Lake Compounce, America’s oldest amusement park, opened in 1895 as a small complex. It covers 332 acres and has 40 rides, including four roller coasters. The park also has unique rides, a water park, and Halloween attractions. In 2004, it won the Golden Ticket Award for the best wooden roller coaster in the world.
Lake Compounce, America’s oldest continuously operating amusement park, has been entertaining families since 1895, when a small complex containing a casino, restaurant and ballroom was built on the park premises. Even before it was an amusement park, during the American Civil War era, the park was a popular swimming and picnic spot, where people could go rowing on the lake or just sit in the lakeside gazebo and enjoy the landscape. Lake Compounce covers 332 acres (1.3 km²) of wilderness land in Bristol, Connecticut.
It wasn’t until 1911 that the first official amusement park ride opened. The carousel, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, was hand-carved and cost more than $10,000 United States Dollars (USD) to produce. Three years later, the Green Dragon made its debut, one of the nation’s first electric roller coasters. The roller coaster was torn down in 1926 to make room for the Wildcat, one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the world, which still runs today. The park now contains forty rides, including four roller coasters.
The amusement park is also home to some unusual rides, including an authentic 1911 open-air trolley that passengers can ride around the park; a Mark Twain-inspired stern wheel; the Thunder Rapids water ride; Zoomer’s Gas N’ Go, which features reproduction 1956 Corvettes around a themed venue; and a steam railroad covering hundreds of miles of the park’s land area. A large water park, known as Splash Harbor, runs along Compounce Lake. Both parks offer a great Halloween experience, where the rides are operated after dark and most of the corners are turned into hunting attractions.
In 2004, Lake Compounce park won the Golden Ticket Award for the best wooden roller coaster in the world. The Boulder Dash coaster is built right into the side of a mountain, where it hurtles through trees and boulders at 60 miles per hour. The park also features many attractions for children, including mascots, magical acts, singers and dancers, and the occasional appearance of cartoon characters. Lake Compounce is also famous for giving away free Pepsi to visitors.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
