Bay Beach Amusement Park

Last updated
Bay Beach Amusement Park
Previously known as Bay View Beach (until approx. 1920)
Bay-Beach-Amusement-Park-Wisconsin-Logo.png
Bay Beach Train Depot.jpg
Train depot
Location1313 Bay Beach Road, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Coordinates 44°31′51.3″N87°58′51″W / 44.530917°N 87.98083°W / 44.530917; -87.98083
StatusOperating
Opened1892(132 years ago) (1892)
OwnerCity of Green Bay, Wisconsin
Operating seasonMay - September
Attractions
Total23 [1]
Roller coasters1
Website greenbaywi.gov/445/Bay-Beach

Bay Beach is a municipal amusement park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Situated near the mouth of the Fox River, on the east bank as it flows into Green Bay, the park contains rides, concessions, a roller coaster, and a food pavilion. Dances, movies, and other events are held in a pavilion. The park is adjacent to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.

Contents

History

The park's history dates to the 1890s when entrepreneur Mitchell Nejedlo purchased the land. Originally intended to be divided and sold for summer cottages, he turned it into Bay View Beach. Bay View Beach had a dance hall, a bar, and a bathhouse, however, because it was swampy and infested with mosquitoes, the park didn't attract many visitors. In 1908 Captain John Cusick bought the resort from Nejedlo. Cusick built an 8-foot dock that extended 570 feet into the bay, then bought a steamboat to transport customers from Walnut Street Bridge to Bay View Beach. When swimming became popular, Cusick began renting swimsuits for $0.10. On a good day, he could bring in as much as $450. In 1901 a roller coaster was built. Then in 1908, Cusick built a ride called "Shoot the Chutes", a flat-bottomed boat that could hold 12 people. The boat was slid down a 50-foot ramp and onto the water. The ride cost $0.10.

In 1911 Bay View Beach was sold to Frank Emery Murphy, born 1862 (Green Bay Alderman, corporate executive of Murphy Lumber, Murphy Supply, Morley - Murphy Company, and owner of the prestigious Horse Shoe Bay Farms in Door County, Wisconsin) and Fred A. Rahr born 1863, (Green Bay Alderman, operator of Rahr's Brewing Company, Treasurer of the Green Bay Volunteer Fire Department when it was organized in 1887). In 1920 they donated the 11 acres, along with all its buildings and attractions, to the city of Green Bay to be used as a City Park, Called Bay Beach Park. [2]

From the site's earliest days as a private park, a public beach was available, but pollution of the bay eventually caused the swimming beach to close. From the 1930s to the early 1970s, Bay Beach's pavilion hosted concerts, political rallies, dances, Fourth of July fireworks, and other events. On August 9, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Bay Beach in celebration of Green Bay's tercentennial of the landing of French explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634.

Today the park is a family place, with scenic views and rides for children, including bumper cars, two small-scale passenger train rides, a large slide, and a Ferris wheel.

Upgrades

Zippin Pippin 2013 opening morning Zippin Pippin 2013 Opening Morning.JPG
Zippin Pippin 2013 opening morning

In 2006, 46 acres (190,000 m2) of land west of the Bay Beach boundary was purchased to upgrade and expand the park. Plans include tearing down and replacing the original Ferris wheel, replacing the Scat with a new ride, and expanding the train tracks to circle the enlarged acreage.[ needs update ] On March 2, 2010, the city of Green Bay approved the purchase of the nearly century-old Zippin Pippin wooden roller coaster from Memphis, Tennessee, where it had sat derelict for five years. A groundbreaking took place on August 25, 2010, and construction on the Zippin Pippin began in September 2010. Construction was completed in April 2011 and the Zippin Pippin is now open.

In early 2013, a Bay Beach Master Plan was proposed. Phase 1 of the plan is broken into five two-year segments. The first is the addition of the Sea Dragon ride and expanding the train track to loop under the Zippin Pippin by 2015. Narrow gauged trains and 3 cars modeled after those at the Milwaukee zoo were donated in 2014, with +3000 feet of track operating for the 2015 season. For phase 2, in 2017 and 2018, two more rides are scheduled to arrive at the park. [3] In 2017 the Falling Star Ride was introduced. In 2019 a 100 feet tall Ferris wheel opened.

