The History of Indiana River – World’s First Enclosed Log Flume

Exterior of Indiana River at Bobbejaanland (© Bobbejaanland)
(© Bobbejaanland)

Toltec warriors stand proud as a temple looms on the horizon. We’re not in the middle of a rainforest in Central America, but instead find ourselves in theme park Bobbejaanland, Belgium. On closer inspection, the temple’s facade is made of metal and adorned with metre-high letters: ‘Indiana River’. We are standing in front of the world’s first fully themed, enclosed log flume. Even 30 years after opening, this family adventure is still a one-of-a-kind experience. However, the inside of the attraction will be completely redone for the 2023 season. Let us remember the original Indiana River fondly and take a look at its history, which is shrouded in mystery.

Team DRdb was able to interview some of those that had a hand in the development of Indiana River, and ask them some questions we have long wondered about. How does one come up with a concept like Indiana River? And what goes into designing a log flume with such limited available space? Joining us on the search for answers is Jack Schoepen, son of park founder Bobbejaan Schoepen, Peter Ziegler, formerly of Intamin, and Nicolas Salkin, the founder of 4D Entreprises.

Bobbejaan’s Land

First, we have to go a long time back to retrace the first steps of what would eventually become Bobbejaanland. During the 1940s and 50s, Modest (stage name Bobbejaan) Schoepen was becoming a world renowned artist thanks to his many talents. He was an actor, comedian, guitar player and whistler all in one. By the end of the 50s, he wanted to gradually phase out touring the world and find a place to settle permanently. That way, instead of him coming to the people, the people could simply come to him.

Bobbejaan performing in the movie ‘A Pub with No Beer’ (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)
Bobbejaan performing in the movie ‘A Pub with No Beer’ (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)

In 1959 he purchased a piece of marshland, about 30 hectares in size, near the village of Lichtaart in Belgium to create his own ‘’land’’. The locals thought he was crazy, but Bobbejaan persevered and created a humble park with a playground, swimming pond and a 1000-seat theatre, in which he among other artists would give a show multiple times a day. Bobbejaanland was born and officially opened on 31 December 1961. It would continue to be run by Bobbejaan and his fiancé Josee, a singer herself, for over 40 years to come.

During the first decade, the park wasn’t expanded by much in terms of attractions, aside from some more playground attributes and a small monorail. In fact, it wasn’t Bobbejaan’s plan to develop his land into a full blown amusement park at all. It took some persuading from Phantasialand owner Gottlieb Löffelhardt for him to invest in a haunted house dark ride for the 1975 season and the ball started rolling from there. In 1976, the Ferris wheel was bought along with the Texas Train railroad ride. A Schwarzkopf Looping Star roller coaster marked the novelty for the 1979 season.

Meanwhile, Bobbejaan started to use the park to display his love for the American continents, with the Indian Art Museum (1978) and the replica western city Cowboy Town (1979), nowadays known as Desperado City, being added. When not performing, Bobbejaan would ride around the park in his extravagantly decorated Pontiac. With this balance of exciting rides and distinct American theme, Bobbejaanland quickly became one of the frontrunners of the European theme park industry.

Bobbejaanland during the early 90s (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)
Bobbejaanland during the early 90s (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)

During the 1980s, Bobbejaanland would expand largely by adding more major rides. During these days, Jack Schoepen, one of Bobbejaan’s five children, was becoming more and more involved in managing the park. He became responsible for the daily management from 1987 up until 2004 and was involved with the creation of many rides during that time. Jack: ‘’Everything was outside, but because of the Belgian weather, we also wanted to create some indoor attractions. El Paso Special was our first dark ride but it wasn’t very big.’’

Scene in El Paso Special (© Dark Ride Database)
Scene in El Paso Special (© Dark Ride Database)

El Paso Special, the world’s first interactive dark ride, was specially designed for the park with a Mexican theme by Space Leisure and opened in 1988. Another indoor ride, the record breaking enclosed roller coaster Revolution was added the year after. The advantages of indoor rides, like their independence of weather and the ability to decorate them more extensively, did not go unnoticed by the Schoepen family. Development would soon start on what was to become Indiana River, Bobbejaanland’s most expensive and detailed ride up until that point.

Jack Schoepen in front of Indiana River (© Dark Ride Database)
Jack Schoepen in front of Indiana River (© Dark Ride Database)

The creation of an icon

The first ideas

Like the park, it all began with the man himself. Even though Bobbejaan was not necessarily a ride designer, the core concepts of many of the rides in the park were conceived by him. He was the one who, again, wanted something indoor, but most of all something unique. He thought of a water ride, like the existing Wild Water Slide, but better.

