Squealers Fun Park in Rigby opening Memorial Day weekend
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RIGBY – Squealers Fun Park in Rigby is buzzing with activity, and the owner says he’s planning to open at the end of the month.
Kent Hansen purchased the property from Matt Blackham last fall after it had been closed for a year. He and his crew have been busy adding an 8-acre RV park on the west side of the property. He tells EastIdahoNews.com he’s planning to open Memorial Day weekend.
“We’re focused pretty heavily on the RV park side of it. We’ve got water now. We’ll have sewer in the next day or two and maybe power,” Hansen says.
Squealers had been scheduled to open in April, but delays in construction due to weather pushed the date back.
Yellowstone Lakeside RV Park & Campground, as it will be known, will include 105 spaces for campers to experience Squealers.
Although the staff is putting a lot of effort into the RV park right now, manager Jordan Graham says, the go-karts and other amenities are being cleaned up. Some of them will be available to customers on opening weekend.
“We’d like to try and have our cars going Memorial Day weekend. That’s the main focus, and then we’ll get going on the (miniature) golf course. We can probably have that ready by then, too. The batting cages will probably be next. The bumper boats — we’ll probably try and use that as a pool this year,” Hansen says.
Though there are plans to add some new amenities in the future, Graham says there are a lot of unknowns with the upcoming tourist season due to the pandemic. Graham and Hansen want to see how this season plays out before making any big changes to the fun park. Operating a fun park is also a new experience for them.
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The cost of renting a space at the RV park will be $52 a night during the summer and $35 a night during the winter. The pricing model for the fun park is still being determined, Graham says, and they want it to be convenient and affordable to customers.
“We’re trying to find a way that it’s affordable for students and community members. We want it to be clear what you’re getting and how much it’s going to cost when you come,” which is something the business has struggled with in the past, Graham says. “I’m leaning towards a general admission (price for everything in the park). That way, if you wanted to buy a family pass or a season pass, you know what you’re going to spend when you come.”
Hansen owns Snake River RV Park at 1440 Lindsay Boulevard in Idaho Falls. He began looking for a second location to open an RV park when Idaho Transportation Department released the results of the Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 20 connector study last fall. The study looked at ways to improve the flow of traffic and reduce congestion. One of the three options being considered would impact the Lindsay Boulevard exit, the location of Snake River RV Park.
Business at Snake River RV Park has been slow lately because of COVID-19, Hansen says, but it’s started to pick up in the last several weeks. Hansen will operate both businesses simultaneously.
Though the Squealers project has been a lot of work so far, Hansen says he’s eager to open it up and start serving customers.
“It will be nice to have family reunions here and see families having fun together,” says Hansen.
Squealers Fun Park is at 439 N. 4000 East, less than a mile south of Jefferson County Lake. The RV park office will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Hours at the fun park have not been finalized.
Visit the Facebook page to learn more or call (208) 745-5115.