originally posted on 9/16/2024
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
On August 15, ACEers traveled from all over the country — from near and far, but mostly far — to Arnolds Park “in the middle of Nowhere Iowa.” Although that statement is exaggerated, it does have merit, as Arnolds Park (also the name of the town) is located three and half hours from Minneapolis, three hours from Des Moines and 90 minutes from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Arnolds Park’s iconic parking lot entrance was a welcome site for ACEers traveling to the organization’s annual preservation conference.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
All of that did not deter 105 ACE members and their guests from making the trip to this park for the pre-Preservation Conference event, More Corn, More Fun, hosted by ACE North Central. As attendees traveled through fields of corn and soybeans, the region had one thought in mind: to get as many members to the park as possible.
Arnolds Park is entered under the Legend roller coaster, adjacent to the unique Tipsy House.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
Arnolds Park is a small nonprofit park; home to an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, Legend; and one that relies heavily on its community. Besides being a beach town that many Iowans visit, the town is also notable because 25 years ago locals came together to raise $7.25 million almost overnight to save the park from being demolished and replaced with lakeside condominiums. Now, the park is a staple in the community, operating with a mindset for preservation and restoration, making it the perfect stop for ACEers before the preservation conference.
A revitalized entrance to the park is the goal of this year’s fundraising efforts at the Party in the Park event.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
The morning started early with check-in at 8 a.m. Upon check-in, those in attendance could see drawings of what the park was raising money for at the Party in the Park event on August 17, held every year to fund restoration projects and keep the park operational. The fundraising project was revealed to be a $1 million redo of the entrance to the park that shares a side with not only the Legend roller coaster but also the Tipsy House. Some ACEers even got a little history of the park from park CEO John Pausley as they waited for the rides to open.
Early morning ERT on the park’s well-preserved Legend was a hit among ACEers.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
In addition to rides on Legend, ERT gave attendees an opportunity to score the typically difficult Little Coaster credit.
Photo: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
At 9 a.m., ERT began, and the star of the show was John Miller’s 1930 Legend. The coaster was running remarkably smoothly for a 91-year-old ride, thanks to the love and dedication the park continually bestows upon it. Little Coaster — a Miler Manufacturing kiddie coaster — was also opened during ERT and was a real treat for attendees, because adults normally are not able to ride. The line was long because only two adults at a time were permitted to ride, but everyone who wanted a ride got one. Even the park’s go karts, which are usually an upcharge attraction, were opened during ERT for a few laps. Finally, the park surprised ACEers with one more attraction — the Herschell Mad Mouse relocated most recently from Joyland in Lubbock, Texas.
At the Arnolds Park Funhouse Museum, attendees raced each other down a preserved wooden fun house slide and played vintage pinball machines.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
Photo: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
After ERT, the park opened to the public, and attendees made their way over to the Arnolds Park Funhouse Museum. There, ACEers could play vintage pinball and look at the park’s old wooden sugar bowl ride and old wooden fun house roller. The highlight of this visit was to race fellow ACE members down the original wooden fun house slide. Included in their wristbands for the day, attendees had access to not only the Arnolds Museum but also the Maritime Museum and the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
ACE North Central Regional Representative Tom Nickerson delivered a speech to ACEers gathered at the Majestic Pavilion.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
ACE Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Representative Mike Matscherz takes a ride on Mad Mouse — a recent addition to the park.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
Lunch was held in the Majestic Pavilion, which used to be the park’s roller rink and now serves as an event space. Here guests learned a little more about the park and its preservation efforts from a quick speech by ACE North Central Regional Representative Tom Nickerson.
A ride aboard the recently rehabilitated Queen II was a highlight for those having purchased a ticket for the 90-minute tour of Lake Okoboji.
Photo: Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
Following lunch, a majority of those in attendance took a ride on the Queen II boat around the lake (which was a separate add-on ticket). The Queen II began sailing this summer after an extensive refurbishment completed during the off season; it provides an hour-and-a-half boat ride around Lake Okoboji that highlights the history of the park and the surrounding area. The boat itself was constructed in 1986 and is a replica of the Queen I that was used to move guests around the lake in the late 1800s and early 1900s before being retired in 1973 after 89 years of service. With the refurbishment of the Queen II, the park hopes to keep her floating for the next few generations to come.
Photo: Dan Stuber. View full-sized image.
Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed Arnolds Park rides such as the Rock-O-Plane (above), Boji Falls Log Ride and Arnolds Park Carousel.
Photo: Dan Stuber. View full-sized image.
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.
After disembarking from the Queen II, there was one last surprise: an Arnolds Park staple, a Nutty Bar from the Nutty Bar Stand. This treat is an ice cream block hand dipped in chocolate and nuts; it has been popular with visitors since 1949.
ACE North Central extended gratitude to everyone at Arnolds Park for its dedication to preservation and for making the event a great one. The region is proud to donate one dollar from every event registration to the Legend Fund set up by the park to help maintain and preserve the ACE Roller Coaster Landmark. ACE North Central also donated one dollar from every registration to the ACE Preservation Fund.
Those wanting information on how to donate to the Legend Fund can find it here: https://arnoldspark.com/legendcoaster/ while information on how to donate to the ACE Preservation Fund can be found at aceonline.org.
— Tom Nickerson, ACE North Central Regional Representative
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