Negative-G - Lakemont Park and The Island Waterpark 2015 Page Four

If you'd like to see a larger version of any of the photos just click on the photo and a larger version will open up on top of the page.

The Skyliner Roller Coaster at Lakemont Park and The Island Waterpark, Altoona, Pennsylvania

Getting to that crossroads will take a little bit but it will explain how not only how The Skyliner was saved from the wrecking ball but how a out of date relic like Leap The Dips is still here well over a century later.

As I said earlier Lakemont began as a trolley park in 1894 and as an amusement park in 1899. Amusement parks back then were not like most of the parks today. They were more like your neighborhood park with a nice lake, playground, picnic shelters, concessions buildings and a few rides owned by the trolley company that you paid individually to ride.

In 1937 with the trolley company and the entire nation struggling due to the great depression Lakemont Park was on its last legs and instead of closing it Lakemont Park was donated to the county as a public not for profit park.

Lakemont Park lasted as a county park with the same old rides until the mid 1980's when they were struggling again. In order to pay for the upkeep of rides and unable to invest in any new rides or attractions the struggling county sold off Lakemont Park's classic hand carved carousel. As history goes it seems when the carousel goes the park goes soon afterward as it is a move out of desperation Seeing the park struggling in late 1985 the Boyer Candy Company leased the park from the county with the hopes of creating the next Hersheypark.

With an investment of $5 million and plans to turn all of Lakemont Park into a massive tourist attraction plans were set and the transformation began. Hundreds of trees that covered the park were leveled, fences were erected all around the property, a candy factory attraction was added and an entrance plaza surrounded by buildings for shops was built before it was all done. In addition to all of that the big new attraction for the newly named "Boyertown U.S.A." theme park was the newly reloacted Skyliner.