Whatever happened to: Old Indiana Fun Park

A reader recently asked, “Wasn’t there a Renaissance Fair and amusement park somewhere around here?”

It’s a winding trail from Renaissance Fair to amusement park, so let’s start at the beginning.

Old Indiana Park held a groundbreaking April 3, 1973, for the construction of the $19.3 million amusement park at the junction of I-65 and Ind. 47 about 5 miles north of Lebanon. Gov. Otis Bowen took part in the groundbreaking.

By December 1977, a billboard, chain-link fence and small storage building were the only signs of life on the land.

Finally, in August 1983, the Middle Country Renaissance Festival opened for six weeks. The festival was a 16th-century European village that included kings, queens, minstrels, troubadours, a court-jester, gypsies and your typical mace- and ax-wielding knights.

Construction of the amusement park began in 1984, and on June 29, 1985, “Middle Country USA” finally opened with a few rides, including the Paratrooper and a roller coaster. The Renaissance Fair village became part of the attraction. The name was changed to Old Indiana Fun Park in 1986, and by 1993 the park had added 31 rides.

In 1994, Splashdown Mountain (some refer to it as Splash Mountain) waterpark was announced for what was now called Old Indiana Family Fun ‘N Water Park. Rides included:

• The Rocket, a speed slide that ends with a big splash.

• The Slalom, a slow slide with numerous turns designed for beginners.

• The Rattle, distinguished by numerous jumps and twists.

• The Rodeo, a slide with several courses.

Tragedy struck the park in August 1996. Four-year-old Emily Hunt was with her grandparents, siblings and cousins at the park. The “kiddie train” derailed, and Hunt suffered a broken neck. She was paralyzed from the chest down. Her grandmother, Nancy Jones, was killed.

The park opened a few months later, but attendance was light.

Premier Parks Inc. purchased the park in 1998 and brought more than a dozen rides purchased from the Opryland theme park in Nashville, Tenn. The rides, however, sat in an empty parking lot.

When Premier Parks acquired Six Flags in 1998, the Old Indiana project was canceled. In July 2002, the property was sold and the rides dismantled.

The site is now the site of Sugar Creek Hops.

Call Star producer Dawn Mitchell at (317) 444-6497. Follow her on Twitter: @dawn_mitchell61.

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