Chippewa Lake Park at Kings Island

[Gordon Bombay]

I can't wait to see if I can visit or not! I love the idea of touring an abandoned amusment park! That place should really be opened up as a museum. Place some other memorabillia and maybe even reopen a old ride and you could make some money off that. Just charge a couple of bucks for entry!

Not to drown out your hopes or anything, but there's a large group of enthusiasts at www.americanaamusementpark.com who have been waiting since 2002 to visit, and they haven't yet.

[violakat03]

As you may or may not know, I love (well, not love, am interested in) abandoned amusement parks and old amusement park Americana. That's why I was am so intrigued with the past rides of Kings Island, and I was very iterested when I stumbled upon the ruins of the Flight commander que and the concrete foundations of King Cobra when I was viewing the park on windows live. Is there anything else abandoned at Kings Island? And has anyone besides me ever been the Chippewa Lake Park in it's abandoned stage. Thankyou.

You can see the footers for The Bat in The Vortex's basin-type area. The missing third row of seats from the Crypt is in the dome of Flight of Fear (I saw them when the lights got turned on for about 15 seconds while we were on the MCBR) but sadly, the King Cobra's trains are gone now, and the ride ops don't know what happened to them. I'm crossing my fingers for a sort of Kings Island museum like CP has and that they may show up again, that always was my favorite ride.

I went to Americana when I was too small to ride the Screechin Eagle, wish I had gone back and conquered it when I was older, and now I'll probably never have the chance.

[The Interpreter]

I can't wait to see if I can visit or not! I love the idea of touring an abandoned amusment park! That place should really be opened up as a museum. Place some other memorabillia and maybe even reopen a old ride and you could make some money off that. Just charge a couple of bucks for entry!

Uh....

a. if this would work, don't you think Mr. Couch would have already done it?

b. if the park couldn't make it on a more normal admission charge, why do you think it could make it with just a couple of bucks for entry? I suspect someone has no idea what the fixed costs of operating even one ride are...

[G-Force]

I can't wait to see if I can visit or not! I love the idea of touring an abandoned amusment park! That place should really be opened up as a museum. Place some other memorabillia and maybe even reopen a old ride and you could make some money off that. Just charge a couple of bucks for entry!

Uh....

a. if this would work, don't you think Mr. Couch would have already done it?

b. if the park couldn't make it on a more normal admission charge, why do you think it could make it with just a couple of bucks for entry? I suspect someone has no idea what the fixed costs of operating even one ride are...

You are correct! It was more of a general statement, not specific.

Anyways, a guy can dream!

[Tchu]

Screechin' Eagle was a great coaster.

I remember the last time I went to Americana (the whole family went... the whoooole family) probably about 9 years ago. My brother and I, along with our cousins, must have road that coaster a dozen or more times in a row. Ride Op wouldn't let us stay on, but we gladly would hop off, rush down the exit, make our way through the entrance and hop back on the train. It was a blast.

Great coaster and even better memories

[chippewa&idora4ever]

As you may or may not know, I love (well, not love, am interested in) abandoned amusement parks and old amusement park Americana. That's why I was am so intrigued with the past rides of Kings Island, and I was very iterested when I stumbled upon the ruins of the Flight commander que and the concrete foundations of King Cobra when I was viewing the park on windows live. Is there anything else abandoned at Kings Island? And has anyone besides me ever been the Chippewa Lake Park in it's abandoned stage. Thankyou.

You can see the footers for The Bat in The Vortex's basin-type area. The missing third row of seats from the Crypt is in the dome of Flight of Fear (I saw them when the lights got turned on for about 15 seconds while we were on the MCBR) but sadly, the King Cobra's trains are gone now, and the ride ops don't know what happened to them. I'm crossing my fingers for a sort of Kings Island museum like CP has and that they may show up again, that always was my favorite ride.

I went to Americana when I was too small to ride the Screechin Eagle, wish I had gone back and conquered it when I was older, and now I'll probably never have the chance.

