Indiana Beach - is the end near?

[Cryptkeeper]

Every since Morgan RV purchased IB, the park has been going downhill. This, at times, is visible to people visiting the park, but not always. For my visits over the last few years, and from what I've heard from others, the park can be hit or miss.

However, what others might not know is that, behind the scenes, things have been getting worse and worse each year. You know it's bad when, upon visiting the park, you ask multiple employees how the park is doing, and the completely honest response of "bad" comes from every single one of them. The park never bothered even to create brochures for this year! That is unheard of, and is another bad sign of how bad things have gotten. Alas, rumors are heating up that things must finally be coming to a head this year. Due to bills not being paid, the park might be put up for sale, or, god forbid, closed.

Of course, what I'm writing above is what the word on the street is about the park. While I do hate to spread these "rumors" as they might not ultimately end up coming to fruition (though I honestly believe something is going to happen - I wouldn't be posting this if I didn't), I think it's worth letting people know that there's a possibility that this might be the last operating season of IB so that people who like the park can have an opportunity to visit the park one more time over the next month before they close (for the season..or for good). I know I'm going back one more time - just in case.

Personally speaking, I really hope it does not close and instead it gets sold to someone who knows how to run a park and puts management in place that knows how to run the place, but only time will tell if that happens.

[david]

If it is liquidated, GAm should get their asses up there and buy Steel Hawg.

[BLADE]

No way. It has terrible capacity and really isn't that good. Yes, I've been on it.

[Cryptkeeper]

If the park does go up for sale, I wonder who would buy it?

I doubt SF or CF would. One hope I have is that the Herschend Family (http://www.hfecorp.com/) might be interested in purchasing the park. I'm not sure there are many other candidates, however, unless the Spackman/Davis family somehow were able to get control of the park back - though I'm not sure some/all of them would want the park back. *shrugs*

ETA: One thing I completely forgot to mention in my original post is that IB has completely abandoned marking to the Chicago area. TV spots ceased around a couple of years ago when the park was sold, and I *believe* that they stopped doing radio spots for IB this year in the Chicago area. This is a horrific idea as Chicago has always been a big draw for IB, and to completely abandon marketing to that area, especially the year after Kiddieland closed, is ridiculously asinine.

[monsterfan99]

As much as I loved my visit last year, I'm not sure who the target market for the place is. Chicago is a decent drive away as is Indianapolis plus there is no real local market. They also get the "joy" of competing with SF Great America, Holiday World, Cedar Point and The Dells on a whole.

The telling sign to me on the park was my visit. It was a $1 ride night or something like that. Even with that promotion, they still were struggling to fill trains on all the coasters except Steel Hawg and Lost Coaster (both due to awful capacity.) Add to that we paid a grand total of $30 for 2 people for an all day pass and I see where they are loosing money.

[Galvan]

I went there for a few hours this year, and I can honestly say the place is a friggen dump. Most of the flats where closed, as was Lost Coaster.

[Cole]

How far is it from Holiday world?

[Cryptkeeper]

Before Morgan RV took over, you wouldn't find closed rides everywhere like has been known to happen over the last few years. The park was run relatively well and was almost always a nice place to visit. That's why I'm really hoping someone buys the place and fixes it up back to where it used to be.

Also, regarding competition - the park is now 85 years old, I think. The park has done fine w/ competition in the years past - there are enough people to draw from Cincy, Indianapolis, Chicago, etc. Competition has never been a problem before. The problem is lack of advertising, a dramatic increase in prices, and having a much poorer product (park) then what existed in the past.

[BLADE]

How far is it from Holiday world?

About 4 hours north.

[BLADE]

Before Morgan RV took over, you wouldn't find closed rides everywhere like has been known to happen over the last few years. The park was run relatively well and was almost always a nice place to visit. That's why I'm really hoping someone buys the place and fixes it up back to where it used to be.

Also, regarding competition - the park is now 85 years old, I think. The park has done fine w/ competition in the years past - there are enough people to draw from Cincy, Indianapolis, Chicago, etc. Competition has never been a problem before. The problem is lack of advertising, a dramatic increase in prices, and having a much poorer product (park) then what existed in the past.

No wonder this place was so much different than I expected. Some very knowledgeable people on this site raved about it. I didn't find out how run down it was until a week before I went there in June, and it was too late to change plans. When did Morgan RV buy it?

[BLADE]

I went there for a few hours this year, and I can honestly say the place is a friggen dump. Most of the flats where closed, as was Lost Coaster.

Lost Coaster was closed the first week in June when I was there, because they were having a problem with lift. I wonder if that was why it was closed when you were there too. Did you see the toilet in the mens room that was out in the open? A definite contender for worst amusement park that I have visited.

[Demon_07]

I'm visiting tomorrow

[Timmy179]

That's a shame, this park has all the potential to be one of the most nostalgic parks in the country.

Alot of history/ good feel to this place, I've been there probably a hundred times in my life.

God would this destroy the town of Monticello..


They are known for amazzzzzing tacos... Lol

[monsterfan99]

To show the park chooses not to run Lost Coaster

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/vi ... &start=210

When TPR bought ERT, the ride was working fine. Once ERT ended, the ride mysteriously went down.

[bsntech]

I had been to Indiana Beach several years ago. The one price for all day pass is what we got. The lines were short and most things were almost a walk-on.

The place really has an old-world feel to it on the beach.

There has been zero advertising in the Central Illinois area either. We used to see TV ads quite often and hear promotions on the radio for the place. But come to think of it, I haven't really heard or seen anything about that park in at least three or four years now.

Shows what the power of advertising can do to a place.

[RagingFanatic]

If it closes they should get Hoosier hurricane.

[[jonrev]]

I don't know what you guys are watching but WGN advertises them all the time.

[boilermaker4life]

I visited over Labor Day Weekend and the park was absolutely packed. I have never seen it that crowded. I don't really see the park closing anytime soon. The main Indiana Beach Camp Resort was just remodeled/re imagined as NASCAR RV Park. We visited that as well, and I thought it was really nice (even for me being a non-NASCAR fan). They seem to have a great base with their families that visit, and that is what works best for them.

[Cryptkeeper]

I visited over Labor Day Weekend and the park was absolutely packed. I have never seen it that crowded. I don't really see the park closing anytime soon.

Basing your opinion based on only one visit - a visit that took place during a holiday weekend, is not the best of ideas. Morgan RV has to either start paying the bills ASAP or sell the park ASAP or there will be no more park. Personally, I really hope they sell to someone who knows how to run the park.

[boilermaker4life]

I was actually there three times this season, and while the other two visits weren't as busy, the park still had a good amount of people there compared to visits I have made in years past.

[tp41190]

I would rather see the park close instead of it being open and just being a total dump. If there isn't a good future in sight, might as well just put it out of it's misery. While it's great to see theme parks preserved, if it isn't making money it's better for it to just be gone.

[FParker185]

Problem is with the right management it can make money, it was plenty profitable when the Spackmans owned it. Only problem is IB has to be run way differently than a major park, when Morgan came in and changed a bunch of policy's and terminated a bunch of long time managers and employees, the park started it's huge downhill trend, when it started operating similar to a Six Flags park. And I agree, if it can't be run right, then it shouldn't be run at all.

[boilermaker4life]

Looks like Indiana Beach is going to be revitalized this season! New Zipline too! No idea where they may put that, but check out the press release on this thread:
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