----    THE LATEST SMALL PARK NEWS    ----
 
    (2/1/2026) Kemah Boardwalk Adding New ARM Super Shot Tower Ride
    (1/25/2026) Arnolds Park Secures New Sponsorship Deal with Local Real-Estate Group
    (1/10/2026) IB Parks & Entertainment to take over Operations of Lake Winnie
    (1/1/2026) Wild Waves - Rumored Reasons Why The Park Is Simply Tapping-Out
    (12/30/2025) Judge Issues 6-Month Injection for Lakemont Park Lawsuits
    (12/28/2025) A Waterpark Is Coming to Kemah Boardwalk in 2026
    (12/16/2025) Dueling Lawsuits Filed Regarding Lakemont Park and Leap The Dips

ADVENTURE CITY  (Buena Park, CA)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2016 - 2025 seasons.

ADVENTURE PARK (Maryland)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2016 - 2025 seasons.

ADVENTURELAND (Long Island, NY)

2026 - Wave Twister - Delayed - (1/25/2026) While Wave Twister did not open in 2025, the prototype attraction was seen testing by the end of November 2025, so it should be ready to go for the 2026 season.
 
(3/20/2024) A new attraction from RES called Wave Twister will open in Spring 2025. They describe it as a “first-of-its-kind custom-made ride” designed to fit into the corner of the new Legacy Corner section of the park.
    Wave Twister was described as a family ride that has a “boomerang shape” that will simulate the motion of riding upon ocean waves, while spinning and moving across a track, standing up to 60 feet tall. While it will be a dry ride, it will feature water based special effects to enhance the ride experience (fountains, mist, etc) and able to hold 20 rides at a time.
    Based on the concept it, it looks like RES is building their version of a Zamerpla Disk’O Coaster style ride, but on steroids, as it travels around a corner, and features a platform with two spinning rider disks, mounted to a larger rotating platform in the center, so that it will feature unpredictable spinning motion.

2028 - Legacy Corner Completion - Planned - (3/20/2024) At least two more rides are planned to come to the park “over the next three phases”, which I’m assuming means the 2026 to 2028 seasons. This will include the completion of the new ‘Legacy Corner’ section of the park, a new expansion that is expected to be complete by the 2028 season that will be just over an acre in size and feature at least four new rides and other new amenities.

ARNOLD’S PARK (Iowa)

Park News - (1/25/2026) While we haven’t heard much about Arnolds Park in a few years, it seems that the park did receive a $100,000 investment from the local RE/MAX real-estate group as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal that will be used for some park improvements as well as to sponsor a new Tailgate at the Park event to be held in September ahead of the Iowa-Iowa State game.

2026 - Nothing is known at this time... Nothing added in 2024 or 2025

AZTLAN PARK URBANO (Mexico City, Mexico)
Former Site of La Feria Chapultepec Magico

2026 - Nothing is known at this time...

BAY BEACH (Green Bay, WI)

2026 - Nothing is known at this time...

BEECH BEND PARK  (Bowling Green, Kentucky)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2025 seasons.

BELMONT PARK (San Diego, CA)

2026 - Nothing is known at this time...

Now through 2026 - Future Improvement Plans - (4/22/2024) Some new rides and other improvements are planned for San Diego’s Belmont Park between now and 2026. Over the past few years a number of the existing rides have been spruced up, replaced with new hardware, or given some new themes, such as the Tilt-A-Whirl cars now look like giant ice cream cones. A new small tower ride was added as Shipwreck Cove this year, placed within the wreckage of a ship of course. Now the developers are seeking to remove the north-western corner of the property to add a few more rides (they are hoping for a Zamperla Disk’O), to update the Beach House restaurant area, and update the arcade to become more of a “Barcade”, offering an indoor-outdoor bar that will offer both beer and cocktails as well as sweet treats. In addition to the Disk’O they are also hoping to add two more thrill rides to increase the venue’s appeal as well as access from those visiting the beach. Currently they are still working through the approval process however.

CALAWAY PARK (Alberta, Canada)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2025

CAMDEN PARK (WV)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2025 seasons.

CASINO PIER (Seaside Heights, NJ)

Park News - (10/18/2025) Something interesting is going on with Hydrus, the Gertlauer EuroFighter coaster at Casino Pier, NJ. If anyone lives in the area, it might be worth making a drive down there for a closer look, but if you carefully look at some screen captures taken from the nearby Seaside Heights beach webcam, you can see that there is a crane on site and that it appears that the top of the large vertical loop after the first drop has been completely removed.
    One source reached out to say there is a rumor that some track may be sent back to Gerstlauer for refurbishment over the winter, though I have also seen some parks remove sections of track like this to perform their own refurbishment work on the ground over the off season (weld, sandblast, repaint, etc) on the ground where it is easier to work on and not in the way while the park is closed. (UPDATE - The park has indeed confirmed on FB that they are taking it apart to refurbish and repaint Hydrus for the 2026 season!)

 

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2025

CASTLE PARK (California)
Lucky Strike Entertainment

Park News - (11/27/2025) Castle Park has announced the launch of a new winter holiday event called “A Royal Holiday at Castle Park” that will take place on Fridays - Sundays from November 28th through to December 28th, 2025. The event will feature an array of Christmas tree lights, magical snowfall, photo opportunities and live entertainment, as well as rides available on the Holiday Express Train, Antique Cars, and Carousel, and of course a chance to meet Santa and friends.
    This seems to be the first effort by new park owners, Lucky Strike, to put their own bit of personalization on how they want to develop Castle Park for the future. Oh… and look for a special Black Friday sale on tickets on the website tomorrow.
 
    (7/31/2025) Castle Park has been sold by Herschend to Lucky Strike Entertainment.

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... nothing added in 2025

CEDAR VALLEY’S WILD FRONTIER (Michigan)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2025

CLIFF’S AMUSEMENT PARK (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2025

COLUMBUS ZOO & ZOOMBEZI BAY (Columbus, OH)

2026 - Nothing is known at this time...

