Park Profile
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O
ff the beaten path of US Interstate highway travel, and far from any metropolis of significant size, Arnold's Park seems an unlikely candidate for survivorship, and yet it has done so for 111 years. Five years after Coney Island presented its first rollercoaster, entrepreneur Wesley Arnold built a water toboggan slide which sent riders into Lake Okoboji, and Arnold's Park was born. Steam ships which were already carrying passengers through the Iowa Great Lakes now made regular stops at Arnold's Park for bathing in the lake and nightly musical concerts. In typical amusement park history, a carousel and succession of rollercoasters were quickly added, and Arnold's Park became a major destination. The Roof Garden was a popular venue for the big bands of the 1940s and for the hottest rock ‘n’ roll acts of the ‘50s and first half of the ‘60s.
Arnold's Park The quiet survivor
The downhill slide of traditional American amusement parks in the late ‘60s and ‘70s as the theme parks took over wasn't lost on Arnold's Park, as it felt the pinch like everyone else. As rock ‘n’ roll acts turned into big money, promoters could no longer afford to bring the big names into such smaller venues as the Roof Garden, and a tornado finally destroyed it in 1968. But Arnold's Park, due mostly to a major renovation in the early ‘70s by local philanthropist Chuck Long, continued with tenacity and, most importantly, community support.
Succeeding generations of families throughout the 20th Century had instilled strong, fond memories of riding the Arnold's Park's rides, swimming at the public beach, touring the lake in the Queen II excursion boat, or simply embracing the beautiful ambiance of the pier and plaza. So it shouldn't be surprising when, in 1999, a developer purchased the site and announced his plans to raze the park and build a condominium, hotel and retail complex on the beloved site, a foundation of preservation was firmly in place. The resultant shockwaves throughout the Iowa Great Lakes community was a call to action. Losing Arnold's Park was not only unacceptable, it was deemed impossible.
Whenever an historic amusement park is lost forever, the lament is loud. However, says Gary Kyriazi, we should celebrate the few survivors just as loudly, if not more so. One such survivor is unknown to most people. It sits quietly on a lake tucked in the northeastern corner of Iowa
The first battle to save Arnold's Park was won when the developer agreed to sell the property to the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum, the non-profit group that managed the park. The second battle was his demand: $5.5 million, to be paid in six weeks. However seemingly impossible, the resultant Save The Park campaign raised $7.25 million, paid the developer, and Historic Arnold's Park Inc became the new owner.
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“It was a miracle! It truly was!” Sue Richter, who headed up the Save The Park Campaign, is amazed even today. “We did everything we could think of to raise the money, and the snowball effect was incredible. Everything aligned perfectly. Monies just poured in for the park, not only locally and statewide, but nationally and even internationally!”
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Sue Richter in the gift shop FEBRUARY 2011
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