Back in the 80’s I visited both sea world and Geauga lake they were both amazing it’s so sad to see how they both ended up thank you for making these videos
Me: "oh cool, a Geauga Lake update. Maybe something positive has happened since the last video." Jake: "The waterpark is now closed, leaving both amusement parks on the shores of Geauga Lake completely abandoned..."
Keith Bruner there’s still a sign leading up to the location the park was at that’s rusty and tarnished, but it clearly says “Geagua Lake”. And to add to the misfortune, the parts from slides and such were repurposed and put into the Cedar Point Waterpark, which is small, has only maybe 3 mediocre slides: an awful lazy river and a wave pool that’s broken most of the time. It compares nothing to Wild Water Kingdom, which was a part of my childhood.
Everyone is sad when it’s gone but don’t support it when it exists That’s a factor in why these cool local joints shut down or aren’t maintained correctly
It was expanded too much for the area. They spent so much that even when attendance went up they were losing money, and raising prices just pushed away the local regulars.
I miss this park so much. When I was a teen, they had "starlight admission" which was $16 between 5-10 pm. So me and my friends could go on all the rides with very little lines and the coasters were just fabulous. That was towards the end though, probably 05-07
And I think Senior Citizens got in free. My grandparents would take me. Grandma & I dropped grandpa off at the Beergarden and I went on all the rides. Grandma would wave as I went by. It was always fun.
i was just talking about this place with my dad, who grew up going there. it was cheaper than driving to sandusky and because both he and my mom grew up toeing the poverty line, they went there for vacations and field trips. ask anyone who grew up where they did and watch their eyes go dreamy as they talk about geauga lake, it’s such a soft spot for that generation
It was amazing because they had rides and attractions similar to Cedar Point, but the cost was cheaper and you rarely ever had to wait long for rides, it was a blast
I grew up in bainbridge and since I had a single working mom she would get me and my sister season passes for it. My one friend would have his parents drop him me and my sister off on their way to work and then my mom would pick us up on the way home. Probably went there more than half of the summer and would go to the wave pool all day. I really wish it was around for my kids to go to
I grew up going to geauga lake before sixflags, my very first coaster ride was the raging wolfbobs went to it during and after 6 flags, last time it was geauga lake again, in 2002
Same here. And Big Dipper was the ONLY roller coaster they had. Big Dipper was so terrifying to me, it wouldn't be until they opened the Double Loop that I would ride a coaster - and fall in love with them. Big Dipper never stopped being terrifying though. It really liked to try to throw me off of it. Last time I rode it, my bf had to grab me as I was starting to fly out. I miss that coaster. :(
I live in the area and even went to the park as a kid. My mom always tells me the many memories made when she was a kid when we pass the abandoned park.
The first video you did on this really hit me emotionally. As a kid, my father and I would visit Geuaga Lake in the summer. Sometimes it was a side trip from a larger Cedar Point trip, sometimes it was a long weekend just to do Geuaga and Sea World. Seeing that the land is still just sitting there is disappointing but, stupid as it may be, the little plaque they installed at least feels like acknowledging what was once an awesome place.
Clearly it wasn't awesome enough or else it would stay open, it's clear that the public lost interest. Parks don't just close for no reason, Cedar Fair had it's reasons. And cause they got out of the sinking ship, Cedar Fair survived the Financial Crisis and is still in a very strong economic position, especially compared to their Rival, Six Flags
The current state of the property is really depressing. I think they should make it into a state park with a little museum about the former amusement park
I agree. It's so sad to watch this. The company my mom worked for used to hold their annual picnic at Geauga Lake. I have some good memories of just walking across the floating bridge and feeding the fish in the lake.
@@coastaku1954 it didn’t stay open because their own greed ruined it. Clearly it was a great park because the original park was open and thriving for over 30 years. It went downhill immediately after buying sea world and trying to combine the two
Nah, Geauga Lake had way more charm than Cedar Point could ever hope to have. I remember going to CP for the first time the year that Dragster opened and it just felt so soulless in comparison.
living in cleveland, it is quite a local legend, especially when your parents always talk about how they used to go there. its crazy though how i used to go the the water park, and now its abandoned, but i can still recognize the areas of the water park based on the foundations and concrete
Great video! As an Ohio resident who also visited Geauga Lake a couple times, the current state of the property is really depressing. I think it’d be cool if they made it into a state park or something. EDIT: In addition to the park, they could also have a Geauga Lake Museum with pictures and relics from the former amusement park
Geauga Lake was never meant to be a massive theme park. Six Flags purchased the park in hopes of building it up to compete with Cedar Point in nearby Sandusky. However, they built it up into a massive park that the city of Aurora simply could not support. Not to mention the sheer size of combining the pre-existing Geauga Lake with then-Sea World Ohio made the property into one that was simply too big to manage. This combined with an explosion of arguably superior investments that nearby Cedar Point received made Six Flags’ vision of using Geauga Lake as a competitor to Cedar Point virtually impossible. Cedar Fair was given a disaster waiting to happen when they purchased the park from Six Flags and the fact that it continued to operate for several years after the acquisition is a miracle in and of itself. It’s hard to be angry at either company now, as the leadership of both Six Flags and Cedar Fair during the time of this train wreck have been long gone and replaced.
