Geauga Lake – The Abandoned Theme Park

Geauga Lake was an amusement park located in Bainbridge Township and Aurora, Ohio. The park first opened its doors in 1897 and operated for 120 years before finally closing in 2007. At one time Geauga Lake was the largest theme park in the world, home to a large number of white-knuckle and family rides.

When the park announced it was closing petitions were set up to save landmarks such as the Big Dipper and other popular rides. However, in 2008 the rides were all auctioned off or demolished and scrapped. The land was also put up for sale but to this day remains unsold.

Unsurprisingly Geauga Lake holds a lot of fond memories for people who had the chance to visit the park. A lot of great rides were lost when the park was closed, many that people still miss. Below are some of the most popular rides in the history of Geauga Lake, an amusement park many were sad to lose.

The Big Dipper was a long-standing wooden roller coaster at Geauga Lake. It remained in operation for 82 years, from 1925 until the day the park closed in 2007.

The roller coaster remained located in the park for almost a decade after it closed, abandoned and at the mercy of nature. In 2010 the ride was put up for auction on eBay with a ‘buy now’ price of $65,000, however the auction ended without a single bid.

In 2016, after failing to gain any interest and nature beginning to take its toll on the ride, Bainbridge County confirmed the ride would soon be demolished. Demolition of the ride took place on October 17, 2016.

In operation for 38 years, the Bel-Aire Express was a monorail that gave you good views of the park. Many people believed the ride to be too slow, especially during the second part of the ride.

What happened to the monorail since the park closed and was taken down we don’t know. It may have found a new home elsewhere, or may have been sold for scrap.

Pepsi Plunge was a basic log flume ride, it featured only one fairly short drop. While it was never the most popular ride at Geauga Lake, it did survive for 35 years.

Where the Pepsi Plunge went after the park closed nobody seems to know. It was most likely demolished in the years after the park was closed.

Double Loop was present at Geauga Lake for 30 years and underwent various track and cart colour changes throughout its life-span.

When the park closed the ride was put up for auction, it was bought by Cleveland Scrap for $23,000 and later demolished.

The Corkscrew was first ordered in 1975 but had to be delayed because of financing issues. The ride eventually opened in the park in 1978 and remained in operation until 1995.

After the ride closed it was relocated to MGM Dizzee World in Chenai, India.

El Dorado could be found at Geauga Lake for 24 years, it was in operation from 1983 until the doors closed in 2007.

After the park closed the ride found a new home at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. However it would close just a few years later (2011) to make way for WindSeeker.

The Texas Twister was in operation for 24 years at Geauga Lake. After the park closed it was relocated to California’s Great America under the name ‘FireFall’.

The Raging Wolf Bobs was a wooden roller coaster based on ‘The Bobs’ at Riverview Park in Chicago. The ride was present at Geauga Lake from 1988 until the day the park closed in 2007.

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Raging Wolf Bobs, in the last season one of the Bobs derailed and so the ride was closed half way through the season.

In 2008 the ride was sold for just $2,500, demolition would begin in 2011 but was not completed until 2014.

The Grizzly Run was originally located between Texas Twister and the Raging Wolf Bobs. In 2002 it was relocated to make way for ‘Gotham City Pizza’.

The ride would remain in the park until the day it closed in 2007.

Head Spin operated at Geauga Lake for eleven years, it was originally called ‘The Mind Eraser’, before changing its name to “Head Spin”.

When the park closed in 2007 the ride relocated to Carowinds in North Carolina and was renamed the ‘Carolina Cobra’.

Serial Thriller opened in 1998 and was built over the marshes on the edge of the lake. In 2004 when Cedar Fair Entertainment Company took over the park they would rename the ride ‘Thunderhawk’.

When the park closed in 2007 the ride was relocated to Michigan’s Adventure where it would go by the same name.

Originally called ‘Superman: Ultimate Escape’, Steel Venom lasted just six seasons between 2000 and 2006. When the ride was disassembled rumours began to surface that the park may shut or cut back, which it did, just one year later.

The ride itself was relocated to Dorney Park in Pennsylvania where it opened in 2008 under the name ‘Voodoo’. It would later be renamed ‘Possessed’, and is still operational in the park today.

Shipwreck Falls was a Shoot-the-Chutes ride with a sharks and shipwrecks theme. The ride that was present in the park between 2000 and 2007.

When the park closed the ride was moved to Celebration City where it became known as ‘Roaring Falls’. However, Celebration City would also close just one year after Geauga Lake.

Dominator is a steel floorless roller coaster which first opened as “Batman: First Flight” in 2000 before being renamed Dominator in 2004.

When the park closed in 2007 it was relocated to Kings Dominion in Virginia, opening in 2008.

The Beaver Land Mine Ride was a steel roller coaster aimed at children, it was known for having the longest train (20 two-seat cars) of any coaster at Geauga Lake. It was also the only coaster which would complete two circuits rather than one.

When the park closed this ride was sold to Papea City amusement park in France.

In the year or so after Geauga Lake closed, the park was left abandoned and started to be reclaimed by nature. In 2008 all of the rides were torn down or sold off leaving behind nothing but the footings of old rides that once stood there.

Below you can find some photos taken in the years after the park closed.