That is a great idea! They could put them in the old Paramount History/ Garden place. Can you see it? King Cobra trains, Bat trains, Bavarian Beetle trains (If they still exist) ect....

[G-Force]

Yeah that would really be awesome, ecspecially for us coaster enthusiasts! They could also put the old Phantom Opera Theater cars there also. And then infront of each memorobillia would be a little plaque with info on the old ride and some pictures, that would be really cool! Oh and maybe they could even put one of the King Cobra trains at the end and you could take a picture while standing in the train!

[flightoffear4thtrain]

those trains are probably in pretty bad shape.....

[chippewa&idora4ever]

that sounds like a lawsuit, but the rest was good.

[IheartKI]

Gordon Bombay,

Was that really a "real" gun in the dirt of the drained lake at Americana???? Or was it a squirt gun! That is so crazy, either way. I love the Vintage Coke bottle that you found in the dirt too...so eerie!

When I see those pics and the youtube videos of Americana it really saddens me! I can't help but feel bitter toward Mr. Couch! I don't know what his intentions were, if they were ever good for the park, or he just had a run of bad luck? How sad it is to see a place with so much history just standing still in time, and rotting away.

I have so many memories of Americana when I was little. My dad's company always had their family picnics there in the 80's like so many other companies always did. My mother-in-law tells me about my husband swimming in the pool when he was a baby...he swam naked! How many other people can say they got to do that in the pool??? LOL!

If your looking to find the old Flight Comander line, all you have to do is go back behind the fast pitch game, it's right there. I actually went back there one time this summer to nurse a fussy baby! LOL! It's really eerie.

Another thing I find interesting, if you do google earth of Kings Island, and scope it in a bird's eye view, you can see the old remnants of the Lion Safari ride. A couple old buildings, and a couple swamps...you can see where the monorail track used to lay as well.

[violakat03]

If your looking to find the old Flight Comander line, all you have to do is go back behind the fast pitch game, it's right there. I actually went back there one time this summer to nurse a fussy baby! LOL! It's really eerie.

Another thing I find interesting, if you do google earth of Kings Island, and scope it in a bird's eye view, you can see the old remnants of the Lion Safari ride. A couple old buildings, and a couple swamps...you can see where the monorail track used to lay as well.

I may go investigate the FC line myself next season, I've only seen the pictures of it. The monorail's still in existence, it's up at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield. The line for Flight Deck and Son of Beast goes right under the old monorail track - that random tunnel towards the beginning that's seemingly for no purpose used to have monorail track above it.

I discovered the old parking lot tram cars too. They're in a field north of Son of Beast - very visible as you're coming up to the chain hill, and on the last bunny hill that faces that direction. I snapped a pic of them from the latter location but I haven't uploaded it.

[chippewa&idora4ever]

And what it this little abandoned treasure?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=qjqmwz7zb98d&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=2904160&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

[Gordon Bombay]

Gordon Bombay,

Was that really a "real" gun in the dirt of the drained lake at Americana???? Or was it a squirt gun! That is so crazy, either way. I love the Vintage Coke bottle that you found in the dirt too...so eerie!

lol, no, it was just a toy cap gun, an older one though. These days they don't make toy guns as realistic.

I may go investigate the FC line myself next season, I've only seen the pictures of it. The monorail's still in existence, it's up at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield. The line for Flight Deck and Son of Beast goes right under the old monorail track - that random tunnel towards the beginning that's seemingly for no purpose used to have monorail track above it.

I wouldn't go back to the FC line, that area is not open to the general public.

[Beast Man]

Where is the queue area for Flight Commander? (That ride looked fun!)

In an area not accessible to the general public.

Just to clarify for everyone,the queue itself is not accessible to the general public but you can look at it from the midway.That area is double freaky with the shut down former food stand right next to it.

[neverseeme]

Just a couple of notes...

King Cobra's story goes something like this -

The ride was torn down and sold to a park in South America. The other park went bankrupt right before we sent it, and we shipped it off to another park for storage...

