Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Bristol, Connecticut, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°38′30″N 72°55′24″W / 41.64167°N 72.92333°WCoordinates: 41°38′30″N 72°55′24″W / 41.64167°N 72.92333°W |
| Owner | Parques Reunidos |
| Opened | 1846 |
| Previous names | Lake Compounce (1846–1985), Hershey Lake Compounce (1986–1987), Lake Compounce Festival Park (1988–1995), Lake Compounce (1996-Present) |
| Operating season | May through December |
| Area | 332 acres (1.34 km2) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 44 |
| Roller coasters | 5 |
| Water rides | 13 |
| Website | www |
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,[1][2] it spans 332 acres (134 ha), which includes a beach and a water park called Crocodile Cove included in the price of admission.[3] 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,[4] 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.[5]
Contents
History[edit]
The lake's name is derived from Chief John Compound, a Mattatuck/Tunxis Native American. On December 3, 1684, his tribe signed a deed that left Compound's Lake to a group of white settlers, including John Norton, who had migrated to central Connecticut from Massachusetts; the property was left to the settlers in exchange for a small amount of money and miscellaneous items, including a large brass tea kettle.[6] A local myth suggests that Chief Compound drowned while trying to cross the lake in the brass tea kettle.[7]
Early days[edit]
The park's history goes back to 1846, when Gad Norton hired a scientist to perform an experiment using explosives, which failed; the experiment brought large crowds, which inspired Norton to open an amusement park. His park had public swimming and rowing on the lake, a gazebo for lakeside band concerts and several rides; the park saw success as a picnic park through the post-Civil War era.[8]
In 1851, a California Gold Rush 49er named Isaac Pierce joined Norton to establish a firm; the two men petitioned local legislators that their residences be ceded from the town of Southington to the town of Bristol. In 1895, a casino was built on the property, which was the first permanent building at the site. Later that year, the Bristol and Plainville Tramway Company constructed the Southington and Compounce trolley line.[9] Shortly after, Lake Compounce purchased the Lake Compounce Carousel for $10,000, opening it on Memorial Day, 1911; the Carousel is now included in the National Register of Historic Places.[10]
In 1914, Lake Compounce opened the Green Dragon, the park's first electric-powered roller coaster; the coaster was torn down in 1927 to make room for the Wildcat, a wooden coaster designed by Schmeck and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.
The early 1930s brought more growth; the casino was expanded with a dance floor. On Easter, Glenn Gray and the Casa Loma Band opened the Starlight Ballroom; the all-time attendance record of 5,000 was set in the spring of 1941, when Tommy Dorsey's reorganized band featured Frank Sinatra, who had yet reach the height of his career.[11]
The effects of the Great Depression and the popularity of the automobile brought trolleys in the United States into a decline, which negatively impacted attendance at Lake Compounce; these same factors had similar effects on other parks in the New England region, such as Canobie Lake Park and Riverside Park.[8] In 1944, Lake Compounce opened a steam railroad, it was designed and built by Connecticut actor William Gillette, the original portrayer of Sherlock Holmes in silent films.[12]
New ownership[edit]
The park's success was steady until the late 1960s, when the park's attendance was decreasing. Lake Compounce remained under the ownership of the Pierce and Norton Corporation until 1966, when Edward G. Pierce sold his share to the Norton family; the Nortons owned and operated the park through 1985 and were able to restore some profitability and raise attendance. No major attractions were added during this time, and the Nortons listed the park for sale in 1984. In 1985, Lake Compounce was sold to the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, owners of Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, who briefly renamed the park to "Hershey's Lake Compounce".[13] Factors such as poor marketing, low attendance, and repeated ride outages caused Hershey to close the park after one off-season, a decision that upset local representatives.[14]
