I don't normally review anything on here besides restaurants, but after coming here for over 30 years and reading some of the horribly uninformed comments on here regarding the treatment of the bears, I just had to.
As I stated, my family has been coming to the Lincoln area since before I was born. We always stay at the Riverbank Motel which is just steps from Clarks. Hearing the train's whistle and the music of the calliope, and smelling the wood from the train, are cherished memories of mine, and whenever I visit, I'm transported back to simpler days.
Clarks has evolved over the years since I've been coming here. You used to be able to feed the bears in their pens from the parking lot. New attractions have been added, most notably the Anaconda Escape, Climbing Wall, and the Segways. But the main attractions have always been the trained black bears.
I understand the concern of some reviewers who associate the Clarks bear act with the mistreatment of animals that has been seen in circuses in the past. I have absolutely no reason to believe that these animals are treated as anything less than a member of the Clark family. One reviewer has accused Clarks of "ripping cubs from their mothers" and "torturing" them. Clark's takes in bears who are orphaned or injured. They do not actively capture bears just for the show. The life they give the bears is certainly not the life that they would have in the wild, but they live far longer and are much more healthy than the bears in the wild. I don't see how someone could actually watch the bear show and still believe that the animals are being mistreated. I wonder if these negative reviews were by people who actually have seen it, or if they are just pushing an agenda.
At $22, admission is a tad bit high for an amusement park that doesn't really have many "rides". However, we purchased the family fun pack at the nearby Hobo Railroad which got us a train ride at Hobo, mini golf at Hobo Hills, and admission to Clarks. This was a much better deal, and if you are spending a few days in the area, I'd recommend you get this (note, you can only purchase this at the Hobo Railroad, so make that your first stop).
The train ride is another highlight, although its not a traditional scenic ride as the train is pursued by the "Wolfman". I read some reviews that said children were coming off the train "terrified and traumatized". Here is a picture of my 9 month old daughter enjoying her train ride...look how terrified she is!
The museums are interesting, although I could probably catalog the whole collection by now after seeing it for 30 years. There are a lot of very unique items that show the evolution of technologies like radio and railroads.
Some describe Clarks as a tourist trap...well of course it is! It has literally evolved from a roadside stand designed to bring in people who were driving up Route 3. So do yourself a favor and visit. See the bear show, hear the corny bear jokes that Murray tells (the same that his father told) as his bears dunk a basketball, raise the American flag, and even ride a scooter. You will never see another place like Clark's, it is truly a unique park. read more