(Radio Iowa) – One of the longest-operating amusement parks in the world is gearing up for the start of its 137th season on the shores of West Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa. Jon Pausley is the C-E-O of Arnolds Park Amusement Park, which offers some two dozen rides on its historic 20-acre site.
“We have a whole new midway games area, a lot of new games coming in, a lot of stuff you haven’t seen before, so a lot of fun and some new prizes and plush,” Pausley says. “We brought in a couple new experiences at the park, too. We have a ride called the Vertical Bikes where instead of racing bikes forward, you race up.” And speaking of racing, Pausley says kids will soon be able to get behind the steering wheel.
“Last year, we moved our go-kart track to electric karts, a little faster and zippier,” he says, “and then we’re bringing in junior karts that are electric this year, too, so the younger kids get a chance to drive again.” The season will open on Saturday, May 16th, and Arnolds Park will be open daily through Labor Day. Located in the town of Arnolds Park, the amusement park is again offering what’s being called the Gift a Smile program and it’s seeking donations.
“It’s a program that allows kids, especially, and then also families who might not be able to otherwise afford a day at the park to be able to come to the park for free,” Pausley says. “It really includes a lot of our Kids Days, our School Days, at the beginning of the year. We’re going to have over 6,500 school kids come in the first two weeks the park is open and enjoy the park, and we do that for them at no cost. They just have to get there.”
Donations can be made by visiting the website Arnolds Park-dot-com and clicking on the “DONATE” tab. The park is named for Wesley Arnold, who built a 60-foot wooden toboggan-style waterslide on the south shore of West Lake Okoboji in 1889, the very first attraction at what would become Arnolds Park Amusement Park.
