Clementon Park and Splash World (previously Clementon Lake Park) was an amusement park and water park in Clementon, New Jersey. It was one of the world's oldest operating amusement parks, having opened in 1907, and was one of only thirteen trolley parks left in operation before it closed. It was independently owned and operated for several decades, and was purchased in 2011 by Clementon Lake Holdings, a subsidiary of Premier Parks, LLC.
The park closed in September 2019, and was put up for auction on March 23, 2021. The park in its entirety was purchased by IB Parks & Entertainment with plans to reopen later in 2021. The park returned to operations on June 25, 2021. The park announced in September 2026 that it would permanently close following the end of the 2026 season.
History
1907–1919 The park was founded in 1907 by New Jersey assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs"Images of America, Clementon". Arcadia Publishing. 2007 and his sons, Edgar B. and Willard. Theodore Gibbs was a Civil War veteran and held many local offices, including postmaster and sheriff. He was also a member of the Atlantic City Railroad's Board of Directors."Obituary: Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs". New York Times. October 28, 1909.
The amusement park was a popular destination in the early decades of the twentieth century with a trolley running from the city of Camden to the park's entrance. In the early twentieth century, amusement parks were built at the end of trolley lines to encourage weekend ridership.Clementon: The Residue of Design. Courier Post. October 2006.
1920–1939 In the 1920s, the park had grown to include a nickelodeon movie theater, a "dancing casino", a steam-driven carousel, the Jack Rabbit roller coaster, and a "razzle-dazzle" ride. The Jack Rabbit coaster was considered state-of-the-art when added to the park in 1919 for the cost of $80,000 (equal to $ today).
On June 22, 1931, a fire almost destroyed the amusement park. According to The New York Times, "a vivid pyrotechnic display and the successive reports of exploding cartridges added to the spectacular aspect of a fire which swept through part of Clementon Park, a South Jersey pleasure resort." The fire had reached the cartridge supply of the shooting gallery, setting off explosions. Firemen from six adjoining towns fought the fire, which was contained to the shooting gallery and a "pretzel ride". The damages were estimated to be $2,000.
On September 20, 1936, Philadelphian boxer Al Ettore trained at Clementon Park for the upcoming heavyweight title fight against Joe Louis. Many fans visited the park to see Ettore train, causing a section of grandstand to collapse under the weight of about 500 spectators. No one was seriously injured.
1940–1969
Throughout the 1930s to the 1950s, Clementon Park's ballroom hosted dance marathons that were hosted by various celebrities such as Red Skelton and Dick Clark. Clementon Park survived the Great Depression by holding these marathons, offering a $100 prize to couples who lasted the longest.
1970–1999 In 1977, the Gibbs family sold Clementon Lake Park to Abram Baker. Baker owned a nightclub in Miami, Florida, and the Fascination Parlour in Atlantic City, New Jersey. From 1955 to 1968, he also owned Glen Echo Park, Maryland."Obituary: Abram Baker Amusement Park Owner". page 4B, Miami Herald. July 3, 1994. In 1979, operation of the park was turned over to Larry Baker, Abram's son.
2000–2019 In 2007, the park was purchased by Adrenaline Family Entertainment for an undisclosed amount. Over the next three years, Adrenaline Family Entertainment made major renovations and added new attractions to the park. Laguna Kahuna, a large interactive water play area, was added in 2008, followed by Ring of Fire and Thunder Drop in 2010, and Torpedo Rush in 2011.
On November 21, 2011, the park was purchased by Gary Story and Kieran Burke of Premier Parks, LLC through a new subsidiary, Clementon Lake Holdings. Big Wave Bay, a 23,000 square foot (2,136 sq m) wave pool, was added for the 2012 season.
For the 2019 season, the park added four new rides: a swinging ship, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a Scrambler, and a children's coaster called Dragon Coaster. The coaster was relocated from Bowcraft Amusement Park in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, which had closed permanently the season beforehand.
2020–2025 On September 8, 2019, the park abruptly closed without warning (despite tickets having been sold for the next season's events), and other planned events later in the season were suddenly canceled.