The location was quickly chosen: a spot at the northernmost point of the park, near the artificial lake. Bobbejaanland’s PR manager S. van Eeckhout explained in a 1993 newspaper interview: ‘’There was a Native American village there with only a few wax figures and poorly constructed huts.’’ The decor in question was part of the Texas Train. ‘’Everyone who passed by it thought something had to be done about it.’’ Part of that everyone was Jack, who remembers: ‘’It was all static. And then sometimes an arm was missing, I thought it was terrible. Then again, it was something from the early years.’’ The village was removed after the 1990 season to make way for the new ride.

Decor of the Texas Train (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)
Decor of the Texas Train (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)

The location, close to El Paso Special, was also favourable for the masterplan. Since this side of the park was close to a residential area, it made sense to build strictly indoor rides here. That way, the rides would not cause noise pollution and would even serve as a sound barrier for the roller coasters and other outdoor thrill rides found at the other side of the park.

Meanwhile, Bobbejaanland was searching for a company to make their indoor log flume a reality. Sometime during 1990, the little-known 4D Entreprises got involved with the project. Jack: ‘’Unfortunately I don’t remember how we met them, but it probably happened during a trade show.’’ 4D Entreprises was a small company located in Belgium (the French speaking Wallonia), founded just a few years ago in 1988. Rockwork for water rides was their core business, as evident in the projects they carried out for local parks in Belgium and France. Logically, creating a log flume and dark ride combination was an opportunity they weren’t going to pass up.

4D Entreprises created the castle theming for De Boomstammetjes at Meli Park, now Plopsaland De Panne (© Benny Proot via hln.be)
4D Entreprises created the castle theming for De Boomstammetjes at Meli Park, now Plopsaland De Panne (© Benny Proot via hln.be)

We were able to speak with Nikolas Salkin, the founder of 4D Entreprises. He remembered the briefing being as follows: ‘’The Schoepen family’s demand was to ‘make something new to surprise the public’.’’ Bobbejaan already had the idea of taking inspiration from a variety of Mesoamerican cultures for the decorations, which 4D Entreprises accepted. Salkin: ‘’I travelled a month worldwide, most notably the USA, to check out some well-known rides at competing parks.’’ From there, the ideas began to form quickly. ‘’We came up with ‘Indiana River’, a unique attraction in a 100 metre long building. We showed our proposition to the customer during a half hour presentation, with a draftsman showing illustrations while I spoke.’’ 

Drawing for the exterior, here still referred to as ‘Indoor Flume Ride’ (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Drawing for the exterior, here still referred to as ‘Indoor Flume Ride’ (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Many of these initial illustrations, which were made by a little-known company named Graphite Studio, have been lost to time. Some of them however are still in possession of the Schoepen family. One of the few surviving pieces of artwork shows not a log flume system, but the Texas Train passing through Aztec decor. The idea to make the train weave in and out of the building was sadly cancelled. ‘’In order to run the train through the building it would have had to make a very sharp turn, which wasn’t possible to fit anywhere,” as Jack Schoepen remembers. “Also, the train was a diesel, and we didn’t want those fumes in there.’’ The park nevertheless wanted to keep the Texas Train around, and decided to have the train circle around the building.

Artwork for the Texas Train running through a temple (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Artwork for the Texas Train running through a temple (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Turning ideas into plans

Even with 4D Entreprises’ limited experience, the Schoepens approved their idea on the spot. Indiana River was to consist of a family friendly adventure, in which guests would board a boat in the middle of the jungle and set out to find a lost Aztec temple filled with treasure. Along the way, they would encounter various mysterious entities. The log flume system would be fully utilised for making tight turns, providing ‘near miss’ theming and featuring 3 drops, of which the final one would be themed as if the temple was about to collapse.

4D Entreprises was given ‘carte blanche’ to develop and construct the ride as they pleased, serving as turn-key supplier and engineer. The building would theming-wise be split in two, roughly down the middle. When standing in front of the entrance, the left side would become the station in jungle-theme, while the right side contained the actual ride set within the temple.

Design for an Aztec chacmool (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Design for an Aztec chacmool (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Salkin remembers how they were given a very tight time schedule to realise it all, at least initially. ‘’The customer gave us about 6 months to design, draw and build everything. We immediately contacted several suppliers, such as Intamin, SceneSetters, and several self-employed artists.’’ Most aspects of the construction would in fact be outsourced. A total of 20 suppliers from 6 countries were subcontracted by 4D Entreprises.

Construction sign announcing Indiana River (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Construction sign announcing Indiana River (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Designing the ride layout

Because the building would be surrounded by the Texas Train’s track on both sides, the available space was limited. The building would end up getting an unusual, elongated shape. It is about 100 metres in length but only about 30 metres in width, thus limiting the possibilities for the layout inside. Jack: ‘’We used all the surface that was available. The building is very narrow and long. But considering what we managed to cram in there, two small drops and one large one, I think it’s pretty okay.’’

