Lake Compounce is an amusement park located in Bristol and Southington, Connecticut; the lake itself lies completely in Southington. Opened in 1846, it is the oldest continuously-operating amusement park in the United States. The amusement park covers 332 acres (1.3 km²) of land, and also has a beach and a waterpark which can be used by guests for no extra charge. The park was acquired from Kennywood Entertainment Company by Palace Entertainment, the U.S. subsidiary of Parques Reunidos. In addition to the title for longest consecutively run amusement park in the United States, it also has 14th oldest wooden roller coaster in the world, Wildcat. Its other, newer wooden roller coaster, Boulder Dash, has won the Golden Ticket Award for the #1 Wooden Coaster in the World for 5 years, and has held that record since 2013.
History
The lake's name is derived from Chief John Compound, a Mattatuck/Tunxis Native American. On December 3, 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 brass tea kettle. Legend has it that Chief Compound drowned while trying to cross the lake in a large brass tea kettle.
Early days
The park's roots trace back to 1846, when a descendant of John Norton, Gad Norton, hired a scientist to perform an experiment using explosives. 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; the two established the firm of Pierce and Norton. 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 of those legislators and friends who helped secure the granting of that petition. In this quiet manner, the famed "Crocodile Club" was established and, in 2010, celebrated its 136th reunion. Later, a casino was built on the property. The casino, the first permanent building at the site, 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; 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, Looff, Carmel, Stein and Goldstein, Lake Compounce purchased it for $10,000 and it opened to the public on Memorial Day, 1911. The Lake Compounce 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 was replaced by the Wildcat, a wooden classic designed by Schmeck and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, which is still running to this day.
The 1930s 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 Starlight 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 the spring of 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 the park, which dealt it a difficult blow. Lake Compounce purchased a miniature steam railroad designed and built by Connecticut actor William Gillette, the original portrayer of Sherlock Holmes in silent films. 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 which completely encircled the lake.
Lake Compounce prospered during the 1940s and 50s as a unique picnic/amusement park. Local entertainers 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).
New ownership
Through the next several decades, little changed until the late 1960s when the park's attendance numbers were dropping. Lake Compounce remained under the ownership of the Pierce and Norton Corporation until 1966, when Edward G. Pierce â€" Isaac's grandson â€" sold his interests 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 (HERCO), owners of the successful Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
HERCO made plans to renovate the park and invested millions, however the renovation ran into multiple problems and delays. In 1986, the park wasn't opened until the first week of July, and the renovation wasn't yet complete. It was renamed "Hershey Lake Compounce". Formerly featuring free admission, HERCO instituted new admission fees, and some rides such as the Wildcat roller coaster suffered from frequent outages. These events led to disappointing attendance numbers. As a result, HERCO decided to halt renovation in the winter of 1987 and list the park for sale.
In the spring of 1988, Joseph Entertainment Group (JEG) bought the park at a very low price and renamed it "Lake Compounce Festival Park". Renovation was completed and a new 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater was added by the 1988 season. 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. JEG appeared to place its focus on concert promotion and neglected the amusement park. The Wildcat roller coaster and other rides became nonoperational by 1991. In 1991, 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 $1 million behind in taxes and had not refunded ticket-holders for 15 cancelled concerts. JEG eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with hopes to sell the park to another operator. The park did not reopen in 1992 or 1993 except for Labor Day weekend each year for a charity concert event.
With the park closed indefinitely, a group of investors led by Steven Barbarino sought to purchase and reopen the park. They purchased the park in 1994, reopened it July until Labor Day with the beach and a few limited rides and the Wildcat, and looked for a new group to manage operations. Several expressed interest, including Anheuser Busch, Funtime Inc., and Lego. In 1994, Funtime agreed to manage the park and full-time operation resumed in May 1995, from Memorial Day To Labor Day. Most of the rides including the Wildcat reopened as well. Funtime was acquired by Premier Parks in 1995, which had recently acquired a nearby competitor, Riverside Park (now Six Flags New England). Premier Parks opted out of its contract with Lake Compounce to focus on Riverside Park, and the future of Lake Compounce became uncertain. Companies such as Anheuser Busch, Cedar Fair, and Kennywood Entertainment were considering purchasing the park.