The Safari ride -

It took up all of Action Zone and some of where Adventure Express is today. I myself have seen the remnants of the ride perimeter (The fences that kept the animals in). There are also 2 abandoned Zoo-keep barns on the property. I've seen one, but according to a co-worker, it's nearly impossible to get to.

The Train -

The fort near Boomerang Bay Water Park DOES have house inside of it. I was INSIDE of the house today. It is a craftsman style house that looks to have been built in the late 1940's or early/mid 50's. Hardwood floors and some updated 70's shag carpet are in the house. In one of the closets on a shelf was a wooden scale rule. The pipes in the house are cast iron - seen in the basement. Also, in the basement (which is finished and was at one time decent living space) sits a couch that is said to have been where an old man killed himself. Rumor has it that the park doesn't own the house, which is why we built the fort around it rather than tearing it down.

Random stuff -

The "old fireworks site" (located behind The Racer and Firehawk off of Coney Mall - down the road that is the cue for Trail of Terror at Haunt) is an old rides boneyard. The old cars for SOB reside there, as well as 2 prototype car designs that came off of other coasters at other parks. A couple of the old Phantom Theatre cars are there as well. Extra arms and cars for The Monster are there - the cars are creme, red and blue, NOT black. Some old Jetson Orbiters are there also, remnants of the late Hanna-Barbera Land. The trashy wrecked cars for Halloween Haunt also live there when not attempting to be scary at Haunt.

I am an employee of KI and have seen everything that I mentioned above. I will not comment on speculation or things of which I am unsure.

[StalkerChick]

And what it this little abandoned treasure?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=qjqmwz7zb98d&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=2904160&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

OMG i love LIVE! it really fun to check out some things. I know in one grid it has BLSC and then if you move over a little farther in the zoomed in view of birds eye, its magically gone and the old time cars are there! its funny to see when they update! Sadly tho, i was checking it out just to see if you could see the house in the fort (that you see when you're riding the train) but man they got that stuff boarded up to edges of the house! that could have been a neat little restaurant or something. I mean, they're not allowed to tear it down, but were they also told they couldn't make adjustments to it?

[StalkerChick]

The Train -

The fort near Boomerang Bay Water Park DOES have house inside of it. I was INSIDE of the house today. It is a craftsman style house that looks to have been built in the late 1940's or early/mid 50's. Hardwood floors and some updated 70's shag carpet are in the house. In one of the closets on a shelf was a wooden scale rule. The pipes in the house are cast iron - seen in the basement. Also, in the basement (which is finished and was at one time decent living space) sits a couch that is said to have been where an old man killed himself. Rumor has it that the park doesn't own the house, which is why we built the fort around it rather than tearing it down.

You mean the house is accessible?! no way! I was told that when KI bought the land, the one stipulation was that they were not allowed to tear down that house (rumored that family was still going to live there or something, not 100% on that one) and that's why they put the fort around it. but i didn't know it was accessible! I'd love pictures sometime! and what do they use it for?!

[chippewa&idora4ever]

And what it this little abandoned treasure?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=qjqmwz7zb98d&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=2904160&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

OMG i love LIVE! it really fun to check out some things. I know in one grid it has BLSC and then if you move over a little farther in the zoomed in view of birds eye, its magically gone and the old time cars are there! its funny to see when they update! Sadly tho, i was checking it out just to see if you could see the house in the fort (that you see when you're riding the train) but man they got that stuff boarded up to edges of the house! that could have been a neat little restaurant or something. I mean, they're not allowed to tear it down, but were they also told they couldn't make adjustments to it?

i just looked that up, the green roof? creepy

[violakat03]

Just a couple of notes...

King Cobra's story goes something like this -

The ride was torn down and sold to a park in South America. The other park went bankrupt right before we sent it, and we shipped it off to another park for storage...

I worked there the year it was taken out and we were told in training that it was being sent to Terra Mitica (Paramount park in Spain). It was actually scrapped, not sold or sent anywhere, because TOGO went out of business and they could no longer get replacement parts for it. The trains are (or were, don't know what happened to them now) the only thing left of the ride, they were inside Flight of Fear's dome until this season.