In the spring of 1988, Joseph Entertainment Group bought the park and renamed it "Lake Compounce Festival Park"; the park received renovations and a 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. One of the first notable musical acts to perform at the new venue was the group Milli Vanilli, and their live performance was broadcast on MTV in what became the first public sign they were lip-synching, when a recording of the song "Girl You Know It's True" began to skip.[15] JEG focused on concert promotion and neglected the amusement park portion of the property; the Wildcat roller coaster and other rides became nonoperational by 1991. That year, JEG's financial troubles were exposed when a check the company wrote to Guns N' Roses bounced, and the performance was cancelled, it was later discovered that JEG was nearly $900,000 behind in taxes and had not refunded nearly $300,000 to ticket-holders for 15 cancelled concerts.[16][17]
Kennywood and Parques Reunidos[edit]
Early in 1996, Kennywood Entertainment, owners of Pittsburgh's Kennywood amusement park, signed an agreement to purchase Lake Compounce. In 2000, the roller coaster Boulder Dash was opened, and later received the 2004 Golden Ticket Award for the #1 rated Wooden roller coaster by "Amusement Today."[18] In late 2007, Kennywood Entertainment Company sold its parks to Spain-based Parques Reunidos.[19]
Plans include a significant expansion of the Crocodile Cove water park; this has required the moving of nearby Mount Vernon Road to the north to give the park more room for expansion. The road move was expected to cost $6 million, while the additions to the water park were expected to cost $15 million.[20] In 2013, the park added the Bayou Bay wave pool as part of its expansion plans. In 2014, the park added a campground off-site called Bear Creek Campground with cabins, tent and RV spaces, and a main lodge.
In 2016, the park added a new roller coaster called "Phobia Phear Coaster," a Sky Rocket 2 model from Premier Rides. Phobia features three LSM launches and a heartline roll at 150 feet (46 m) high. General Manager Jerry Brick stated that the coaster was the biggest investment in the park's history.[21][22]
Events[edit]
During October, the park runs a Halloween event; the midways are decorated, many of the park's rides are run in the dark, and a haunted house called "The Haunted Graveyard" is opened. The attraction consists of a 45-minute walk-through of catacombs, castles, special effects, and graveyards, as well as many other houses being added every year; the Haunted Graveyard started in 1991 and relocated to Lake Compounce in 2001. Portions of the proceeds are donated towards the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.[23][24]
During December, the park becomes covered in lights, becoming a Christmas experience for adults and children. There is a selection of children's and family rides open and a place to meet Santa; the event also features a 100-foot-tall Christmas tree, which is the largest in Connecticut.[25][26]
Attractions[edit]
| Ride name | Picture | Opening year | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roller coasters | ||||
| Boulder Dash | 
|
2000 | Custom Coasters International | First wooden coaster to be built on the side of a mountain.[27] The track length is 4,725-foot (1,440 m) long with a 115-foot (35 m) first drop. |
| Kiddie Coaster | 1997 | Molina & Sons | A children's roller coaster with an oval shaped track. The train consists of five cars with two children or one adult and one child per car. | |
| Phobia Phear Coaster | 2016 | Premier Rides | Sky Rocket II model roller coaster. Features an inline twist, a non-inverting loop, 3 LSM launches, and a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).[28] | |
| Wildcat | 
|
