Bay Beach Amusement Park Green Bay

The best amusement park north of Chicago, the city owned Bay Beach Amusement Park offers free admission to the grounds for families to enjoy.  Rides are a steal at just $1.00 per person for the famous wooden rollercoaster, The Zippin Pippin.  Many of the other rides vary in pricing from .25 cents to .75 cents.  

Over 100 years old, this park has seen some transitions and is once again coming into its own.  In the first 10 years the park featured a swimming dock and bath house. It was the premiere swimming area in the entire Green Bay vacinity.  However, that was at the turn of the century - 1901.  That dock and swimming venue is long gone, however, a resurgence of effort has begun a movement to return the water quality of Green Bay to once again be viable for swimming in the bay.  


Around the early 1900's Bay Beach also had a wooden rollercoaster which was the big draw in addition to swimming.  As time passed and maintenance expenses made the coaster no longer viable, the ride disappeared from the park.  Pony rides and the ferris wheel kept visitors occupied for generations, though the park's visitor numbers fell.

 

In 2011 a rollercoaster was added to the park again. This wooden ride was purchased from the Tennessee theme park that closed its doors.  The Zippin Pippin was Elvis' favorite ride and he sometimes rented the entire park for himself so he could ride this coaster repeatedly and in private.  While the actual boards of this ride are new, the city's acquisition of the ride basically consist of the rights to the name, Zippin Pippin, the footprint, and plans to build the ride.  At first the city was split on the decision to add this big ride to the amusement park.  The cost was significant and the installation was a huge financial commitment.  The Mayor received a lot of criticism at the time for spending so much of a tight city budget on this "wild" investment.  On the day that park opened after the installation, the negative discussions faded away. It was obvious from the first few days that the reintroduction of a rollercoaster to Bay Beach was indeeded exactly what the park needed and was the vehicle which once again made the park highly profitable.  In fact, by the close of the first season with the new rollercoaster installed, attendance projects were shattered more than doubling the park attendance that was originally forecasted.  Ridership and concession sales were confirmed to have increased dramatically.

Shortly before the close of the summer 2013 park season, another classic ride was added to Bay Beach. The Sea Dragon.  It, too, has been a very welcomed addition to the park as an adult ride.  Prior to building these two attractions to the amusement park Bay Beach was mostly written off as a "kiddy playground."  Not so anymore!  Landscaping, lighting, waterfalls, and evening hours all contribute to the wider offerings which appeal to adults.


Earlier this year it was announced that two additional rides appealing to adults will be added to the park in the summer season of 2015. As the park continues to develop, the new extension of the rail tracks to run underneath the rollercoaster, adding two additional trains that were donated, landscaping and lighting, and additional amenities, this park following continues to swell with visitors. There is still plenty of room to grow and lines are NEVER long here. What are you waiting for? Come and see for yourself what a great amusement park is emerging in Green Bay!