DELGROSSO’S AMUSEMENT PARK (Pennsylvania)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2017 - 2025

DIG WORLD (Texas - Two Locations: Katy & Grapevine)

Park News - (12/14/2025) The local news reports that Dig World in Houston has now started construction on a second site in Texas, this time at the Grapevine Mills mall in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. The construction vehicle themed park allows kids (and some adults) to operate an assortment of construction vehicles. Look for the new park to open sometime in early 2026.
    (The original Dig World opened just outside the Katy Mills mall just west of Houston)
 

DENO’S WONDER WHEEL (New York)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2025

DIGGERLAND USA (New Jersey)

Park News - (1/9/2025) Amusement Today reports that Innovative Attraction Management (IAM) has acquired the small Diggerland USA theme park in West Berlin, New Jersey.
    The group have previously managed a number of small attractions such as Cowabunga Bay, Daytona Lagoon, Island H2O Water Park, Five Islands, Myrtle Waves and El Dorado Park.

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2023 - 2025

EDAVILLE USA (Carver, MA)

Park News - (5/2/2025) Screamscape sources tell us that Edaville’s Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster has been sold and is now being taken apart. So where will it go?
    We don’t know for sure, but the rumor is that the mine car themed coaster may have been sold to the Palace Playland seaside park in Maine. If so, look for it to arrive there sometime next year.
 
    (3/28/2025) The local news has reported an interesting update about what’s going on at the Edaville theme park. A few days ago we reported the strange event that the park itself was being updated this season, and would be auctioning off a large number of their older attractions this May, but it seems there is more to it than that.
    According to the report the local “King Richard’s Faire” was sold last year to a new owner, and apparently those owners have now purchased Edaville with the intention of moving the King Richard’s Fair event to the park, and in the process, they will be downsizing some of the Edaville park in order to make room.
    It also seems that the land the Faire has traditionally been held on appears to have been sold, so the Faire’s lease to use that property came to a sudden end, hence the relocation to Edaville for this year’s event. Unfortunately the Faire apparently did not really warn a lot of their own vendors who in turn were leasing their space at the old fairground from the Faire operators, and were given only a couple of days notice to remove all their belongings from the old site.
 
    (3/21/2025) Something of a rarity is about to happen at the Edaville Family Theme Park in Carver, MA. As posted in Amusement Today this week, the park is going to be “reimagined with many wonderful things to come towards the end of the year” and as a result, a number of the park’s old rides are all being put up for auction on April 30th at 10:30am.
    Follow the link to see the full list, but it includes a large number of Zamperla kiddie rides, the 1986 Chance Carousel, an Eli Scrambler and Ferris Wheel, ARM Bone Shaker, a Sally “Den of Lost Thieves” dark ride, a shooting gallery, Clown Train, about 20 or so different animated Dinosaur figures and much more.

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time...Nothing added in 2025

ENCHANTED FOREST (Oregon)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2025

FAMILY KINGDOM (Myrtle Beach, SC)

Park News - (11/1/2025) According to a social media report a small fire broke out on Wednesday “on the decking” of the Swamp Fox wooden roller coaster at the Family Kingdom Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach. Apparently a crew was working on replacing some decking and while cutting bolts out some of the wood ignited. Fortunately the fast response to the Myrtle Beach Fire Department resulted in the issue being contained to just the decking and there was no damage to the Swamp Fox coaster itself. Great job to everyone for keeping the park and Swamp Fox safe!

 

2026 - RMC Raptor Single Rail Coastger - (11/18/2025) According to a post from Midway Mayhem, Family Kingdom park in Myrtle Beach will be adding a new RMC single rail Raptor coaster next year.

FANTASY ISLAND (New Jersey)

Park News - (11/27/2026) According to Amusement Today the owners of the Fantasy Island Amusement Park (Beach Haven, NJ) have now acquired the Thundering Surf Waterpark and Adventure Golf park that was located right next door. The end result is that they’ve now essentially doubled in size, though there is a public street running between the two parks.

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

FUNTOWN USA / SPLASHTOWN USA (Saco, Maine)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2025

GALAXYLAND (Inside the West Edmonton Mall Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

2026 - New Roller Coaster / Mindbender Replacement - (11/12/2025) Looks like a new coaster is finally coming to the West Edmonton Mall to replace the lost Mindbender. According to photos posted to Instagram, orange and green track segments (appears to be from Vekoma) have now appeared on site along with blue supports in a staging area outside of the mall.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by YEGBUZZ ???? (@yegbuzztv_)

 
    (2/9/2025) Coaster101 reports that Galaxyland is working on adding a new roller coaster to take the place of the indoor park’s former legendary creation, Mindbender. With the old ride cleared away and the pad cleared up to make way for a future project, markings and indicators for new support columns can be seen.
    According to Coaster101, the codes at these location are similar in nature to codes spotted on leaked plans for Six Flags Magic Mountain’s new 2026 coaster project, which would seem to indicate that Galaxyland’s new project may also be something from Vekoma.

GALVESTON ISLAND HISTORIC PLEASURE PIER (Galveston, Texas)

Park News - (6/14/2025) Just a warning… because a false rumor was being spread across social media channels claiming that Six Flags had bought the Galveston Island Pleasure Pier from Landry’s. The false rumor not only claimed that Six Flags had bought the amusement pier complex, but was going to triple it in size.
    Landry’s and the Pier itself quickly stepped up to claim that this story is entirely false as you can see in the post below.

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2013 - 2025 seasons.

GILLIAN’S WONDERLAND PIER (Ocean City, NJ)
 - CLOSED FOR GOOD FALL 2024 -

Park News - (12/6/2025) The proposal to turn the former Gillian’s Wonderland amusement park into a resort hotel just took a step forward, as the City Council just voted 4 to 3 in favor of changing the zoning to allow for other projects because the site is in need of redevelopment and is currently zoned to only be used as an amusement park. From here the future fate of the property is now being handed over to the local planning board to come up with a new master plan for the site for new possible purposes. This will very likely allow Eustice Mita who owns the property to move forward with plans to build the new ICONA Resort project on the site, but we’ll still have to wait and see how things develop as there are still a number of people against the idea out of fear that it will prompt a rush of other developers looking to create high-rise developments along the boardwalk. 
 
    (12/4/2025) According to the local news Eustace Mita is back with a renewed proposal to turn the former Wonderland Pier amusement park site into ICONA in Wonderland, a 8-story tall 252 room hotel project. As we previously reported, a zoning change would be required before this project can move forward, but the last time it came to a vote it was overwhelmingly turned down.
    A new vote from the City Council is pending and this time the project seems to have more support, especially from other local business owners who would rather see the site put to use for something rather than let it sit unused and empty for several more years.

GILROY GARDENS (Gilroy, California)

2026 - Nothing is known to be added at this time...