Rides

Roller coaster

CoasterOpenedManufacturerModel
Zippin Pippin 2011 The Gravity Group Wooden Roller Coaster

Thrill rides

NameOpenedManufacturerModel
Bay Beast (Second Model)2023 Moser Gravity Tower
Scat1985Venture ManufacturingScat
Sea Dragon2013 Chance Morgan Sea Dragon
Yo-Yo1996 Chance Rides Yo-Yo
Big Wheel2019 Chance Rides Ferris Wheel
NebulaZ2023 Zamperla NebulaZ

Family rides

NameOpenedManufacturerModel
Bumper Cars1993S.D.C.Bumper Cars
Ferris Wheel1952Eli Bridge CompanyBig Eli Ferris Wheel
Giant Slide1971UnknownGiant Slide
Helicopters1964 Allan Herschell Company Helicopters
Merry-Go-Round1971 Chance Manufacturing Merry-Go-Round
Rockin’ Tug2016 Zamperla Rockin’ Tug
Scrambler1977Eli Bridge CompanyScrambler
Tilt-a-Whirl1982Sellner ManufacturingTilt-a-Whirl
East Train1956 Crown Metal Products Train
West Train2018Train

Kiddie rides

NameOpenedManufacturerModel
Boats1972 Allan Herschell Company Boats
Granny Bugs1998 Zamperla Jump Around
Jeeps1972 Zamperla Jeeps
Lady Bugs1977 Eyerly Aircraft Company Lady Bugs
Race Cars1998 Zamperla Race Cars
Sky Fighters1998Molina & Son'sRace Cars

Former Rides

NameOpenedClosedManufacturerModel
Falling Star20172021 Chance Rides Falling Star
Bay Beast (First Model)20162021ZamperlaPounce n' Bounce
Chairplane20132023Smith & SmithSwing
Roller Coaster [4] 19011922
Roller Coaster #219291936
Miniature Train19291954

Images

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tivoli Gardens</span> Amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark

Tivoli Gardens, also known simply as Tivoli, is an amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, also in Denmark, and Wurstelprater in Vienna, Austria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooden roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also be made of steel lattice or truss, which has no bearing on a wooden coaster's classification. The type of wood often selected in the construction of wooden coasters worldwide is southern yellow pine, which grows abundantly in the southern United States, due to its density and adherence to different forms of pressure treatment.

Ocean View Amusement Park was an amusement park at the end of Granby Street at Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, opened in 1905 and operated by Jack L. Greenspoon and Dudley Cooper. The amusement park and its wooden coaster, the Rocket, appeared in the 1977 movie Rollercoaster but closed on September 4, 1978. The Rocket was destroyed as part of the making of the television program The Death of Ocean View Park in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Gravity Group</span> American roller coaster manufacturer

The Gravity Group is a wooden roller coaster design firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The firm was founded in July 2002 out of the engineering team of the famed but now defunct Custom Coasters International. The core group of designers and engineers at The Gravity Group have backgrounds in civil, structural and mechanical engineering. Their experience comes from work on over 40 different wooden roller coasters around the world. The first coaster designed under the Gravity Group opened as Hades at Mount Olympus Theme Park in 2005. The Gravity Group also designed The Voyage at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, which opened in May 2006 and is the second-longest wooden roller coaster in the world. These first two accomplishments of the team have been received with great success by both the industry and coaster enthusiasts alike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Amusement Park Historical Association</span>

The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) is an international organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the amusement and theme park industry – past, present and future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zippin Pippin</span> Wooden rollercoaster in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.

The Zippin Pippin is one of the oldest existing wooden roller coasters in the United States. It was initially constructed in the former East End Park in Memphis, Tennessee, in either 1912, 1915, or 1917 by John A. Miller and Harry C. Baker of National Amusement Devices. The construction material was pine wood. As the park declined in popularity, the coaster was dismantled and relocated adjacent to the horse track in Montgomery Park, later known as the Mid-South Fairgrounds. For a time it was incorporated as an attraction in the now-closed Libertyland amusement park there, until that park closed in 2005. Purchased by the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2010, it was installed at the Bay Beach Amusement Park, where it is once again in operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libertyland</span> Former amusement park in Memphis

Libertyland was an amusement park located in Memphis, Tennessee. Opened on July 4, 1976, it was located at 940 Early Maxwell Blvd. It was structured under the nonprofit 501(c)4 US tax code. It closed due to financial reasons in 2005.

Lakeside Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Salem, Virginia, neighboring Roanoke, at the intersection of U.S. Route 460 and State Route 419. The park was named after a very large swimming pool which was opened on the site in 1920. The pool was surrounded by a beach and quickly became a favorite summer retreat for residents of Roanoke and Salem. Amusement park rides were added to the facility within a few years of its opening. The park also included a pavilion, which hosted celebrity concerts. Frequent performers included country artists Tom T. Hall and Conway Twitty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idora Park (Youngstown)</span> Amusement park in Youngstown, Ohio

Idora Park (1899–1984) was an amusement park in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, also known as "Youngstown's Million Dollar Playground."

