indiana beach amusement resort

This was our second trip this Summer--went August 10-12. This time around stayed at one of the old nearby resorts instead of the property. I think due to many previous complaints-IB had a sheet of anything that was closed down that day at the entrance so you knew before going in. One day they had a couple things listed as down but when we went in they WERE running. Probably a quick fix but nice they had the warning regardless. Overall we had or saw no issues with excessive rides being down--maybe a few things. I've been going since i was kid and it's become a tradition with my family now. This place has been here since 1926 and I love the history of it all. It IS an OLD place and I certainly don't expect the same things from modern parks (which people unfairly compare to in my opinion). I love how some of the old rides I rode my daughter was able to ride. In recent years they've dropped their prices to what I think is more on par for what you get there so i feel like it is more than reasonable for what you get there (they used to be pricier and it WAS too much). I love that it's just big enough but not too crazy where you wait in ridiculous lines like other big parks or that my daughter can safely navigate the park by herself. I wish the Skyroom restaurant served from the menu later in the season (by mid August it was buffet only), but i guess that's due to the crowd size/more kids going back to school around that time and that they don't serve breakfast anymore which I miss too--love the restaurant for the most part otherwise. Also the rooftop garden bar wasn't open very long at this point in the season, closing much sooner than listed times so disappointed there. True some of the employees aren't the greatest--but what do you expect when they're seasonal employees, most of which are kids which we know aren't the best at customer service. In a nutshell our overall experience, as is most of the time, was a lot of fun. If you're not into the monster parks, or appreciate older/vintage type places, this is probably the place for you. Just know what to expect going in and you'll have a good time--young and old alike! Can't wait for 2015!

I spent much of my childhood visiting IB and also worked there as a teenager, back in the 70's and early 80's. It was clean, well maintained, and popular. I went back recently to take my grandchildren. I could not believe how run down it was. Many rides were closed, and the place just seemed in need of much repair. I was extremely disappointed.

My son and I went because of a special Groupon ran. They have some nice kiddie rides for a 3 year old. They had some nice roller coasters (we couldn't ride). They had lots of games and food options as well as a free ski show that we enjoyed. It is an older park and its not perfect but I think that is park of the reason that makes this place unique. If you go in knowing it's not Kings Island nor Ceder Point you will have a great time.

To be clear, this is a small amusement park on a very small lake in the middle of Indiana that hails from the very early 20th century. That said, there's plenty of fun here for the whole family. I think realistic expectations are key. The kids and older folks working the rides are nice, and the rides themselves still offer plenty of thrill.

Seems like a great place to go to. Alot to do waterpark beach & rides. Entertainment beautiful scenery.

I had read so many negative reviews and was wondering what kind of trip we would have. We had a great weekend without spending a fortune. My wife and I could not understand all of the negative reviews, except that people must be expecting a King's island of Six Flags caliber park. Indiana Beach is a small, boardwalk style amusement park, that we felt was very undeserving of of the negativity it has received. I noticed other reviewers saying that the price was approaching that of larger amusement parks. I have to respectfully disagree. For my wife, myself and my child, we payed a total of $37.00 for the waterpark/unlimited rides day pass. A bargain, if you ask me. For comparison, Six Flags is $55.00 per person per day. There is some peeling paint in places, but nothing that took away from having fun. The place is pushing 70 years old, so it is showing its age in places, but is certainly not an eyesore. We were there on Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend, and all rides were running. All of the roller coasters were up. The Shafer Queen was running its usual trips as well. In the kiddie rides, there were a couple that were being rotated on and off. One ride would be going for an hour or so, and then the operator would switch to a different ride for the next. None of the rides had excessive lines, so this did not bother us. I assumed that they probably had only so much staff to go around. There were many of the rides that you could tell had gotten facelifts with new paint, and it looked like they were ready to go to work on some other ones, once the season came to a close. The new rides that they got this season appear to be park models that are permanently installed, rather than portable ones that were rented, so they appear to be interested in making a long term investment into the future of the park. The taco shoppe was as good as ever, and the pronto pups were great too! We didn't use the water park, since we had a pool at our campground. It looked decent, though. The lazy river looked clean and the slides appeared clean. The skyroom restaurant was doing a brunch buffet on Sunday. We checked it out and the restaurant was neat and clean and the buffet looked and smelled good. We opted for the pronto pup corn dogs instead. The restrooms were clean each time that we used them. The appearance of them is dated, but who cares. They are functional and clean to do what you need to do. My family and I would most certainly visit again. There aren't many places like Indiana Beach still around. Nowadays, you usually have to go to a large city with the crowds and long lines to go to an amusement park, but at Indiana Beach you don't have the ridiculous long lines for rides or the overwhelming crowds that you do at some other places.