GLENWOOD CAVERNS (Colorado)

Park News - (9/21/2025) The family of Wongel Estifanos has been awarded $205 million by a jury in the case over her death at the Glenwood Caverns amusement park in 2021 on the park’s Haunted Mine Drop attraction. According to the details the jury verdict was issued on Friday, placing the blame on both Glenwood Caverns Holdings as well as the Soaring Eagle company who provided the ride as being co-responsible for 98% of the $82 million in “non-economic damages” (I belive the two ride operators were also named for the remainder) and Glenwood Caverns Holding for the entire $123 million in punitive damages.
    Prior to the trial the attraction filed a petition with the state supreme court over the missed deadline that should have caped damages to around $572,000 but the petition was denied and the case went to trial, as we’ve seen. At the time Glenwood Caverns warned that if the case resulted in a “nuclear verdict” against them, it would likely lead to bankrucpty , the cessation of operations and cause irreversible damage.
 
    (9/7/2025) It has been a few years since the death of a 6-year-old who was not properly restrained while riding the Glenwood Caverns Haunted Mine Drop ride, but the lawsuit over the wrongful death got underway this week as the jury heard a testimony from one of the ride operators at the park. You can hear some of the comments in the local CBS news report.

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time...  Nothing added in 2025

IDLEWILD (Pennsylvania)
Owned by Herschend

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2025 seasons.

JENKINSON’S BOARDWALK (New Jersey)

2026 - Patriot’s Run - (9/3/2025) Jenkinson’s Boardwalk (New Jersey) has confirmed that they are adding a new roller coaster in 2026 to be called Patriot’s Run. They’re listing it as being 35 feet tall and a “larger family coaster” to be red, white and blue themed with a design that will serve as “a nod to the Flitzer” coaster than once occupied the same location before Tidal Wave. (Note: Tidal Wave closed for good on Labor Day). The exact manufacturer has not been identified yet of this modern Zyklon/Galaxi style coaster.

JOLLY ROGER (Ocean City, MD)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2025

KEANSBURG AMUSEMENT PARK (Keansburg, NJ)

Park News - (1/27/2024) The owner of the Keansburg Amusement Park in New Jersey claims that the redevelopment plans for the area are “Trying to squeeze me out”. Redevelopment plans are in place to renovate “blighted” property by adding 700 luxury apartments and tons of new restaurants, entertainment and retail options to the area, which isn’t too bad of an idea, however the state is now planning on redeveloping the site of a current 300-space public parking lot for beachfront apartments.
    It seems to be a cash-grab of sorts by selling off the property used for a much needed public parking lot to service the waterfront area to apartment developers. According to the park owner, “The endgame here is they’re trying to squeeze me out. They would love to see me out,” so he’s filed a lawsuit against the state to stop it.
    The threat seems real enough as Keansburg Amusement Park sits on 25 acres of valuable waterfront property, and if developers were to essentially restrict the number of potential guests from visiting the park due to lack of available parking, then that could lead to the long-term demise of the amusement park. I’m sure the value of the 25-acres of land that it sits upon is not lost to the gaze of future developers who would love to close the park and get their hands on it for other uses.

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2025 seasons.

KEMAH BOARDWALK (near Houston, Texas)
Landry’s Restaurants  (SAT MAP)

LAKE WINNEPESAUKAH  (Chattanooga, TN)
Operated by: IB Parks & Entertainment

Park News - (1/10/2026) IB Parks & Entertainment is expanding again… kinda…
    Expanding their operations is a more accurate description, as it has been confirmed that they taking over the operations duties for Lake Winnepesaukah (aka: Lake Winnie) for the 2026 season as part of an agreement with the park owners, which includes a “shared focus on preserving the park’s heritage while ensuring its continued success for generations to come.”
    This actually sounds like a good situation for both, allow Gene Staple’s IB parks a chance to stretch out and earn a little more without taking on any more financial debt from purchasing the park, which will remain under the same family’s ownership as before. Lake Winnie appears to have struggled a bit over the past few years, so this could be a great way get things right again.
    More information about the park’s 2026 season is expected in the near future. Currently the park is set to open for the season on May 1st.
 

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time...

LAKE OF THE OZARKS / OASIS AT LAKEPORT (Missouri)

2026 - Amusement Park / Indoor Waterpark Resort - (11/23/2025) According to this report a $285 million financing package has been finalized that will allow the Oasis at Lakeport project to move forward with plans for the amusement park, indoor waterpark, conference center and a 402-room Marriott branded hotel. Given the timeline, I wouldn’t be surprised if the expected opening date gets pushed back from 2026 to 2027.
 
    (5/6/2025) According to a local news report the Lake of the Ozarks resort and fun complex has pushed back their estimated opening to 2026.
 
    (10/13/2024) A great aerial video showing off the progress thus far for Oasis at Lakeport / Lake of the Ozarks can be found below that was posted just two days ago. While a lot of work to create the foundation for the future attraction site has been done, the area is now suddenly silent and work has stopped, leaving many to wonder what is going on.
    According to the developer, the work has stopped because those crews have finished all they can do until the nearby Lakewood Resort timeshare condos located next door are demolished, clearing the way for the work to continue. The developer is purchasing them and then needs to complete the plans and permits needed to demolish them, but that part of the project has taken a bit longer than expected to complete.
    The expectation is that things will hopefully ramp back up once again sometime in November.

 
    (5/24/2024) Good news for those looking forward to the new amusement and waterpark project at Lake of the Ozarks. According to the local news reports ground was broken this week on the new Lakeport Resort tower which will be the central resort for the entire project. The goal right is now is to get the project open as early as April 2025, so they could begin hiring just before the end of the year. If you’re a local, keep an eye out for the construction progress.
 
    (10/28/2023) Things are moving forward with the planned Lake of the Ozarks project where some blasting is now being done to the rocky soil to prepare it for the future resort project. According to the article that features a video clip of the blasting, the amusement park side of things is expected to open in 2025 and the on-site Marriott hotel will follow in 2026.
 
