Teen breaks into Geauga Lake and gets pictures ON the big dipper

Feel free to delete if this doesn't belong but I thought the pics were pretty awesome, and sad at the same time: http://www.buzzfeed.com/thelillie/cleveland-teenager-breaks-into-ab...ment-1tq5i

Sometimes I wonder about that park. Also, how much the land would cost if you were to buy it. I would like to see someone buy the park, including Wildwater, and make it similar to Kennyowwd or Holiday World, with some good woodies, and not make the mistakes Six Flags made with it.

Lillie!! You bad gurl!! John Miller was with you in spirit... Break laws with respect folks...

It would be nice, as a redemption for the CF corporation and Aurora alike, for a rebuild of the park. It's leveled.. Start fresh. And start with the complete restore of the BD. Make it the "idlewild" of CP..

I'm not sure Cedar Fair needs to be redeemed for what happened, since the company made the best it could of a mess left by Six Flags, or that Aurora wants to have an amusement park there: a lot of folks who live there have expressed strong opinions over the years about that.

Hell... Partner with ACE and build a museum / park .. You reading Tony?? Tell your constituents.. a PR epiphany ;)

That was my first coaster. I wish I had known the last time I rode it would be my last time at the park. I wish my youngest had been 2 inches taller in 2007 so he could have ridden it at least once.

Big Dipper is a long time favorite of mine. Great coaster.

Seeing those pictures make me so sad... I had so many memories there as a kid. I am also really curious as to how much the sections of land cost. Does that include the remaining structures and debris? Why hasn't anyone purchased the land? Seems to me like desirable land. I remember reading an article about a outdoor shopping mall replacing the defunct Geauga Lake years ago, but obviously that did not work out.

Shopping malls are going the way of the dinosaur. Most malls near me in the Akron and Canton area aren't doing too well, except Belden Village and Summit. Rolling Acres is completely abandoned, and I think Canton Centre is as well. All other malls are either half-empty or almost dead. So I can see why the mall never materialized. I'd like to see the park rebuilt from the ground up, but that's just wishful thinking. Last I heard though, a Meijer or movie studio was looking at the property.

It's very interesting how quickly mother nature takes over abandoned places like this.

Park/Coaster museum (with special attention to the long lost, great, Ohio parks/coasters)
BD refurb (GCI)
natural swimming holes and attractions replace WWK
Insert ride(s) of choice

Start small, gradually build the park. Honest pricing. Great food. Authentic expierence.

codeGR said:

It's very interesting how quickly mother nature takes over abandoned places like this.

I think your definition of quickly needs adjusted.

Reminds me of Idora Park that closed in the 1980s. The Jack Rabbit and what was left of the Wildcat sat SBNO for years before eventually being demolished. That property is still vacant today.

That girl has got to be crazy for climbing to the top of Big Dipper. The coaster's structure hasn't been maintained in years, one of those catwalk planks could've busted causing her to fall.

I can understand why several of the buildings were torn down at GL, reduce the risk of any fires.

See this goes to show you that a decision needs to me made soon about the fate of Big Dipper. They just need to demolish it so people like this girl don't get hurt. I like everyone's idea about create a new park from the ground up and create an experience similar to Kennywood.

I am a huge Geauga Lake fan, but I am not to the level of some of the crazy comments from another site filled with the "butt hurt" folks. It still kills me 8 years later that this happened, but chalk it up to life. It was my first park, Dipper was my first coaster, and I have memories of childhood and growing up with weekly visits here. It will always be like a death in the family for me. Gone but never forgotten and always a pleasant memory.

While a "re build" with a refurbished Dipper and a small family park around WWK would be nice - we have to remember that Cedar Fair closed the park because that is exactly what they did not want. If they wanted an operational Big Dipper and a few flat rides, they would have done that as part of the downsize. They made a decision to do what they did. Granted, it was the Kinzel-era, and I somehow feel like Ouimet would definitely have tweaked and tinkered and given the place more of a chance than Kinzel did. But at this point I can't imagine it would be feasible for them to go "we closed it, now let's reopen it"

What was unfortunate is that there was never an opportunity for anyone else to come in and make a run of the place. Which of course lends itself to the "they bought it to close it" conspiracy, which, after 8 years, I still haven't decided if there is a sliver of truth to or not. Is it doubtful that yet another ownership change would have saved it? Of course. Is it doubtful anyone would have even been interested? Definitely. But is it sad that Cedar Fair completely destroyed the entire infrastructure of the place, from removing the plumbing and electrical workings, and put clauses on the land (and the Dipper) that an amusement park could not be rebuilt and Dipper had to be sold to an owner who agreed to relocate or demolish it and not reopen it on site? Without a doubt. And it reeks of Kinzel ego. It's the kid who would break his toy before sharing it with another kid just so they couldn't have it. If Kinzel and Co failed with the park, they couldn't bear to see someone else possibly succeed. Which again, who knows if anyone could or would have. But the option would have been nice...

I've also read about contracting non Union work, removal of animals, and to-big-to-quick. Basically CF paid to inherit collective problems. They gave it an honest run.. But the damage was done.

Here we sit, some eight years laters. Trespassing and pondering the wasteland that is Geauga. At least the Sheauga's can again enjoy it.

There's really no market to reopen a park such as GL, let alone build a new one from the ground up. Sure, there's a few small parks here and there. However, now it's as if Ohio is divided in two with Cedar Point in the North and Kings Island for the South. Not to mention both main parks are owned by the same company.

Kennywood is really the only exception for this region of the country. I'm still looking for Conneaut Lake in the obituaries.

I never would have wanted to see Geauga Lake in the state Conneaut Lake is in now. It's still amazing to me though to see pictures of Worlds of Adventure in 2003, and then to think in five short years it would all be gone.

Rides like Dominator, X-Flight and Thunderhawk would have been removed anyway. But I would have loved to have seen an "old school" Geauga Lake with Big Dipper, Head Spin, the monorail, and some great flats on one side, and then Double Loop, the log flume, Texas Twister, Wolf Bobs and Villain as the "big coaster" - I still mourn the early seasons of Villain. I realize some of this was gone prior to the last season, but finding a way to "erase" 2000-2007, with the exception of Villain, would have been nice to see.

Let's say that the owner of the Big Dipper decides to have the Big Dipper demolished. Would the owner have to be contacted for another park to duplicate a replica of Big Dipper to be built at another park? For example Holiday World?

I know there are people out there who think they can get the place rebuilt but it isn't going to happen. If there was an abandoned, dormant amusement park sitting there that could be brought back to life it would be a possibility but since everything would have to be built from the ground up with the exception of Dipper which I'm sure needs plenty of TLC by now there would be no reason for anyone to do it. If you're going to start from scratch that particular piece of property isn't the place to do it. If I was starting from nothing I would choose a spot with easier freeway access and a local government that would at least pretend they wanted an amusement park in their community.