This place is dirty and everything is rusted. I was staying at the beach inn hotel. The hotel was dirty and the bathroom was rusted. I was scared to even use it. I didn't wanted to get my kids sick

We stayed at the Indiana Beach Motel when we stayed there. Upon arriving there were no parking spaces near our room. We went and checked in at the desk and were given a parking pass that we were told to put in our windshield, this would let the security people know we were staying at the resort. We finally did get a parking spot, but I did notice that other cars did not have parking permit in the windshield. Everything went relatively smooth the first day, then after the park closed we decided to sit on the front balcony, it was about 11:30 and there was a group of people staying in the cottages directly across from us, they were so loud. Security never came around. There were no phones in the room and our cell phones didn't work (could not get a signal). So, the next morning, I went to the front desk and reported it. The clerk said that they knew and security would be keeping an eye on the group. We went to the amusement park. We were walking along and all of a sudden, my daughter fell down. There is a drainage that is partially covered with blacktop and the yellow paint is so worn away you could not see that the drainage was exposed, she scraped her knee pretty badly and twisted her ankle. We waited about 7 minutes for the "safety" person to show up. He moved so slowly and then asked her, "Does it hurt?"Upon returning to our room, we found a pillow laying on the ground in the parking lot, but the maid service was not at our room yet (it was about 4pm). I went back to the front desk and asked them about the room not being cleaned, his response was that they have a sheet and know what rooms still needed to be cleaned and I should expect them later. So, we went to town to find a restaurant to sit and eat at. Upon arriving back, once again we couldn't find parking. I seen a security person walking and told him that none of the cars that are parked near the motel have passes in their windows. He said he would look into it. So, once again, we circled and circled and finally found a spot. Security never came to look at the other cars and put notices on their windshields that since they were not staying there, they should not be parking there. Maid service still did not come (this was about 6:30pm).We went back to the amusment park and decided to go on the Queen Shafer to see the fireworks. When we purchased our tickets, we were told that the fireworks start at exactly 10:45 and the Queen Shafer leaves at exactly 10:30, so we can not be late. We were in line by 10pm and waited. The let us board the boat shortly after 10. Last minute people were getting on and then someone told the "helper" that they needed to use the bathroom. The "helper" told him to hurry up. it was about 10:27. They were not back on the boat by 10:30, but we waited for them. The boat was just pulling out of the dock area when the fireworks began going off. The boat pulled a little ways out into the lake and then sat there for the remainder of the fireworks show. After the show, we pulled back into the dock. I went and complained about this and did receive my money back.Upon returning to the room, the maid service never came. I went back to the front desk, where the same man who I complained to early was still there, I asked him if I should still be waiting for maid service and he laughed. I had to ask him to get me clean towels. I need to mention that the pillow that was in the lot the day before stayed there the whole time I was there.I ended up getting my own towels, making my own beds, emptying the trash, changing the toliet paper and there was no kleenex. I asked the front desk when I was checking out why I would stay with them, that was the reason that I stayed at the motel. I did not want to make my own bed, or get clean towels. She asked me what I wanted her to do for me and my response was that I wanted money off of my bill. She said that she could not do that for me. They really need to stick some money into this place. Paint is chipping, lights are out, no phones in the room. If there was ever an emergency you could not reach anyone, you would have to walk to the main lobby. Security needs to be patrolling telling people that they can not park at the facility unless they are paying guests at the accomodations. People are parking there to save the $7 or $10 parking fee in the general lots.

With the price approaching that of much bigger parks, one would expect a very pleasant visit. My two children and wife arrived only to find that the child rides were not running at full capacity. There were new rides that were not operational. A brand new dragon rollercoaster for small children was down despite being inspected by the state just the day prior. The time or two that we saw it running, a worker and A PARENT had to push the coaster back into starting position. There were several attractions that were not in operation until the day was well into the afternoon. Other attractions didn't run at all. The rest rooms were atrocious. They appeared to have not been cleaned for days, given the stench. While entering the waterpark, the bathhouse was as bad as any could be. Again the restrooms were in much need of cleaning and repair/updates indicated by the rusty pipes. The changing cubicles were somewhat small and had broken benches and no hooks for hanging clothes for convenience. And out of the 8 waterslides only 3 were open. Some of the attraction operators seemed to be unsure of the operation of the ride they were controlling. There was quite a discrepancy in the method by which the height of the children were checked. The park was in much need of general maintenance, like fixing broken boards, cleaning, proper painting and better staffing, and apparently improved management. This could be a super attraction if only some common sense measures were in place for constant continual cleanliness and maintenance at least every other day. This was a major weekend and a major disappointment. Money is being made here but it is evident that its not being returned to the public in a pleasing day at the Park. Just meeting the minimum state requirements just won't due anymore, people expect their hard earned moneys worth.

