The Search for a Buyer
Things didn’t look good for the boardwalk park. Iconic rides from Indiana Beach and its sister park Fantasy Island, which would also be closed down in Apex’s bankruptcy, were listed for sale. Hopes of reopening dwindled. It was rumored that Fun Spot, home of popular-late night parks in Orlando, Kissimmee, and Atlanta, was interested in acquiring the park. Unfortunately, Fun Spot quickly announced that they had no intentions of purchasing Indiana Beach Boardwalk Resort.
This may have also seemed like a perfect situation for park chain Six Flags to swoop in and save the day (they did the same with parks such as Darien Lake and Kentucky Kingdom), but alas, no bites. Six Flags is far from in the best shape at the present moment, and most likely could not afford to take on a new venture.
In the midst of COVID-19, the reality of Indiana Beach’s fate began to set in. Perhaps, after 100 years of history and despite all hope and appeals, this really was the end of Indiana Beach Boardwalk Resort.
But do note: this is a comeback story.
Spoiler Alert: “We’re Back”
And so the park was no more. As rides continued to sell and dust began to blanket the iconic Taco Shoppe, Indiana residents began to move on. The Indiana Beach Instagram page hadn’t made a post since December 2019 and all signs pointed to the park never opening its gates again.
But then, a ray of hope: a string of Instagram posts with grainy screenshots and no captions. “SSSSHHHHH…CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?” one picture said, the IB Crow mascot making a reappearance on the web. The comment sections speculated, pleading for good news. In late April, that good news finally came.
“We’re back,” the Instagram post said, along with a picturesque scene of Indiana Beach’s ferris wheel and iconic wooden coaster Hoosier Hurricane. Indiana Beach Boardwalk Resort had risen from the dead. Purchased with the intentions of reopening for the 2020 season, park goers rejoiced. After all, it was their passion and their determination that saved this park, along with the buyer.
Returning to Their Roots
So who was the buyer? The rumor mill spun until it was announced: not a corporation, but a person.
Gene Staples is a businessman, US Navy Vet, and father living in Chicago, Illinois. Not only did he bring his kids to Indiana Beach growing up, but he actually spent his childhood there as well. His intent was simple: he wanted to save the park because of how much it meant to his family, and because he knew how much it meant to other families in the area. This place wasn’t Cedar Point or Six Flags Great America. It was something far smaller and far sweeter, a family park returning to its roots. Unfortunately, Fantasy Island would not share their fate, and remains closed to this day.
Though some rides had already been sold in the initial closure, the big contenders like Hoosier Hurricane and Steel Hawg remain—and also received some upgrades in the change of ownership. Along with new paint jobs on numerous attractions, Hoosier Hurricane has already received a partial re-track, giving the ride a new-and-improved feel for the 2020 season. The park celebrated its reopening on June 26, 2020. His family by his side, Gene Staples’s daughter did the honors of cutting the ribbon, to thunderous applause.
So how did COVID-19 affect the reopening process? According to Gene Staples himself, COVID-19 actually provided for ample time for the new team to invest in the park’s beautification and maintenance in preparation for the reopening. The park would have had to push their opening to the weekend of June 26 either way.
In a time of great uncertainty and great loss, Indiana Beach is a beacon of hope. It’s story of how one town, one park, and one person can make a lasting impact. Looking around at the current landscape of the amusement industry, parks that aren’t part of chains or held up by a prominent intellectual properties (Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc.) often fall by the wayside. This charming (once again) family owned and operated park shines as a valiant underdog, and if one thing is for certain it's this: if Indiana Beach Boardwalk Resort can survive this, what can’t they survive?
Comments
I'm late to comment here, but I wanted to thank you for highlighting this park. Though my true home park is Michigan's Adventure, I have fond memories of visiting my family in Indiana while I was a kid, and those weeks always included a trip down to Indiana Beach. It's good to see a spotlight on smaller parks and to focus on what they do well.