    (6/3/2023) The proposed Lake of the Ozarks / Oasis at Lakeport resort project in Missouri received some great news this week. St. Louis-based SkyView Partners and Tegethoff Development, along with Fred Ross, owner of Big Thunder Marine, announced the formal approval of the development plan for the Oasis at Lakeport family resort and entertainment district at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. The approval was granted at the June 1, 2023, City of Osage Beach Board of Aldermen meeting.
    “With the development plan approved by the City of Osage Beach, we are extremely pleased to begin construction of Oasis at Lakeport, which will offer year-round attractions and entertainment for everyone at the lake to enjoy,” said Todd Schneider, co-managing partner of SkyView Partners. “SkyView Partners and Tegethoff Development are committed to keeping the Osage Beach community informed of our progress over the next year as Oasis grows to be the premiere tourist destination of the Midwest.” 
    As proposed, the Oasis at Lakeport project will be a $350 million year-round family resort and entertainment district in Osage Beach, Mo., to be developed along the 25-acre Lakeport property at Highway 54 and Jeffries Road. The project will feature a Marriott branded hotel, a 26,000 sqft conference center, an indoor waterpark, restaurants, 200 public boat slips, a 1,000 space parking structure, and several amusement rides and attractions, including roller coasters and a 200-foot tall observation wheel.
    An official website is now online for the project at OasisatLakeport.com which has also added an updated piece of concept art for the project. As before, the amusement park section is being kept at the section of  the property closest to the freeway, increasing visibility and reducing any potential noise issues, while the resort and indoor waterpark have been moved further away from the amusement park, on the other side of the cove, which should provide nice views of the park and rides. It is worth mentioning that the wheel is now the tallest attraction in the park, and the other tall attractions in the previous concept art (Slingshot, Star Flyer) have been removed.
    If “SkyView Partners” sound familiar, they do operate a small number of well-known stand-alone attraction developments, such as the SkyView Atlanta Observattion Wheel that overlooks Centennial Olympic Park as well as the Carousel, Bay Plunge Tower and SkyStar Observation Wheel in San Francisco’s Pier 39 and Golden Gate Park.
 
    (10/30/22) Plans for a new $300 million family resort and entertainment district to be built at Lake of the Ozarks were submitted this past week. The project is being called Oasis at Lakeport and would be located at “at Highway 54 and Jeffries Road adjacent to the Grand Glaize Bridge”.
    They hope to start construction sometime in 2023, and are hoping to open in 2024 on the 20 acre project which will feature a number of amusement rides and attractions mixed in with hotels, restaurants, an amphitheater, a marina, boardwalk and more. The details do mention that it will feature “roller coasters, thrill and family rides and a 200-foot-tall observation wheel”.
    While I would be heavily skeptical of the timeline proposed until they actually start construction, the idea behind it does remind me quite a bit of The Island in Pigeon Forge project. In the case of The Island however, that resulted in the construction of that project in the middle of an already proven and tourist-heavy attraction corridon in Pigeon Forge. Without any personal knowledge of the Lake of the Ozarks location, I can’t say how well this one might work out. Just from initial research into the area, it does seem a popular location for many to visit, so this could turn out quite well if they can get it off the ground. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.

LAKEMONT PARK (Pennsylvania)

Park News - (12/30/2025) Details from a local news article have now added on to the ongoing story about Lakemont Park and the Leap-The-Dips roller coaster. According to the article a judge has put any possibility of selling off Leap-The-Dips on-hold for at least 6 months. While arguments were expected to be heard from both sides, the judge issued the 6-month injunction after hearing that the Lakemont Partnership had “no immediate plans” to sell the coaster, and since the County can also not afford to buy the coaster from them at this time, it looks like the judge would like them to work something out together over the next 6 months.
 
    (12/16/2025) A few more details about the lawsuit filed by Blair County against the current operators of Lakemont Park (Lakemont Partnership) who have failed to operate Leap the Dips and other rides at the park over the 2024 and 2025 seasons. At the center of the lawsuit is the claim by the county that Leap the Dips has NOT been properly maintained by the Lakemont Partnership, and that they have now broken their 2006 lease agreement.
    According to their documentation, the park was responsible for upkeep on the coaster through to Oct. 8, 2025. “If the park found that maintaining and preserving the ride was not financially feasible, it would give the county 60 days’ notice to take it over. If the county declined responsibility, then a process would start for the park to sell the ride to a third party.”
    The County Solicitor had reached out to Lakemont Partnership twice, in February and May 2025, to remind them of their responsibility to preserve the ride and keep it open for public enjoyment. On Oct. 13th, Lakemont Partnership admitted that they are financially unable to maintain Leap the Dips, but also mentioned that if the county did not take on the task, they will start the process of selling Leap the Dips, as apparently they have an interested buyer.
    Now that the county has been notified that the Partnership is intending to sell Leap the Dips, their argument is that they don’t have the rights, as they are in violation of the lease agreement for not maintaining it in the first place. The Partnership however says that they filed their own lawsuit back in August that the county never responded to, which claims that the County Commissioners were “unwilling to work with them on upgrades, repairs, renovations and ideas on making the park thrive again.” The County’s response to this was that the August lawsuit filing was “improper” and there is an objection to it pending with the court.
    So what we have is a bunch of finger pointing right now, though at the heart of it all remains the fact that the Partnership essentially shut down all of the big park attractions that served as a primary reason for people to visit Lakemont Park way back at the start of 2024. Meanwhile it looks like Blair County was waiting for the Oct 8, 2025 due date, plus 60 days for the Partnership to give notice asking for the County to take it over, before filing their own lawsuit against the Partnership, claiming a violation of the lease agreement, in order to remove them and put Lakemont Park back under county control.
    However this turns out, there likely isn’t going to be time to make repairs and reopen Leap the Dips and other attractions in time for the 2026 season. But hopefully a resolution can be make in 2026 so perhaps it might return in 2027.
 
    (12/13/2025) The management company overseeing Lakemont Park is now being sued by Blair County over claims of alleged mismanagement of ride maintenance on the Leap the Dips coaster. Leap the Dips is currently the oldest roller coaster in the nation, and the last of its kind.

 
    (8/31/2025) Things are not looking good at Lakemont Park, as the county is wanting to end the lease of the Lakemont Partnership who has been letting the former amusement park property fall into disrepair, and they have now responded with their own lawsuit against the county commissioners. Follow the link to read more about the latest happenings but the gist is that the Commissioner’s Chairman now believes that the Partnership who leases the county owned property as well as nearby office buildings and the ballpark, is now “letting the old rides and water park facilities there deteriorate in hopes of eventually acquiring the ground for development, perhaps when new commissioners take over.” Unfortunately, the Partnership’s lease has another 41 years left on it and they make good money from everything else from the deal, they just claim that the park is not an “economically feasible or sustainable” endeavor.
 
