mike541x Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Dang, those photos are chilling. So sad to see a great park rotting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_e219 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Wow, great pics. It sure is worse than I had expected. The park didn't look much different than this when I visited there late last August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyweird Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 It's amazing how quickly human built structures deteriorate without people around to take care of them. Absolutely amazing. Â It's sad to see a park get sold off like this, but in the end business is business, and as much as we would like to think otherwise, we'll see this happen many more times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfreak519 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 These pics bring back a lot of memories of my 8th grade field trip during the park's last year of operation. It's sad to see the park so deteriorated and lifeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Wow, great pics. It sure is worse than I had expected. The park didn't look much different than this when I visited there late last August. Â Grizzly Run looked the same as it did when I was there in mid summer of 2006. It wasn't even on. Â In my lone visit to the park, I enjoyed my time there, but you could tell it's time was dwindling. It was late June and there was no one there. The longest line was X-Flight, and it was only ten minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 And TheRapidsNerd, I'm judging by your username you like rapids, as do I. I had to get pics of it. Well....maybe just a little. Glad you did get those pics too. Just wow. There really isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been said. Â Good to meet another rapids fan and looking forward to the next round. You're coverage of all this is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattnz Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 For some reason I'm saddest about Double Loop's scrap yard fate. I believe it was the first coaster to have consecutive loops (before Schwarzkopf's Shockwave). Not an amazing coaster by any standards really, but still a classic Arrow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All Clear Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I really wish I could have been to this park when it was so good. Last summer it was kind of dumpy with rude employees. Â The only non-pathetic crew was on Dominator. In fact, Dominator was the only good thing about that whole trip for me. O, the irony, that it is now out my back door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElToroGirl84 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 This is rather sad post but those are some nice pictures. I've never been to this park but knowing I won't have the opportunity to is rather depressing. Some of the best theming and building elements I've seen for a park of this size. Was it really doing that bad that they had to close it, or was it just to expensive to keep open? Â I'm going to assume though it was just closed without an explanation since I've heard of this park closing but have yet to hear a reason for it. After seeing pictures of it in it's demolition stages it looks rather nice to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti762 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Sad.....yeti is crying  GL was a very nice park. Under SF, it was packed to the gills. Under CF, it was never very crowded. CF cleaned it up and made it very enjoyable. I will always have my pictures and memories of the park.  I considering going to the auction, but knew I wouldn't be buying anything. Guess I made the right choice by saving the gas and staying home.  Seems like the auctioneers would've made a lot more money by putting the signs in lots. What other company is going to want a bunch of GL signs!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robman97 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Knowing that I never got to go to Gl but seen many pictures this really brought a tear to my eye to see what this place looks now its very sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE ONE Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 It saddens me a little bit to see these photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immelman Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 These pictures are interesting, in a morbid sort of way. I went to this park once in 2002. It was pretty crowded but then again that was right after all the huge additions Six Flags made. In my opinion those big additions probably ended up costing the park more money then they could bring in. Â I will miss it, especially because they aren't many parks close to me. No more big Dipper is sad because I thought it was a very good wooden coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiAdventureMan87 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 What a sad, sad sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopThrill182 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Sorry for the delay. Since I had a busy work weekend, and am going to Cedar Point tomorrow, I was only able to upload 30 photos this time. There are about 90 photos left for upload, probably Monday afternoon. Â More photos: The other entrance to Kidworks Playzone. One of the former ride locations is in the background. I'm surprised CF didn't ship the old operator booths to CP! One final view of Rocket Sled Slides. There were also a few dry fort sections surrounding the slide complex. Notice that the area was becoming a bit dated and in need of a refresh. A look inside the Kidworks Playzone shop. Again, other than the removal of merchandise, the store looks just as it did last season. A look down the floating bridge from its final GL location. It really was a nice bridge with benches, lamposts, and fish feeders allowing guests to feed the mammoth carp in the lake. WWK is seen in the background, including the record breaking crowds in "one of America's largest water parks". If you detected sarcasm, you're right. This landing has a lot of history. Originally the landing was designed for the ferry boats to dock at, which they did during the SF era. The dock was right beside the Neptune Falls slide complex in Hurricane Harbor. After CF took over, they still used the landing for the ferry boats, until they were discontinued. CF later moved the floating bridge (then by Raging Wolf Bobs), to this location, creating a more direct path between WWK and the ride side. This is the North Geauga Lake Landing. Another Geauga Lake Landing, the South one, is over on the WWK / Sea World side. Raging Wolf Bobs as seen from Geauga Lake Landing. A large, colorful Kidworks Playzone store in the background. Geauga Lake landing is on the left. Other than crucial sign changes to avoid copyright infringement, CF did very little with Looney Toon's Boom Town in its conversion to Kidworks Playzone. Rocket Sled Slide entrance to the right with warning sign. Another look at the Rocket Sled Slides exit. The elevator (surrounded by blue tarp) can also be seen. Notice how the pink slide was quickly fading, as with most other paint in Kidworks Playzone. Rocket Sled Slides. You got quite wet on these. The small yellow rafts were carried up to the top again via elevators. Spectators could shoot riders with geysers for FREE, which meant you were