Last time I went here, a year or two before they closed, we kept getting stuck on the roller coasters. On one if them, it was right before the first drop. Their highest coaster at the time. We were so high up, they made us get out of the cars and walk down the planks next to the tracks. No way there were getting a fire truck with a ladder in there. What did we get for getting stuck? A free ice cream and a cut in line for the next roller coaster that we also got stuck on....what a day !!
You realize that is a pretty common thing to happen on roller coasters right? And they wouldn’t call a fire truck to get you, when stairs were installed along side the track for that very specific reason.
"I was getting screamed at for throwing poop over the side when we didn't have power or running water for 5 days when our Carnival cruise ship caught fire because I was supposed to see/smell our s**t for a week cuz apparently it disturbs the wildlife!" - My a**hole co-worker who was aboard the Carnival Triumph😂😂😂😂. I swear to God 45 people were early every day just to hear any funny updates from each other. Any time I hear a complaint about a malfunction, I think of him and laugh. Anyway, at least you weren't crapping in an ice bucket in the dark in 90° off the coast of Mexico for 5 days.
Steps are there to allow maintenance to inspect the chain lift, and for emergency evacuations. Those stairs were 100% designed for situations where the ride stoped and guests need to be removed from the ride, or for yes, maintenance.
Sweet, I love these update videos! Been watching since episode one and I love to see how these locations develop as you carry on with the series. Always very thorough and entertaining. Keep up the awesome work!
My Mom who just passed last year took my brother and I to both Geauga Lake and Sea World multiple times in the 80s. I rode all the coasters and remember the Wave pool clearly. So many good memories. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the update of Geauga Lake! Glad to see you in my neck of the woods! Sad to see what happened to my favorite place to visit with friends during the summer!
This place was a huge part of my child hood always brings a tear to my eye yes it makes sense why they got rid of it but everyone really did love that place around here I don’t live in aurora but I live a few towns over
I’m a local to Aurora and I’m really glad you made the video back in 2016 (long time fan btw haha) and it’s interesting to see an update because I was curious of what was gonna happen to it bc I drive aurora road pretty much all the time and I always look at the green fence as I go by, tragic honestly. I also had a pass for wild water kingdom every season and adored going and I even remember the last time I went, I was like 14 and went the last day it was open :((
The Big Dipper was my first coaster in 1974 and it was fantastic in air time. I also spent part of my honeymoon there in 2004. So sad to see what has happened.
Jake, great video. I think was sealed geauga lakes' demise was that it was located too close to Cedar Point...and after it emerged with Sea World, it became too expensive relative to the far superior and always reinvested( bi-yearly) in Cedar Point
Well yeah. Cedar Point's parent company Cedar Fair is the one that bought and scrapped Gueaga Lake. It might not have been the most profitable park but Cedar Fair drove it into the gutter and refused to sell it to someone that would do something with it so Cedar Point wouldn't have any competition.
@@JonsMovies104 Gee, I wonder WHY HE OF ALL PEOPLE is here--maybe just to laugh and watch a competitor go down in flames, maybe???!!! I don't give a damn what he says is his reason for watching--and commenting on--these videos. We all know he's just another cutthroat executive out to screw the normal people out of their hard earned money--and laughing in their faces while he's doing it!!!
I went to Geauga Lake as a kid and remember walking across that bridge. And riding all the water slides. I wasn’t old enough to ride the roller coasters but I remember looking at the Big Dipper sign and being upset that I couldn’t ride. I’ve been to dozens of abandoned places yet just this video is more saddening than any other place because I have such good memories of it.
The property sits in not only two municipalities, but also in two counties (Portage and Geauga). Were that not the case, perhaps one of the county's park districts would have made an offer to reclaim the land as public parkland. While it would be no amusement park, it would be a nice setting for paddle-boating and fishing.
