{"id":8522,"date":"2026-09-10T07:07:38","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T07:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=8522"},"modified":"2026-09-10T07:07:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T07:07:38","slug":"historic-nj-amusement-park-permanently-closes-owners-seek-buyer-meant-so-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=8522","title":{"rendered":"Historic NJ amusement park permanently\u00a0closes, owners seek buyer: ‘Meant so much’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A beloved 119-year-old New Jersey amusement park has abruptly shut down \u2014 and is going back on the market.<\/p>\n

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Clementon Park and Splash World, located in Camden County, South\u00a0Jersey, announced Wednesday that it made the \u201cdifficult decision\u201d to shutter the park after the 2026 season, marking\u00a0its second major\u00a0closure in seven\u00a0years.<\/p>\n

The park\u2019s final day in operation was on Monday. <\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 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,\u201d a statement posted on the park\u2019s website said.<\/p>\n

The park\u2019s owners, Chicago-based IB Parks & Entertainment, said\u00a0they hope another\u00a0buyer will take\u00a0over the longtime\u00a0attraction.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been a privilege to care for a place that has meant so much to generations of families,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are hopeful that we will find a buyer who shares our love for Clementon Park and will carry its history and legacy forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

More details about\u00a0the sale will\u00a0be released as\u00a0they become available, the owners added.<\/p>\n

The park did not give a specific reason for the decision to close or say how much the property will be listed for.<\/p>\n

The 52-acre\u00a0attraction has featured\u00a0rides including\u00a0the Hellcat and\u00a0Dragon Coaster roller\u00a0coasters, the Ring\u00a0of Fire looping\u00a0ride, Thunder Drop\u00a0drop tower, Sea\u00a0Dragon swinging ride\u00a0and a giant Ferris wheel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Clementon Park was built in 1907 by New Jersey Assemblyman and Civil War veteran Theodore B. Gibbs and his sons to attract tourists from Atlantic City to Clementon, a South Jersey suburb of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

The park underwent a major expansion in the 1920s that brought state-of-the-art rides before a 1931 fire nearly destroyed the entire site.<\/p>\n

During a period of decline from the 1940s through the 1960s, the grounds were used for dance performances and boxing matches.<\/p>\n

Splash World was added in July 1993 after a $5 million renovation, giving the aging amusement park a major new attraction.<\/p>\n

The park has also changed owners several times.<\/p>\n

The Gibbs family sold it in 1977 to Miami nightclub owner Abram Baker, who ran it with his family until Adrenaline Family Entertainment purchased the property in 2007.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The park closed\u00a0in 2019 after\u00a0its then-owner\u00a0defaulted on a\u00a0$4.5 million loan\u00a0from TD Bank. <\/p>\n

IB\u00a0Parks & Entertainment bought\u00a0the attraction at\u00a0auction for $2.37\u00a0million in 2021\u00a0before reopening it\u00a0that summer.<\/p>\n

IB\u00a0Parks & Entertainment also owns the historic Indiana Beach Amusement and Water Park as well as Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World. <\/p>\n

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New Jersey’s historic 119-year-old Clementon Park and Splash World has closed down, and the owners are putting the amusement park up for sale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nHistoric NJ amusement park permanently\u00a0closes, owners seek buyer: 'Meant so much' - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=8522\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Historic NJ amusement park permanently\u00a0closes, owners seek buyer: 'Meant so much' - 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