Lake Compounce is the oldest continually operating amusement park in the United States.
This amusement park recently celebrated its 170th birthday as it opened way back in 1846.
This amusement park has a lot going for it.
The park oozes charm.
The park has one of the best settings of any park, nestled next to both a lake and a mountain.
And it has one of the world’s best roller coasters in Boulder Dash.
But the park has made a series of decisions over the past few years that have arguably
made the park worse, so in this video I will be reviewing Lake Compounce.
Despite the park’s claim to fame as America’s longest continuously operating amusement park,
this park has had a tumultuous history.
After nearly a century of stable operation, Lake Compounce was struggling in the 1980s
and early 1990s.
The park had an antiquated ride lineup with only one adult roller coaster in the 1927
Wildcat, which was and still is a notoriously rough coaster.
But the bigger issue was the lack of stability.
Lake Compounce cycled through one operator after another.
From 1985 and 1987, the park was actually owned by Hersheypark.
Then from 1987, Joseph Entertainment Group owned the park and declared bankruptcy in
1991.
This caused Lake Compounce to remain closed for both the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
Funtime Parks purchased the park late in 1993, but the following year, Funtime merged with
Premier Parks who owned the nearby Riverside Park, which today is known as Six Flags New
England, and that park was under an hour away from Lake Compounce.
Premier wanted to focus on Riverside, so they put Lake Compounce for sale.
Cedar Fair was interested in buying the park, but it was purchased by Kennywood in 1996.
Kennywood completely changed the park’s reputation, transforming it from a run-down
park to a charming family park.
They started with some smaller additions, but they added one of the most ambitious coasters
ever in 2000 in Boulder Dash.
This coaster has been named the world’s best wood coaster multiple times and it’s
still the park’s flagship attraction to this day.
In late 2007, Lake Compounce was sold to Parques Reunidos and many of the park’s issues in
recent years have been budget cutting measures from this company.
One train operations became commonplace on their wood coasters to reduce wear and tear
on the track.
This was especially problematic on Boulder Dash given its long ride duration and popularity.
Although, the park has started running two trains on Boulder Dash on busy Saturdays in
2021, so hopefully this continues moving forwards.
And this practice extended to other rides.
There have been several visits where the log flume, rapids ride, or dark ride have only
had 3 cars on the course causing glacial queues.
It’s also common to find a handful of rides closed each visit.
The park has a Ride Status page on their website, so be sure to check the day of your visit
if there’s a ride you’re dying to experience.
Free soda had been included with admission since 1999, but it was removed after the 2017
season.
The park stated it was to reduce waste, but it was most likely a method to increase revenue.
Many popular rides have been decommissioned.
The saddest loss has been the Compounce Mountain Sky Ride that was a scenic 30 minute journey
up and down the mountain.
This ride closed in 2017 shortly after the accident at the Great Escape, but the park
stated they had been concerned with how difficult the ride would be to evacuate in an emergency
for quite some time.
And most recently, the park lost the Haunted Graveyard.
This was the single greatest haunt in the amusement industry.
This was an hour long haunted walkthrough loaded with multiple spooky sets chained together
and countless scare actors.
The company running Haunted Graveyard moved their operation down the road to Quassy.
Meanwhile, Lake Compounce announced Happy Hauntings, which will be a family friendly
daytime Halloween event.
Not only is it disappointing not to see a scare based haunt return, but the park will
now close before nightfall most days so the best time of the year for Boulder Dash night
rides was eliminated as well.
I hope the park considers adding a scare based event in the future since Haunted Graveyard
always seemed popular.
Lake Compounce is located in both Bristol and Southington, Connecticut.
The park is just a short drive from ESPN’s main headquarters.
When you visit the park, make sure your GPS takes you to the guest parking lot entrance
off Enterprise Drive.
For many years, Google Maps would erroneously take you to Lake Ave.
Like Kennywood, Lake Compounce’s parking lot is located across the street under a tunnel.
What’s weird with Lake Compounce is how far the parking lot entrance is from the park.
It’s roughly 2 miles away.
And the road into the park has some bunny hills that offer better airtime than Wildcat,
as sad as that statement is.