Loved Geauga Lake. I grew up with the park from way back to the early 70's. Big Dipper was always one of my fave rollercoasters. Sad it became defunct. So many memories. 😥
I have so many memories at geauga lake, so sad that its just a relic now. Reminds me of going to Euclid Beach park when i was a kid and my parents would talk about what it used to be.. I got to go to geauga lake on the last sunday it was ever open with my company, back when they would rent the whole place out.. was always fun, but I would have done alot more that year if i knew that was the end.
Cedar Fare ran that park into the ground. They saw it as a threat to Cedar Point and did everything they could to make the Geauga Lake experience awful. I think Geauga Lake was way more enjoyable than Cedar Point and most people in NE Ohio feel the same way.
The Big Dipper was also my first big coaster AND my first time on the BAYERN KURVE (the GREATEST flat ride on earth!)...the monorail that when around the park...the ENTERPRISE... I can go on and on. HUGE part of my childhood summers. HEART BROKEN over all that has happened. Thank you BSF for all the vids keeping those memories alive.
Thank you, Jake. My family went to the amusement park when I was a child, in the 50’s and 60’s. I remember the Big Dipper and the giant slide. You picked up a burlap bag at the bottom to sit on the wooden slide. Awesome slide. The World has changed.
I remember WildWater kingdom, it was so fun and I remember when it closed. There’s still a sign up for Geauga Lake somewhere in Aurora and I don’t think they’ll ever take it down. At least I hope not, there’s good memories there
@@DJ_BROBOT It's Six Flags fault. They expanded the park like crazy, which is why it evem became competition to Cedar Point. If it had just remained a small family amusement park it would still be open today. I don't think Cedar Fair bought it to close it. I think they tried, but since Geauge lake was dead all the time in it's last year and they were only losing money keeping it open it's only natural that they closed it.
My grandparents lived in Kent, Ohio (and at one point) my Grandma worked at SeaWorld. We were a military family so we didn’t get to see my Grandparents very often. Consequently, it was a big celebration when we visited. A few times my grandparents treated us to days at Geuaga Lake, both as kids and as teenagers! Those days are part of great memories for my family. My grandparents have passed away and we have no relatives left in Kent, Ohio, but this area holds such a special place in my heart!!!
I went to Geauga Lake in the early 90s, as it was part of a group of 3 amusement parks, Wynndotte Lake, Darien Lake, and Geauga lake, where you could use your Season Pass at all 3 parks...love that small old wooden coaster....sucks they tore it down, the big dipper
We went to Geauga Lake, Sea World, and Cedar Point every summer when my sisters and I were kids. That was mainly in the 60's. All 3 parks were our favorite summer things to do, and we had so much fun
it’s so weird to see it abandoned, when i was young i used to go to sea world, then to wild water kingdom. my family could go every year and we have a picture in our family room. i went to the park on the last day of was open
I grew up in Aurora, OH. I grew up with Geauga Lake, Sea World, and Wild Water Kingdom. I drove past the abandoned amusement part a few times each month until I finally moved in 2018. It never got any less sad. I drove to the Michael’s over there not too long ago. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
Dan G. Nope. You need to do your homework. Six Flags was bustling like crazy. When Cedar Fair got ahold of it, they purposely closed the popular rides, then claimed business was dropping. They purposely shut it down so everyone would go to Cedar Point.
Sorry Ronin, but you need to get your history right. Six Flags was going under, hence why the Park was up for sale in the first place. Cedar Fair makes its share of mistakes, but dont blame them for that Park dying. The blame rests souly at the feet of Six Flags.
I LOVED Geauga Lake when I was a kid. It seriously was the best place! Turtle beach was just.....amazing!!! The Double Loop, The Raging Wolf Bob, The Big Dipper, I loved them all!!! I have so many awesome memories going there with my family! ♥️🥰
Hah! Me too! lol .. couldn't resist the urge to reply.. I saw Geauga Lake pop up and thought really?! could it be "the" Geauga Lake i went to every summer as a kid from eastlake? It is truly sad but will never forget the good memories and the first time ever riding a roller coaster (screaming like a little girl!!) ..I've loved them ever since though and have this place to thank. Peace~
I saw 2020 update and thought that I may have missed some news that there was an effort to rebuild it. Sadly, no. Just some more disappointment about some bullshit chain stores and potential residential developments. Sure, that's what depressed regions need. More housing and dispassionate, soulless retail.