Intamin was chosen to take care of the log flume system. The outdoor Wild Water Slide, which opened in Bobbejaanland in 1980, was in fact Intamin’s first log flume installation. Peter Ziegler worked at Intamin during the early 90s and was part of the team that worked on Indiana River.

Ziegler: ‘’Intamin was my first job. I had managed the exhibition halls, later the observation towers at garden festivals. Then I changed to the sales department and with the project for Bobbejaan I learnt how to design a flume. My job was handling the sale and supervising the project.’’

The Intamin team was given the parameters of the ride and had to cooperate with 4D Entreprises to finalise the design. In the end, they managed to fit the 3 drops they wanted into the layout, the final one reaching a height of 10 metres and featuring a so-called double dip. The roof in the centre of the building had to be raised to accommodate for the height of the last drop.

The first lift ended up being about 7 metres in height and the second one only about 4. Ziegler: ‘’The difficulties were to get enough length in for the run-outs, and to cope with the radius necessary for the boat in each of the tight curves.’’ In order to cram as much as possible into the building, space was used creatively. The first section of the ride would pass under the third lift multiple times. In order to keep the queue free from stairs and have the ride be accessible to handicapped visitors, the first lift would pass over it.

While free flow boat systems have been used for dark rides since its early days (see our special The dawn of the dark ride), Indiana River marks the world’s first time a log flume was constructed entirely enclosed within a dark ride. The system was originally supplied with 16 boats, although more were bought later on. The maximum theoretical capacity lies around 900 people per hour.

A vast amount of reserve boats stored backstage at the park (© Dark Ride Database)
A vast amount of reserve boats stored backstage at the park (© Dark Ride Database)

The first spade in the ground

With the designs completed and the contracts signed, work on site could begin. Presumably to save time, it was decided to not lay a foundation for the floor of the building, but just the walls. Work also began directly on the turntable for the station of which, due to the lack of a general foundation, the base was formed with large concrete blocks.

Next, the rest of the track and building were put up concurrently, with a foundation of concrete blocks being laid on just the route that the log flume system follows. Work began on erecting the drops and afterwards prefab parts were brought in to complete the rest of the layout. The 180° turn before the 3rd lift was the last to be installed, so that vehicles could continue entering the construction site.

The station begins to take shape (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The station begins to take shape (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

The Belgian Knippenberg Groep was responsible for the building and started work on the station side, enclosing it as soon as it was finished. The teams of Knippenberg and Intamin worked on a strict schedule so as not to interfere with each other. Not soon after the log flume was installed, the building was also completed. The interior walls and ceiling were painted a dark green colour in order to guarantee the ride could be made as dark as possible.

Part of the track finished within the largely foundationless building (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Part of the track finished within the largely foundation-less building (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The ride almost completely enclosed (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The ride almost completely enclosed (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Right behind the entrance, on the right hand side, a small technical room was created where the log flume control cabinets could be housed. In addition, an operator cabin was constructed in the centre of the turntable from where the ride can be manually controlled and monitored. The first boats were brought in through the large set of maintenance doors adjacent to the station to test the installation.

A false start

Work could now begin on decorating. Starting with the station, in order to sell the idea of a 360° themed jungle, real felled trees were carried in and buried in the swamp-like landscape. A large quantity of artificial plants was brought in as well and camouflage nets hung from the ceiling to provide the jungle with the needed greenery. Near the turntable, wooden bridges suspended by rope as well as a tree house were added to give the jungle a sense of depth.

Staff planting a tree in the station (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Staff planting a tree in the station (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

The centre of the area was reserved for the creation of an artificial lake. Sand was dug out and tarpaulin laid in to prevent the water from sinking into the ground. After all, this ‘’lake’’ would also serve as the water reservoir for the log flume itself.

4D Entreprises’ in-house team was responsible for the rockwork. Large portions of the station would receive metres-high rock formations both placed centrally and covering up the walls. It was chosen to shape the station’s detailed rockwork using a wooden base covered with polystyrene (styrofoam), a lightweight material which is easy to shape as desired.

The plan was to have Indiana River finished in time for the 1991 season. However, as summer was approaching, it became clear that the most expensive ride in the park’s history was not going to be finished any time soon. According to Bobbejaanland’s PR manager S. van Eeckhout: ‘’The waterway was already finished in 1991, but the decorations were not. We decided to postpone the official opening because it made us look like we had run out of money. Which was actually the case!’’

Still, Bobbejaanland wanted to present something new that summer, and during August decided to open Indiana River even though just the basic jungle decor for the station was finished. According to those who went on the ride during that year, once you went down the first drop, it was pitch-black inside the hall aside from a couple of flickering, colourful lights. The jungle was also still devoid of any inhabitants. It must have been a surreal experience.

