Conneaut Lake Park One Year after Travel Channel - Part 2

I posted pictures yesterday from our walk through Conneaut Lake Park earlier this week. We wanted to see how the park looked one year after the Travel Channel Mission Amusement show was filmed. While yesterday's pictures show things that were specifically mentioned on the show, today's pictures are from the rest of the park. 

Strangely, there are private homes on the park grounds. Some look occupied, and others are in terrible shape. This house looked particularly bad. We walked up to the front door, peered through the cracked windows, and were surprised to see what looked like the entrance to a haunted house. There is no way that this house is safe - I really hope that it isn't part of Ghost Lake.

Close by, there are houses that look occupied and well kept.

Conneaut Lake Park One Year after Travel Channel

Last summer, Ben and I volunteered for the Travel Channel's Mission Amusement makeover of Conneaut Lake Park (here). The show, which aired in early July, accurately depicted the park (here). This week, we walked through the park to see how the changes held up. 

Mission Amusement: Scare Tactics made it appear like their new attraction, the Haunted Hostel, was behind a stone facade at the end of the midway. The attraction is actually in the next section of the midway - you can see the Haunted Hostel sign above and below. The facade that they showed in Mission Amusement, on the left side of the midway building above, was recently torn down. The Haunted Hostel, by the way, was not open when we visited.

We walked through the park on a Monday afternoon, expecting it to be closed, but were surprised to find it open. Although it was operating, you almost wouldn't know it. We saw at most a handful of guests. The Travel Channel show made many improvements and had many recommendations. I did my best to see how the improvements held up and if the recommendations were taken to heart. One of the first things the host noticed was the broken lights. Unfortunately, there are still broken lights all around the park.

The host also stressed the importance of accurate signage. The new signs (from the show) still stand, but so do the park's old make-shift signs.

The park entrance looks wonderful. The signs are up and the paint is fresh. I don't think there was a park employee in sight, but it looks nice.

The first ride in the park - not operating. Same with the next ride.

If you've seen Mission Amusement, you might remember the 'No Trespassing' sign below. If you didn't see the show, the host noted that park is open until 9 pm, but the sign says no trespassing after 7pm. It's shocking to me that the park has had a year, but still hasn't removed or replaced this sign.

Also not operating - the Blue Streak. The unused cars sit half covered near the loading area.

The seats of the Blue Streak cars that are used were reupholstered for the show and still look great. 

Next to the Blue Streak - a pile of trash. Keep in mind, all of these pictures were taken on a regular walk through the park, not behind the scenes. I didn't trespass, I didn't walk anywhere I shouldn't. This is what guests see every day. Piles of trash, broken parts, and torn down buildings litter the entire park.

I think this (below) was the entrance to the old Jungle Ride.

The midway looks past it's prime, with weeds growing through the uneven, cracked asphalt.

Ben and I spent a lot of time last summer painting the planters on the midway. Unfortunately, it didn't hold up very well.

As were leaving the park, an employee asked me if I would sign a petition to stop the Sheriff's Sale. I have to admit - I'm torn. While I'd love to see the park stay, it's in such disrepair, I don't know if it salvageable at this time. It actually looks worse now than it did a year ago. The best word to describe our visit - depressing.

Mission Amusement: Scare Tactics! Conneaut Lake on Travel Channel!

After nearly a year of waiting, the Travel Channel show (Mission Amusement: Scare Tactics) aired! Last summer, Ben and I volunteered to help with Conneaut Lake Park restoration during the filming. I wrote about it here. Now that the show has aired, I can share more details.

Unfortunately, the sad state of the park in Mission Amusement: Scare Tactics was very accurate. Norma, the show's carpenter, worked like mad that week. Ben and I helped with the Devil's Den (painting, cleaning up inside and hanging the ghost outside), painted the planters on the Midway, and painted the beer stand (shown in Mission Amusement being pulled in before being painted, but not shown after). We were interviewed while painting the beer stand, but that clip ended up on the cutting room floor.

The Haunted House was every bit as scary as they make it seem. Probably even more terrifying! Ben and I were even able to walk through it in the daylight, so we knew what to expect. Despite having the sneak peak, going through the night of the reveal was terrible! Terrible in a good way, if you like that kind of thing (which I discovered, I do not). You can see a news clip of us exiting here. We're also shown briefly on the Travel Channel show. During the final few minutes, we're in the crowd by the haunted house, in line for the haunted house, and also in line for Devil's Den.

I still don't trust The Blue Streak. My dad and Ben rode it during Park After Dark and both said, "Never again!"

We'll see how our renovations held up over the winter. Stay tuned for an update!