When visiting the Pittsburgh area earlier this month, I had a largely free day before heading to Kennywood for Steel Curtain’s Media Day. Having never spent much time in that area of the country, I obviously wanted to see the sights, and by “see the sights,” I obviously mean “ride some new-to-me roller coasters.” Doing some quick research, I realized I had two feasible one-day driving routes upon landing in Pittsburgh. I could travel to the east, and head to Idlewild and Lakemont Park, or head north, and get to Conneaut Lake and Waldameer.
With Idlewild’s classic “Rollo Coaster” having a per-row weight limit that I didn’t quite qualify for, and Lakemont Park’s legendary “Leap The Dips” not quite being operational for the 2019 season just yet, I decided to head north, and begin my first of two park journey at Conneaut Lake Park.
Originally open in 1892 as Exposition Park, the park featured buildings including a convention hall, dance hall, and bathhouse. The park’s first ride, a carousel, opened in 1899, and was soon joined by other rides and a midway. Originally accessible only by boat or train, trolley service was extended to the park in 1907. The park became a popular resort destination due to its proximity to water and remote location.
Following a 1908 fire that burned down many of the park’s structures, Conneaut Lake Park gained its current name in 1920. In the succeeding years, more attractions, including several that remain in the park today like the Tumble Bug (1925) and Blue Streak Roller Coaster (1938), were built at Conneaut Lake.
The 20th century was a wild ride for Conneaut Lake Park, with multiple occurrences of bankruptcy, opening, closing, some rides, operating, other rides not operating. I’ll spare you the details, but the Wikipedia Article for Conneaut Lake park has some great information and a descriptive timeline. Even as recently as 2015, the park declared bankruptcy, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but even during my short visit to the park, the Conneaut Lake I visited showed a lot of positive signs of growth for the future.
As coaster enthusiasts, the first question we often ask when visiting a new park for the first time is “How many credits are there?” Well, at Conneaut Lake, there are three coaster credits, however, only two of them are accessible for most adults, with the Allan Herschel-designed “Little Dipper” having a maximum height restriction of 54″. I will full admit that my reason for stopping at Conneaut Lake park was to check out the other two coasters, the aforementioned 87-year-old Blue Streak, and the quirky Devil’s Den, which was manufactured by the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company, and opened in 1968.
There is no admission required to walk around Conneaut Lake Park, and parking was free. For $10, you can purchase a ride-all-day wristband, good for all 13 of Conneaut Lake Park’s “dry” attractions.
Blue Streak
Conneaut Lake’s signature roller coaster, Blue Streak, opened in 1938, and is one of two operating roller coasters left that were designed by Edward A. Vettel. A fairly simple out-and-back design, Blue Streak features just 2,900 feet of track, and was built by the National Amusement Device Co, whose trains operate on the ride today.
When I first got to the coaster, there was a slight delay, as a few of the rides seats were deemed to be “loose,” requiring the maintenance team to come repair the ride. As they kept cycling the trains, I thought it was very interesting that the Blue Streak remains completely “hand-controlled” with it’s starting and final braking system with a series of levers.
I took my first ride in the back row, and I will admit, it was rougher than I thought it would be. There were a few moments of ejector air, but coming down at the bottom of the camelback hills had me wanting to consult my chiropractor. Never one to be deterred (and also because there was no line to speak of), I tried another ride immediately following my first, this time in the front row. (It also happened to be a solo “zen” ride, which are always fun.) My opinions of the roller coaster immediately changed. The front car was infinitely smoother, and despite not having as much air-time in the front seat, it was a far more enjoyable ride.
Before leaving, it was suggested by Coaster101 Reader Andrew (twitter’s @OnlineHyde – a fantastic twitter follow for anyone who is into the amusement industry, by the way) that I should take a ride in the second-to-last row of Blue Streak. That proved to be the sweet spot for this coaster. While not as smooth as a front-row ride, it was nowhere near as rough as the row behind it, and provided some fantastic airtime moments.
The front row ride and second-to-last row rides more than made up for the jarring back row ride to start my trip! There’s a reason that Blue Streak still manages to crack the Golden Ticket Awards list every year, it seems! Blue Streak was also named an ACE Coaster Landmark in 2010.
Devil’s Den
Admittedly, much like most of Conneaut Lake, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting myself into with a ride on Devil’s Den. The single-passenger cars seemed a tad on the sketchy side, and as advertised, the “Infamous Gum Wall” was plastered with what seemed like years’ worth of discarded chewing gum.
Devil’s Den definite had a solid level of kitsch to it — and I’m not using that term in a negative manner. It was part roller coaster — it had a chain lift and fun first drop that couldn’t have been more than 8-10 feet — part dark ride with things popping out at you with every turn — and part haunted house. It reminded me a little bit of the Haunted House at Beech Bend, with a bunch of random scare elements with no true story linking them together.
I did only ride Devil’s Den one time, and thought it was a very unique, interesting experience. For future riders, I won’t spoil the surprise, but watch out for the brakes at the end of the ride. They’ll get you when you least expect it. (Okay, I’ll spoil it. The ride operator catches each cart as it approaches the station. WILD.)
Everything Else
Though I didn’t ride anything else at Conneaut Lake park, there was a Kiddie Land that advertises 14 rides and attractions for those 54″ and under. I didn’t walk through it, mainly because I was too bummed that I couldn’t ride the Little Dipper Coaster.
The Conneaut Lake Carousel was installed in 1910.
There were also multiple flat rides — including a Flying Scooters, Tilt-A-Whirl, Paratrooper, Bumper Cars, and Musik Express. Conneaut Lake’s miniature railroad was not in operation the day I visited, and traveled around a miniature golf course, which was also not operational.
Conneaut Lake’s Tumble Bug is one of only two full-sized Tumble Bugs in existence, and is actually the oldest operating. (The other Tumble Bug is Turtle at Kennywood.)
There are also several concession stands at Conneaut Lake. I was in between meals, but the idea of Fried Oreos is always so enticing to me!
Not pictured: Conneaut Lake’s Splash City Water Park, which includes Cliffhanger Falls Water Slide, and a Lazy River. All-Day Water Park access is an additional $10.
Final Thoughts
There’s a lot to like at Conneaut Lake Park. The park was clean, the staff was incredibly friendly, and there was some fantastic old-school fun. Especially with free parking and $10 all-you-can-ride wristbands, Conneaut Lake definitely is worth the stop if you’re in the area, if not for just a few laps on Blue Streak. If you visit on the Second Sunday of the Month, it’s an even better deal, as Ride Wristbands are just $5!
After several years of uncertainty, it appears that Conneaut Lake is headed in the right direction — and will continue to do so if people visit the park! Go visit!
For more information about Conneaut Lake Park, visit their website, and follow the park on Facebook!
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