Bobbejaan overseeing the testing of an unfinished Indiana River during 1991 (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Bobbejaan overseeing the testing of an unfinished Indiana River during 1991 (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The at this point still barren exit in use (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The at this point still barren exit in use (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Finishing what was started

Inhabiting the station

As soon as the season had ended, work immediately resumed on getting Indiana River finished. The dark ride scenes were added and the theming in the station was expanded upon. Let’s take a look at the finished station first. A float of crocodiles was added to the central pond and a mysterious llama-like statue spitting water was added to the bank on the left. Found next to it was a large spider web glittering in the rain, alluding to the presence of these creatures.

Theming in the station (© Dark Ride Database)
Theming in the station (© Dark Ride Database)

Following the route of the queue guests would encounter a friendly parrot sitting on a branch. She would explain the adventure we were about to embark on as well as some safety procedures to be taken into account while boarding the boats.

Added on the balcony of the treehouse was a man in a rocking chair. Sporting a leather jacket and fedora, the character somewhat resembled Indiana Jones. Similar fedoras could be found lying around in various places in the ride, as if they were lost by other explorers.

Explorer in his tree house (© Dark Ride Database)
Explorer in his tree house (© Dark Ride Database)

Before climbing the first lift, the boat would make its way through the jungle a little longer, during which a spider almost drops on guests’ heads. Before climbing the first lift, guests would pass under a gorilla that is waving a stick at the strange visitors.

Gorilla in the station (© Dark Ride Database)
Gorilla in the station (© Dark Ride Database)

Creating the dark ride scenes

The dark ride decors were also created for the 1992 season. For the claustrophobic cave sections after the first drop, the rockwork was made in a different manner to save costs on hand-carving the details. A rough profile was created around the track in wood. Then, unevenly distributed stucco mesh was applied to form dynamic structures which would finally receive their rock-like texture by having polyurethane foam sprayed over.

Going down the first drop (© Dark Ride Database)
Going down the first drop (© Dark Ride Database)

A handful of small scenes were envisioned within the cave which would gradually immerse guests into the ride’s theme. 4D Entreprises did research on Mesoamerican civilizations to incorporate references to their cultures where possible. Right after the drop, guests would encounter an Aztec chacmool, a figure laying down while holding a bowl on its stomach. While the exact meaning of these types of statues remain unknown, they are believed to have acted as a way to communicate with the gods, with the bowl receiving blood sacrifices. A skull has been carved out of the back wall and cold wind would be blown from two vents on either side.

Aztec chacmool in the cave. In the background the vents for the wind effect (© Dark Ride Database)
Aztec chacmool in the cave. In the background the vents for the wind effect (© Dark Ride Database)

Followed thereafter was a metres-high Mayan mask which would slowly open its eyes, appearing to watch the guests coming by. Right after, through a small crevice in the rocks on the left an ominous figure, who looked somewhat similar to the grim reaper, could be seen for a split second. It was actually a prop either immediately taken from and reused later on from the Mystery Hotel walkthrough in Cowboy Town, which closed in 1996.

Mayan mask (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Mayan mask (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

The further guests travelled into the temple, the more elaborate the set pieces became. The cave had come to an end and had led us to a hallway made from piled up stones. Here we were picked up out of the water by the second lift with 3 strange stone figures standing tall on opposite sides. They seem to resemble some sort of temple guards. The lift took the boat up to the room thereafter, in which a falling door was about to close down but got stuck at the last second. Featured on the front of the door was the famous Aztec sun stone, signifying the entrance of the temple.

The majority of the larger scenes, including their many colourful rock walls, were also created by 4D Entreprises from wood and polystyrene. Select set pieces like this hallway were crafted in a section of the building that was temporarily set up as a work studio, and once the shaping work was done moved to the right location to be coated and painted.

Before and after: the temple entrance (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Before and after: the temple entrance (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Another splash followed in complete darkness before guests entered a richly decorated room with curtains hanging from the ceiling. To their left they could see with their own eyes the long sought treasure room. It was filled with golden masks, pottery and other artefacts. In the midst of it all sat two snakes guarding their territory.

The treasure room of Indiana River (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The treasure room of Indiana River (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Then, a voice could be heard. On the opposite side stood a tall figure in an elegant robe behind some sort of altar, surrounded by skull shaped candles. He spoke an ancient language and was wearing a golden mask, similar to the giant one we saw earlier in the cave.

Priest at the altar (© Dark Ride Database)
Priest at the altar (© Dark Ride Database)

The stream led towards a narrow tunnel supported by pillars on both sides. The walls here were covered with golden, glowing shields with a diamond in the centre. Some more snakes could be seen before approaching the final lift with overhanging rocks on both sides. In between the rocks stood ominous, strict looking figures.