    (6/6/2025) The local news checked in on the situation at Lakemont Park, and as predicted, it is not good. As we previously mentioned, for the second season in a show, the rides at Lakemont park will not operate. This includes the historic Skyliner and Leap The Dips wooden roller coasters.
    The group responsible for operating the park has only states that the wooden coasters are too costly to repair and maintain, and yet this doesn’t explain why they aren’t trying to run any of the other attractions at the park. There are several other small rides that could be opened, as well as a go-kart track.
    The article mentions that the last time any work was done to repair or upkeep the coasters was four years ago, and nothing has been scheduled since. While Leap the Dips was granted National Historic Landmark status in 1996, that does not require the park to actually operate the ride, nor keep it in operating condition. They only have to maintain it enough so that it isn’t falling over and becoming a hazard.
    According to comments in an email from a Blair County Commissioner regarding the Lakemont Partnership group who’s has control over the park, “They have chosen not to open the park rides for the past two years and in my opinion, they will continue to allow the park to deteriorate as they state it is too costly to maintain. We cannot force them to open the park with the rides.”
 
    (3/10/2025) According to the local news, it has been confirmed that the rides at Lakemont Park will be closed once again, making this the second season in a row. Park managers are not willing to comment to the media about what needs to be done to get the rides reopen and a local Commissioner called the park “unsustainable”.
    This does not indicate that a good plan is in the works to save and reopen Lakemont Park and it was pointed out that the rides at the park were closed last year due to the costs associated with operating the county owned park.
 
    (5/1/2024) As suspected, I’m told that the Lil’Leaper at Lakemont Park has been sold to a new owner. Unfortunately, at this time we really don’t have a clue where it will show up next. If anyone finds out more, please let us know.
 
    (4/26/2024) With all rides to be closed for the 2024 season, you may be wondering what is going on at Lakemont Park right now. The “125 Roller Coaster Challenge” YouTube channel was given permission to shoot a walk-around video inside the park the other day to show off what things are looking like right now.
    The good news is that they say that the Skyliner and Leap-The-Dips are still benign maintained, even if they aren’t planning on opening them, so for now the roller coasters are safe. However a few other attractions have been removed in order to make way for some future new non-ride additions to the park. This includes the removal of the 4x4 trucks ride as well as the Lil’Leaper kiddie coaster from Allan Herschell.
    The 4x4 site has packed up the track segments to be hauled off, as it has been sold and they say that the site will be rebuilt for those who want to play GaGa Ball, which is sort of a more gentle version of Dodge-Ball played inside an Octagon shaped walled structure, played with a softer style ball. As I understand it, players can only slap the ball with one hand towards another player, rather than picking it up and hurling it with extreme force, and the ball has to only hit the other players below the knee. (Like I said, this is considered a more “gentle” form of Dodgeball that is said to have originated in 1970’s Israel.)
    As for the Lil’Leaper, that coaster has been completely removed already and the site will apparently be repurposed for Bocce Ball and Pickel Ball courts. It isn’t known if the Lil’Leaper has been sold, put in storage, or scrapped.

 
    (2/2/2024) If you never got the chance to visit Lakemont Park in PA to ride Leap-the-Dips or the Skyliner coasters, then you may never get to. According to the latest news from the park, Lakemont will operate without any rides at all for the 2024 season, relying on their picnic pavilion, mini golf, batting cages and other sports recreation offerings. They say that running the amusement park side of things has been a money loser and is no longer sustainable due to the high costs of maintenance and insurance.

LAKESIDE AMUSEMENT PARK (Denver, CO)

Park News - (7/1/2024) So what’s going on over at Denver’s Lakeside Amusement Park this season? According to a local news update, the famous Cyclone is still closed and has been idle since it closed during the 2022 season. According to the article, the Cyclone was shut down in 2022 after a woman apparently suffered some kind of injury, and the state has requested that some changes be made before it is allowed to reopen.
    The article does mention that park management “hope to get The Cylcone running before the summer season ends as they try to figure out the best way to meet the state’s safety requirements”. The problem has apparently been with the ride’s construction, as the structure is very close to the trains at many points, and while the park instructs riders to keep their hands inside, a few guest hand injuries have been reported as they’ve come into contact with the structure while raising their hands.
    The state seems to want the ride to be rebuilt in a way that would put more distance between the riders and the structure, but we’re talking about a wooden roller coaster that opened back in 1940, and a change like that would not only be extremely expensive but could forever alter the ride experience itself as well. Lakeside says any other noted fixes required by the last inspections in 2022 have been completed and that they do run empty trains on the Cyclone periodically to keep the Cyclone in good running shape for when they can reopen it to guests.
    For now, they are negotiating with the state to find a “reasonable adjustment” plan that works for everyone, so that the Cyclone can return to service. Let’s hope that they do find a solution and quickly, as the longer that the park has to operate without its feature attraction, it may become more financially difficult to keep the park open.
   In the meantime the park has been focused on fixing up many of their other unique and older attractions. As we noted last season, the park did open their Pinfari steel coaster late last year, and has now reopened the Heart Flip and Balloon Ferris wheel rides. They are waiting on new wheels at the moment needed to reopen the Dragon roller coaster and a new motor for the famous Roll-O-Plane ride is on the way as well. The article also mentions that the park’s big Ferris wheel is back together and ready to run, but they’ve been unable to “find someone qualified to operate the ride.” This is quickly becoming another issue for the park, as it features so many older vintage rides, as they try to find those able to both operate and repair these classic attractions as they age.
 
    (8/9/2023) Things are not going well over at Lakeside Amusement Park it seems. According to the official website the Cyclone wooden coaster along with several other rides are currently Closed. The Galaxi coaster that the park has been working on installing for awhile now is still not open, so the only full sized coaster open at the park is said to be the Wild Chipmunk.
    The park’s website also mentions the park’s limited operating schedule for the rest of the summer, and has previously mentioned how ride operators may have to rotate between running various rides in the park.
    A reader stopped by and snapped a few pics showing off the new Zyklon/Galaxi coaster (see below), and noted that the train on the Dragon was removed as well as the ride’s sign looked like it had half-way fallen over. RCDB reports that the Dragon has been sitting closed since 2020 so they may be preparing to remove it.

2026 - Nothing is known at this time...