Kennywood era
Early in 1996, an agreement was signed with Kennywood Entertainment, owners of Pittsburgh's historic Kennywood amusement park, to purchase Lake Compounce. After many years of financial troubles and management issues, Kennywood devoted itself to creating a clean, family-oriented and family-themed amusement park. All the remaining rides were then either repaired or removed. The Wildcat roller coaster also was renovated. The park opened that Memorial Day weekend in 1996 with real success. Every year since, the park has enjoyed much success and many millions of dollars in renovations and improvements including more waterslides, a couple high capacity water rides, a looping roller coaster, and in 2000, the Boulder Dash, which received the 2004 Golden Ticket Award for the #1 rated Wooden Roller Coaster by "Amusement Today." In 2005, Boulder Dash took the #2 spot and in 2006 tied for 3rd in the Golden Ticket Awards for the best wooden roller coaster. Boulder Dash also was voted #1 Wooden Roller Coaster in the World by the National Amusement Park Historical Association. Over the last 10 years, Kennywood has invested nearly $70 million in rides and attractions.
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 5-year-old boy was killed after a limb from a dead tree fell on his head near the former mini-golf area. Two park employees have also died in accidents since 2001. A groundskeeper was trimming weeds under the Boulder Dash 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, was partially decapitated, and died. In another incident, an employee jumped onto the Tornado ride as it was still moving after the ride cycle, and was dragged under the ride when his clothing got stuck. The ride was closed indefinitely at the request of the victim's family and was later replaced by Twister in 2000.
Beginning in 2002, Lake Compounce, began opening earlier in May on weekends. Until 2001, the park ended all operations on Labor Day. Also beginning in 2002, Lake Compounce began opening weekends between Labor Day and Halloween for holiday festivities. They also keep all their non-water rides open during this time.
For the 2004 season, Lake Compounce added the 185Â ft (56.4 m) drop tower, Downtime. For the 2006 season, Lake Compounce added a brand new S&S Screamin' Swing ride called "Thunder 'N' Lightning." The multimillion-dollar attraction, featuring two giant swing arms, holds 32 passengers who are catapulted to heights of almost 100 feet (30Â m) at 60 miles per hour with four Gs of force.
Also in early 2006, there was a dispute 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 maintenance and office building.
On November 1, 2006, the shooting of a portion of the film Reservation Road took place at Lake Compounce. The film was directed by Terry George and starred Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino and Elle Fanning.
The park opened for the 2007 season on May 12, 2007, with several new rides, including a 1956 Corvette car ride, Zoomer's Gas N' Go. A new balloon ride called "Rainbow Riders" was also added in the Circus World section. Rainbow Riders was installed where the Caterpillar Train was originally located, and the Caterpillar Train was moved to a nearby covered pavilion and surrounded by new theming. Additionally, a new cabana boat was introduced that transports guests across the lake to the catering pavilions, the Compounce Mountain Sky Ride, and Thunder Rapids Raft Ride. The cabana boat replaced the Mark Twain Sternwheeler, which used to fulfill the same purpose.
Parques Reunidos era
In late 2007, Lake Compounce's owner, Kennywood Entertainment Company was made an offer by Spain-based Parques Reunidos and has since been sold. The park opened for its 2008 season on May 10, opening with designated smoking areas, a refurbished Ghost Hunt ride, a fully re-tracked Boulder Dash, and an expanded Lake Compounce Emporium. This new Emporium has been introduced as the park's main exit.