I grew up in Ohio and both geauga lake and cedar point were always highlights of my summers. It was heartbreaking to watch the geauga lake video of it being abandoned
seeing all the abandoned buildings and slides and rides and rivers just have me so much memories of when i used to go to the park and riding the slides and all that
Man this shit makes me cry, I used to go to Geauga Lake, Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure, Sea World, and Wildwater Kingdom when they were belonged to those names. My mom got a season pass for her and I up until I was 7 or 8 when the park closed and that's when they came out with platinum passes for cedar fair so she started getting those and we still got to go to Wildwater Kingdom up until it closed, but it could not replace what Geauga Lake brought to me. I honestly loved it so much more than Cedar Point because it was half the distance from me and we'd go probably at least once or twice a week. I never got to ride the Dominator or Thunderbird, but I remember The Double Loop being my first ever roller coaster and it was probably the most fun I've had on a ride because my friend at the time would go on it with me over and over again. Same with Head Spin and The Villain and then there was a white wooden coaster I forgot the name of that one but there was a huge accident on it so they closed that one down before closing the park. I just miss all the memories it brought me. I miss Sea World even though I don't like the way they treat animals, I was a little toddler so I wasn't thinking of the inhumane practices at that age, they had tigers, seals, fish, and my favorite was Shamu or however the hell you spell it, that made a little 3 year old boy so happy. They also had a Batman show that was based of Batman Forever and it was actually really cool. The bat suit was very nice for it just being from a show. Man do I miss that shit. When I found out they closed down I was still too young to realize the impact it was gonna have on me so I kind of was in a state of shock. I remember going to the front gates after they were closed and there was about 15 people there and some guy stole one of the signs on the front gate. I don't know what he did with it, he probably put it in his basement hung up somewhere or sold it for hundreds. But seeing it now by driving past it, it is just so depressing. The grass overtook the parking lot in such a short period of time and it just felt super weird. The Big Dipper was up for the longest time, that was making me happy every time I drove past it. Going to the water park knowing that Geauga Lake was closed on the other side made me sad because before you could just walk around the path to get to the other side and go on rides and then go back around on the boardwalk, but when it was just the water park everything was blocked off. I still loved going up to the water park up until I turned 17. I didn't think much that the attendance was down, we got on slides and other things super fast and that was what was happening with Geauga Lake when it was closing. How I said I went on the Double Loop over and over again I was not joking about the over and over part of it. We did not wait at all, we got off and went back into the line and rode front seat and repeated the process probably around 10 times in a row and I somehow wanted to go on it more. I'm all over the place on this story, I'm sorry, but that's how my emotions are with this. My point is that it's super sad to see what it has come to. When they closed they said there would be houses built there and I kept on waiting and waiting for them to appear, but they never did. Like, if they at least put something there I would feel so much better about it, but since grass and depression are the last things standing, that makes the Geauga Lake closing much more sad.
I grew up twenty minutes from there. that place was a staple of my childhood. every time i pass it and see it abandoned, it hurts a bit. such a great park
growing up close enough to geauga lake that my friends and I would ride our bikes and lock them up out front and use our season passes nearly every day during the summer geauga lake holds a special place in my heart. I live far away now but when I go back driving past what it has become and is is always depressing. I ❤️ Geauga Lake and miss it so much.
WELCOME to good old Ohio! We're home to the Rolling Acres Mall, Randall Park Mall, Chippewa Lake Park and Geuaga Lake! GeE, aReN't ALL THOSE PLACES ABANDONED?
I grew up going to this amusement park. Yes, the last video was depressing but you still did a great job with looking up history and researching the park. Lots of awesome memories of that place
I’m from the area and did an undergraduate project on the park. Geauga Lake will always have a place in my heart. It still shocks me when I talk about this place to younger people any they have no idea what it is.
I was born and raised in Youngstown Ohio and grew up going to Geauga Lake. Reading through these comments, I'm today years old when I learned this wasn't considered a large amusement park. As a youngster I always thought Geauga Lake and Cedar Point were around the same size lol. I just knew I had a blast whenever I went to either!
Sad miss the old days when it was flourishing.. owners need to be held accountable smh... I saw 2020 update andcwas hoping to hear somethin was going to be brought back to life
Mark G why would you talk like that to someone making a valid point? Seems like if it doesn’t conform to what you believe then you just resort to name calling.
My parents took my siblings and myself to Geauga Lake yearly. We would pack a picnic and it was always something we looked forward to. A lot of good memories there. I'm sad that it is gone.
Bright Sun Films is one those channels that gives me so much info on things I cannot use in college, yet I love each and every masterpiece produced. Subscribing was the best thing I have done.
That's not our world, dude. Open your eyes, put your big boy pants on and see the world as it is. No amount of complaining or whining will change anything.
My father bought us season passes in the early eighties, we had little I.D's with our pictures on them. Sometimes, my father would come home from work and we would go there for dinner, and just enjoy the attractions. Great memories!!