MORGAN’S WONDERLAND (San Antonio, Texas)
Note: Morgan’s Wonderland is a special theme park custom designed to be an inclusive place of wonder and enjoyment for guests with disabilities as well as for those without, “encouraging everyone to gain a greater understanding of one another.”

2026 - WingZ - (11/18/2025) Morgan’s Wonderland and confirmed that they’ve been working with Zamperla to create a new first-of-its-kind accessible thrill ride that will be called the WingZ. The unique tower swing ride that “allows guests of all abilities to share the exhilarating sensation of soaring together. Its unique motion and responsive interactivity creates a feeling of freedom not found in any other attraction.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Morgan’s (@morgansinclusion)

Fall 2026 - Morgan’s Hotel - Under Construction - (6/14/2025) Morgan’s Wonderland in Texas has become well known for creating the world’s most “accessible” amusement park to accommodate guests with a wide spectrum of disabilities on their many attractions. Now Morgan’s has broken ground on their latest project… Morgan’s Hotel.
    First announced almost a year ago, the project was described as an “Ultra-Accommodating Hotel” experience that will not only meet, but exceed the regular ADA requirements in order to “remove barriers and tremendously enhance the lodging experience for everyone. This will certainly be a hotel for everyone including those with special needs who, going forward, will feel more included, valued, and fulfilled.”
    Created to accommodate people of all abilities at an affordable price, Morgan’s Hotel will offer voice-activated rooms, oversized rooms, wide hallways, with sound absorbing decor. Upon making a reservation an AI Concierge service will help arrange for their wants and special needs in advance of their arrival. The hotel itself will feature over 90 guest rooms with digital keys, a glass lobby elevator, free parking, a fitness center, outdoor pool as well as the “Blu Room Lounge” and “City View Restaurant”.
    Look for Morgan’s Hotel to open in San Antonio, not far from the Morgan’s Wonderland park, in the fall of 2026.
 

Future Projects - (12/11/2023) The founder of Morgan’s Wonderland held a meeting the other day to discuss what would be needed to create the first “ultra-accessible’ and inclusive hotel. After creating the ultra-accessible theme park, which has expanded to include a water park and sports facility, it sounds like he is now possibly looking into designing what the ideal resort experience would need to feature, and possibly partnering up with some of the big hotel companies in order to make it a reality at the park.
    Elsewhere in the article it also mentions that a second Morgan’s Wonderland theme park is also in development. The owner wouldn’t say where exactly, only that it would be somewhere “north of Texas”, and that they hope to announce it sometime in 2024.

OAK’S PARK (Portland, Orgeon)

2026 - Drop Tower - (6/1/2025) Well… nothing new really, but the local news has posted an update about the plans from Oak’s Park to build a 135 foot tall drop tower ride. I believe the plan right now is for this to be a new addition for the 2026 season, as the decision to allow it or not won’t take place until early July. The primary argument against it right now seems to be that some locals think it will be distracting or detrimental to the local migrating bird population. Apparently they are really concerned about how spotlights on the ground will be used to light up the tower at night.
    Out of all the parks I’ve ever seen drop towers installed at, I’m not sure if I’ve heard heard anyone argue that the various lighting packages put into place caused any kind of ecological damage to their local bird populations, but hey… I don’t know everything. However, I do know that the park is already home to the AtmosFEAR ride, which when fully inverted, holds riders 99 feet into the sky. I’m also fairly certain AtmosFEAR likely has its own extensive lighting package to illuminate the ride at night.
    That is… when Oak’s Park is actually open at night.  According to the park’s online calendar, they’re only open until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer (not quite dark), and close at 7pm or earlier on the rest of the days, which should be well before dark. The park is mainly only open late at night (10 or 11pm) on select dates in September and October as part of the Oktoberfest and Halloween events.
    So while Night time operations seem to be very limited at Oaks Park, perhaps the lighting package could be changed to be more like whatever was used for AtmosFEAR if it hasn’t caused any issues at night. But so far, a coastal animal expert hired by the park to review these claims has also stated that the lights in question “are extremely unlikely to affect migrating birds” and “unlikely enough to be considered discountable.”

 
    (1/14/2025) According to a local news report, Oaks Park is requesting a zoning change in order to allow for a 147 foot tall “drop tower” ride to be added to the park. Currently the site for the proposed drop tower is zoned to only allow for 30 foot tall structures. A second zoning request has been linked to this so that the drop tower would also be allowed to have lights on the tower that are not “downward facing and shielded”.
    As you might expect, a portion of the locals are upset and want to ban it for the typical variety of NIBY reasons:
    Oh, The Noise!
    It will tarnish my View!
    It will be dangerous to the local birds!
    Of course, Oaks Park also had the misfortune last year when the AtmosFEAR ride got stuck upside-down with riders aboard, so of course there are going to be some safety concerns as well. We’ll just have to wait and see if they get permission or not.

PACIFIC PARK (Santa Monica Pier, CA)

Park News - (3/15/2024) Amusement Today reports that Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier is being sold to a new investment firm owner, “SC Holdings”. According to the announcement, SC Holdings says that they will make $10 million in capital investments into the park’s food and entertainment offerings.

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... nothing added in 2024 - 2025 either

PALACE PLAYLAND (Maine)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... nothing added in 2024 - 2025 either

PEPPA PIG THEME PARK - TEXAS (Dallas/Ft Worth area)
Merlin Entertainment
New Park Opened in 2025

2026 - Nothing is known to be added at this time...

PHARAOH’S ADVENTURE PARK (California)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2025 seasons.

PLAYLAND at the PNE (Vancouver, Canada)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing Added in 2025

PLAYLAND’S CASTAWAY COVE (Ocean City, NJ)

Park News - (4/27/2025) According to various reports, a new pirate ship is now being installed over the entrance to Playland’s Castaway Cove park, as a replacement for the one destroyed in a fire back in 2021.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Offshore Drones (@offshoredrones)

 

2026 - New Roller Coaster - Possibly Delayed until 2026, the coaster approved for 2025 never did open to my knowledge.
    (4/29/2023) Playland’s Castaway Cove has just received approval to build a new roller coaster. The park had been busy building a new entrance / arcade building and then had to stop on the work when it was revealed that the two-story building was going to have a third-floor addition that would serve as an operator booth for a new roller coaster. While buildings in the area would normally need a height variance to go taller than two-stories, the control room for the ride would be considered part of the ride, and exempt from the variance requirement. Construction was stopped for about two months while some clarification from the local government was needed to make a ruling on this unique case before they could move forward once again.
    While the building itself is planned to be finished and open sometime this summer season, they say that the new roller coaster itself won't be coming to the park until 2025. So far, no word on exactly what kind of ride they are planning just yet, but previously released concept art featured a design with a mine-car themed coaster that would travel in and out of an enclosed mountain structure above the arcade.

