Lakemont Park Closing Rides! Leap-the-Dips and Skyliner In Danger!

Breaking News: Lakemont Park has announced all of its rides will be closed for the 2024 season, including the 1902 Leap-the-Dips, the world's oldest operating roller coaster, and the 1960 Skyliner. The park will continue to operate its picnic, event, and sports facilities. There is no certainty the rides will operate at Lakemont Park again. I share my quick thoughts on this sudden matter.
Music:
"Motivator" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@Chessingtondragonfury]

Hey there! Fellow ACE member here, I can confirm that it is due to declining attendance and maintenance issues and we are fund raising the park to keep this 122 year coaster running and skyliner as well!

[@MATTHEW3438]

Can you give some insight? Because i haven't heard of anything. Also the Lil Leaper and 4x4s have been sold off.

[@amusementnow4416]

Sad day for sure. Feels like 2016 all over again

[@evanpatterson8487]

Knoebels, would be a great forever home for Leap the Dips. They should buy it and relocate. Hopefully Skyliner as well

[@maggs131]

Knobels is my happy place so I second that idea

[@danielfoster3642]

They say the reason behind this move was dwindling attendence figures. However, I think that this was always part of the plan as a result of the transformation to a community park from an amusement park.

[@randomtraveler9854]

I'm not from the area but I got the impression they only changed because Leap the Dips makes complete closure extremely difficult. It can't be demolished since it's a national historic landmark.

[@tornadowarnings23]

I really hope the rides open again :(

[@patricialawaon2665]

I loved Lakemount Park. We would take our family and friends to the park. We drove for hours but always worth the trip. I rode mad mouse, leap the dips and the skylines. Loved them all I'd love to have taken my grandkids to the park but sadly like so many other good things it's gone.

[@easynhonest]

🙁Time to send those two classic coasters to that awesome retirement home for classic rides where they be given top notch TLC for the rest of their lives. Just ask Phoenix , Black Diamond along with Flying Turns on how much they enjoy their new home.

[@theshowersinger6681]

I’d also argue that two other independent parks might be good homes, Kennywood and Lagoon, due to their histories of maintaining and restoring classic and historic attractions.

[@randomtraveler9854]

Knoebels wouldn't touch Leap the Dips or Skyliner. Leap the Dips can't handle the crowds and Skyliner is a nice coaster but no match for Phoenix

[@randomtraveler9854]

Flying Turns isn't a relocated coaster, Knoebels is its original home.

[@easynhonest]

@@randomtraveler9854I know that I've been going to Knoebels since1981. They brought back to life a 95+ year-old concept when they built Flying Turns.

[@S.J.C._Entertainment]

As sad as it would be to see Lakemont lose these I really can’t argue with this. Skyliner would run WAY better then Lakemont has it, and I’d imagine that Leap the dips would run more consistently there. And I’m sure the kiddy coaster can find a home at a smaller park.

[@himonstercartoons]

Lakemont went years without any significant upgrades or investments which ultimately led the park to decline in quality which led to a drop in attendance. The only way the park will ever be able to boost attendance is if it is able to make significant investments like adding more attractions and making the park more desirable. Right now the park feels like a shell of its former self

[@americancanuck9790]

I think Knoebles might step in too but they don't have the room currently for either coaster. The Phoenix was facing the same fate and it was moved there and the Comet a Great Escape had the something happen and it was relocated as well.

[@urbex_coasters]

I've been a huge fan of Lakemont for the past several years, especially in 2020 it represented a place where you could forget about problems in the world, take a roller coaster ride with either pure buzbars or no restraint at all, enjoy some awesome supporting attractions that are typically uncharge being included on the wristband (paddleboats especially). A true step back in time I encouraged all enthusiasts to take at a park I was proud to make my home park for several years. I'm really glad I got a ton of rides back in August, right before the end of the season. I will donate to any fundraiser to get the coasters back running even though it's unlikely I'll be going to the park anytime soon as I just moved to the west coast.

[@Joemobo]

They should really get an investor and start to put flat rides and Look into going to IAAPA to look for Attractions they could buy for the park as well! That’s the best way to keep leap the dips and Skyliner Not in danger!

[@thesixpkamerican1]

so why not have the two coasters go to Delgrosso? this is the natural move

[@randomtraveler9854]

So sad to see a historic landmark treated in such a manner. Hopefully someone steps up and gets it operational on a daily basis.

[@evanpatterson8487]

Hopefully someone will buy the parkout right and turn it back into a amusement park. Or at least buy and relocate the coasters

[@facel2]

there is a lot of blame to spread around. the day the trees came down. it lost one of the best things about the park a cool shady bench. now you bake in the sun. closing off fishing and fencing it all in stopped a decades long tradition to bring the kids to the park.

[@MrSRArter]

Gene Staples should buy the operating rights to the park and then add a carousel to get families coming back to it.

[@amusementnow4416]

Is a carousel the secret ingredient to success? ;-)

[@randomtraveler9854]

They should sell it to new owners and change it back to an actual amusement park.

[@johnchambers8528]

I have visited the park several times and did get to ride Leap the dips several times. If Lakemont is to survive it must be made operational again and kept in good repair. I also agree that they need to try and return to be more of a small family amusement park to survive. They need a carrousel and some more small family type of rides to attract more families to the park. As much as I liked their low prices they need to address that issue too. They don’t have to charge a large admission fee but maybe do like Kenobles and offer a duel price ride package, one with the two coasters and a lower price for families that are not interested in riding the two larger coasters. The other option would be to make the two coasters as upcharge attractions and charge a reasonable extra charge to ride the coasters. That way you could appeal to local families as a reasonably priced small amusement park but still appeal to coaster fans. Without a reasonable attendance and associated revenue we most likely will see the end of the amusement park and since they can not destroy Leap the dips, see it again slowly deteorate on site.

[@MrSRArter]

@@johnchambers8528 I just looked at Lakemont Park on Google Maps using the satellite feature and there is room for more flat rides alongside the city park features that are there right now.