Lakemont Park is an amusement park located in

Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 Census, making it the eighteenth most populous city in Pennsylvania. ...

. It houses the world's oldest-surviving

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

, the

Leap-The-Dips Leap-The-Dips is a wooden roller coaster located at Lakemont Park near Altoona, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1902 by the Federal Construction Company and designed by E. Joy Morris, it is the oldest operating roller coaster in the world and beli ...

. On June 19, 1996, the roller coaster was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks by the National Park Service. The park opened in 1894 as a

trolley park Trolley may refer to: Vehicles and components * Tram, or trolley or streetcar, a rail vehicle that runs on tramway tracks * Trolleybus, or trolley, an electric bus drawing power from overhead wires using trolley poles ** Trolleytruck, a trolleyb ...

and became an amusement park in the summer of 1899. It is one of only thirteen

s still operating, and the 8th oldest

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The park was owned by the Boyer Candy Company from May 23, 1986 until July 1, 1988, when it was called Boyertown USA. The park was closed from 2017-2018, but re-opened in summer 2019. The park is located next to Peoples Natural Gas Field, home of the

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of the ...

Minor League Baseball team. Lakemont Park is also known for their 51-acre drive-through holiday light display, Holiday Lights on the Lake.

History

Lakemont Park opened in 1894, was donated to Blair County in 1937, privatized in 1986, and remained in operation through 2016. The park closed at the beginning of the 2017 season, as many rides and attractions were undergoing maintenance. In 2018, Lakemont Park announced that it would remain closed with plans to reopen as a "family entertainment location with some amusements" in the summer of 2019. Lakemont indicated it is planning on selling most of the rides except for Skyliner, Leap the Dips, Tin Lizzy Antique Cars, C.P. Huntington Train, Paddle Boats, Indy Go-Karts, 4x4 Monster Trucks, Lil’ Leaper, and the Waterpark. The park reopened in the summer of 2019.

Current rides and attractions

Lakemont Park has numerous outdoor attractions.

Roller coasters

Other Family Rides and Attractions

* Paddle Boats * Tin Lizzy Antique Cars * Motorway Go-Karts * C.P. Huntington Train * Batting Cages (4) * Keystone Falls Mini Golf (18 Hole) * Rabbit Hole Mini Golf (18 Hole) * Basketball Courts (4) * Volley Ball Courts (2) * Corn Hole Boards * Horseshoe Pits * Walking Paths

Kiddie Rides and Attractions

* 4X4 Monster Trucks * C.P. Huntington Train * Lil' Leaper * Playground

Water park

Former attractions

Like any amusement park that has been open for many years, rides are removed for various reasons. Below is a list of some of these rides.

Former roller coasters

Incidents at Lakemont Park

* On September 2, 1991, a seventeen-year-old ride operator for the Little Leaper Coaster named Chris Whitfield got dragged away by the roller coaster and lost his right leg after it got mangled between the train and its track/chain. The accident was featured on the television series ''

Rescue 911 ''Rescue 911'' is an American informational docudrama television series that premiered on CBS on April 18, 1989, and ended on August 27, 1996. The series was hosted by William Shatner and featured reenactments (and occasionally real footage) of e ...

'' on September 29, 1992 on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

References

External links

Park websitePark Facebook page
* *

{{Altoona, Pennsylvania 1894 establishments in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Altoona, Pennsylvania Amusement parks in Pennsylvania Tourist attractions in Blair County, Pennsylvania Altoona, Pennsylvania