[CLEMENTON PARK & SPLASH WORLD CONCLUDES OPERATIONS; MARKING POTENTIAL SALE OF HISTORIC SOUTH JERCK SITE]
Clementon Park and Splash World pictured in 2021. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Major historic entertainment destination Clementon Park & Splash World has officially concluded its operations, with plans underway to sell the property. This move comes amid a pattern of volatility where the site has faced closures twice within a seven‑year period. Currently owned and operated by Chicago‑based IB Parks & Entertainment, the park shut down last Monday after finishing its 2026 summer season.
“After 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,” management stated in a communication posted to the park’s website. “It has been a privilege to care for a place that has meant so much to generations of families. We are hopeful that we will find a buyer who shares our passion for Clementon Park and will carry its history and legacy forward.”
IB Parks & Entertainment acquired the 52‑acre property at a foreclosure auction in March 2021 for $2.37 million. The facility had previously closed unexpectedly at the end of 2019 due to a $4.5 million loan default, remaining inactive until IB Parks reopened it during the summer of 2021.
Established in 1907 by Theodore Gibbs and his brothers, Clementon Park originally served as a traditional “trolley parker” intended to boost transit ridership and provide recreation for neighboring Philadelphia residents. Nestled on a spring‑fed lake situated between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, the estate remained family‑run for more than a century before experiencing its first successful resurgence under private ownership in 2011.
During its evolution, the venue expanded into a diversified amusement and aquatic complex following a $5 million renovation completed in July 1993, which brought the iconic Splash World water park to the site. Key attractions currently defining the experience include the Hellcat wooden roller coaster, the Dragon Coaster, a dramatic drop tower, a large‑diameter Ferris wheel, and assorted high‑speed water slides.
A water slide traverses above Clementon Lake and Splash World, which was subsequently sold at auction earlier this week.
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Managing the property is IB Parks & Entertainment, the operator of Indiana Beach Amusement and Water Park in Monticello, Indiana. While the company did not cite a particular monetary cause for the shutdown, a spokesperson confirmed that further details regarding the pending sale will be disseminated once they become accessible.