THE REALM TOWN (Utah)
Formerly known as “Evermore”

PARK NEWS - (2/9/2025) Something odd is afoot at the former Evermore Park in Utah. While previously reports indicated that a couple had purchased the park and were working to reopen the property as something called Realm Town, it seems we now have an 11th hour twist.
    The original Evermore Park owners have now filed a lawsuit against the new owners for a breach of the sales contract by new owners, “Allrealms” According to the news post, Allrealms was to purchase the park for an agreed sales price of nearly $15 million in an agreement made back in February 2024. The deadline to finalize the deal was pushed back from the end of April 2024 to June 28th, when the agreement was then executed. Monthly installment payments began to flow for a few months, when Allrealms asked to waive their payment in November 2024.
    Evermore agreed to this for November, but when Allrealms asked for the December payment to be waived as well the next month, Evermore refused. Following this the Allrealms side of things then began to send documents to Evermore to try and reduce the agreed upon purchase price “by millions of dollars.” All the while Allrealms has been promoting themselves as the new owners of the park on their YouTube and Social Media pages, while they do not yet actually own the property, as the deal to finalize the sale was not completed by December 31, 2024 deadline.
    The new owners (referred to as The Foxes) have since filed their own counterclaim against Evermore claiming that “criticial contractual obligations” were not met that prevented them from completing the final closure before the Dec. 31st, 2024 deadline.
    No word yet on how this might play out, but as things are moving from the theme park realm and into the realm of the courthouse, chances are very little actual development may take place in bringing the property back to life until these issues are resolved.
 
    (1/9/2025) According to this article, the new owners of the former Evermore theme park experience in Utah are planning to reopen the attraction under the new name, “The Realm Town”. Unfortunately little else is known about exactly what kind of experience is planned to take place within Realm Town, or even when it might possibly reopen.
    Apparently they had some interactive fun with the local market and previous park guests over the fall season that for the most part failed to go viral, or even make much of a news splash. Hence… this is why we are just hearing about it now in January 2025. There isn’t much on the official website right now, but they did create a YouTube channel called RealmTube.


    (4/13/2024) In a sad bit of news, it was confirmed that the unique Evermore fantasy themed park in Utah has now closed for good. Opening in 2018, Evermore stood out as a very unique attraction concept in today’s industry, with more ties to fictional park concepts such as Westworld, than it did with any kind of traditional theme park. Evermore did not have rides, but it had characters and living storylines that would flow and grow as the park ages, more characters were added, and as the seasons passed the world within the park gates would have its own unique history.
    I never had the chance to visit Evermore, but I was hoping to plan a trip out that way this summer to finally try it out. Unfortunately that will never come to be I guess, as the attraction hit some hard times during the pandemic years and I don’t think they were ever able to fully recover from that. According to a statement from the park’s owner, Ken Bretschneider, something else may be in the works for the 12.75 acre site, and a new attraction of some sort could indeed grow from the ashes of Evermore. I hope to learn more soon!

SANTA’S VILLAGE AMUSEMENT & WATERPARK (Dundee, Illinois)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

SANTA’S VILLAGE (Jefferson, HN)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2025

SANTA’S VILLAGE (Ontario, Canada)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

SEABREEZE (New York)

2026 - New Waterslide - (8/24/2025) While they apparently don’t have a name ready just yet it seems that the waterpark at Seabreeze Amusement Park will introduce a pair of racing tube slides for the 2026 season. Each launches from a 50 foot tall tower and are over 1000 feet long, with riders passing through enclosed turns, a saucer turn and a “high-g spiral hive” before reaching the bottom.

SELVA MAGICA (Guadalajara, Mexico)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2025 seasons.

STEEL PIER (New Jersey)

???? - Sky Rocket II Roller Coaster - (11/29/2025) Unofficially, I’ve been hearing that this coaster project may have been canceled after being delayed from the original 2024 planned opening. No word from the park on if it is canceled or just on-hold for the time being with an intention to still add it in the future. Anyone know more?
    (1/11/2025) The delayed Premier Rides SkyRocket coaster however has not begun construction to my knowledge and at this point, has a good chance of being pushed back to 2026 unless they get working on it very soon.
    (11/18/2022) From the sound of things, the Premier Rides SkyRocket II roller coaster previously thought to be coming to Steel Pier in 2024 appears to have been pushed back to 2025 when the Spinning Coaster intended for 2023 was pushed back to 2024.

STORY LAND  (Glen, NH)
Owned by Herschend

2026 - Turtle Twirl & Crazy Barn - (11/30/2025) Story Land has confirmed that the park will bring back to classic rides for the 2026 season: the Turtle Twirl (a themed Tilt-A-Whirl) that disappeared to make room for Moo Lagoon in 2024, along with Crazy Barn (Preston & Barbieri Crazy House). The returning rides are part of a reinvestment into the park by new owners, Herschend.

STORYBOOK LAND (New Jersey)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... nothing added in 2024 - 2025

SWAMPY JACK’S WONGO ADVENTURE (Panama Beach, FL)

2026 - Loop Coaster - (10/29/2025) Swampy Jack’s Wongo Adventure park, built on the site of the former Miracle Strip Park, will add a new coaster this summer. This is said to be a retired Pinfari coaster that was removed from CJ Barrymory’s after last season, where it was named “Loop Roller Coaster”.