Climbing the final lift (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Climbing the final lift (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The lift under construction in early 1992 (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The lift under construction in early 1992 (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

At the top of the lift, the temple all of the sudden was on the brink of collapsing, signified by columns made from boulders which were shaking as if they were about to fall over. A large stone slab on the ceiling broke in two as the boat started to make speed. It was released down the final, 10 metre high drop as lighting struck. After whizzing through a smoke screen and the wave of water in front of the boat had died down, guests found themselves back in the jungle where the adventure started.

Lightning strikes before the drop (© Dark Ride Database)
Lightning strikes before the drop (© Dark Ride Database)
Collapsing of the temple (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Collapsing of the temple (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Audio and animatronics

The UK-based SceneSetters Animation was brought in to supply all aspects of the ride relating to show control, namely the audio and animatronics. All music and sound effects were digitally created and saved onto solid state flash memory. It was played back from Roland equipment spread across 3 controllers which each powered a section of the ride. The movement instructions for the animatronics and other effects were outputted alongside the audio for proper synchronisation.

For the technical and visual realisation of the animatronics, SceneSetters in turn contracted VP Animations, an American firm located in Connecticut, who are well-versed in creating animatronics for shows and dark rides. They supplied the priest at the altar, snakes and gorilla, to name a few.

The priest and one of the snakes in the studio of VP Animations (© VP Animations)
The priest and one of the snakes in the studio of VP Animations (© VP Animations)

A main musical theme of about 4 minutes in length was composed by SceneSetters. It consisted of a melody on pan-flute and mysterious synthesizer sounds in the background, invoking a sense of danger. It was used in the station and in the caves. A second, more adventurous sounding version featuring tubular bells, brass and added percussion was made for use in the second part of the ride, the treasure room and final lift.

Fragment of the station soundtrack of Indiana River (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

In addition, over 20 sound effects were created for the various characters like the gorilla and set pieces like the falling gate. While some were created from stock sounds, some samples were recorded or edited specially for the ride. The gorilla’s voice was that of a human impersonating one, slowed down. For the voice of the priest, techniques were used to alter the speech and make it unintelligible. Similarly, the mysterious ‘’voices’’ in the cave were heavily edited sound clips of lions roaring.

In contrast to this stood the aforementioned parrot in the station, another creation by VP Animations, which spoke fluently in Dutch, French and German to explain the ride’s safety procedures. ‘’Welcome to the Indiana River!’’, could be heard throughout the station for many years. She also broke the fourth wall when mentioning that ‘’Indiana River is the newest attraction at Bobbejaanland!’’

Talking parrot in a tree (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Talking parrot in a tree (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

A persistent rumour that the parrot was voiced by Bobbejaan’s fiancé Josee was debunked by Jack: ‘’Well, that’s not my mother. Everyone thinks that was my mother but according to my brother it is not. Sadly we can no longer ask her ourselves.’’

Finishing touches

It was now the start of the 1992 season and Indiana River could be soft-opened (again) to the public. Just the exterior and surrounding area still needed to be taken care of. It proved to be a challenge to hide the true nature of the metal building and decorate it as an ancient temple. The entrance slope was enclosed and themed to look like it was made from large stones. Mural painters were brought in to paint over the rest of the walls with a stone-like texture and make it appear dirty. Those who looked closely at the paintings could find some Mayan masks hidden in between the rocks. Over the years however, the paint had started to fade and the faces had become almost invisible.

Mural painters working on the facade (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Mural painters working on the facade (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

The area in front of the building would be decorated with lots of greenery and 4 statues of Toltec warriors manufactured by the Belgian company F. Deboucq. They also supplied the large, three-dimensional lettering spelling out the ride’s name which was applied on the front and left side of the building.

Toltec warrior being brought in by crane (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Toltec warrior being brought in by crane (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

Additionally, the exit stairway was decorated to resemble a step-pyramid, as seen on the El Castillo or Temple of Kukulcán, one of the most famous Aztec buildings. On the side facing the park’s lake, rockwork and a waterfall was added. The opposite side was decorated with a rockwork tunnel, which the Texas Train would pass under before circling around the building. Finally, the existing monorail station close by was decorated in the same style (the station was removed during the winter of 2019-2020).

The Texas Train in front of the exit that is being worked on (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
The Texas Train in front of the exit that is being worked on (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
Map of Indiana River, as it appeared in 2022 (© Dark Ride Database)
Map of Indiana River (click to open), as it appeared in 2022 (© Dark Ride Database)

From opening until closure

Opening

It was now well into the 1992 season and Indiana River was just about completed. Salkin remembered: ‘’The attraction was finished slightly under budget and 3 days before the desired date.’’ The total costs ended up being about 230.000.000 Belgian francs or roughly €5,7 million. The official opening took place on Friday 22 May 1992. A grand ceremony was held at 16:00 that day. It was up to Andries Kinsbergen, the governor of the province of Antwerp, to cut the ribbon in the presence of Josee and Bobbejaan, and enjoy the first official ride along with the latter. Indiana River was completed and open to the public!

