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What is CLP?
CLP - A Valuable Asset
That Indescribable Feeling
Location, Location, Location
WE the Owners? Who owns CLP?
3.6 Acres of CLP Lakefront Property
Fences, Gates, Admission Fees and Carousel Horses...Oh my!
A Future?
If they can do it, why can't we? If they can do it, so can we!
Historical Timeline
Some CLP Links
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Fences, Gates, Admission Fees, and Carousel Horses...Oh my!
It is often said the the decline of Conneaut Lake Park began when Charles Flynn, then owner, gated the park and installed a first ever for CLP admission fee in 1990.
In the following paragraphs we'll show:
1. why it was absolutely necessary to install the Fence, Entrance Gate, and institute an admission fee
2. why these factors did not start or have an impact on the decline of CLP.
3. what actually began the demise of CLP.
1. Why the Fence, Gates, and Admission Fees?
In their book, Conneaut Lake Park: the First 100 Years of Fun, Lee O. Bush and Richard F. Hershey explained the issue perfectly. This book was published in 1992.
| " Perhaps the most radical departure to occur at Conneaut Lake Park happened in 1990. The otherwise open park was now enclosed and a gate entrance fee instituted. The difficulties arrising from this policy were indeed enormus. The park property is criss-crossed by a number of municipally held streets in two communities [townships]: Summit and Sadsbuy. Then, too scattered throughout the acreage are privately owned houses and cottages, some with long term leases. The park management had to harmonize a plan that would accommodate some 160 home owners and two municipalities. The final product miracously incorporated an agreement acceptable to all concerned. The park was to maintain the toroughfares and in one case construct a new road. Dwellers were in some cases able to choose to be within or without the fence. All residents were furnished unlimited access to the park along with unlimited guest privleges. No, it was not unanimous. Many in the immediate area felt excluded since a casual open entrance to the park was no longer available.
As with many parks in former years, no restriction was made for decades and anybody just wishing to wander around or "people watch" was welcome. A relaxing evening visit with no expenditure was indeed a privlege now gone. The times had indeed changed. Individual behavior had solidly changed from individual responsibility to a view that what happens is somebody else's problem... or fault! Unfortunately, we all pay for this instance - literally!
Perhaps most central to the amusement park operation are insurance costs and maintenance. Both were directly effected by open gate operation. Liability increased as more people entered the property but contributed little or nothing in revenue. This was further aggravated by the presence of car traffic on the streets within the park. Wear and tear on the facility also was not offset with accompanying income - double jeopardy.
Some of the unanticipated benefits that have become clear are a cleaner park, and a more secure place. Both these factors result in less expense to the park and a better place for park guests. The probability of being struck by an automobile or motorcycle are greatly lessened and an intangible feeling of being in a "fun-zone" is more apparent than before the gate was installed. Yes, the free, easy feeling of just wandering into the park are gone, but so are many other lost privleges of a former time. The gate is a success and the park has improved an area of the property that formerly was a nondescript parking lot."
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In 1986 an insurance crisis changed CLP's liability insurance premium from $50,000 annually to $200,000 annually. We'll explain in the following paragraphs that, along with these insurance costs, CLP's undercapitalized condition made gating the park the only solution.
Today other amusement parks that once allowed car traffic inside their gates now do not. Cedar Point, Knoebels, Dorney Park, and CCLP have joined the other parks in this policy. Another amusement park cannot be found that allow cars to enter. Nobody can drive through Kennywood, Geauga Lake, Idlewild, or any other amusement park.
2. Did the Fence, Gate, or Admission Fees start or impact the decline of Conneaut Lake Park?
In 1973, three events took place that contributed to CLP beginning to lose its competitive edge. When Dr. Harry Winslow, whose family was 51% stockholders of CLP, passed away, his only aire, Mary Gene Windslow Flynn, elected to buy out the other partner and it's 49% stock and assume the management role. The costs associated with this buyout severely hindered the park's ability to stay competitive in a time when other family-owned amusement parks and attractions were aggressively addressing the "now" and "glitz" generation with milliion dollar attractions. To complicate matters, Mary Gene Windslow Flynn suffered a stroke shortly after the closing of the purchase and that was later complicated by cancer.
In 1981, after Mary Gene Windslow Flynn's passing, her youngest son, Charles Flynn assumed control of the Park. At the time, Charles had inherited a park that was suffering from deferred maintenance, a dimished position in the marketplace, and the remaining debt load from the buyout in 1973.
While today, CLP is heavily regarded as a historic edificus, even back when Charles Flynn took control of the park it was indeed a relic.
By 1985 the Park had showed a profit of $100,000 on gross revenues of $3.5 million. At the time, CLP was barely surviving while similar family-owned facilities were dropping like flys. Cleveland's Euclid Beach Park closed in 1969, Pittsburgh's West View Park in 1977 and then both Youngstown's Idora Park and New Castle's Cascade Park closed in 1984.
| "Drawing on a heritage that seemingly permeated the facility since its beginning, the Flynns began to address the issues of rejuvinating the park and plan a future of development - the only way to survive in a marketplace represented by an entertainment glut.
"Capitalizing on what Conneaut Lake Park was and is, and not trying go head to head with the major "themers" and glitz oriented entertainment venues, the direction for the future was aligned with what the founding fathers knew from the onset. This place, set on a lovely lake, was and is an alternative to the melee and "daily slop" of life we have "technocized" in contemporary America. Timeless charm, a soothing to the ravaged beast within so many of us, was the position to be exploited."
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Charles Flynn's new advertising program worked well and believe it or not, in 1991, a year after the fence was installed, CLP had realized an attendance of 300,000. Also that year, with the gate and admission charges, CLP had made a small profit, the first since the 1985 season. (Keep in mind that while attendance was approximately 300,000 in 1991, attendance was less than 100,000 in 2006.)
Again, because of Mary Gene Windslow Flynn's buyout of the other partners, she didn't have the finances to invest in the park like other amusement parks were doing at the time. After Mrs. Flynn passed away and Charles Flynn assumed control of the park he had to look for other ways of getting financing to invest in the park.
At the time, Waldameer Park in Erie was experiencing similar problems. In order to get funding, they resorted to selling their antique Carousel. At CLP, Charles Flynn took a different approach. Instead of selling the entire Carousel, he sold off some of the original hand-carved wooden horses and hired a firm from Mansfield Ohio to carve wooden duplicates of the originals that were sold. With the funds from the sale of the horses Charles Flynn began construction of Cliffhanger Falls, the water park complex. While this was a difficult decision for the Flynns, they knew the importance of investing in the CLP to remain on some competitive level in the marketplace and water parks were quickly becoming the next generation.
3. The Real Beginning of CLP's Demise
In 1992, CLP's Centennial Season, the Flynns decided to take a gamble and hosted a concert series of nationally known music performers on the Free Act Lawn. Throughout the summer, 10 concerts were held and it rainded 13 out of 16 weekends. While the Park had secured inclement weather (rain) insurance, the parameters which dictated the time and the amount of rainfall were such that CLP was only able to collect losses on a small percentage of their concerts
By mid July of 1992, Charles Flynn knew that if the weather continued in this manner he would be unable to pay off the line of credit that he had worked so hard to establish for CLP.
The Line of Credit was used during the off season for payroll, developing marketing strategies and promotions, and in the spring months for necessary repairs and upgrades where needed. Once of the park was open for the season, the line of credit was paid off so the funds would again be available to prepare for the following season. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Conneaut Lake Park needed a $500,000 line of credit to properly open the Park in the Spring.
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