Darien Lake
Park logo
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| Slogan | Destination Fun |
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| Location | 9993 Alleghany Rd Darien Center, NY 14040 |
| Coordinates | 42°55′43″N 78°23′06″W / 42.92851°N 78.38488°WCoordinates: 42°55′43″N 78°23′06″W / 42.92851°N 78.38488°W |
| Owner | EPR Properties |
| Operated by | Premier Parks, LLC |
| General Manager | Chris Thorpe |
| Opened | May 1981 |
| Previous names | Darien Lake Fun Country (1981-1999) Six Flags Darien Lake (1999-2007) Darien Lake Theme Park Resorts (2007-12) |
| Operating season | May through September |
| Area | 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) |
| Rides | |
| Total | 40 |
| Roller coasters | 7 |
| Water rides | 3 |
| Website | https://www.darienlake.com/ |
Darien Lake is a theme park resort in Darien, New York, United States. It is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Premier Parks LLC. In addition to the amusement park, it features a campground, water park, and an on-site lodging.
In 1954, Darien Lake was excavated and filled. The lake was a popular swimming destination for many years. In 1964, investor Paul Snyder acquired a 164-acre parcel of land bordering the lake and opened a small 23-site campground and picnic area. Snyder continued acquiring more land eventually increasing his holdings to almost 1,000 acres of land which included seven lakes, the largest of which was Darien Lake. He stocked one of the smaller lakes, Trout Pond, with fish, increased the number of campsites and added activities for resort guests such as a small petting zoo, horseback and pony rides, paddleboats, skateboarding, tennis courts and miniature golf.
From the late 70s and into the early 80s, Snyder added more attractions, including a set of water slides on a hill near the park's entrance called Rainbow Mountain, creating an amusement park he named Darien Lake Fun Country. Snyder made a deal with HUSS Park Attractions, turning Darien Lake into the North American showcase for the German manufacturer's new rides. Through this deal, the park acquired rides such as the Pirate, Ranger, Thrillbilly and the Corn Popper, for use in the park and to give HUSS a location to display them to potential US and Canadian buyers. In 1982, the newly merged Arrow Huss built and opened the park's first major roller coaster, Viper.
In 1983, Snyder sold 50% of the park to Funtime Inc., which also owned Geauga Lake and Wyandot Lake Park. The Fun Country was dropped from the name, and Funtime brought in some major improvements.
Funtime's first purchase was the Vekoma-built Giant Wheel Ferris wheel, the showcase of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the largest in the US at the time, which was permanently installed in the park's center. Although no longer the largest in the country, the Giant Wheel is still in operation today.
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Wikipedia