This makes the reveal of the park magical.
You can’t see the park from the parking lot.
You just hear the screams in the distance.
Once you pass through the tunnel, you are greeted by one of the best entrances in the
world.
It oozes charm.
You have a carousel horse centered around a flower garden.
Then you have the classical architecture of the turnstiles and shops.
And then Wildcat is perfectly centered with the entrance.
Then you have the modern thrillers of Down Time and Phobia rising higher.
Lastly, you have the backdrop of the heavily wooded mountain in the distance.
It’s stunning.
As a whole, Lake Compounce is stunningly beautiful.
Having either a lake or wooded mountain as a backdrop would be fantastic.
Getting them simultaneously makes Lake Compounce special.
It gives the park a scenic feel.
And then the rides and buildings are often sporting fresh coats of paint.
I also love how most of the park circles around Wildcat.
This classic coaster is an excellent centerpiece from an aesthetic standpoint and it adds a
lot of kinetic energy to the midways.
The one downside with this park’s layout is the obnoxious dead end by Thunder Rapids.
There is this narrow pathway that runs alongside Boulder Dash and the lake.
There are no attractions or stands along this path.
At the end of this pathway is Thunder Rapids.
Even on busy days, the rapids ride usually has a minimal wait.
I’m convinced most people don’t know the ride exists because of where it’s located.
And it’s a shame since it’s a really fun rapids ride.
And further proving just how out of the way this section is, the park has both a Trolley
and a Train ride that transport guests over here.
This section is where the Sky Ride used to be, but now it just feels dead.
And unsurprisingly, this area opens late and closes early- if it even opens.
The park has cleared a ton of land around the lake and I believe the long-term plan
is to connect this pathway with the water park.
The staff at Lake Compounce is usually quite friendly and accommodating.
The crew at Boulder Dash in particular usually stands out as they often hype guests up for
their rides.
In terms of efficiency, it’s a mixed bag.
Most of the issues are related to the rides themselves having the bare minimum number
of vehicles on the track.
A few of the flat rides can take a while to load, but the crews working the other rides
usually move fast once a vehicle does arrive.
The crew at Phobia in particular stands out for how quickly they routinely dispatch that
ride.
Lake Compounce can be a miserable park to visit on a busy day due to the limited throughtputs
of their signature attractions.
If Boulder Dash is on one train, the ride can easily get an hour wait on Saturdays.
And many of the supporting rides will easily pull 30+ minute waits due to equally low throughputs.
I would strongly recommend visiting this park on a weekday or off-peak Sunday if you want
to avoid lines.
The one exception I make to this rule is if Lake Compounce has a late close.
Boulder Dash at night is a religious experience and you should do everything in your power
to experience this wood coaster in the dark.
During the summer, you usually need to visit on a Saturday to get night rides on Boulder
Dash.
Lake Compounce keeps their lines open right up until closing time, so I always finish
my trip to Lake Compounce with a ride on this amazing coaster.
Boulder Dash is the primary reason I buy a season pass to this park.
That’s partly because of how much I love Boulder Dash and it’s partially because
of how expensive Lake Compounce is.
Daily tickets without any discounts can cost $55 as of 2021, although there are usually
deals online.
And then you also have to pay $10 for parking.
I think the park is a bit pricey given its offerings, but a lot of parks in New England
cost more than comparable parks in other regions.
Lake Compounce currently has five roller coasters.
Boulder Dash is an elite coaster.
It’s the best ride in New England.
This Custom Coasters International wood coaster is a relentless barrage of airtime and laterals
on the side of a heavily wooded mountain.
Any of these things would be great on their own, but combining them together makes Boulder
Dash truly special.
I have a separate review going into more detail, but Boulder Dash always leaves me breathless.
Just make sure to experience this coaster in the front row.
This is the best seat for airtime and it’s also the smoothest seat.
The ride can run a bit rough on wheel seats or as you go further back in the train.
Speaking of rough, the park’s other wood coaster is one of the roughest coasters out
there.
Wildcat is nearly 100 years old and it rides like it.
