Closure of Scandia Ontario

The Inland Empire has one less tourist attraction after the closure of Scandia Family Fun Center in Ontario, Calif.

After closing the park for renovations on Feb. 2, the amusement park announced that it was closing permanently on Feb. 8.

The reason for the closure was stated to be the amounts of lawsuits and lawsuit abuse the park had seen. According to the public records of the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, Scandia Recreation Centers have been involved in close to 50 civil lawsuits, the most recent occurring in 2018.

The nearly eight-acre property was sold to Bridge Development Partners, LLC, for a confidential amount.

Bridge Development Partners, LLC plans to construct two industrial warehouses on the acquired site, according to a press release by the company. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

Scandia has been family owned and operated for 27 years.  Currently, two locations are still open in Victorville and Sacramento.

At the time of the closure, Scandia Ontario was home to 15 rides, two miniature golf courses, eight batting cages and over 100 arcade games.

During October, Scandia was known for its annual Halloween Haunt which consisted of three themed mazes and scare actors roaming around the rides.

The park’s main attraction was the Scandia Screamer, a blue and white roller coaster with a speed of 50 mph and an 80-foot drop.

The Scandia Screamer and a majority of the rides are currently being sold on rides4u.com. The pricing ranges from $15,000 to $950,000.

The Cliff Jumper and Olga’s Tilt a Whirl are two rides being relocated to the Victorville location, along with most of the arcade games and go-karts.

The rides will be renamed Denmark Drop and Thor’s Chariot, according to the signage at Victorville.

The Victorville park is located off the Interstate 15, 30 minutes north of Ontario.

According to Eddie Castro Jr., a shift manager at Scandia Victorville, the Ontario closure has positively impacted his location.

“Since Ontario closed, we’ve been able to make some upgrades like adding games to the arcade which is generating more business,” said Castro.

An online petition to reopen the Ontario park garnered 375 signatures out of the requested 500.

It is unclear if any amount of signatures would have been able to save Scandia.

According to the online work schedule, Scandia had 38 employees working until the end.

Gilberto Rodriguez began working at Scandia Ontario in April of 2017, and a year later was promoted to supervisor.

“My favorite part about working at Scandia were my co-workers and the ease of the job,” said Rodriguez.

He admits the job can be difficult at times but says overall he had a good experience as an employee.

Patricia Soto lives in the Inland Empire and would go to Scandia Ontario on a regular basis with her family.

“My kids loved going there. My son had his last two birthday parties at Scandia,” she says.

Soto also says her favorite part about Scandia was the location and pricing.

“We didn’t have to fight traffic like there is when going to Knotts or Disneyland, and it was so much cheaper,” said Soto.

Scandia Ontario charged $24.75 for the unlimited rides and golf pass, as compared to Disneyland which charges up to $149 on a peak day.

The Victorville location is currently selling the unlimited rides and golf pass for $19.95 and Sacramento has its pass priced at $29.50.

The company’s mission statement says:

“People do not come to Scandia to eat, hit balls, ride, or play games. They come to have a good time. It is every Scandia crew member’s job to ensure that they do.”

Scandia Ontario was a popular amusement park that opened its doors in 1992 and closed 27 years later.