Indiana Beach Sold

http://www.thehj.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=32&ArticleID=22881

QUEENSBURY, New York - Morgan RV Resorts today announced the acquisition of Indiana Beach Amusement Resort in Monticello. The purchase includes the northwest Indiana resort's entire operations including the Indiana Beach Boardwalk and Funway amusement park and water park, Indiana Beach Camp Resort, Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resort at Indiana Beach, The Beach House Inn hotel and motel, Lakeview Penthouse Suites, cottages at The Beach Club Resort and Hoosier Pointe, the Shafer Queen paddle wheel boat, The Fun Zone, a lakefront sandy beach, the Skyroom Restaurant and multiple dining and retail operations. The resort complex will open for the 2008 season on May 3.

Numerous improvements are planned for Indiana Beach Amusement Resort including the addition of the amusement park's sixth roller coaster, Steel Hawg. The new steel roller coaster, Indiana's first custom steel coaster, features multiple flips and inversions as well as a 120-degree first drop.

Steel Hawg will be in great company, joining five other roller coasters at the park including the "Grandfather" of Indiana roller coasters, The Hoosier Hurricane.

Also new for 2008 will be an extended operating season providing guests with more opportunities to enjoy the park's exciting rides.

Morgan RV Resorts is the country's largest private owner and operator of RV parks and resorts. The company's collection of regional destination resorts provides clean, fun, affordable family vacation getaways offering multiple accommodation options, activities and events for all ages, playgrounds, swimming pools and entertainment.

"We are thrilled to be welcoming this historic Indiana family destination to the Morgan RV Resorts family," said Bob Moser, co-owner of Morgan RV Resorts. "Superb hospitality and exiting destinations are hallmarks of every Morgan resort. Guests of Indiana Beach will continue to take pleasure in the quality experience they have come to love over the past eight decades and enjoy an ongoing commitment to improving the destination year after year."

"This is an exciting time for Indiana Beach," said Tom Spackman Jr., grandson of park found, Earl Spackman. "With the recent upgrades to many of our accommodations, the forthcoming arrival of Steel Hawg and now the purchase by family-owned Morgan RV Resorts the future is brighter than ever. In the years to come, Indiana Beach is certain to remain the home for all the fun things you love to do."

Guests can learn more about Morgan RV Resorts by visiting www.morganrvresorts.com and stay up to date on the latest happenings at Indiana Beach Amusement Resort at www.indianabeach.com.

Holy carp!

First KW, now this. Wow...

Say it ain't so Tom!!!!!!!!!!

Chuck, worried about the charm of one of his favorite parks.

I wonder if this is like the Kennywood affair right now where the family has grown so big, that selling it was the best way to allow the business to survive.

I wonder if Holiday World is next......

I doubt it, Tom is second gen, Kennywood was several generations.

In HW's case, The park is just one of several buisnesses in Koch Devlopment. Although Pat let on that they had had some generous offers.

Chuck

I just learned about this from a friend. Can't find out more until after a press conference. Am in a state of shock right now.

Well at least you can bring an RV? I sure it wont be bad, until they let people com in early or stay in late if they are staying on property in their RVs.

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Audioslaved said:Well at least you can bring an RV? I sure it wont be bad, until they let people com in early or stay in late if they are staying on property in their RVs.

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My guess is you've never been there. Jellystone is basically a RV campground nationwide and is separated from the park by a city block. The on site campground is at the tip of the pennensula and featured cabins and tents and smaller trailer camping.

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john peck said: I wonder if Holiday World is next......

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Now don't be starting that kind of talk ... Will is enjoying the heck out of himself and has no plans to sell. (And yes, he's had offers.)

Paula

I don't even understand how you arrive at the idea that the event would be indicative of any sale at any other park.

But Jeff...don't you see? First Kennywood, then Indiana Beach. Holiday World is logically next in line! lol

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Mamoosh said:
But Jeff...don't you see? First Kennywood, then Indiana Beach. Holiday World is logically next in line! lol

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Ooooooooh Fallacy. I love finding fallacy in other works. My english teacher didn't believe me that Al Gore used fallacy in "An Inconvenient Truth." Well, I proved her wrong.

ANYWAYS---
I don't ever forsee Holiday World being sold, it is a much different atmosphere there than Indiana Beach, and honestly, I don't see how the sale of 2 parks far away from one park would influence the sale of it. ;)

Ummm...I was being sarcastic.

I really don't see this as a big deal.

I am sure this company that purchased IB will have a management staff in place that knows how to run a park since they don't have a backround for this.

They own it. It doesn't mean they will handle the day to day operations of it.

Same thing is going on with Cypress Gardens. The new owners have no knowledge of running a park but they hired an experienced management company to run it.

I don't see it as a big deal either and think there's a lot of overreaction going on.

Any shock of the overreaction going on? It happened when Kennywood was sold as well. If Holiday World does get sold ever, I expect overreaction to happen over that too.

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Jeff said:
I don't even understand how you arrive at the idea that the event would be indicative of any sale at any other park.

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Naw, I was just causing trouble. You know me! ;)

But we should probally get back on topic. *** Edited 2/20/2008 4:21:14 PM UTC by john peck***

Tom Jr. and the gang will stay on during the 2008 season to make the transition a bit smootherer.

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Mamoosh said:
Ummm...I was being sarcastic.

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I know that, otherwise I wouldn't have said what I did. I was just trying to add to the comic relief.

All jokes aside, it certainly does seem like an emerging trend in the industry. Although there is nothing to suggest Holiday World (or _____fill in the blank park) is about to get sold, in the current business climate it doesn't sound all that far-fetched either.