In 2009, the park added three new rides, Jolly Jester, a child pirate ship, Wipeout, a Chance Rides Trabant, and Tunnel Twisters, three twisting and turning water slides. As well, the park introduced new dining options including Slush Factory and Philly Cheesesteaks. In 2011, the park added Rev-O-Lution, a Zamperella Mega Disk-O and removed Lake Plunge water slide to allow for expansion of the water park.
In 2012, the park had moved Mt. Vernon Rd to allow for the expansion of the water park and the rebranding of the water park to go from Splash Harbor to Crocodile Cove. The park added Riptide Racers, a four across Proslide Kraken Racer, a small wavepool, rentable cabanas, and expanded lounge and seating areas along the beach. The park introduced Holiday Lights, a Christmas event where there are light shows, rides (Select Are Open), Holiday train rides, and other holiday festivities. Their operating season now went from May to December.
In 2013, the park added Bayou Bay, a large wave pool across from Riptide Racers which continued the Crocodile Cove expansion. The park also added Johnny Rockets mobile food truck which was used in the water park and new changing and bathroom facilities to the new part of the water park. In 2014, the park added a campground called Bear Creak Campground with cabins, tent and RV spaces, and a main lodge. The campground is located offsite of the main park, but is very close by. It is open during Lake Compounce's operating season.
In 2016, the park added a new roller coaster called "Phobia Phear Coaster," a Sky Rocket 2 model from Premier Rides. Similar to Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Tempesto at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Phobia features three LSM launches and a heartline roll at 150 feet (46Â m) high. General Manager Jerry Brick stated that the coaster was the biggest investment in the park's history.
Lake Compounce has grown to include five roller coasters and more than forty attractions. The park also includes a large water park by the lake, called Crocodile Cove. The water park includes several slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, and an interactive complex, making it the biggest water park in Connecticut. The park also has three midway game areas and over ten food service locations. Lake Compounce is known for offering free Pepsi soda to all guests and employees who visit the park. Private catered events take place for such companies as the local Bristol-based ESPN and Pfizer. The park also hosts a 4 July firework show over the lake every year.
During October, the park transforms itself into a Halloween experience for adults and children. The midways are decorated, and many of the park's rides are run in the dark. Produced by Graveyard Productions, the haunted house is dubbed "The Haunted Graveyard." The experience 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 found a home at Lake Compounce in 2001. Portions of the proceeds are donated towards Juvenile Diabetes research.
Future
Plans include doubling the size 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 word on the road move was expected to cost $6 million while the additions to the water park were expected to cost $15 million.[2] After years of efforts to begin the project, the road work was finally started in April 2011, and the park began adding new water rides for the 2012 season. The new water attractions included a wave pool and racing complex. Over the years, clearing has begun behind the wave pool but nothing has been announced. General Park Improvements were the focus following the water park expansion years.
Attractions
Roller coasters
Amusement rides
Kiddie rides
Water park
Former attractions
Attraction timeline
- 2012: Holiday Lights (December Event)
- 2011: Dippin Dots Sundae Shop
- 2009: Slush Factory, Philly Cheese Steak location
- 2008: Lake Compounce Emporium, Designated Smoking Areas
- 2006: Cirque En Vol Outdoor Stage, Panini Grill (Named changed to Market Place in 2007)
- 2005: Starlight Theatre
- 2004: Carousel Cafe
- 2001: The Haunted Graveyard (October Event)
- 1999: Ghostly Games Complex
- 1985: Scrambler (later removed), Antique AutosAutos (later removed)
- 1962: Ferris Wheel (removed 1985)
- 1962: Speedboats
- 1961: Stingbadaanan (removed in 1963)
- 1957: The Little Showboat (removed 1985)
- 1929: Cris Craft Speedboats (removed in 1962)
- 1895: The Crocodile Club
- 1850: The Pleasure Wheel (later removed)
References
External links
- Official website
- Haunted Graveyard official website
- National Amusement Park Historical Association
- Lake Compounce at the Roller Coaster DataBase
