|
Lake Compounce is an theme park located in Bristol, Connecticut and a small part of the neighboring town of Southington, Connecticut. It is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America, having operated since 1846. The park covers 325 acres (1.3 km²) of land.
Legend The name Lake Compounce is derived from Chief John Compound, a Mattatuck/Tunxis Native American. On December 2, 1684, his wife and several tribal members affixed their waxed fingertip marks to a deed that conveyed the "Compound's Lake" to a group of white settlers, including John Norton, who had migrated to central Connecticut from Massachusetts, for pennies on the dollar and miscellaneous trinkets, including a large copper tea kettle. According to legend, when Compound learned he had been hoodwinked, he paddled into the lake tied to his kettle and drowned. The Legend also goes on to say that the spirit of Chief Compound still lives at the lake. The validity of the preceding statement depends on the reader and teller of the legend. History The parks roots trace back to 1846, when a descendant of John Norton, Gad Norton, hired a scientist to blow up a raft. Though the experiment failed, Norton noted that thousands of people had shown up for the event and was inspired to open a park. He put a path around the lake, set up picnic tables, allowed public swimming and rowing on the lake, built a gazebo for lakeside band concerts and built a few rides. Lake Compounce had officially opened to the public as a picturesque picnic park. The park prospered as a picnic park through the post-Civil War era. In 1851, Isaac Pierce, a successful "California Gold Rush 49er," joined forces with Norton and the firm of Pierce and Norton was established. In 1875, Norton and Pierce petitioned local legislators that their residences be "set off" from the town of Southington to the town of Bristol. A sheep roast was held in appreciation to those legislators and friends who helped secure the granting of that petition. In this quiet manner, the famed "Crocodile Club" was established and, in 2000, celebrated its 126th reunion. The Casino, the first permanent building on the property, was built in 1895 with a restaurant downstairs and a ballroom upstairs. A full course dinner cost fifty cents. Public transportation also began that year as the Bristol and Plainville Tramway Company and later, the Southington and Compounce Line, brought thousands of park goers to Lake Compounce by trolley. Around that time, Timothy Murphy of Savin Rock, Connecticut, began to assemble the Carousel. Combining the works of four master carvers and a Looff, Carmel, and Stein & Goldstein, Lake Compounce purchased it for $10,000 and it opened to the public on Memorial Day, 1911. This carousel is now included in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1914, the Green Dragon, Lake Compounce's first electric powered roller coaster opened to the public. It was torn down in 1926, and in 1927, it was replaced by the Wildcat, a wooden classic designed by Schmeck, built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, which is still running to this day. The 1930's brought more growth. The Casino ballroom was expanded to include an enormous dance floor without walls, so that people could dance under the stars. Huge windowed walls and a high arched ceiling were added in 1937. On Easter Sunday, Glenn Gray and the Casa Loma Band opened the Starlite Ballroom to a full house of big band enthusiasts. From Dorsey to Calloway, Basie to Kenton, James to Goodman, the ballroom was packed for each performance. The all time attendance record of 5,000 was set in spring, 1941, when Tommy Dorsey's reorganized band featured a young, up and coming vocalist, Frank Sinatra. In 1933, citing the effects of the Depression and the automobile, trolley service was discontinued to park and dealt it a difficult blow. Lake Compounce purchased a miniature steam railroad designed and built by British actor William Gillette, portrayer of Sherlock Holmes in 1943. The train made its inaugural run in 1944 when more than 100,000 passengers rode on more than 35 tons of 17 gauge steel track that completely encircled the lake. Lake Compounce prospered during the 1940's and 50's as a very special picnic/amusement park. Local entertainers also appeared as a weekly attraction on the Lake Front Stage and featured such talent as Tex Pavel, Colonel Clown and Slim Cox and the Cowboy Caravan. In 1959, an 18-hole miniature golf course was added (Later removed in 2004). Through the next several decades little changed until the late 1960s and 70s when the park continued its expansion adding more than 8 rides. As the 80's came around, the park was losing attendance to a park to the north called Riverside Park (later to become Six Flags New England). Lake Compounce remained under the ownership of the Pierce and Norton Corporation until 1966, when Edward G. Pierce, Isaac's grandson, sold his interests to the Norton family. The Nortons continued to own and operate the park through 1985. That year the park was sold to HERCO. HERCO immediately invested millions to renovate the park and unfortunately ran into trouble and delays. They opened the park as "Hershey Lake Compounce" in July 1986. The formerly free admission park now had admission fees and still the park was only partially renovated. This led to disappointing attendance. After further renovations and another disappointing season attendance, Hershey Corporation abruptly backed out in the winter of 1987. In 1988, Joseph Entertainment Group bought into the park and renamed it "Lake Compounce Festival Park". JEG constructed a 20,000 seat outdoor amphitheater and hosted large acts including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, former Beatle Ringo Starr, UB40, The Allman Brothers, Funkmaster Flex, Phil Collins, and an infamous moment during a 1990 MTV tour stop where the group Milli Vanilli performed and were caught in the act lip syncing. It became apparent that JEG's focus was on concert promotion and the amusement park was neglected. In 1991, exposing the financial troubles of Joseph Entertainment Group, the company bounced a check to would be performers Guns N' Roses who then refused to play. Later JEG was found to have been almost $1 million behind in taxes and had not refunded ticket-holders to 15 canceled concerts. They eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the Roller Coaster Years From 1986 through 1996, Lake Compounce experienced the "decade of the roller coaster." Financial troubles and empty promises from a string of four owners severely