MONTICELLO, Ind. (WTHR) — Carol Wheeler drove up to the closed gate at Indiana Beach Wednesday with her adult son, David, and stared at the idled amusement rides.
"This year would’ve made 50 years for us," she said. "We've been five generations coming here. It's a shame."
A shame, she said, that after 94 years the iconic amusement park is permanently closed.
A White County Economic Development official told Eyewitness News the park’s California-based parent company cited financial reasons for the closure and that it couldn’t find a buyer.
Wheeler and her son drove to Monticello from Cincinnati, Ohio after hearing the news. They wanted to take one last picture.
While longtime visitors like the Wheelers are saddened by the closure, some local residents are concerned what the future will look like without the park's presence.
"Everything in this city really was a result of the success of Indiana Beach," said Kurt Keller, who said he's lived and worked in the area his entire life. "A lot of these places wouldn't be in business today…if it weren't for those folks out there (at Indiana Beach.)"
"It's going to be devastating, all the mom-and-pop resort areas, all the lodging, all the restaurants," said Art Anderson. "I mean, when people don’t have any customers, you close shop."
Calls and emails to White County Economic Development President Randy Mitchell went unreturned as of Wednesday afternoon. A sign on the door said the office would be closed due to meetings.
A spokesperson in the White County Commissioner’s Office referred all inquiries to Mitchell.