43
Indoor amusement park ends winter of discontent
By John Benson
CLEVELAND
The mental fallout of a winter packed with more snow days than one can count is obvious: parents with frayed nerves.
However, there’s help on the horizon in the form of the I-X Indoor Amusement Park, which returns Friday through April 20 at the massive 20-acre Cleveland venue.
In addition to the dozens of rides, games and live entertainment events, this annual rite of spring is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Taking a look back to the origins of the event is I-X Center Vice President of Operations Bill Perrien.
“The idea we had back then was simple,” Perrien said. “We had these winters in Cleveland with cabin fever and all of that stuff. We wanted to give people an opportunity to experience the joys of amusement-park rides and different thrills and attractions inside of the facility.”
“Basically, it was bringing a fair inside. Speaking to its magnitude, we actually have more rides and attractions than the Ohio State Fair.”
Perrien said the I-X Indoor Amusement Park was pretty much a success from the start. Its first-year attendance was in the 75,000 range over an 18-day period. Last year, the event attracted roughly 165,000 people running for 28 days.
As for this year’s I-X Indoor Amusement Park, there are more than 100 rides and attractions, as well as cheerleading competitions and live entertainment from the ZuZu Acrobats, Roberto the Magnificent and Mutts Gone Nutz.
However, over the years Perrien said there were some events that, well, just didn’t work out as intended.
“I’d say one nice attraction that didn’t fly was bringing in elephants,” Perrien said. “It wasn’t so much the droppings but the urination. Where we had them placed was leaking into one of our large conference rooms downstairs. We had kind of a very funny experience, but it was too much.
“Also, the noise from the rides echoing in the building put some of the animals — like lions and tigers — in a nervous situation. That was something we stopped booking as well.”
He quickly added that not all animals have left the I-X Indoor Amusement Park. There’s a petting zoo with goats, chickens and cows. Don’t worry, parents, there are plenty of Purell dispensers nearby.
Speaking to the mass appeal of the I-X Indoor Amusement Park, Perrien said one can’t discount the success of its commercial jingle, “Gotta get to the I-X Indoor Amusement Park,” which seemingly every spring burrows itself into your subconscious similar to that of Kahn’s worms digging into Chekov’s brain.
“That theme song is probably one of the catchiest songs,” Perrien said. “It’s like, ‘Here we go again, the I-X Indoor Amusement Park.’”
Regarding the aforementioned parents with frayed nerves, the I-X Indoor Amusement Park also acts as a respite of sorts. Perrien said he’s witnessed the same scene take place over and over again for decades.
“Our food areas actually act as a quiet zone,” Perrien said.