New ride proposed for Bay Beach Amusement Park

GREEN BAY - Changes are planned for Green Bay's 121-year-old Bay Beach Amusement Park.

City leaders shared a new master plan Wednesday night that starts with an $11 million, 10-year expansion.

The first step is a new ride, called the Sea Dragon, which could be ready before Bay Beach closes for the year in September.

“This is a very historical, classical ride,” said Dawne Cramer, the director of Green Bay’s parks department. “It's important for us that we keep the historical aspect of this park, so it was a perfect fit.”

The family-friendly ride can carry up to 60 people. City officials are negotiating to buy it from a traveling ride circuit for $670,000. Parks officials say the purchase wouldn't cost the taxpayers a dime. They say the ride would be paid for through park revenue and donations.

“You see the revenues this park is pulling in and we need to reinvest that and really make people spend maybe a couple days here in Green Bay visiting,” said Jim Schmitt, Green Bay’s mayor.

The new ride, which would go to the west of the Zippin Pippin, isn't the only new thing that could be coming to the park in the next several years.

“You go there for a day and you see everybody and you go I wish we could double this,” said David Charles, the president of Friends of Bay Beach.

Friends of Bay Beach has pledged to raise $5 million for park improvements. City officials say that money would shave at least 10 years off a 25-year expansion plan.

“I believe it'll be a relatively easy fundraiser,” said Charles. “This is like the perfect thing to raise money for.”

For the next eight years, city leaders have plans to bring in at least one new ride every two years.

After the Sea Dragon arrives, they also plan to move the route of the train to travel underneath the Zippin Pippin roller coaster.

“It goes exactly underneath the ride,” said Cramer. “It's going to be awesome.”

City officials estimate the improvements could nearly double the park's gross revenue from $2.4 million last year to $4 million by 2022.

The plans first need city council approval, which could happen next week.

The first two-years of the expansion also calls for more picnic space, including a green area with a new shelter next to the Zippin Pippin.