A historic amusement park in Camden County will close its gates and soon be back on the market just five years afterit was purchased at a bankruptcy auction.
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After more than a century in South Jersey, the future of Clementon Park & Splash World is uncertain as the owners work to “find a buyer who shares our love for Clementon Park and will carry its history and legacy forward,” the amusement park owners said when announcing the park’s closure on its website and social media accounts Wednesday.
“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,” the statement said. “It has been a privilege to care for a place that has meant so much to generations of families.”
The park’s owners, IB Parks & Entertainment, did not respond to requests for comment.
The company bought the park for roughly $2.37 million in a 2021 public bankruptcy auction after financial struggles led to the park’s sudden shutdown two years earlier.
Clementon Park is one of five amusement properties owned by IB Parks & Entertainment across the country, including West Berlin’s Sahara Sam’s.
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During Clementon Park’s heyday in the early 20th century, it was a popular destination for families across South Jersey, who could be shuttled directly to the park’s entrance by a trolley running from Camden.
Originally opened in 1907 by state assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs and his sons, the park was independently owned by various local families over the years before it was bought by its first private amusement park operation company in 2007.
Various management companies expanded the park over the next decade, adding multiple thrill rides, coasters, children’s attractions, and a 23,000-square-foot wave pool to the 52-acre park.
The most notable of the park’s long-standing attractions was the Jack Rabbit, a wooden coaster that was considered state-of-the-art when it opened for riders in 1919. After 83 years of thrills, the popular ride was one of the oldest operating roller coasters in the world by the time it officially closed in 2002.
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