The historic Lakemont Park in Altoona, PA, announced yesterday that it will not operate its coasters and other rides for the 2024 season due to financial challenges.
The 131-year-old amusement park shared the following announcement on its Facebook page:
As our community grows, develops, and changes, Lakemont Park must develop and change too. Not opening the amusement rides this season was not an easy decision to make, and we are looking into all possibilities as the evolution of Lakemont Park continues.
As we begin to plan out the 2024 season and beyond, we will continue to offer an amazing experience on our multiple Mini Golf Courses, Basketball Courts, Batting Cages, Volleyball Courts, and with our Yard Games we have here in our green spaces for all guests to enjoy! Additional community event planning is also underway as we find new ways to support our ever changing and growing community.
A local newspaper shared more information from the company that runs the park.
The park was closed from 2017-2018 for renovations, which resulted in the sale of many of the park’s rides and attractions. However, several remained once the park reopened in the summer of 2019.
The park is home to the famous Leap The Dips, a wooden side-friction roller coaster built in 1902.
If operational, Leap The Dips would be the oldest roller coaster in the world.
The Skyliner wooden coaster was relocated to Lakemont in 1986 from the now-defunct Roseland Park in New York. The park also features “Lil’Lea’er,” a small Allan Herschell kiddie coaster.
In addition to the three coasters, the park’s attraction roster includes paddle boats, a C.P. Huntington miniature train, Tin Lizzy Antique Autos, monster trucks, and go-karts.
The park’s 2024 map shows the locations of the rides and attractions that will remain closed in 2024:
Hopefully the park is able to determine a path forward that includes keeping the rides in operation — especially the roller coasters. Stay tuned as this story develops.
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