John A. Miller, born August John Mueller, was an American roller coaster designer and builder, inventor, and businessman. Miller patented over 100 key roller coaster components, and is widely considered the "father of the modern high-speed roller coaster." During his lifetime, he participated in the design of approximately 150 coasters and was a key business partner and mentor to other well-known roller coaster designers, including Harry C. Baker and John C. Allen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camden Park (amusement park)</span> Amusement park near Huntington, West Virginia

Camden Park is a twenty-six acre amusement park located near Huntington, West Virginia. Established in 1903 as a picnic spot by the Camden Interstate Railway Company, it is one of only thirteen trolley parks that remain open in the United States. Whereas most trolley parks were located at the end of trolley lines, Camden Park is unusual in that it was built where riders traveling between Huntington and nearby cities would stop to change lines. Not long after opening, the park soon gained a carousel and other roadside attractions. Camden Park is West Virginia's only amusement park. The park is home to more than thirty rides and attractions, including a full-size traditional wooden roller coaster, the Big Dipper, and several other vintage rides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Park</span> Amusement park in California

Pacific Park is an oceanfront amusement park located in Santa Monica, California. The park, located on the Santa Monica Pier, looks directly out on the Pacific Ocean, in the direction of Catalina Island. It is the only amusement park directly located on the West Coast of the United States located on a pier and LA's only admission-free park. There are a total of thirteen rides in Pacific Park, including the world's first and only solar-powered ferris wheel that provides a view of the Pacific Ocean and a roller coaster that circles the majority of the park. Pacific Park is also home to 14 midway games and over-the-ocean food and retail outlets. It has appeared in over 500 movies and television shows such as Fat Albert, Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Kidsongs, 90210, Bean, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as the popular video game Grand Theft Auto V. In 2020, it featured in the opening ident for the sky television channel Sky Comedy. It is operated by SC Holdings.

The Pike was an amusement zone in Long Beach, California. The Pike was founded in 1902 along the shoreline south of Ocean Boulevard with several independent arcades, food stands, gift shops, a variety of rides and a grand bath house. It was most noted for the Cyclone Racer (1930–1968), a large wooden dual-track roller coaster, built out on pilings over the water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chance Rides</span> Ride manufacturer

Chance Rides is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. Originally founded in 1961, the current company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wichita, Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miracle Strip Amusement Park</span> Former American amusement park

Miracle Strip Amusement Park was a theme park located in Panama City Beach, Florida, which operated from 1963 to 2004. The highlight of the park was The Starliner Roller Coaster, an "out-and-back" wooden coaster designed by John Allen upon the park's initial conception. A few other rides lay near the Starliner and a small arcade center and food stands rounded out the fledgling park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paragon Park</span> Former amusement park in Hull, Massachusetts, United States

Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. It closed in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunnyside Amusement Park</span> Former amusement park in Toronto, Canada

Sunnyside Amusement Park was a popular amusement park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that ran from 1922 to 1955, demolished in 1955 to facilitate the building of the Metro Toronto Gardiner Expressway project. It was located on the Lake Ontario waterfront at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue, west of downtown Toronto.

Rocky Glen Park was a trolley park located near Moosic, Pennsylvania. Founded by Arthur Frothingham in 1886 as picnic grounds, it was transformed into an amusement park by engineer and entrepreneur Frederick Ingersoll in 1904. The park featured rides, arcades, and restaurants until its closure in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin & Vleminckx</span> Roller coaster manufacturer

Martin & Vleminckx Ltd. is a thrill ride and roller coaster manufacturing and construction company headquartered in Montreal, Québec, Canada with an affiliated office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a manufacturing facility in Orlando, Florida, United States, and two subsidiaries, including a warehouse in China.

Wenona Beach Amusement Park was an amusement park in Bay County, Michigan located along the Saginaw Bay near Bangor Township and the mouth of the Saginaw River. The park opened in 1887 and closed in 1964.

References

  1. "Rides". Bay Beach Amusement Park. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  2. Tim Freiss. Haunted Green Bay. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2010.
  3. WLUK Fox 11 News "Council to vote on Bay Beach master plan"
  4. https://parchive.pivotrock.net/baybeach/history.html [ bare URL ]