Indiana Beach Amusement Park will open two new attractions next year, including the park’s sixth roller coaster.
The park’s new addition was designed and manufactured by the late Anton Schwarzkopf, the German engineer behind classic coasters like Montezooma’s Revenge at Knott’s Berry Farm.
To be more precise, it’s the triple looping coaster formerly known as Quimera, which last operated at La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico City.
The coaster was the site of a fatal accident in September 2019 when the last car on the train derailed, flipped upside down, struck one of the ride’s supports and fell more than 30 feet. Two riders were killed and five more were injured. English-language news site Mexico News Daily later reported that the park had failed to properly maintain its rides.
Indiana Beach chief operating officer Tom Crisci told Theme Park Tribune that the park is well aware of Quimera’s history and the ride will be updated and thoroughly inspected before opening to guests.
“We’re fortunate enough to have some of the best maintenance guys in the business at our park,” Crisci said. “Our plans are to work with industry safety consultants to complete all of the necessary updates. Once these updates are completed and everything passes inspections, then and only then will we open the ride to the public. This is an amazing Schwarzkopf and with the proper safety inspections, maintenance and care, we anticipate this being one of the premier coasters, not only at our park, but in the region.”
The other addition will be a spinning flat ride called Polyp. This attraction operated at Kiddieland, an amusement park in the suburbs of Chicago that closed in 2009. New Indiana Beach owner Gene Staples considered Kiddieland his home park, according to Crisci.
The ride had been operating at the Lake Winnie Amusement Park in Georgia. “Gene went to Lake Winnie earlier this year to purchase this ride,” Crisci told Theme Park Tribune.
The Monticello, Indiana park was facing permanent closure earlier this year until Staples, a Chicago businessman, purchased the park in April and reopened it in late June.
This story was updated after publication with additional comments from Indiana Beach.
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