Please help preserve Geauga Lake, currently known primarily as Wildwater Kingdom, from being permanently closed at the end of its current season. Founded in 1887, the park has been entertaining families and drawing visitors for 129 years. Its name may have changed along with whoever owned it at the time, but whether the front gate read Geauga Lake, Sea World, Six Flags, or Wildwater Kingdom…it’s always been a special place for fun and great summer memories for generations of Ohioans.

Only the water park still remains open, but even that is due to close its doors for good at the end of its current season. Its current ownership is with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company who plans to completely eliminate the park in favor of a shopping center with restaurants. The Cleveland area has no shortage of these familiar retail developments, one often the same as the other. Between Legacy Village, Crocker Park, Eaton Shopping Center, Beachwood Place Mall, Great Northern Mall, Southpark Mall, Westgate Mall, and Tower City to name a few…how many more do we need? Do we need another Original Cheesecake Factory? (No offense Cheesecake Factory, we love you, but we already have you on the East & West sides). Unfortunately, what is lacking in this area is traditional fun where kids young and young at heart, can be kids. Other than community center pools where membership or residency is required, there are no other swimming facilities in the area, a need which has been fulfilled by Wildwater Kingdom.

Wildwater Kingdom/ Geauga Lake should be preserved as part of Geauga Lake’s tradition as a family friendly amusement park. We ask that the state of Ohio help negotiate a plan with Cedar Fair L.P. to preserve this important piece of Ohio history. We ask to consider adding Geauga Lake to the National Park Services’ National List of Historic Landmarks program. The Big Dipper roller coaster should be there for its 100th birthday in 2025. There are many other places to build or redesign retail space into a new shopping center. But there can only be one Geauga Lake.

#savegeaugalake