Lakemont Park
A historic amusement park in Altoona, Pennsylvania, known for Leap-The-Dips, the world's oldest surviving roller coaster.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Lakemont Park is a historic amusement park and public recreation destination in Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. It began in 1894 as a trolley park, a type of leisure venue established by streetcar companies to encourage weekend and holiday travel on their lines. The park initially functioned primarily as a landscaped recreational destination and added its first amusement ride in 1899. This development placed Lakemont among the early American amusement parks that evolved from trolley-era leisure grounds into more formal collections of rides, games, gardens, and social facilities. The park's defining historic attraction is Leap-The-Dips, a side-friction roller coaster that opened in 1902. It is widely recognized as the oldest surviving roller coaster in the world. Unlike modern steel or wooden coasters that use more sophisticated braking and restraint systems, Leap-The-Dips reflects the engineering and operating practices of the early twentieth century. Its preservation has made Lakemont Park an important site in the history of amusement-park technology. The coaster was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Lakemont's ownership and operating structure changed several times. Blair County received the park as a donation in 1937. The Boyer Candy Company acquired it on May 23, 1986, and operated it under the name Boyertown USA. The property was sold again on July 1, 1988, after which the park continued operating for many years. It remained in continuous operation through the 2016 season, offering rides and family-oriented attractions alongside its historic facilities. The park experienced a major contraction during the late 2010s. It did not operate during the 2017 season while rides and other attractions underwent maintenance. In 2018, management announced that the park would remain closed and would return in a smaller format as a family-entertainment venue with selected amusements. Many former rides and attractions were sold. Lakemont reopened in summer 2019, but its operating model was narrower than the traditional full-scale amusement-park format. The water park closed in 2020 and did not subsequently reopen. In 2024, the park indefinitely stopped operating its amusement rides, citing declining attendance and high insurance costs. The site nevertheless retained recreational and heritage functions, including Leap-The-Dips, the Casino, gardens, memorials, sports facilities, playground areas, batting cages, and two miniature-golf courses, subject to operating conditions. During the winter holiday period, Lakemont has also offered a drive-through light display covering approximately 51 acres and generally running from November through January. The park's future became the subject of a public legal dispute in 2025. Lakemont Partnership, the organization leasing and operating the property, sued the Blair County Commissioners over alleged accusations of lease violations and threats to terminate the lease. The dispute followed the suspension of ride operations and concerns about the economic feasibility of maintaining the rides and certain historic assets. The case illustrates the challenge of operating a heritage amusement property whose preservation obligations, insurance requirements, maintenance costs, and attendance-based revenues may no longer align. Lakemont Park therefore occupies a dual role: it is both a historic amusement-park landmark and a community recreation property whose commercial ride operation has become uncertain.
History
Lakemont Park opened in 1894 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, as a trolley park. Trolley parks were recreational grounds established in connection with streetcar systems, often at the end of a line, to generate leisure travel during periods when public transit companies had unused capacity on weekends. Lakemont's early identity was therefore tied to transportation, landscaped recreation, and community outings rather than to a large modern ride portfolio. The park added its first ride in 1899 and gradually developed into an amusement park. Its most important surviving attraction, Leap-The-Dips, opened in 1902. The side-friction coaster represents an early generation of roller-coaster design and remains the world's oldest surviving roller coaster. Its historic significance helped preserve Lakemont's place in amusement-park history, and the coaster received National Historic Landmark designation in 1996. Blair County received the park as a donation in 1937. In the following decades, Lakemont continued as a local amusement and recreation venue. The Boyer Candy Company bought the property on May 23, 1986, and renamed it Boyertown USA. A subsequent sale took place on July 1, 1988. The park then continued operating under the Lakemont Park identity and remained open through 2016. Operational difficulties became more visible in the late 2010s. Lakemont did not open for the 2017 season while rides and attractions underwent maintenance. In 2018, management stated that the park would remain closed while it transitioned toward a smaller family-entertainment concept with selected amusements. A substantial number of former rides and attractions were sold. The park reopened in summer 2019, but it no longer represented the same broad ride-based operation associated with its earlier decades. The water park closed in 2020 and did not reopen. The site retained a mixture of active or potentially active recreation facilities, heritage structures, and former amusement infrastructure. These included Leap-The-Dips, the Casino, gardens, memorials, miniature-golf courses, batting cages, basketball and volleyball courts, pavilions, and a playground. Lakemont also developed a seasonal drive-through holiday light event occupying roughly 51 acres and operating during the November-to-January period. Amusement rides were indefinitely inactive from 2024, with management citing reduced attendance and the cost of insurance. The closure changed the park's practical identity from a conventional operating amusement park toward a heritage and community recreation property. The change also created tension around the conditions of the park's lease from Blair County. In 2025, Lakemont Partnership filed suit against the Blair County Commissioners, alleging that officials had made false claims about lease violations and threatened to end the partnership's lease. The partnership maintained that it continued to satisfy its obligations to operate the property as a public park and preserve specified assets, while arguing that continued ride operations were no longer economically feasible. The legal dispute placed the long-term governance and future use of the park under scrutiny.