This place reminded me of a boardwalk amusement area at the Jersey Shore. It was much cheaper, though. If you set your expectations correctly, you can have a great time. We ate in the restaurant upstairs (the old dance ballroom). We had great service and good home cooked food. We didn't really go on many rides, but just chose to walk around and take it all in. We did like the walk-through haunted house.... pretty scary! They had fun park food - fried oreos, lemonade and yummy tacos. Being in the middle of rural Indiana, I thought it was a fine place. Just don't expect a Cedar Point or Kings Island.

I had read the reviews before our trip, and I had misgivings from the start. Upon parking in a grass lot and seeing the mish-mash of run-down buildings I was even more unsure. But after entering it seemed less run-down and more charming the more you look. And if you look closely, you can see all kinds of modern technological updates. There are decades of different architecture at work, here, there, and everywhere. Like walking though time. The staff, if a little bored looking, were extremely friendly and helpful. There was a wonderful upstairs buffet with a view of the park. Everything was delicious, and when the waitress saw that my boyfriend's sandles were rubbing him the wrong way, she gave him a band-aid for his foot. Bless her heart. She saved the day. The food everywhere was fantastic. The taco stand was the best, and very well priced for an amusement park ($2.50 tacos!) Plenty of indoor restaurants and game-rooms to get away from the sun. There was a rainstorm the day we went, and I spent it enjoying playing pool in the upstairs open-air bar, where they had live music in the evening. The rides were worthwhile. The Cornball Express roller coaster is a must. For a tiny wooden coaster it was a blast. As is walking through Frankenstein's Castle. It was an extra $3.50 to get into the castle, but was hands-down the best walk-though fun/haunted house I've ever been in, and well worth it. The so-called 'beach' however, was not as impressive. Well, maybe it was back in the 1920s when the park opened, but it's only 3 feet deep, so great for kids but not so for adults. The sand is a bit on the gravel-ly side, and only extends into the water about 20 feet or so, then the bottom turns into slippery, slime-covered concrete. They could really stand to truck in some new sand. The other water attractions make up for what the beach lacks. Water slides for older kids, lazy river for adults, and paved squirt park for the little ones (which could stand to have the calcium deposits cleaned off the structures) So the place DOES need a little love. It needs paint, and maybe a little effort to control their spider population. But the old-fashion-slice-of-Americana-feel more than makes up for it. I definitely will make an effort to go back.

My family went to Indiana Beach for vacation this year and it was such a great experience! There were so many different things to do and see. We could barely squeeze everything we wanted to do into our three day stay. We also really liked the atmosphere that made it seem like it was a blast from the past. The only thing that I was a little disappointed about was that two of the waterslides weren't open, but sometimes you have to close things to fix things I suppose. I highly suggest this as a family vacation spot. It has lots of things to do for families with small children as well as families with older kids. My brother and I are both college students and we had a blast! :)

My husband & I have been going to IB for the last 6 years & the quality of our experience goes down each time. Employees are rude & can be seen socializing with coworkers or on their phones. The water park has significantly gone downhill, as it seems that either lake water is being used in the lazy river or it hasn't been properly cleaned in a long time. There is sludge coating the insides of the water slides (well, the ones that are running). We saw a little boy get hurt pretty badly after someone went down the water slide right after him, as the life guard was on his phone when he should have been regulating the pace. Many rides were shut down, including the Steel Hawg, which is the one rides we were looking forward to. I have never been a fan of "fair food", but thought the popcorn chicken sounded like a safe plan, however, I was disappointed because there was nothing popcorn about it. The Dippin' Dots were great & I was happy to see that they had caramel brownie available. Cleanliness & maintenance at the park is questionable to say the least, but we do enjoy the fact that there is hardly ever a line for anything.

The park has a lot of great rides along with a lot of delicious junk food. The elephant ears are definitely the best ever. I was a little disappointed because there were some rides that were not available. I think that the park is very understaffed. One bad thing is that when the evening gets dark the lights in the park come on which is a beautiful site but also the spiders come out, too. The park is infested with them. They are all over the park and I think they need to get someone to take care of that problem. I brought my kids here years ago and this time I brought my kids and their kids. INDIANA BEACH IS A LOT OF FUN!!!

I have been coming to Indiana Beach for years and it seems to get more run down every year. We went this past weekend and I was shocked at how LITTLE the park does to maintain its cleanliness. They don't even bother to brush off all the cobwebs on the sides of the restaurants/ buildings and the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting! There were also several rides that were not working at the time or "cars" that were missing, making the line wait extremely long. We still had a good time, but I would like to see them spend a little extra time and money on a better up-keep.