Thanks for the update, I grew up not too far from Geagua Lake and Sea World and always remember having season passes to Geagua Lake. The sad part is cedar enterprise is Cedar Point amusement park One of the largest if not the largest amusement park in the world. Which is only about an hour and a 1/2 2 hours away from this park and they make a lot of money. Back in the eighties my neighbor used to be a big shot on the board at Geagua Lake. I have so many great memories of both of those places there but now I live in Las Vegas where we don't have anything close to anything like that. So sad
I live near Columbus honestly it was sad to see Geauga close, but honestly the last decade or so most of the money has moved to columbus. not to mention the geographical proximity to cedar point wouldnt make sense to have both there
Bugs Bunny and Snoopy are standing at Geauga Lake’s gravestone as the beagle cries while the bunny comforts him. Bugs: We did our best, Mac. But luck wasn’t on our side when we each ran it. Snoopy: *cries as he nods* Bugs: *lays two flowers on the gravestone* Rest In Peace. Snoopy: *lays a Geauga Lake annual pass on the gravestone with tears still in his eyes*
i’ll never forget looking across the water and seeing geauga lake while going on a ride at wild water kingdom in 2009. that’s literally what sparked my interest in abandoned places
I appreciate this update. I grew up in the area and GL was my childhood summer spot. I've long since moved across the country and never hear a thing about the aftermath.
I live about an hour away from here. So sad. I have vivid memories of both parks and then the merger to create 6 flags and then back to the water park only. It’s depressing. Cedar fair just wanted it destroyed to feed cedar point. I have had a cp pass for 10 years and this will be my first year without it. They’ve taken away the personalization of the customer experience and turned it into a ridiculously large money grab. I get it’s a business but I’m not a fan of what they have done to GL or CP
Exactly. That's exactly why they did it. And that will probably backfire on them now bc of the $99 gold passes. People are getting frustrated and every year the attendance will hopefully go down. But they dug their own grave with greed. Will catch up to them eventually, sooner rather than later. 😁
@@melsmith8671 They're in it to make money, sure, but they don't have to charge $99 for a gold (or ANY kind) pass. All that does is keep families and others away--and these are the backbone of ANY amusement park.
@@melsmith8671 Since you're obviously doing so well financially, why don't you put your money (literally) where your mouth is, and sponsor a family that CAN'T afford the $99! Your response will prove where you're REALLY coming from!!!
@@melsmith8671 Well, aren't YOU the epitome of someone who CAN'T and WON'T see past the end of your nose!!! Maybe your self righteousness tells you that YOU are the judge, jury and final say on matters--but I've learned NOT to judge people, and to LISTEN to what they're saying--which obviously YOU haven't!!! People don't have to (as YOU put it) "stomp my feet and demand the company make it cheap or give it to me" just because they can't afford something. But obviously YOU think they do!!! Don't give me the typical SJW whine that these companies HAVE to charge outrageous prices--they're doing VERY well, thank you, and besides, the REAL reason they charge $99 are salaries for the CEO and upper echelon management, while the workers struggle to make it on minimum wage!!! There is NO way for you for YOU to prove me wrong in this. So goodbye troll.
I remember being a kid, every Friday night my dad would take me to the rock and roll shamu shows and we would sit in the splash zone. They used to play sweet emotion with lots of fun flashing lights and we’d watch shamu jump out of the water. The after we’d run to the stadium by the lake and they’d have a fireworks show over the water with a spray in the lake, which would fan out like a screen and they’d show a movie of different things on it like horses running :). Wish I had something like that today to bring my kids to.
Geauga Lake didn't deserve the fate it got this park had over 100 years of operation behind it and it closed permanently just days after the final season and it didn't get any kind of last season celebration or nothing I will NEVER forgive Cedar fair for what they did to Geauga Lake GL closed in 2007 its 2020 and to this day I have not been to a cedar fair owned park since
Agreed. Six Flags was too ambitious - they should have kept the former Geauga Lake park but demolish Sea World area. Then after some time (recovering from all their debt), built resorts where Sea World used to stand so they could have guests right by the park. And to keep up with the slower winter months when the park is closed, the resorts could have an indoor water park. Similar to like a Great Bear Lodge or Kalahari.
@@hidden-expose I agree with that statement of them being too ambitious they poured alot of money into it personally they should've never of combined both parks together to me that was the beginning of the end if they would've bought SeaWorld & if they build a few new rides here & there and not all at once or just left it alone they probably would've lasted longer that it did and who knows maybe ohio would still have 3 amusement parks