TRIMPER’S RIDES (Ocean City, Maryland)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... also nothing added in 2023 - 2025

WESTERN PLAYLAND (Sunland Park, New Mexico)

2026 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... also nothing added in 2023 - 2025

WILD WAVES Theme & Water Park (Seattle-Tacoma, WA)
(Formerly known as Enchanted Village and Wild Waves)
Owned by NorPoint Entertainment
Managed by Premier Parks, LLC

2026- FINAL SEASON - Wild Waves Says 2026 Season Will Be The Park’s Last-
    (1/1/2026) Screamscape sources have shared an interesting story about why the Wild Waves amusement park has suddenly announced that they will close down for good at the end of the 2026 season. I don’t know all the details, but I’m told that various new regulations enforced within the state of Washington have been slowly squeezing the park tighter and tighter for a while now to the point where the profit margins have become dangerously thin. Now new minimum wage laws in place are currently increasing wages year-after-year, and have gone from $144.49 in 2024 to $16.66 in 2025 and now to $17.13 as of 2026.
    In addition, select areas of the state have put higher minimum wage laws into effect as well. I’m not 100% sure of this, but Wild Waves resides in Federal Way which is part of King County, and a quick Google search says that employers within unincorporated King County are now subject to minimum wages of $20.82 for those with more than 500 employees, and $19.82 if 16-499 employees. Meanwhile yet another increase is already planned for 2027 as well, with the exact numbers still to be determined.
    So the quiet word on the wind is that the closure of Wild Waves after this season is the park’s way of tapping-out before they’re forced into a situation where safety is compromised or where a bankruptcy could be pending. Instead the park will close for good and the owner will attempt to find a new use for the property.
 
    (12/15/2025) A quick correction to this story about the closing of Wild Waves. I had mentioned that the park itself was owned by EPR Properties, but that was actually incorrect. Wild Waves and six other parks were sold off by Six Flags back in 2007 in a deal to PARC Management and CNL Properties. This was essentially a lease-back deal worth about $312 million that gave CNL ownership of the parks, who then leasing them back to PARC Management to operate them.
    In 2017, CNL was looking to get out of the park business and sold those properties to EPRO Properties, with the exception of Wild Waves. This was because CNL actually sold the park entirely to Jeff Stock / NorPoint Entertainment way back in 2011, and they continue to own it to this day, while hiring Premier Parks to manage and operate the park.
    Jeff Stock did make some comments about the future of the property in a press release about the closing of Wild Waves. “We recognize the deep history and emotional connection many residents have with the park, and we are committed to ensuring a respectful transition while planning a project that will bring meaningful, lasting benefits to the area,” Stock added. “Plans for the site are currently in preliminary stages, with goals beneficial to the city and surrounding areas. Additional details will be released as the project moves through planning and community review processes.”

    (12/12/2025) This is becoming an unfortunate trend but yet another theme park has announced that they will be closing forever, after being unable to get back on solid footing in the years following the pandemic that have resulted in higher costs for pretty much everything.
    Wild Waves has confirmed this week that the 2026 season will be the park’s “FINAL” season.
Wild Waves is another park that followed the “leaseback” trend, having been bought by EPR Properties who hired Premier Parks to manage and run the park for them, and is now paying the final cost. According to Premier’s Kieran Burke, “Unfortunately, the rising cost of ongoing operations since reopening after the COVID shutdown has generated millions in losses, which forces us to discontinue operations at the end of our 2026 season”.
    Look for Wild Waves to open on May 23, 2026 for the final season, which is currently set to end on Nov. 1st, 2026, at the end of the park’s final “Fright Fest” event. It is unfortunately for the area to lose the park, as markets that lose their parks seldom get a second chance to open a new one, especially given the extremely difficult financial times. With the park closing, it will also mean a lot of lost jobs to the area, both full-time year-round staff and hundred of seasonal jobs that are always a good first-job experience for many youths to have over the summer.
    It isn’t known yet exactly what plans EPR Property has for the land once they close the park, and if they hope to develop it into something new or simply see it off to another developer.

WONDERLAND PARK (Amarillo, TX)
360 Parks

Park News - (12/14/2025) Good news for fans of Wonderland Park in Amarillo, Texas. The local news reports that the City Council approved a new lease agreement for the park with “360 Parks of Amarillo LLC” with an initial 15-year term, and two extension/renewal options. According to the article, 360 Parks “has experience operating amusement parks, zoos and campgrounds”, but this was not a name I’m familiar with.
    From what I’ve been able to determine the CEO of 360 Parks is a “Jimmy Holmes”, who is listed on LinkedIn as President of 360 Park Management for the past 3 years, as well as President of “H Two Marketing” for the past 17 years, providing “marketing and management services” to the amusement and water park industry. Prior to that Holmes was VP of Marketing for Herschend for a little over a year (2007-2008) and prior to that was VP of Marketing and Sales for Wild Adventures (1996-2007) and for part of the short-lived Cypress Gardens Adventure Park revival (2005-2007) under the ownership of Wild Adventures.
    So that said, there is experience there with small parks for sure, and in an interview Holmes did state that improvement projects were being planned for Wonderland, but they will wait until all the sales paperwork on the park is finalized before making any announcements. The good news is that they do want to continue to run the park as an amusement park and not redevelop it into something else, so it sounds like Wonderland is in good hands.
    More as we find out!
 
    (12/7/2025) According to the local news Wonderland Amusement Park in Amarillo is now up for sale. It isn’t known if the park will open for a 75th season in 2026, but according to the Mayor they would like to structure a lease for a new buyer to take it over if possible.
 
    (11/16/2025) We haven’t heard much about Wonderland in Amarillo, Texas in quite some time. Times were tough on small parks like this since the pandemic, with many smaller parks having either gone under or putting themselves up for sale to survive or get out from under incurred debts.
    The topic of the park appeared in the local news this weekend as the city received an update about a proposed plan to update the park. More details are to come, but it seems that officials want to preserve the park’s “nostalgic charm” while working on updates to modernize operations, with improvements to park aesthetics, guest experience and improvements to the food and beverage side of things as well. Unfortunately, the reveal of any solid details have been pushed back to a further meeting while they further work out the details.
    The park is asking for a “partnership and cooperation from the city as landlord and support for a long-term lease structure that enables reinvestment and growth while also having a shared goal of a thriving, sustainable attraction.”
    So in other words, it sounds to me like a lease-renewal is expected in the not too distant future and the park wants to ensure they aren’t priced out of existence by any new terms. This is understandable of course, as unfavorable new lease terms can quickly turn a business than has been in operation for decades into an unsustainable financial doom-spiral. So if the future of the park to the community is important… then it would be vital that the two do come to an understanding that will allow it to continue to exist. More on this as it develops. ser made Drop of Fear is still standing, a reader has pointed out that it is listed for sale over at Rides4U for $149k.

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

WONDERVERSE (Oak Brook, Illinois)
aka: Sony Wonderverse  (Opened in Early 2024)

2026 - Nothing is known at this point in time... nothing added in 2025 either.

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