Inside Arnold’s Park Amusement Park, COVID’s stamp on summer shows

July 27, 2020

Arnold’s Park Amusement Park marks 130 years this summer – but it has never been like this.

A character dubbed “Boji Bear” delivers the message, which is impossible to miss.

Signs every few feet leading into Arnold’s Park Amusement Park show the masked bear, arms outstretched, reminding visitors of the virus-battling basics this tourism town hopes will prevent another spike in COVID-19 cases.

Stay 6 feet apart. Use hand sanitizer often. Wash hands regularly. Wear masks in public.

Walk through the amusement park’s gates, and the mask suggestion becomes a requirement. Pass a temperature screening and you’re in.

“Folks that come in are saying they feel like it’s one of the safest places they’ve gone to, really,” marketing director Paul Plumb said.

Once inside, visitors likely will discover they have considerably less company than during a typical summer in the northwest Iowa lakes community.

“We are down significantly from where we normally would be this time of year, but that’s to be expected,” Plumb said. “There are people who don’t want to be out. And we respect those decisions.”

Those who do decide to visit will discover new attractions – including an octopus-style ride that replaced the Scrambler and a kids’ drop tower.

The Tipsy House and mirror maze are closed for the season, given the difficulty of continually sanitizing.

Elsewhere around the park, spray bottles of cleaner are a common sight, with employees wiping down rides constantly.

“Some rides are limited to every other seat and those types of things to get that social distancing and just trying to make it as safe as possible,” Plumb said.

Arnold’s Park is in the midst of a major long-term improvement plan. Recent years have brought a new, expanded Roof Garden, an walkway called Preservation Promenade and a newly installed boardwalk.

“There’s a lot you can do around here without walking in,” Plumb said.

An enlarged museum now offers a look at the park’s past, complete with vintage working pinball machines and a slide open to all.

“I’ve been here 17 years, and the last two and a half, three years has been the most changes we’ve ever had,” Plumb said. “If you haven’t been to the park in the last three years, you really haven’t been to the park.”

While the amusement park shut down for 12 days shortly after its late May opening because of a rise in COVID-19, cases have stabilized in the area, Plumb said.

“We’re watching those numbers locally here on a daily basis and looking to just stay open the rest of the summer.”

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Inside Arnold’s Park Amusement Park, COVID’s stamp on summer shows

Arnold’s Park Amusement Park marks 130 years this summer – but it has never been like this.

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