This PTC coaster was retracked in 2017, but it somehow got rougher.
The ride has no airtime and this double out-and-back coaster spends all its time punishing riders.
The ride jackhammers and shuffles non-stop.
This is one of the worst coasters in the world for reasons I delve into in a separate review.
I do not recommend this ride one bit.
The park’s two major steel coasters are both shuttle coasters.
Phobia Phear Coaster is a Premier Rides Sky Rocket II.
And it’s one of the few that operates with just lap bars.
The ride is super compact, but it packs in a lot of thrills between the multi-pass launch,
the intense ejector airtime, and the hangtime filled inline twist.
Zoomerang is a standard Vekoma boomerang, but it’s one of the smoother ones which
makes it easier to appreciate the ride’s intense inversions.
Last but not least, you have the appropriately named Kiddie Coaster.
Just know this coaster is typically off-limits to adults.
For flat rides, you have a mix of both old and new.
The two best flats are both from S&S.
You have Down Time, a 185 foot or 56 meter tall turbo drop tower.
This one offers a stunning view and clock noises that build anticipation.
The drop itself is on par with the other S&S towers.
It starts strong before fizzling out.
Thunder n Lightning is a relatively rare S&S screaming swing that offers some nice floater
airtime as you swing above the midway.
These rides are always fun, although it suffers from the typical issue of a short cycle.
American Flyers is a classic Bisch Rocco flying scooters ride relocated from Kennywood.
These ones aren’t run particularly fast, but it’s possible to snap them and the operators
usually allow it.
Lastly, you have a historic Looff carousel that was originally built in 1898.
Between the lights and wooden horses, it’s a beauty.
It also features a band organ, although it’s rarely used due to reliability concerns.
The rest of the flats are your standard mix of spinning rides and pendulum rides.
For kids, all their rides in a large children’s area to the right of the main entrance.
I spent hours in this area as a kid because of the sheer number of attractions.
To beat the heat, you have a few options.
You can experience the Ghost Hunt dark ride.
This Sally shooting dark ride was recently upgraded with new laser sights and all of
the targets work perfectly.
The ride has the usual Boo Blasters aesthetic.
Or you can ride the water rides.
The aforementioned Thunder Rapids is a very well landscaped rapids ride that can soak
you on a hot summer day.
Alternatively, you can ride the Saw Mill Plunge log flume which takes you up the mountain.
This Arrow flume finishes with a sizable plunge and won’t soak you to the bone like Thunder
Rapids.
The park also has a decent included water park in Crocodile Cove.
For 2021, the water park got the impressive looking Venus Vortex halfpipe slide, which
compliments their collection of tube and body slides.
The standout slide is Lights Out, which is a high speed body slide that winds around
the iconic lighthouse.
This slide has been closed for a few years, but it is being refurbished and it’s expected
to reopen in 2022.
For food, the best option is the Potato Patch fries.
This stand is located near the main entrance and while it can get long lines, it’s worth
it.
These are some of the best fries you can get at any amusement park between their freshness
and abundance of toppings.
For a full meal, the best option is Pink’s hot dogs.
The rest of the food stands are overpriced and your generic amusement park offerings.
The park’s Halloween event going forwards is a question mark, but the park has a Holiday
Lights Christmas event.
I’ve never visited their winter event due to the limited ride lineup, but I’ve heard
it’s a great event for young kids and it’s much cheaper than summer days.
So do I recommend Lake Compounce?
Yes.
Boulder Dash alone is worth a visit if you like thrill rides and the park is very charming.
While there are some operational issues that I hope are resolved in the future, I do enjoy
the park.
I think Six Flags New England is the better thrill park, but Lake Compounce is just a
smidge behind Canobie for the best family park in New England.
Lake Compounce has a really balanced ride lineup with something for everyone.
If you’re a coaster enthusiast, Lake Compounce is well-worth adding to a New England roadtrip.
And it helps that you have Quassy and Six Flags New England just a short drive away.
So those are my thoughts on Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously operating amusement
park in the United States.
What are your thoughts on this Connecticut theme park?
Have you been there?
I would love to hear your thoughts about this park down in the comments.
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