Josee, the governor and Bobbejaan in front of Indiana River (© Bobbejaaland Nostalgie)
Josee, the governor and Bobbejaan in front of Indiana River (© Bobbejaaland Nostalgie)

An advertising campaign was set up to bring attention to the new flume. As was the standard for theme park promotion back then, an elaborate piece of artwork was created for use on posters at bus stops and billboards along the road. Advertisement space was bought in newspapers and interviews were given in articles writing on the novelty. A commercial played on the radio and of course the park put the new ride front and centre in their 1992 brochure.

Advertisement on the highway (© Bobbejaaland Nostalgie)
Advertisement on the highway (© Bobbejaaland Nostalgie)

There was a large influx of visitors during the 1992 season and just shy of 1 million people showed up that year. In fact, it was Bobbejaanland’s best year up until the record was finally broken in 2004. Salkin: ‘’I know from the sister of Miss Schoepen, who was in charge of the accountancy, that the entire investment had been repaid with just the profit of that year, thanks to the large publicity.’’

Continual changes

Despite the success of Indiana River, the Schoepens weren’t satisfied just yet. Jack: ‘’We found the initial level of decoration to be unsatisfactory. In the winter after opening we hung up a mass amount of camouflage nets to make the whole thing more believable. We happened to know someone in the army and were able to get nets from them. My brother dressed up certain things as well, like those big statues.’’

The final lift after the modifications (note the masks, camouflage nets and bats animatronics) (© Bobbejaaland Nostalgie)
The final lift after the modifications (note the masks, camouflage nets and bats animatronics) (© Bobbejaaland Nostalgie)

It also didn’t take long before some neighbours knocked on the door. Jack: ‘’I remember that well. On the outside of Indiana River there were these big engines for the ventilation, because it was so damp in there. And those neighbours, they could hear them. So they would come to complain that those engines were running there day and night. We ended up covering them up, which somewhat muted the sound.’’

Indiana River would soon encounter a new problem: vandalism. ‘’Some people, they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. That’s why my brother decided to install those bars [in the treasure room] and plexiglass [in front of the statues on the final lift]… It is a shame, but sometimes people even jumped out of the boats, we suffered some damages to the decor that way,’’ remembers Jack.

Fencing installed in the treasure room to prevent people from entering it (© Dark Ride Database)
Fencing installed in the treasure room to prevent people from entering it (© Dark Ride Database)

Also in terms of music Indiana River underwent some changes over the years. When in 2000 the rapid river El Rio opened at the other side of the park, which was also themed to Mesoamerican cultures, the music that played in the treasure room started to be used there. As to not have the same music playing in 2 locations, a replacement needed to be found for Indiana River, which ended up being the popular 1995 track Adiemus by Karl Jenkins. After just a few years in 2004, the track was swapped out again with another stock track of which the origin remains unknown. It played until the closure in 2022.

During the 2002 season another problem raised its head. The step-pyramid’s structure at the exit was found to have become unstable due to being partially made from wood which had begun to rot. During the winter stop, an unknown firm was hired to rebuild the pyramid using a purely steel structure. The outside was finished with fibreglass and was made to resemble the original as closely as possible, although the railing was made higher to prevent people from further climbing onto the pyramid like had happened sometimes before.

The final change the Schoepens made to the log flume was the addition of an on-ride photo at the final drop during the winter of 2003-2004. The camera flash could be cleverly hidden as an additional lightning flash. A kiosk was built at the foot of the pyramid at the exit where the photos could be printed.

Newly added photo kiosk in the winter of 2003-2004 (© Dark Ride Database archive)
Newly added photo kiosk in the winter of 2003-2004 (© Dark Ride Database archive)

The Spanish takeover

Bobbejaan had successfully developed his marshy piece of land into one of Belgium’s most beloved theme parks. However, he was thinking of retreating from his life’s work. Being in his late 70s and having recently overcome cancer, he was no longer able to take part in the shows in the park, which was the reason he founded it in the first place. Despite being about to sell his park, no less than 4 new rides were opened in 2004.

Bobbejaan and his Pontiac in Cowboy Town (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)
Bobbejaan and his Pontiac in Cowboy Town (© Bobbejaanland Nostalgie)

The decision caused a lot of fuss both within the family and the media. Jack was the only Schoepen who had great interest in running the park and had done so for years alongside his parents, but wasn’t able to convince his siblings into keeping it family owned. He resigned from his position that year.

Bobbejaanland was sold to the Spanish group Parques Reunidos in April 2004. The new owners promised to keep true to the spirit of Bobbejaanland, its Cowboy theming and other attractions. Indiana River would stay Indiana River and remain one of the most popular rides at the park.

