All photos: Heather Macdonald. View full-sized image.
During the fall of 2024, I attended an auction at which items of amusement park history from the Cleveland, Ohio, area were being sold to the highest bidder. Scattered across the auction house were memorabilia from Geauga Lake, Euclid Beach Park, Chippewa Lake Park and others. As the day progressed, I saw a few familiar people and was introduced to Jason Dlugokecki by friend and ACE member Troy Parsh of the American Preservation Museum. Dlugokecki and his wife, Dawn, own Funtimes Fun Park in Alliance, Ohio. He was buying ride signs for his park, as he named a few of his rides after the names they had at Geauga Lake, where he had worked. Although Parsh, Dlugokecki and I all came home with signs that day, we agreed not to bid against one another.
Late last year Dlugokecki approached me, asking how the ACE Preservation Grant worked. After explaining that parks are able to apply for preservation grant money by filling out an application and having it reviewed by the ACE Preservation Committee and then the ACE Executive Committee for approval, Dlugokecki proposed an idea for a coaster that had me intrigued.
The coaster was an Allan Herschell Mite Mouse, and Dlugokecki had found it in need of restoration. We both did some research and learned there were only four or five made that we were able to trace. From what we can tell, Herschell made the two types of Little Dippers, the Mite Mouse, Mad Mouse (which can be found at Little Amerricka and Arnold’s Park) and the Monster Mouse. Per Roller Coaster DataBase, the last Mite Mouse model closed in 1994, so this would be a one of a kind attraction!
Left to right: Jason Dlugokecki, Josh Brown, Jon Roost and Dawn Dlugokecki celebrate the partnership between Funtimes and ACE for the opening of Time Warp.
View full-sized image.
According to the park, the coaster’s braking system will need to be updated, and the plan is to run four of the eight ride vehicles. Allocating funds for this project was pretty easy to sell to the Preservation Committee and the Executive Committee. Called Time Warp, a nod to the Geauga Lake Inverter with the same name, the coaster is planning to open at Funtimes during the 2027 season, and ACE is beyond excited to experience it. The ACE Preservation Committee is excited to continue its partnership with parks looking to build historic rides or preserve the ones they have.
— Josh Brown, ACE Preservation Manager
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