Following the closure, TD Bank filed a lawsuit against the park owners for failing to make payments on a $4.5 million loan. On January 25, 2021, a court order granted Howard Samuels and Rally Capital Advisors receivership of the park.
On February 19, 2021, Capital Recovery Group, acting on behalf of its client, Howard Samuels, issued a press release announcing the sale of the park at a public auction to be held on March 23, 2021. During this time, it was also reported that a local investing group, Fresh Development, was in the process of raising the $7 million needed to purchase and reopen the park.
On March 23, 2021, the park auction commenced, and the park in its entirety was sold to an undisclosed buyer for $2,370,000. The buyer was quickly revealed to be real estate developer Gene Staples, who had bought and reopened the recently closed Indiana Beach amusement park in Monticello, Indiana, the year before. Clementon Park and Splash World reopened on June 25, 2021. All of the water park's attractions were open, but a limited number of the amusement rides were in operation. Discounted admission tickets were offered through end of June.
On September 9, 2026, it was announced that the park would not reopen for the 2027 season, with September 7 having been the park's last day in operation. Plans for the park to be sold were also announced.
Attractions at time of closure
Roller coasters +NameYear openedManufacturerTypeNotesDragon Coaster2019Wisdom RidesSteel children's roller coasterOriginally operated at Bowcraft Amusement Park from 1998 to 2018.Hellcat2004S&S PowerHybrid wooden roller coasterKnown as Tsunami in 2004 and J2 (which stood for Jack Rabbit 2) from 2005 to 2007. Currently closed pending renovations from Rocky Mountain Construction.
Thrill rides +NameYear openedManufacturerTypeNotesKing Neptune's RevengeUnknownIntaminLog flumeCurrently closed pending renovationsFlying PharaohUnknownChance RidesSwing rideRing of Fire2010Larson InternationalFire BallCurrently closed pending renovationsScrambler2019Eli Bridge CompanyScramblerSea Dragon2019Chance RidesSwinging shipCurrently closed pending renovations
Family rides +NameManufacturerTypeNotesC.P. Huntington RailwayChance RidesRideable miniature railwayGiant Gondola WheelChance RidesFerris wheelGrand CarouselCharles I. D. Looff/Dentzel Carousel Company/Stein & GoldsteinCarouselFeatures a Wurlitzer style 153 band organ. Currently closed pending renovations.Samba TowerZamperlaBalloon RaceCurrently closed pending renovationsTilt-A-WhirlSellner ManufacturingTilt-A-Whirl
Children's rides NameManufacturer TypeNotes Flying ElephantsUnknown Spinning elephant rideCurrently closed pending renovations Formula 3000Unknown Miniature vehicle rideCurrently closed pending renovations Mini Pirate ShipsUnknown Miniature swinging ship Round-A-BoatsUnknownSpinning boat ride Safari TrainUnknown Miniature train rideSpace AgeHampton Amusement CompanySpinning space ship ride UmbrellaHampton Amusement Company Spinning vehicle ride
Water park attractions Name TypeNotes Big Wave Bay Wave pool Laguna Kahuna Children's water play area with eight water slides and several water features Lazy River Lazy river Shipwreck Bay/Kiddie Pool Children's water play area with six water slides Sky River Rapids Raft water slide Torpedo Rush Two drop-launch water slidesCurrently closed pending renovations Vertical Limit Multi-lane mat racer water slide Viper Two raft water slides
Former attractions
Roller coasters +NameYears operatedYear closedManufacturerTypeNotesJack Rabbit19192002Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters/John A. MillerWooden roller coasterStood out of operation until 2007, when it was demolished
Thrill rides +NameYears operatedYear closedManufacturerTypeChaos19982007Chance RidesChaosFalling Star19882007Chance RidesFalling StarInverter20002009Chance RidesInverterRazzle-Dazzle1920s1920sUnknownSpinning rideThunder Drop20102022ARM RidesDrop towerThunderbolt19882009Chance RidesMatterhornTurtle Whirl20002006Sellner ManufacturingTilt-A-Whirl
References
External links
Official website IB Parks & Entertainment
Clementon Amusement Park aerial photo Clementon's entry on ultimaterollercoaster.com