tarnished the park's image. During this decade, Lake Compounce had a checkered history including mountains of unpaid bills, a barrage of lawsuits and a string of unsuccessful turn around attempts. Over several seasons a group led by Steven Barbarino managed to open the park in a very limited basis and eventually re-purchased the park. They sought a new group to manage the park. Several groups expressed interest including Anheuser Busch, Lego, and Funtime Inc. In 1994 Funtime agreed to manage the park and began full-time operations again in 1995. However midway through the year Funtime was bought out by Premier Parks which had earlier purchased competitor Riverside Park. Premier Parks opted out of their contract with Lake Compounce to focus on Riverside Park leaving Lake Compounce in peril once again. Early in 1996 an agreement was signed with current operator Kennywood Entertainment, owners of Pittsburgh's historic Kennywood amusement park. After many years of financial troubles and management issues Kennywood devoted itself to creating a clean, family oriented and themed amusement park. Every year since, the park has enjoyed much success and many millions of dollars in renovations and improvements including Boulder Dash, which received the 2004 Golden Ticket Award for the Between 2001-2004, the park suffered from some bad publicity due to a series of accidents at the park. In 2001, a 5-year-old boy drowned after going down the "Lake Plunge Slide" *. In 2004, a 6-year-old boy was killed after a limb from a badly trimmed tree fell on his head near the former Mini-Golf. Two park employees have also died in accidents since 2001. On a ride in the park - Boulderdash - a grounds keeper was trimming weeds under the track during the park's regular morning ride testing. The coaster was on a test run, and due to the loudness of the weed trimmer, the man never heard the train coming and was partially decapitated and died *. Also, an employee was "jumping onto and holding on to" the "Tornado" ride as it was still moving after the ride cycle, and was crushed and killed performing this unsafe behavior *. The ride was removed immediately and later replaced by Twister in 2000. For the 2004 season Lake Compounce added the 185 ft. (56.4 m) drop tower, Downtime. For the 2006 season Lake Compounce added a brand new S&S Screamin' Swing ride titled "Thunder 'N' Lightning." The multimillion-dollar attraction, featuring two giant swing arms, holds 32 passengers and catapults riders to heights of almost 100 feet at 60 miles per hour, with four G's of force. Also in early 2006, there was a showdown between Lake Compounce and preservationists about the fate of Gad Norton's original 200-year-old farmhouse. The park knocked it down to make way for a storage building. History details were provided by the National Amusement Park Historical Association & LakeCompounce.com/lake-compounce-park-history.php Lake Compounce today Now nicknamed "The Lake" the park has has grown to include three roller coasters and close to forty rides. The park also includes a large water park by the lake named "Splash Harbor". The water park includes many attractions including several slides, a wave pool, lazy river, and splash zone; making it one of the largest water parks in New England. Lake Compounce is known for offering free Pepsi soda to all guests and employees that visit the park. Private catered events also take place for such companies as the local Bristol based ESPN and Pfizer. The park also hosts a 4th of July firework show over the lake every year. During October the park transforms itself into Halloween experience for adults and brave children. The midways are decorated, and many of the park's rides are run in the dark. The autumn is named the Haunted Graveyard, with a 45-minute walk-through of catacombs, graveyards, a cornfield, and many other houses with more being added every year. The Haunted Graveyard started in 1991 and has grown since. Portions of the money from the Haunted Graveyard is donated towards Juvenile Diabetes research. Future additions Now under construction for 2007 is a 1956 Corvette car ride called "Zoomer's Gas N' Go". Construction began July 31, 2006 along side the park's Zoomerang Coaster on the North end of the midway. The new '50s themed attraction will be open to adults and children as young as two. Ten small-scale cars can travel the 1,000ft long roadway at a time. The cars are powered electrically by low voltage via an undercarriage roller system and brushes connected to a copper hot rail on the track. The driver or occupant of the ride will not be able to alter the speed, either to slow or stop the car or make it go faster, but will be able to steer the car slightly as the wheels straddle the track. The loading area will be themed as a gas station, and along the track will pass billboards, a drive-in and other landmarks built to match the scale of the cars. A replica of a car wash will actually house the cars from the ride that are off the track and in for repairs. Gallery Image:LC Lake.jpg|The Lake Image:Boulder dash.jpg|Boulder Dash Image:Boulder Dash.jpg|Boulder Dash Image:Wildcat Coaster.jpg|Wildcat Image:Zoomerang.jpg|Zoomerang Image:Thunder N Lightning.jpg|Thunder N Lightning Image:Down Time.jpg|Down Time Image:Wave Swinger.jpg|Wave Swinger Image:Thunder Rapids.jpg|Thunder Rapids Image:Anchor Bay.jpg|Anchor Bay Image:SawMillPlunge.jpg|Saw Mill Plunge Image:LCCarousel.jpg|Carousel Image:AmFlyer.jpg|American Flyers Image:C.P.HuntingtonTrain.jpg|C.P. Huntington Train Image:Ghosthunt.jpg|Ghost Hunt Image:Lakeplunge.jpg|Lake Plunge Image:Green Dragon.jpg|Green Dragon Attractions During the October season, Kiddleland, Splash Harbour, and rides located on the park's south end are closed. Roller Coasters Amusement rides ( Current ride/attraction timeline Shows and entertainment ( Food offerings Retail shops Games Admission/Parking Admission information is based on 2007 Prices: Park Hours During the regular season, Lake Compounce opens daily at 11:00AM EST, and during peak season closes at 8:00PM Monday-Thursday, at 10:00PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. During October, the rides at Lake Compounce open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 5:00PM, the Haunted Graveyard walk-through expirence beginning at dusk, and closeing at Mid-night on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 10PM on Sundays. Addresses Main Gate Address: 271 Enterprise Drive Bristol, CT 06010 Mailing Address: 822 Lake Avenue Bristol, CT 06010 Sister parks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| |