guaranteed to get soaked on this ride. Old Looney Toon's Boom Town rides. Most rides from Looney Toon's Boom Town were moved to Planet Snoopy at Cedar Point for this season. Despite the missing rides however, Looney Toon's Boom Town was the best looking area in the park! It still looked presentable. Another water play area in the foreground. Rocket Sled Slides and other play areas in the background. Gotcha Games Ball Factory. A REALLY fun place to be regardless of your age. Notice the bleachers in the front so that parents could watch their kids but be somewhat distant from the wildness inside. A large water play area in the entrance plaza of Loony Toon's Boom Town. Gotcha Games Ball Factory is in the background. Ramp leading down into Looney Toon's Boom Town (I'll refer to it as this since it still looks it). Kidworks Playzone (aka Looney Toon's Boom Town with a different sign). Entrance to Time Warp with warning sign. Back to Time Warp. Due to limited demand, the front side was used much more frequently than the backside. To the best of my knowledge, the backside was not in use for most, if not all, of CF's run. Interior of Jukebox Cafe. It remains untouched other than the shifting of some tables. The food here was actually quite good. The deserts were quite large. Jukebox Cafe. The Cafe was actually renovated (more 50's artifacts added) the last season of operation. CF was able to recoup this expenditure in the auction. Coincidence? Time Warp. Such ride signs were NOT being auctioned off a la carte. Note that the Americana ferris wheel was not up for auction, meaning it will appear at another CF park. Americana sign and warning sign with a carriage in the background. Note the nice weather and clear blue sky for the day. The ride had spectacular views of the whole park, and the Sea World / WWK side of things, but especially had a nice view of the nearby Thunderhawk. The Americana ferris wheel. It was spinning throughout the day (due to the wind, not actually being run like I thought when I pulled in the parking lot). Another look at the All American Grille. Notice, again, the brick pavers to the right which have been knocked over. Probably due to them trying to get to buried cables. The All American Grille. No the food was not very good. But hey - it was all American! Ring toss game. One of the few game stands in the park to still have the actual game there. Some of the rings were even still there! Another look at the Dog Pound Derby game. One of my favorite photos from the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Very nice photo's of the once mighty park. Does the Ferris wheel not look straight.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 You've done a great job documenting things. The detail and historical value are wonderful...especially for modelers and simulators later. Great references. Â No worries on crazy work schedules. Hang in there and we'll be glad to see the next round when you're ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillywill Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 topthrill thank you for all the great pics of the park ,i was a ride mechanic there from 94 to 98 when funtime owned the park and a game op in 85 and 86 before i went into the army . the park was a place all my family visited since the 60s and it has allot of memories with us , now i live in florida and just found out about it going under by family members and it saddens me to hear of such a great family park having its throat cut by its rival .the pics you have takin are great and refreshed allot of memories , i worked on the gold rush (pepsi plunge) and the dodgems mostly and allot of other rides and helped build grizzly run ( my name is etched in the first tunnel turn concrete ) . to allot of people it was a little unknown park in the middle of nowhere but to some it was a place we loved . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Every Geauga Lake photo I've seen lately makes me kind of weep at how it's just been 5 years since Six Flags owned it. And back then the park looked like it was a blast and didn't really have to worry about attendance. Just look at this old site, which looks like the most comprehensive page on Geauga Lake I've seen back when it was owned by Six Flags. Kind of sad to see the park went from this:  http://ohiothemeparks.homestead.com/SFWoAMain.html  ...to what's been posted here.  But this is one of the most informative TR's I've seen posted in a while. Keep updating when you can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skramp Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 You know, the saddest part of all of this is looking back at the park's overall history. Having lived in OH my whole life, I can remember when they were two separate parks. I can remember going to Sea World, seeing Shamu and the water ski show, then go over to Geauga Lake for like 2 hours and you were done. Â It was cool what SF tried to do with combining the two of them, and I wish it would have worked better for them. They were really onto something that could have been a gold mine. What sucks is that two great parks have basically been gutted over the years and destroyed, only to be replaced by some crappy waterpark that will see about 3 months of use a year. Â Anyone else remember feeding the seals at SW? Watching the Shamu show and Dolphin show? Those were great times!!! And although GL wasn't that great in the beginning, it was still a cool park that you could spend an afternoon at and have a great time. Â It's just sad to see these two iconic parts of OH amusement park history gone now. Who knows what will happen next, but hopefully something good will replace it, or knowing CF, they will probably sell the land to a developer that will build a housing tract there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumForce Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Didn't expect this but these pics actually choked me up a bit. I had a lot of good times there with Family and Friends. I'll miss the atmosphere of the place and the fun I had there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE ONE Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Thanks for the updates it's nice to finally see photos of Gl after the closing and all the ride removals. By the great work on all the photos and information on the updates. It was a little weird after Coaster mania not to go to GL for EXT the next day. Thanks for the updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packfanlv Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Thanks for providing a great history and commentary of a park that I never had the opportunity to visit. I am really enjoying the updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astat Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Was Head Spin dismantled already? I heard a couple months back that they were doing prep work to take it apart and ship it off somewhere, but I haven't heard anything about it since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcman Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I'm really glad someone posted one last photo report from this park. Looking at these last pics is upsetting to say the least. I was lucky enough to make it out there the last two summers before I found out it was closing down. I also remember when the two different parks existed. It's hard to believe that it was like that just 11 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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