Cleveland's I-X Indoor Amusement Park Open for Business Again

This year's big attraction at Cleveland's I-X Indoor Amusement Park is the Big Cat Encounter, which will get fans up close and personal with six Siberian and Bengal tigers. The park organizers will try to make the tigers feel at home.

"They have a couple of cubs, too," Amy Girton, the park's marketing director, said. "We set up a habitat for them to play in."

The I-X Indoor Amusement Park opened its 21^st season on March 26 and will stay open until April 18.

The idea for the I-X Indoor Amusement Park dates back to the late 1980s, when the Superdome in New Orleans hosted indoor carnival rides to offer residents a way to beat the Deep South heat.

Cleveland's park calls itself the "Official Cure for Cabin Fever" and whets fans' appetite for the summer roller-coaster season.

A new ride this year is Vertigo, which shoots riders 70 feet in the air while twirling them in a swing-like motion. Vertigo is one of 25 rides in the park's Mountain Dew's Thrill City section.

"We want people to know that once they pay their admission, they can go on the rides all day," Girton said.

The most popular ride at the I-X Amusement Park is the Ferris wheel, which goes up through a hole in the roof so riders can take in views of downtown Cleveland on clear days.

In addition to Thrill City, the park offers another 25 smaller rides in the Kraft Kidzville section. New this year in Kidzville is the "not too scary" 3-D Mystery Manor Haunted House.

Special guests in Kidzville will include Scooby-Doo and Shaggy on April 10 and 11, and Pablo and Uniqua from The Backyardigans on April 17 and 18.

La Fiesta Latina will celebrate Hispanic culture from April 17-18 with food, music and ethnic dancing.

"This is a great family entertainment event whether you're Hispanic or not," Girton said. "We run ads on mainstream radio and TV stations."

Vendors use the I-X Park to expose their products to a steady stream of new customers who come in over the four-week park season.

"The I-X Indoor Amusement Park gives us a chance to connect to the value-conscious modern family," said Mike Krause of T-Mobile, who has been selling at the park for eight years. "We like the opportunity to sell our services to the 200,000 consumers."

Girton explained that the key to marketing the park is being realistic about its fans' financial outlook.

"We haven't raised prices in five years," she said. "Plus, we're selling discount tickets for $3 off at Marc's."

For tickets, call 800-897-3942. They cost $19 for general admission, $16 for children shorter than 48 inches, and $9 for seniors 60 and older on weekends. Seniors get in for free on weekdays.

Also, WKYC-TV is running a ticket giveaway contest. To enter for a chance to win four free tickets, visit their Web site here.

For directions and hours of operation for the I-X Indoor Amusement Park, go to IXAmusementPark.com.