Indiana Beach facts for kids
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| Slogan | "Where Families Flock For Fun" (previously: "There's more than corn in Indiana!" & "The riviera of the midwest!") |
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| Location | 5224 East Indiana Beach Blvd, Monticello, Indiana, United States |
| Owner | Indiana Beach Holdings, LLC |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Previous names | Ideal Beach; Indiana Beach Amusement Resort |
| Operating season | May through October |
| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 43 |
| Roller coasters | 5 |
| Water rides | 4 |
| Status | open |
Indiana Beach is an amusement park located on Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana. The resort was developed by the Spackman family, who owned it from 1926 to 2008. The park was then sold to Morgan RV LLC, Apex Parks Group, LLC and now is owned and operated by Indiana Beach Holdings, LLC.
Contents
History
Originally named Ideal Beach, the amusement park began as a small lakeside beach with a bath house and refreshment stand opened by Earl W. Spackman. In 1927, the first thrill attraction opened, and from that point, it began to expand. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was popular for the Ideal Beach Ballroom, featuring well-known bands. In 1961, Indiana Beach added a paddle wheeler boat called the Shafer Queen. This boat operated for 11 years, before being replaced by another paddle wheeler with the same name. In February 2008, it was announced that both the amusement park and Indiana Beach campgrounds had been sold to Morgan RV LLC. On September 1, 2015, it was announced that the park had been sold to Apex Parks Group.
On February 18, 2020, Indiana Beach announced that it would permanently close after 94 years of operation, with no plans to reopen. Apex Parks Group cited financial reasons for the closure and said they had “worked diligently” to find a new buyer for the park but were not successful. In addition to dozens of seasonal workers, Indiana Beach employed 27 people in administrative and maintenance positions. Those workers were offered six weeks compensation.
In March 2020, Apex Parks Group said that it was in discussions with potential buyers of the park, and that it was possible that the park would be able to reopen this year. Because Indiana Beach generates a large part of the county's tourism revenue, White County officials have agreed to offer $3 million from the White County Windfarm Economic Development Fund to the buyer after the sale is complete.
In April 2020, Indiana Beach announced that the park would be reopening that year. The park has been purchased by Chicago businessman Gene Staples, subject to approval of a $3 million loan from White County. The park reopened on the June 27, 2020.
On November 24, 2020, Indiana Beach announced it would add two new refurbished attractions for the 2021 season. The first will be the former Quimera roller coaster from La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico City, Mexico. The coaster was manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf and was involved in a deadly derailment that left two dead and five injured and resulted in the revocation of La Feria's operating permits. The second will be a Polyp flat ride relocated from the long-defunct Kiddieland Amusement Park in Melrose Park, Illinois. The names and locations of the rides are still being worked out.
Rides
Roller coasters
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Manufacturer/Model | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornball Express | 2001 | Wooden roller coaster | Custom Coasters International | Shares the same support as Hooiser Hurricane |
| Hoosier Hurricane | 1994 | Wooden roller coaster | Custom Coasters International | Supports shared with Cornball Express |
| Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain | 2002 | Elevator lift coaster | Custom Coasters International | |
| Steel Hawg | 2008 | El Loco | S&S | Newest coaster at Indiana Beach, used to be the world's steepest rollercoaster. |
| Tig'rr Coaster | 1984 | Steel, Jet Star | Schwarzkopf | Oldest roller coaster at Indiana Beach |
| American Dreirer Looping | 2021 | Steel, Triple Loop Coaster | Schwarzkopf | Formerly operated at Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia, Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, England, and La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico City, Mexico. |
Water park attractions and rides
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action river | 1989 | Lazy River | |
| Big Flush Water Coaster | 1998 | Water Coaster | |
| Sandy Beach swimming area | 1926 | Swimming area with a recirculating pool | |
| Splash bash water spray pad | 1989 | Splash Pad | |
| 5 tube slides | 1989 | 3 enclosed slides, 2 open slides | Repainted for the 2016 season |
Major rides
| Name | Year Opened | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Crow | 2004 | Flying Scooters | |
| Antique Autos | 1960s | Antique car ride | |
| Den of Lost Thieves | 1998 | Sally Corporation Shooting dark ride | |
| Dodgem | 1960s | Bumper cars | |
| Double Shot | 1998 | S&S Power Double Shot tower ride | |
| Falling Star | 1990 | Chance Rides Falling Star | Opened on the boardwalk, near the South Gate. In 2011, it was taken down and moved to the storage lot behind Steel Hawg. For the 2013/2014 season, it was relocated yet again next to the Hoosier Hurricane station. |
| Flying Bobs | 2020 | Chance Rides Alpine Bobs | Not to be confused with another Flying Bobs attraction that had previously operated at the park. Formerly located at Coney Island from 1994 to 2019. |
| Giant Gondola Wheel | 1989 | Chance Rides Ferris wheel | |
| Music Express | 2011 | Music Express | |
| Paratrooper | 1970s | Frank Hrubetz Paratrooper | |
| Rockin' Tug | 2014 | Zamperla Tugboat Spining Ride | |
| Rocky's Rapids | 1986 | Arrow Dynamics Log flume | Relocated from the former Pontchartrain Beach, which closed in 1983. |
| Scrambler | 1960s | Eli Bridge Company Scrambler | |
| Sea Dragon | Pirate ship | ||
| Sea Warrior | 2021 | Klaus (SDC) Polyp | Relocated from Lake Winnepesaukah in 2020, had previously been located at Kiddieland Park from 1967 up until its closure. |
| Shafer Queen | 1961 | Paddle Wheel Riverboat | The original boat was retired for other usage in 1972 and a newer set was known to have been bought for the 1973 season. |
| Skyride | 1960s | Chairlift | |
| Spackman Express | Miniature Train Ride | Runs along much of the park's length. | |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | Sellner Tilt-A-Whirl | ||
| Water Swings | 1992 | Chance Rides Yo-Yo |
Attractions
- Cap'n Crow's Bumper Boats
- Dr. Frankenstein's Haunted Castle – A walk-through attraction
- SkyCoaster
Kiddieland
- Baby Barons
- Merry-Go-Round
- Frog Hopper
- Kiddie Autos
- Kiddie Boats
- Kiddie Ferris Wheel
- Kiddie Fire Trucks
- Kiddie Whips
- Mini Pirate Ship
- Winky the Whale
Former rides
- Bullet
- Chaos
- Grand Carousel
- Dragon Wagon (roller coaster)
- Galaxi (roller coaster)
- Growler - Spinning Family Ride
- Mystery Mansion
- Pumpkin Ferris Wheel
- Skydiver
- Splash Battle
- Superstition Mountain Mine Ride
- Trabant
- Twister
- Viper
- Zero G
- Zugspitz
Former attractions
- Adventure Point
- Boat Tag
Games
- Fascination
- Gallery of Ghouls – Shooting gallery
- Skee Ball
- Video Arcade
- 21
- Quackerz
Lodging and cabins
Lodging at Indiana Beach includes hotel, motel and cabin accommodations with varying prices, sleeping capacities and amenities. There are also campground facilities named Indiana Beach/Monticello KOA containing approximately 1,000 camp sites.