1927 | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | A historic wooden roller coaster and recipient of an ACE Coaster Landmark Award.[29] |
| Zoomerang | 
|
1997 | Vekoma | A Boomerang shuttle coaster from Vekoma with a 125-foot (38 m) drop, a cobra roll and vertical loop. |
| Amusement rides | ||||
| American Flyers | 1997 | Rocco Amusements | A Flying Scooters ride that previously resided at several different amusement parks, including Kennywood, before being relocated to Lake Compounce in 1997. The ride was located near the front of the park until 2001 when Mammoth Falls was built; the ride returned in 2003 to the area where the former Top Spin attraction was located. | |
| Bumper Cars | 1997 | Reverchon Industries | Classic bumper cars ride | |
| Carousel | 1911 | Looff/Murphy | Built in 1898 and moved to Lake Compounce in 1911, it is one of the oldest-operating carousels in the US. A Wurlitzer 153 band organ that plays off of style 150 paper rolls provides the carousel's music. | |
| Central Pacific Railroad, C.P. Huntington Train | 
|
1997 | Chance | A 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge family train ride which navigates alongside the east shore of Lake Compounce |
| Down Time | 
|
2004 | S&S Power | A drop tower ride that drops riders 185 feet (56 m) up to 60 mph (97 km/h) |
| Giant Wheel | 1997 | Chance | A Ferris wheel | |
| Ghost Hunt | 
|
1999 | Sally Corporation | A ghosts and ghouls dark ride experience where riders shoot laser guns at targets to score points[30] |
| Pirate Ship | 1986 | HUSS | Classic swinging pirate ship ride | |
| Rev-O-Lution | 2011 | Zamperla | A Disk'O flat ride that spins 360 degrees on a half-pipe-shaped track | |
| Saw Mill Plunge | 1986 | Arrow Dynamics | A classic log flume ride | |
| Sky Coaster | 1998 | Skycoaster Inc. | A Skycoaster amusement ride that swings riders in a pendulum motion | |
| Thunder N' Lightning | 
|
2006 | S&S Power | A Screamin' Swing ride where two giant arms swing riders up to 60 mph (97 km/h) producing up to 3 G's |
| Thunder Rapids | 1997 | Hopkins | A classic river rapids ride | |
| The Trolley | 1997 | Osgood Bradley Car Company | A 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge open-air trolley ride utilizing the historic Connecticut Company #1414 trolley car, built in 1911[31][32] | |
| Twister | 2000 | Wisdom Industries Ltd. | A tornado-style ride where riders are able to spin their gondolas while the entire platform rotates and tilts | |
| Wave Swinger | 
|
1986 | Zierer | A wave swinger flat ride that tilts as riders swing in a circular motion |
| Wipeout | 2009 | Chance Rides | A modern version of a classic Trabant ride | |
| Zoomer's Gas N' Go | 2007 | Morgan | A 1950s' car-themed attraction for children | |
| Children's rides | ||||
| Caterpillar Train | 1997 | Zamperla | Ride vehicle has been themed to resemble a caterpillar. Consists of a powered first car and four non-powered training cars which run around a small scale track at a moderate speed. Ride is housed under its own open-air pavilion. | |
| Drop Zone | 2004 | Moser | A 40-foot (12 m) drop tower designed for children. An adult may ride if accompanying a child under 56-inch (140 cm). Riders are lifted 36-foot (11 m) in the air and then 'bounced' to the bottom. There are four different drop sequences to make each ride feel different. | |
| Drum Circus | 1997 | Sartori | Each ride seat is a drum that spins individually while the entire ride spins clockwise. The drums are fixed to arms which raise and lower automatically. | |
| Fantasy Carousel | 1997 | Morgan | A miniature carousel that has two rows of menagerie animals, including a fish, cat, and horse. Some of the figures are animated while others are stationary and there is one wheel chair accessible bench seat; the ride is designed for smaller children, but adults may stand next to a figure to accompany a child. | |
| Flying Elephants | 1997 | Sartori | The ride rotates in a clockwise direction and has 6 arms, each with an 'elephant' attached. The arms rise when the rider pulls the control stick towards them-self, and the elephant descends when the control stick is pushed away. | |
