Dating back to 1583 when hawkers and roaming entertainers started coming down to a natural spring that was discovered in a forest north of Copenhagen, the Dyrehavsbakken in Denmark is today recognized as the oldest operating amusement park in the world.
The 33 rides that families come to experience in 2026 include traditional wooden roller coasters, spinning teacups and bumper cars.
The vast majority of theme and amusement parks, however, will not stay in business even a fraction of the same stretch of time as Dyrehavsbakken given that aging ride infrastructure is expensive and often unprofitable to maintain.
Clementon Lake Park and Splash World makes “difficult decision to close” on September 9
On September 9, the 119-year-old Clementon Lake Park and Splash World announced that it has “made the difficult decision to close the park and plan to offer the park for sale” after the summer season.
The theme park was built by New Jersey assemblyman and Civil War veteran Theodore B. Gibbs and his sons in 1907 as a way to drive tourist dollars from Atlantic City to the nearby Philadelphia suburb in the southern part of the state.
Related: 50-year-old theme and water park to close forever after summer season
The theme park went through multiple chapters in nearly 12 decades, including a period of expansion to build what were then state-of-the-art rides in the 1920s, a fire that nearly destroyed the entire site in 1931 and a period of decline in which the area was used for dance performances and boxing matches between the 1940s and 1960s.
The Splash World water park section was added to the park in July 1993 following a $5 million renovation.
Clementon Park And Splash World
“We are hopeful that we will find a buyer”: Clementon Park and Splash World
The park also changed owners’ hands multiple times. In 1977, the Gibbs family sold the theme park to Miami nightclub operator Abram Baker who ran it with his family until it was purchased by Adrenaline Family Entertainment in 2007. In 2019, the park was closed down to the public for two years after the company defaulted on a $4.5 billion loan from TD Bank before being purchased by current owners IB Parks & Entertainment.
The latter company did not expand on the reasons for the abrupt shutdown but expressed optimism that a buyer will come along and resurrect the park that, while seeing declining visitor numbers over the years, plays an important role in local history and the childhood memories of local residents.
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“After five memorable years, we are saddened to announce that we have made the difficult decision to close the park and plan to offer the park for sale,” Clementon Park management wrote in a Facebook post. “It has been a privilege to care for a place that has meant so much to generations of families. We are hopeful that we will find a buyer who shares our love for Clementon Park and will carry its history and legacy forward.”
IB Parks & Entertainment added that it will be posting “additional details regarding the sale […] as they become available.” With no sale currently looming, the shutdown is being treated as permanent given no 2027 opening date.
Related: Another airline shuts down after losing license, cancels flights
