A Century on Shafer Lake
Indiana Beach is turning 100 this year, and the Monticello amusement park is not letting the milestone pass quietly.
Tom Crisci, a longtime associate of park owner Gene Staples and representative of Ivy Parks and Entertainment, sat down with Station Manager Cindy Loveless and Director of Operations Melissa Miller on WILO’s Party Line program Wednesday morning to walk Clinton, Carroll and Boone County listeners through what he called the park’s biggest and most event-packed season in recent memory.
Indiana Beach continues its transformation from a brand-new haunted walkthrough attraction to a restored historic water park name, Indiana Beach’s centennial summer is shaping up to be something ‘worth a drive from anywhere.’
“We are so excited about this season,” Crisci said during the WILO radio interview. “A hundred years is a big deal, and we wanted to make sure everything we’re doing this summer reflects that. There is genuinely something new around every corner.”
The park, situated along the shores of Lake Shafer, opens its water park this Friday, May 22, for Memorial Day weekend, with full daily operations beginning Monday, June 1.
The Water Park Gets Its Name Back
One of the most symbolically significant moves of the centennial season is the restoration of the water park’s original name: Ideal Beach — the name it carried when the park first opened in 1926.
Crisci described the name restoration as a deliberate nod to the park’s roots. “Going back to Ideal Beach just felt right for a 100th anniversary. That’s who we were at the very beginning, and we wanted to honor that.”
The water park opens this weekend alongside Memorial Day festivities, which include fireworks on Sunday, May 24. A full fireworks calendar runs through Labor Day: June 24, July 4 (the season’s largest show), July 15, July 22, and September 6.
New This Season: Zero Gravity and Eddie’s House of Monsters
Two headline attractions are debuting in 2026.
Zero Gravity, a new thrill ride, has already had a sneak-peek run and officially launched this season. But the attraction generating the most buzz is Eddie’s House of Monsters, a fully immersive walkthrough haunted experience built by Tom Devlin, a renowned monster-maker from Boulder City, Nevada.
“Tom Devlin is the real deal,” Crisci said. “What he’s built inside that attraction is something our guests have never seen at Indiana Beach before. It’s not just a haunted house — it’s a whole world.”
Eddie’s House of Monsters is located near the park’s north entrance, between the Music Express and Steel Hawg rides, and officially opens Thursday, May 29. Devlin himself, along with Butch Patrick (from the Munsters), will be on-site opening weekend for a meet-and-greet. The existing Dr. Frankenstein’s Castle remains as a separate attraction.
Seven Coasters — Including One Going Backward
Indiana Beach’s coaster lineup remains one of the most impressive of any regional park in the Midwest, and the centennial season adds a twist — literally.
The All-American Triple Loop, which holds the distinction of being the first triple-looping coaster ever constructed, is running this summer with its rear car facing backward — a limited-time configuration that makes an already historic ride something else entirely.
The park’s other coasters include Steel Hawg, the wooden Hoosier Hurricane, the Cornball Express (which just celebrated its own 25th anniversary, having debuted May 18, 2001), Cyclone, Tig’rr Coaster, and the Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain.
The Flying Bobs ride is also being upgraded this season — replaced with a newer version featuring scenic panels — and is returning to its original location at the center of the boardwalk.
Live Music, Tribute Acts, and Live Wrestling
The Sky Bar entertainment calendar is headlined by Nick Green Live this Saturday night and a live band performance Sunday evening timed to coincide with the Memorial Day fireworks. Wednesdays and Fridays feature DJ nights and karaoke throughout the season.
Inside the Ballroom, the tribute band lineup reads like a classic rock greatest hits collection: Sounds of Summer (Beach Boys), Mellon Cougar (John Mellencamp), Rogan Raimi (Elvis), Solitary Man (Neil Diamond), Grand Illusion (out of Southside Chicago), and Great Revolution (Taylor Swift) closing out the season in September. Live professional wrestling is also scheduled four times across the summer.
The Shafer Queen paddle boat offers 30-minute tours around Lake Shafer and serves as one of the best vantage points for the fireworks shows. The Lake City Skiers from Warsaw perform on June 27, July 25, and August 22, with shows at noon and 3 p.m. each date.
Value, Perks, and the Fan Jingle
Senior Sundays offer a $10 admission ticket every Sunday. Season pass holders can bring the per-visit cost down to roughly $5, and a bring-a-friend perk allows passholders to add six additional tickets for $19.99 per month. The IB Hotel runs a free trolley shuttle to and from the park, and two campgrounds are also served by the trolley.
In a centennial touch Crisci seemed especially fond of, the park launched a fan jingle contest where supporters recorded lines from the classic “There’s More Than Corn in Indiana” on their smartphones. The team spliced the submissions together with the original music.
“We can’t wait for people to hear what our fans put together,” Crisci said. “It’s going to be a really special way to kick off a hundred years.” The returning karaoke recording studio is also back this season, and for the 21-and-over crowd, Grandioso Hops and Coaster Drops returns as Indiana’s largest wine, beer, and distillery festival on August 12. No children are admitted to that event.
Plan Your Visit
Indiana Beach is located in Monticello, Indiana, on Lake Shafer — an easy drive from Lebanon, Frankfort or Carroll County. The water park opens this Friday, May 22. Full park operations begin Monday, June 1. Full schedule details, ticket options, and season pass information are available at IndianaBeach.com. Sky Bar entertainment updates are posted on the Sky Bar’s dedicated Facebook page.
Listen to WILO and Boone 102.7 FM throughout the summer to learn how to win free Indiana Beach Tickets.
