Tat’s Bizarre Travels

Conneaut Lake, PA - Almost on cue, the beautiful day that that blessed me as I drove north was marred by heavy gray clouds just when I pulled into the parking lot of Conneaut Lake Park. It was almost like nature was trying to set the scene. Conneaut was closed two years ago and the overcast skies just added to the overall sadness you feel when you hang out at an abandoned amusement park.

I never went to Conneaut as a kid, so I don’t feel that same degree of loss as a woman I met. She told me about the fire and park’s closed doors. Just talking to her I could almost hear the break in her voice. Nevertheless, there is something about an abandoned amusement park that is depressing to everyone. Both those with memories and those without.

The park isn’t in that bad of disrepair. Having been closed for only two years it’s only the midway that seems worse for ware. It’s also closest to the ballroom, where the fire raged it’s brightest. Many of the bulbs on the lamp posts have been melted into a glassy, goowie shell of what it once was. All of the bright red, white and blue paint is peeling and the entirety of the midway is boarded up. Benches play sentinel’s to the open doors and “Private” “No Trespassing” signs mar the the exterior of what was once the milk bottle toss or the arcade.

For the most part the rides are the same. Most are missing their cars, but even the few that remain are sad and lonely. The bumper cars are especially sad. They’re still in great condition, but they’re crowded in the corner playing wallflowers at a highschool dance where no one wants to ask them on the dance floor.

Finally there’s the hotel. It sits vacant and frightening, in the Shining kinda way. I’m not sure it’s been closed for the full two years since you’ll notice, when peaking through the windows, that the shelves still hold various canned goods and computers still sit on the reception desk which is right across from the full shelves of the lobby library. There’s a sign on the door that said something about occupancy issues, but I’m not sure when it’s from and even if the hotel was open it would get any customers with the ruined park just beyond it. There are some very apparent areas of disrepair as you see the paint beginning to peel and a fountain full of what one can only image is a breeding ground for disease. But then there’s the wrap around porch with gives a stunning view of the lake itself. You can almost hear the lazy day conversations that went on here over an ice cold glass of tea.

The park is still accessible to anyone who wants to walk amongst the moldering buildings. I’d imagine it’s so people can still hang out on the beach (which they were) or wander the boardwalk (people were doing this as well). Everything that’s important is locked down and there are no signs of tampering (except over at the ladies room in Kiddyland), not that there are many buildings of interest. Aside from the hotel there is only one “haunted house” type ride that looks promising, the rest of the buildings, from my expert peeking, look fairly empty.

Perhaps I’ll go back in a few years to see how much nature has decimated the park. Or maybe someone loves it enough to spend some cash on the place so it can open again. It will be interesting to wait and see.