Bobbejaan and Josee continued to reside within their home on the edge of the park until their passings in 2010 and 2013 respectively.

Looting treasure

Not just the music of Indiana River ended up getting moved around within Bobbejaanland, the ride’s extensive decor was a prime target for ‘looting’ as well. When roller coaster Air Race was rethemed to Dreamcatcher in 2006, all except for 1 of the crocodiles in the pond were taken out and placed in the queue of the rethemed coaster.

This happened again in 2008 when Revolution was rethemed to Evolution, its station becoming a jungle just like Indiana River. The animatronic parrot, now motionless and silent, found a new home there. Safety instructions at the enclosed log flume from then on would be found exclusively communicated with signage. When both Dreamcatcher and Evolution were overhauled again years later, the old props did not return to their original locations and were presumably thrown out, although one crocodile got reused again in the queue for Forbidden Caves and remains there to this day.

Left: crocodile at Dreamcatcher. Right: parrot at Evolution (© Dark Ride Database archive / Nico Kwant)
Left: crocodile at Dreamcatcher. Right: parrot at Evolution (© Dark Ride Database archive / Nico Kwant)

During the winter of 2006-2007, again structural problems were discovered, this time at the entrance tunnel, prompting a complete rebuild of this section. One major difference being that the roof was kept free of decorations, leaving off the raised stones.

The aforementioned removed aspects made Indiana River lose some of its charm. To add insult to injury, there were questions regarding the fire safety of the ride. This became clear during the summer of 2010 when according to one employee, one day the Indiana River staff was asked to come to work early and were given cigarette lighters to try and burn certain camouflage nets. Those that were about to catch fire, had to be immediately removed.

The story spread quickly and found its way onto fan forums, with fans fearing that the ride’s entire decor was about to be replaced. A false alarm at the time, but an inevitable fate, as even Jack was aware of the issues: ‘’I remember very well that when you went behind the scenes there, you could see the wooden structures and the white of the Styrofoam. Although of course, there were fire retardancy coatings applied to it, I was critical of it. And that is also the reason that it has to go now, because it is no longer fireproof.’’

A view of Indiana River backstage (© Bobbejaan Legacy)
A view of Indiana River backstage (© Bobbejaan Legacy)

The future of Indiana River

Terra Magma

As the outside rockwork and waterfall at the step pyramid were completely redone for the 2020 season by the Belgian firm 2Create, it seems as though Bobbejaanland itself didn’t see the end of Indiana River coming. But only a year later the end would finally be near. The cause was a work visit by staff of Parques Reunidos during the summer of 2021. While checking the backstage areas of Indiana River, they disapproved of continuing to operate the ride as is.

Because the safety problems lied within the decor, the idea was opted to keep the building and flume system, but retheme the inside. The ride system had also become technically dated and used hardware for which spare parts were hard to come by, so a major technical refurbishment could be carried out at the same time.

Bobbejaanland approached the Belgian firm KCC Entertainment Design to develop 3 potential rethemes. Without providing a heads up that Indiana River would be about to be rethemed, the park sent out a survey to a selection of fans in March 2022 with the question which concept appealed to them the most. Each concept, ‘Mystery Arena’, ‘Mystery Factory’ and ‘Mystery Volcano’ was accompanied by a drawing of the exterior.

It would take until September for an official announcement to follow. In local newspapers it could be read that Indiana River was reaching the end of its lifespan, but that a successor is being worked on. Mystery Volcano is the concept that came out as the winner, although the given name is just a working title. On 21 February 2023 the park announced that a final name had been chosen: Terra Magma.

Concept art for Mystery Volcano (© Bobbejaanland / KCC Entertainment Design)
Concept art for Mystery Volcano (© Bobbejaanland / KCC Entertainment Design)

Legacy

Even though the story of Indiana River contains some bumps along the way, there is no denying that the ride left an impact on the visitors of Bobbejaanland. Regularly long queue lines formed outside and even though many rides followed in Indiana River’s wake, none were as elaborately decorated as the Mayan temple.

Jack: ‘’Indiana River had brought us many more visitors. Just like with Revolution. It became a ‘household name’, especially in the 90s. The offering of indoor attractions was an improvement for our visitors. I’m not commenting on the theme that’s coming up yet, but we can’t deny that during the first 15, maybe 20 years the ride received quite a lot of acclaim.’’

Even during its final operating year, Indiana River was awarded with the title ‘best family attraction in Belgium’ by the holiday booking website VakantieVeilingen, based on a survey filled out by 1600 Belgians.

Bobbejaanland itself recognised its importance and organised multiple initiatives to coincide with the closure. On 10 September 2022, the ‘Night of the Indiana River’ was held after closing hours, during which press and a select few lucky quiz winners were invited to take a sneak peek at Mystery Volcano and of course say goodbye to the old ride in style.