[tycoonrebel7188]

neverseeme, The "prototype" cars you are speaking of are the trains from I believe The Villain and Raging Wolf Bobs at the now defunct Geauga Lake. Same goes for the monster arms and cars you saw sitting back there. They are all remnants of the old Monster ride at Geauga Lake.

[Tuskin]

There are 2 more abandoned treasures back behind Son of Beast to the left side. If you scroll you will see the buses they used for transport of people its behind those keep following the area of the monorail where there is open land before the tree line and you will find them! =)

[King Maple The Tree King]

Just a couple of notes...

King Cobra's story goes something like this -

The ride was torn down and sold to a park in South America. The other park went bankrupt right before we sent it, and we shipped it off to another park for storage...

Incorrect, the ride was for sale as scrap metal and eventually was hauled off to a steel recycling plant along with the former Son of Beast loop. The trains still survive today inside the Flight of Fear bowl, in a field back in the woods near Psycho Path, and at times as random Haunt decorations.

The Safari ride -

It took up all of Action Zone and some of where Adventure Express is today. I myself have seen the remnants of the ride perimeter (The fences that kept the animals in). There are also 2 abandoned Zoo-keep barns on the property. I've seen one, but according to a co-worker, it's nearly impossible to get to.

The safari ride actually only took up a portion of Action Zone and was located primarily on land that SOB now occupies, it once even extended to the East of The Racer nearly back to the river.

The Train -

The fort near Boomerang Bay Water Park DOES have house inside of it. I was INSIDE of the house today. It is a craftsman style house that looks to have been built in the late 1940's or early/mid 50's. Hardwood floors and some updated 70's shag carpet are in the house. In one of the closets on a shelf was a wooden scale rule. The pipes in the house are cast iron - seen in the basement. Also, in the basement (which is finished and was at one time decent living space) sits a couch that is said to have been where an old man killed himself. Rumor has it that the park doesn't own the house, which is why we built the fort around it rather than tearing it down.

Actually, the house was kept because it served as a "green room" and preparation/makeup area for the actors who once performed along the train ride when it used to make a stop there.

Random stuff -

The "old fireworks site" (located behind The Racer and Firehawk off of Coney Mall - down the road that is the cue for Trail of Terror at Haunt) is an old rides boneyard. The old cars for SOB reside there, as well as 2 prototype car designs that came off of other coasters at other parks. A couple of the old Phantom Theatre cars are there as well. Extra arms and cars for The Monster are there - the cars are creme, red and blue, NOT black. Some old Jetson Orbiters are there also, remnants of the late Hanna-Barbera Land. The trashy wrecked cars for Halloween Haunt also live there when not attempting to be scary at Haunt.

I am an employee of KI and have seen everything that I mentioned above. I will not comment on speculation or things of which I am unsure.

I would re-read your "at-will employment agreement."

[violakat03]

There are 2 more abandoned treasures back behind Son of Beast to the left side. If you scroll you will see the buses they used for transport of people its behind those keep following the area of the monorail where there is open land before the tree line and you will find them! =)

Pic I snapped from SOB that I mentioned a few posts back.

Picture removed. The taking of pictures on rides and roller coasters at Kings Island is strictly prohibited. Cameras can and have been confiscated by the park for being used on rides, not to mention it poses a serious safety threat to other riders on the ride.

Edited November 10, 2008 by CoastersRZ

[IheartKI]

I have noticed on the train ride that in the "ghost town" on the last building on the left that there is a sign hanging up that says something to the tune of "Do Not Feed Animals. They May Bite."

Does anyone know anything about this sign? Is it from the old Safari ride?

Another little interesting fact: Kings Island has it's very own cemetary! A real one:

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...c=12936&hl=

[The Interpreter]

Actually, Kings Island does NOT have its own cemetery. The park neither owns, operates nor maintains it. The park MUST provide public access to the cemetery. The cemetery is privately owned.