The Florida Region of American Coaster Enthusiasts hosted an event Saturday at Busch Gardens Tampa. Dozens of ACE members were in Central Florida last week for the big IAAPA amusement park trade show. (ACE is a member of IAAPA.) [Read more…]
Out of the Loop: Conneaut Lake Park Blue Streak coaster being restored
Column by Andy Guinigundo
Labor Day marks the official end to many parks’ summer seasons. Conneaut Lake Park in Western Pennsylvania has seen more than 100 such seasons come and go. Conneaut Lake, Pa. sits almost 100 miles north of Pittsburgh. Opened in 1892 as Exposition Park, it served mostly as a picnic and gathering area. The first ride appeared several years later. As the decades passed, more rides and a midway were established. The name changed to Conneaut Lake Park in the 1920s. The Blue Streak roller coaster opened in 1938. This ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts) designated historic coaster is the sixth oldest in the country. [Read more…]