Saying goodbye during The Night of Indiana River (© Bobbejaanland)
Saying goodbye during The Night of Indiana River (© Bobbejaanland)

Earlier that day annual pass holders were invited to pick up a goodie bag which included a pin, postcard and booklet celebrating 30 years of Indiana River. The actual final rides took place a week before the end of the season on 6 November 2022.

Merchandise to celebrate the final operating year (© Dark Ride Database)
Merchandise to celebrate the final operating year (© Dark Ride Database)

After the closure, work immediately began on removing the decorations and sorting which of them could be reused. A small mask from the station found its way to the ‘History Gallery’, a section of the Monorail station in Desperado City which acts as a Bobbejaanland museum. During the winter of 2022-2023, regular updates on the project were posted by Bobbejaanland on social media.

Demolition during the off-season (© Bobbejaanland)
Demolition during the off-season (© Bobbejaanland)

It was revealed that even the gorilla will be moved to the History Gallery, after being refurbished. The explorer in the treehouse changed profession and became a cowboy. He found a new home on a balcony in the Saloon, an event venue in Desperado City. And as an ultimate tribute, the rock structure surrounding the first lift and drop will actually be restored and kept intact for Terra Magma.

The first walls for Terra Magma being put up (© Bobbejaanland)
The first walls for Terra Magma being put up (© Bobbejaanland)
Theming of Indiana River reused elsewhere in the park (© Dark Ride Database / Hawkie)
Theming of Indiana River reused elsewhere in the park (© Dark Ride Database / Hawkie)

On 25 March 2023, detailed plans for Terra Magma including the storyline and various concept arts were revealed during a press preview held at the park. The new ride is slated to open sometime in May of this year. More information on Terra Magma can be found in our article.

Concept art for the final drop of Terra Magma (© Bobbejaanland / KCC Entertainment Design)
Concept art for the final drop of Terra Magma (© Bobbejaanland / KCC Entertainment Design)

Wrapping things up

That concludes the history of Indiana River itself, but we still have to wrap up some loose ends. Even though Jack stopped working for Bobbejaanland in 2004, he is still proud of what he, his father and the rest of the team back then accomplished. This is why he is working on realising his own, small scale park in the theme of aviation called Captain Jack, carrying forward the legacy of the Schoepen name in the industry.

Following his successful career at Intamin, Peter Ziegler went on to become the founder of Bear Rides, who specialises in all sorts of water attractions. He remembers working for Bobbejaan fondly: ‘’It was always a special thing to be with Bobbejaan. He used to call me to his dressing room after his show and we had a chat. And a secret cigarette (I had to give him one). I was also allowed to sit next to him in his Pontiac with these big horns on the front. We drove through the park and would stop whenever somebody wanted a picture with his signature on it.’’

And whatever happened to the obscure 4D Entreprises? Salkin knows the ins and outs of the matter: ‘’The market for new amusement parks began to dry up following the bankruptcy of the ‘amateurs’.’’ Especially France saw a rise of theme parks in the late 80s but the arrival of Disneyland Paris saw a decent portion of them shut down.

He continued: ‘’We too had put in a lot of effort to get the chance to work for Disney. We were officially one of the 4 companies in the world that were allowed to participate in a competition for the realisation of Adventureland. An order good for 3 billion Belgian francs [approximately €74 million]! We immediately started a collaboration with the second largest construction company in Belgium. However, we couldn’t possibly fight against the other 3 companies.’’ 

Ultimately, 4D Entreprises did not get the chance to work for Disney. Salkin sold off his company in 1994 because according to him: ‘’Without an opening to Disney, it was difficult to find other theme park projects.’’ After selling his company, Salkin continued to work in the construction industry until his passing in 2021.

And with this, our story has come to an end. Indiana River as we knew it might be over and done with, but it is great news that Bobbejaanland has decided to keep the concept of an enclosed log flume alive, thereby paying tribute to the concept that Bobbejaan and 4D Entreprises envisioned all those years ago. We’re looking forward to stepping into these hollowed out tree trunks again soon to experience the brand new Terra Magma.

Mayan mask hidden between the foliage in the station (© Dark Ride Database)


References
Sources:
Bobbejaanland Nostalgie – Indiana River
Bobbejaanland Nostalgie – Bouw Indiana River
Bobbejaanland
Gazet van Antwerpen

Images courtesy of:
Bobbejaan Legacy, the Schoepen family archive
Bobbejaanland Nostalgie
Bobbejaanland
KCC Entertainment Design
VP Animations
Benny Proot
Nico Kwant
Dark Ride Database

© 2023 Dark Ride Database
Interviews by Erik and Jim
Article by Jim