- 2025
Lease dispute reaches court
[1]Lakemont Partnership files a lawsuit against Blair County concerning alleged lease violations and the future of the property.
- 2024
Amusement rides become inactive
[1]Ride operations are indefinitely suspended because of attendance and insurance pressures.
- 2020
Water park closes
[1]The water park ceases operation and does not subsequently reopen.
- 2019
Park reopens in reduced family-entertainment format
[1]After remaining closed during 2018, Lakemont reopens with a smaller selection of amusements and family activities.
- 2017
Seasonal closure begins
[1]The park closes for the season while rides and attractions undergo maintenance.
- 1996
Leap-The-Dips receives National Historic Landmark designation
[1]The historic roller coaster is designated a National Historic Landmark.
- 1988
Park sold again
[1]The property changes hands on July 1, 1988.
- 1986
Boyer Candy Company acquisition
[1]Boyer Candy Company purchases the park and renames it Boyertown USA.
- 1937
Park donated to Blair County
[1]Ownership passes to Blair County through a donation.
- 1902
Leap-The-Dips opens
[1]Leap-The-Dips begins operation and later becomes the world's oldest surviving roller coaster.
Products and positioning
A historic, community-oriented family recreation destination combining amusement-park heritage, outdoor activities, seasonal events, and preservation of nationally significant attractions.
Historic roller coaster · 1902
Leap-The-Dips
A side-friction wooden roller coaster that opened in 1902. Leap-The-Dips is recognized as the world's oldest surviving roller coaster and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Its preservation is central to Lakemont Park's identity, even after the park's broader amusement rides became inactive.
Miniature golf
Keystone Falls Mini Golf
An 18-hole miniature-golf course forming part of Lakemont Park's family recreation offering. It represents the park's shift toward smaller-scale outdoor activities alongside its historic attractions.
Miniature golf
Rabbit Hole Mini Golf
An 18-hole miniature-golf course offered as an outdoor family activity at the park.
Seasonal event
Holiday light display
A drive-through holiday light display extending across approximately 51 acres. The seasonal event generally operates from November through January and provides a winter offering separate from the park's traditional ride program.
Family recreation
Outdoor recreation facilities
The park has offered batting cages, basketball courts, volleyball courts, pavilions, and a playground. These facilities support Lakemont's role as a public-oriented recreation site even when amusement rides are not operating.
Brand decisions
2024
Indefinite suspension of amusement ridesStrategyBackground
The park faced declining attendance and high insurance costs while maintaining a historic property and aging ride infrastructure.
Action taken
Amusement-ride operations were indefinitely halted, while selected recreation, heritage, and seasonal activities remained associated with the site.
Aftermath
The decision intensified questions about the park's future operating model and its obligations under the Blair County lease.
2018
Transition to a smaller family-entertainment formatStrategyBackground
Following the 2017 closure and maintenance difficulties, management announced that the park would remain closed for 2018 and return with fewer amusements.
Action taken
The park sold many former rides and attractions and reopened in summer 2019 with a reduced operating model.
Aftermath
Lakemont continued as a more limited family and recreation destination rather than a full-scale ride park.
Recent events
- 2025
Lakemont Partnership files lease dispute lawsuit against Blair County[1]
Lawsuit · Other
The operating partnership sued Blair County officials over alleged accusations of lease violations and threatened termination of its long-term lease. The dispute centers on ride closures, preservation duties, and the economic feasibility of continuing amusement-ride operations.
- 2024
Lakemont Park suspends amusement-ride operations indefinitely[1]
Other
Lakemont Park stopped operating its amusement rides indefinitely, attributing the decision to declining attendance and high insurance costs. Other recreational and historic functions remained associated with the property.
Sources2 sources
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