Americana to OPEN! (Unofficial news)

Scott Fowler, who has long had contacts and run a longtime website on Americana has some news posted. IT IS VERY GOOD!

It apears that someone has signed to operate the park for three years and able to buyout the park after the third season.

Complete information at the link below and also check out a meeting at the butler county historical society in Feb that is to have mainly Americana/Lesourdsville memories. It apears that all are invited! :) Link below.

http://www.americanaamusementpark.com/indexa.html

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Charles Nungester
Park Jockey :)

Okay, where the HELL is LeSourdsville Lake? On rcdb.com it says it's in Middletown, OH. But when I type that into mapquest, it gives 3 possiblites
Middletown (Butler/Warren), OH
Middletown (Champaign), OH
Middletown (Crawford), OH
So which is correct, or are they all the same?
lata,
jeremy
--who may have found his "add-on" for SRM

Jeremy,

LeSourdesville Lake is in Middletown, Ohio and exactly where Americana is. That is where the park got it's original name. It it about 15 minutes from PKI off (a ways) of Interstate 75. It is fairly easy to get to and would make a good add-on to SRM.

If you are coming from HW via Louisville, KY when you got to Cincinnati you would take I-75 North towards Dayton. You will travel on I-75 for proabably 30 minutes (no traffic) before you reach the Middletown exit that takes you to Americana.

I do not know the exact exit numbers, but do know that that exit is populated by large Flea Markets. One of them, Trader's World, is right at the exit so you can easily follow signs to that. Once you get off the exit you will turn left onto a highway which you will follow for about 10 minutes.

At one point that highway forks and heads either North or South. You would head South and just as you round that turn Americana is on your right.

Sorry I do not have exact exit or highway numbers, but hopefully signage will help. But then again, even when the park was open there was very little directional signage. I personally think contributed to the low patronage. People just did not know it existed.

Shaggy

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Shaggy
A.K.A. John K.

It's the Middletown under (Butler/Warren) Ohio on Mapquest.

LeSourdsville Lake (Americana) is located on Ohio's Amusement Park Highway, OH-4.

(OH-4 runs from near Stricker's Grove, past Americana and the remains of Fantasy Farm, and ends within sight of Cedar Point)

From IR-75 you exit onto OH-63, which is actually Monroe, and take OH-63 West to OH-4, then turn South, go through LeSourdsville and past the old motel; the park is on your right. It's not shown on MapQuest, but the lake is shown squeezed in between the river and the railroad.

From Americana/LeSourdsville Lake, take OH-4 South into Hamilton! where you can catch OH-128, then take OH-128 South to Stricker's Grove. Or, take OH-4 North to OH-63, then OH-63 East past the Lebanon Correctional Facility to OH-741, take OH-741 South to Kings Island.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
EDIT: Only need to sign it once...!

*** This post was edited by RideMan on 2/1/2002. ***

Great news! I cant wait to ride Screechin Eagle!
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"Yeah, they did it in Superman 3"

Well, I don't know If I want Pugh running the show (his set-up at a local parking-lot carnival was unimpressive and the ride operators seemed unattentive) , but beggers can't be choosers

Actually, I thought Pugh had one of the nicest carnival operations I've seen in this area. His Tip-Top and Sky Wheel in particular were just gorgeous. Anybody know what happened when they auctioned off his show, or has that not happened yet?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I hope Americana is open before Stark Raven Mad weekend. This is going to be a must stop on the way to or from PKI.

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GREAT! It's been at least 10 years since my last run on the eagle. Should be awesome.
Jacob
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www.PKIGuide.com

*** This post was edited by Jacob on 2/1/2002. ***

Jacob..now you will have the chance to ride it with the Elitch Gardens Wildcat trains! They track really nice.

I'll be ther opening day. I live in Middletown 10 minutes away!!!!!

I had only been there once before. I was to young to ride Screehin' Eagle. I've really been praying for it to open so I can ride this masterpiece.
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It's his turn to feast, when you ride the Son of Beast.

My mom used to work there (LeSourdsville Lake) when she was a teen. She worked the duck pond and she told me that people used to stand up on Screechin' Eagle. She's also ridden it so I am very jealous of her. We drove by it on our trip to PKI and CP in 2000. Sad to see it just sitting there.
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My wishlist for the 2002 season includes 121 different coasters, 92 of which I have not ridden.

I really hope this happens. I wasn't in to coasters very heavily until the last year Americana was open, and unfortunately I didn't make a trip down there. (I had the old "there's always next year" mentality.) I am dying to ride Screechin' Eagle after reading all of the rave reviews about it here on the 'Buzz. I just hope it's been maintained in the two years it has sat idle.
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Aaron
"If love is blind I guess I'll buy myself a cane..." - Guns n' Roses

RideMan said:
Actually, I thought Pugh had one of the nicest carnival operations I've seen in this area. His Tip-Top and Sky Wheel in particular were just gorgeous. Anybody know what happened when they auctioned off his show, or has that not happened yet?
--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Is that his Tip Top in Strickers? Great ride!
Chuck, who loves old classics like the Tip Top!

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Charles Nungester
Park Jockey :)

Ok, I'm drawing a blank -- what's a Tip-Top?
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Aaron
"If love is blind I guess I'll buy myself a cane..." - Guns n' Roses

A Tip-Top is also known as a Bubble Bounce. It is a cone-shaped round platform, with spinning tubs around the edge. As the ride rotates, it allows riders to spin their tubs via a wheel in the center (kinda like a Frolic or Wisdom Tornado). If that's not all, then the entire structure bounces up and down (very slowly of course!), enough to add some weightlessness to the experience. Here's a pic: http://www.americanmidway.com/pictures/Quassy/bounce1.jpg
I am so glad my Eagle is about to take flight once again! Truly the best stand-up coaster in Ohio (you cannot remain seated the entire ride, no matter how hard you try).
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Don't.....look.....back! The Headless Horseman awaits you in 2002!
Model coasters and rides

Dropped by Americana today. They are working heavily on puring slabs in the lefthand side of the parking lot. Also on the main Americana sign, Over where the old message board was is posted Future Home of Couch's Campers. They are also adding onto a building. It apears that The camper sales entrance will be the same as the employees entrance next to the Tavern on the south side of the park.

All ride structures are still in place including Serpent. All cars are off the rides though but they were on on some rides back in August.

Chuck, who hopes someone can look up and see if any permits have been obtained!

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Charles Nungester
Park Jockey :)

It's always great to see parks open up again. This looks like a really cool little park. Hopefully more parks that have stopped operating can look at Americana and decide to open too.

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Where has the magic gone in the name Disney?

Nope, that isn't Pugh's Tip-Top at Stricker's...Pugh's Tip-Top hasn't been sold yet. In talking with Mr. Stricker last season, it seems that the big difference between a Tip-Top and a Bubble Bounce is that the Tip-Top came from Hrubetz after WWII; the Bubble Bounce came from Custer Amusements before WWII. :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.