| Jolly Jester | 2009 | Visa SRL | A smaller version of the Pirate Ship where a motor below the ship turns a drive wheel that allows the boat to move back and forth in the direction of the spinning tire. | |
| Kiddie Swinger | 1985 | Dietz | Consists of sixteen swings suspended from chains on a rotating center. | |
| Little Critters | 1999 | I. E. Park | Small scale bumper cars themed as animals which seat up to two riders. Each passenger wears a shoulder strap across one of their shoulders; the overhead grid provides the power to each car motor. Ride is housed under its own open-air pavilion. | |
| Little Dare Devils | 1985 | Hampton | Consists of small scale motorcycles which rotate in a counter clockwise direction. A large umbrella canopy covers the ride and simultaneously rotates in a clockwise direction. | |
| Rainbow Riders | 2007 | SBF Visa | Consists of eight hot-air balloon themed baskets suspended from a center carriage which rotates and raises 25-foot (7.6 m). | |
| Water rides | ||||
| CrocoNile | 2005 | Lazy river that also includes an optional waterslide | ||
| Bayou Bay | 2013 | Wave pool | ||
| Buccaneer Bay | 1998 | Soak zone | ||
| Clipper Cove | 2003 | Soak zone | ||
| Compounce Cabana Boat | 2007 | Pontoon | ||
| Keeper's Cottage | 1998 | Soak zone | ||
| Mammoth Falls | 2001 | Enclosed raft slide | ||
| Riptide Racer | 2012 | Body slide | ||
| Tunnel Twisters | 2009 | Body slide | ||
| Wave Pool | 1998 | Wave pool | ||
| Venus Vortex | 2020 | Raft slide | ||
Former attractions[edit]
| Ride name | Type | Year opened | Year closed | Service years | Description | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roller coasters | ||||||
| Green Dragon | Roller coaster | 1914 | 1926 | 12 | Wooden roller coaster that was replaced by the Wildcat | Wildcat |
| Roll in the Dark | Enclosed Roller Coaster | 1979 | 1982 | 3 | Enclosed Roller Coaster | |
| Amusement rides | ||||||
| The Sky Ride | Chairlift | 1997 | 2017 | 20 | A 25-minute Chairlift amusement ride that took riders to the top of Southington mountain and back. | TBD |
| Enterprise | Amusement ride | 1986 | 2015 | 29 | An Enterprise amusement ride model that consists of 20 gondolas arranged in a circle that spin at nearly a right angle to the ground. Manufactured by HUSS. | Phobia Phear Coaster |
| Musik Express | Amusement ride | 1985 | 2008 | 23 | A Mack Music Express | Wipeout |
| Rotor | Amusement ride | 1997 | 2010 | 13 | A cylindrical spinning ride where centrifugal force stuck the riders to the wall | Rev-O-Lution |
| Top Spin | Amusement ride | 1997 | 2002 | 5 | A Huss Top Spin | American Flyers |
| Tornado | Amusement Ride | 1975 | 1999 | 24 | Indoor scrambler ride. | Twister |
| Children's rides | ||||||
| Arctic Express | Kiddie ride | 2008 | Miniature version of the Musik Express for children | Jolly Jester | ||
| Water rides | ||||||
| Lake Plunge | Tube slide | 1999 | 2011 | 12 | Tube slide that was enclosed. It splashed out into the lake with 2 variants. | Riptide Racer |
| Lights Out | Body slide | 1998 | 2019 | 21 | Enclosed body slide that went around a lighthouse | Venus Vortex |
| Twister Sisters | Body slide | 1985 | 2007 | 22 | 3 twisting enclosed body slides that were tan in color | Tunnel Twisters |
| Other | ||||||
| Miniature Golf Course | Extra Fee Attraction | 1959 | 2004 | 45 | 18 miniature golf holes | Anchor Bay |
| Amphitheater | Stage | 1988 | 1997 | 9 | 20,000 seat outdoor amphitheater, home to concerts for many big names bands, and was constructed during the JEG era of the park | Zoomerang |
| Paddle Boats | Extra fee | 1985 | 2005 | 20 | Rental paddle boats | Compounce Cabana Boat |
| Swan Boats | Extra fee | 2005 | 2007 | 2 | Rental paddle boats themed as swans | Compounce Cabana Boat |
| Mark Twain | Transportation | 1999 | 2007 | 8 | Flat bottom paddle boat that transported guests across the lake, themed as a classic steam boat | Compounce Cabana Boat |
| Gillette Railway | Transportation | 1943 | 1997 | 54 | Train designed by William Gillette, and was borrowed from and later returned to Gillette Castle. | C.P. Huntington Train |
References[edit]
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External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Compounce. |
