• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Stories
  • Games
    • View All
    • FAQ
  • Encyclopaedia
  • About
  • Support TGIMM
  • Shop
  • Contact

The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

Abandoned: Flying Over The Ghosts Of Geauga Lake

March 7, 2016 by Lucia

Previously: Norwich State Hospital.

A video featuring footage of what was once one of Ohio’s premiere attractions went viral a few weeks ago. It’s gorgeous in that melancholy way that all abandoned photography is, but there’s something different about this video: The footage of the park, Geauaga Lake, was shot from a drone. The nature of the footage adds a whole new point of view, both literally and figuratively, to the remains of the park; it’s well worth a look, so I highly suggest giving it a watch.

An aerial view of the remains of Geauga Lake
Aerial footage of Geauga Lake. Watch the full video here.

Geauaga Lake’s history stretches back further than you might think. Not unlike Williams Grove in Pennsylvania, Geauaga Lake was once a popular picnic spot; between 1872 and 1887, the crowds came to it for a brief respite during the hot summer months, spending their time swimming, fishing, and relaxing on the lake’s tranquil shores. The park itself had become more of an actual thing by 1887, although it wouldn’t be until 1925 that it began to really hit its stride. The Big Dipper — at the time, the largest wooden roller coaster in existence at 2,800 feet long and 65 feet high — was just one of a variety of rides and amusements that found a home at the park during this era, and as it grew in size, it grew in popularity as well.

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

It wasn’t without its trials, though. A tornado hit in 1942, causing $50,000 in damages; then, additional $500,000 of damage was sustained in 1952, when a fire ripped through the park’s bowling alley, theatre, dance hall, and roller rink. It operated during the early ‘60s as a seasonal location, but after its 1969 purchase by Funtime Incorporated, it began its transformation into the kind of destination we think of when we think of the words “amusement park” today. The arrival of SeaWorld Ohio on the other side of the lake in 1970 seemed to be a perfect complement.

More and more attractions were added to Geauaga Lake over the next couple of decades; the ‘90s, however, saw many more changes, largely in the form of new management. In 1995, Premier Parks purchased Funtime Incorporated — and then in 1998, Premier Parks acquired Six Flags, at which point Geauaga Lake was rebranded into Six Flags Ohio.

And here’s where things start to fall apart: The park became so gargantuan that it eventually collapsed under its own size. Six Flags purchased SeaWorld Ohio in 2001, and the two parks combined to create Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. A few years later, however, the giant park was floundering, leading to its sale to Cedar Fair Entertainment in 2004. Cedar Fair, which also owned landmark Ohio amusement park Cedar Point, changed the park’s name back to Geauaga Lake and set about rebranding the entire property again; the SeaWorld was left to decay for a while before being turned into a small water park. An additional water park remained, and for a few years, the two water parks and the amusement park attempted to regain some of their former glory.

But in the fall of 2007, an announcement was made that Geauaga Lake was to close, never to open again. It just wasn’t sustainable. One of the water parks, Wildwater Kingdom, remains in operation, but everything else has been shut up and abandoned. Property developers have been eyeing the land ever since, but nothing has been put into motion yet.

The video seen here shows what it all looks like today.

I do love a good photo series; I think there’s something to be said for the detail individual images can capture — details that you might miss otherwise. But what’s so haunting about this drone footage, I think, is the sense of geography. You can see how the whole park fit together, and seeing it all gives you a feel for the enormity of the place — and how arresting it is now that it’s empty and decaying.

Since I grew up on eastern seaboard far away from Geauga Lake, I never experienced it in any of its many stages of existence; and unless it’s purchased and revitalized — which seems unlikely, to be honest — I likely never will. But footage like this acts as a sort of time capsule: If you look carefully beneath the layers of neglect, you can spot tiny glimmers of what it must once have been like. And sometimes, that’s even more fascinating than anything else.

For a wonderfully thorough history of Geauaga Lake throughout its almost 150 years of existence, check out Theme Park Tourist’s article “5 Tragic Reasons the World’s Largest Theme Park Stands Abandoned in Ohio.”

***

Follow The Ghost In My Machine on Twitter @GhostMachine13 and on Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine. And don’t forget to check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available now from Chronicle Books!

[Photo via DiJi Aerial Media/YouTube]

Filed Under: Places Tagged With: Abandoned, abandoned amusement parks, drone, Geauaga Lake, Ohio, video

Primary Sidebar

Top Stories

‘Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark’ Is Now Available From Chronicle Books!

15 Creepy, Scary Phone Numbers To Call That Actually Work (UPDATED For 2023)

The Backrooms, Explained: How To Make Sense Of The Internet’s Favorite Non-Reality

About

The Ghost In My Machine is an internet campfire of sorts. Gather round, because it wants to tell you strange stories, take you on haunted journeys, and make you jump at unexpected noises.

Continue Reading >

Support

Like what you read? Support The Ghost In My Machine!

 

Support

Follow

Facebook Twitter

From the Vault

  • Bloody Mary & Other Games We Shouldn’t Play

    Scare Yourself Silly

  • This Man

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • The Dionaea House

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • The Noise Coming From Inside Children

    Scare Yourself Silly

  • NoEnd House

    Is It Real?

  • Killswitch

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • The “Lost” Mickey Mouse Cartoon

    Is It Real?

  • 200 Phenomena In The City Of Calgary

    Scare Yourself Silly

View All >

Letters from the Beyond

Enter your email to receive blog posts and updates by email

  • Stories
  • Games
  • Encyclopaedia
  • About
  • Support TGIMM
  • Shop
  • Contact

Privacy Policy

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT