Clementon Park and Splash World in Camden County, New Jersey, announced its permanent closure on September 9 after 119 years of operation. The Chicago-based company IB Parks & Entertainment, which bought the 52-acre site for $2.37 million in 2021, did not provide specific reasons for closing but said it was up for sale. Clementon Park opened in 1907 as a trolley park and has survived numerous challenges, including a major fire in 1931 and ownership changes over the years.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
After more than a century of welcoming families through its gates, Clementon Park and Splash World in Camden County, New Jersey, has announced the ‘difficult decision’ to close permanently.
asserted
Park → welcome → decision
The landmark amusement park made the announcement on September 9, marking an end to its 119 years of operation.
asserted
park → make → operation
The end of a 119-year ride
One of New Jersey’s oldest amusement parks, Clementon Park and Splash World, located in Camden County, had operated continuously since 1907, when Theodore Gibbs and his sons opened it as a trolley park.
asserted
Gibbs → locate → park
Over the years, it has welcomed millions of visitors, survived the fire in 1931, weathered ownership changes, and, more recently, even navigated the financial turbulence that has claimed many regional parks over the past decade.
asserted
that → welcome → decade
On September 9, the park said the 2026 season would be its last.
asserted
season → say → September
The announcement came two days after the park’s final day of operations for the year wrapped up.
asserted
day → come → year
In a statement, the park authorities said that they were closing permanently and that the park was up for sale.
asserted
park → say → sale
“We are saddened to announce that we have made the difficult decision to close the park and plan to offer the park for sale.
asserted
we → sadden → sale
They added, “It has been a privilege to care for a place that has meant so much to generations of families.
asserted
that → add → families
We are hopeful that we will find a buyer who shares our love for Clementon Park and will carry its history and legacy forward,” the park said in a statement shared on its website.
asserted
park → find → website
“As we close out our 2026 season, we want to sincerely thank our guests, Season Passholders, team members, and community for being part of another summer at Clementon Park & Splash World.”
asserted
we → close → Park
They said more details regarding the sale would be shared ‘as they become available’.
asserted
they → say → sale
We are truly grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey,” they added.
asserted
they → add → journey
IB Parks & Entertainment, the Chicago-based company that has owned the property for five years, didn’t specify any reason for the closure.
asserted
that → base → closure
The company acquired the 52-acre site in 2021 through a foreclosure auction for $2.37 million, just two years after the park had temporarily shut down due to the previous owner’s loan defaults.
asserted
park → acquire → defaults
A brief reopening in June 2021 gave the park another run; however, lower attendance and operating pressures affected the park.
asserted
attendance → give → park
A rare survivor
Clementon Park & Splash World is one of the oldest operating amusement parks in the world.
asserted
Park → operate → world
The park first opened in 1907, when Theodore Gibbs and his two sons introduced it as a traditional ‘trolley park’, built at the end of a transit line.
asserted
Gibbs → open → line
The growing popularity of trolley lines drew visitors from neighbouring Camden.
asserted
popularity → grow → Camden
In 1931, a fire nearly destroyed the park, but it survived.
asserted
it → destroy → park
The Gibbs family’s original stewardship lasted until 1977, before ownership passed to others.
asserted
ownership → last → others
For decades afterwards, the park changed hands repeatedly.
asserted
park → change → hands
In 1993, it underwent a renovation, adding the Splash World waterpark, featuring multiple water slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, and the 13,000-square-foot Aquatic Paradise ‘sprayground’.
asserted
it → undergo → slides
The renovation cost $5 million, and it also attracted more visitors.
asserted
it → cost → visitors
Then came the 2019 crisis, when loan defaults left the park dark.
asserted
defaults → come → park
As the company operates multiple parks across the country, including Indiana Beach and Sahara Sam’s, this rescue gave hope that Clementon might integrate into a larger portfolio.
uncertain
Clementon → operate → portfolio
But five years proved insufficient.
asserted
years → prove → ?
IB Parks & Entertainment has faced challenges across its holdings.
asserted
Parks → face → holdings
Its New York property, Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World on Grand Island, did not open for the 2026 season, citing attendance and revenue shortfalls.
asserted
property → open → shortfalls
What’s next for the park?
asserted
What → ’ → park
The company has offered the property for sale, hoping to find a buyer willing to preserve the park’s legacy.
asserted
company → offer → legacy
If such a buyer emerges, New Jerseyans may still have a place that holds memories of a century.
uncertain
that → emerge → century
Whether that’s realistic remains uncertain.
asserted
’s → ’ → ?
Regional parks usually depend on real estate value or development potential as much as operating margins.
asserted
parks → depend → margins
A 52-acre property in Camden County may appeal more to developers than to potential operators.
uncertain
property → appeal → operators
The future of the park now hangs on its next buyer.
asserted
future → hang → buyer
The Aporia
