Wender·Vista
Lake Compounce
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
in central Connecticut, at the foot of the Bristol hills

Lake Compounce

— — the coaster that runs through the trees.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America, opened on the shore of a small glacial lake in 1846. The wooden coaster Boulder Dash runs into the trees on the hillside above the water. On a summer evening the lake holds the lights of the carousel and the cars rattle the timbers all the way down to the midway.

from the studio
Lake Compounce
— bring it home

Lake Compounce, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Lake Compounce

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Lake Compounce straddles the line between Bristol and Southington in central Connecticut, on a small glacial lake at the foot of the Bristol hills. The park opened to the public on October 6, 1846, which makes it the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America. It runs about three hundred and thirty-two acres including the lake and surrounding hillside, and is owned today by Palace Entertainment. The season opens in May and closes after Halloween, with Crocodile Cove water park beside the rides.

— the visit

Boulder Dash is the signature ride: a wooden coaster opened in 2000, built into the natural slope of the hillside rather than on a constructed frame. It runs along the ridge above the lake and ranks consistently among the highest-rated wooden coasters in the world in the Amusement Today Golden Ticket poll. The 1911 carousel, a Looff-style hand-carved machine, still turns on the original midway. The park is reached from Interstate 84 via exit 31, with parking at the gate.

— the season

The park runs from early May through the first weekend of November. Crocodile Cove, the on-site water park, opens with the warm weather and closes after Labor Day. October weekends turn into Phantom Falls Fest and the Haunted Graveyard walk, with the trees on the hill above Boulder Dash going gold over the lake. The coaster reads differently against the fall canopy than it does in July, the timber and the leaves on the same key.

— informed by Lake Compounce calendar
— where
United States · Bristol and Southington, Connecticut
— within
Lake Compounce
— position
41.6379° N · 72.9281° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km N
Bristol
city
3 km S
Southington
town
25 km NE
Hartford
state capital
50 km S
New Haven
city on Long Island Sound
N
Lake Compounce
Bristol
Southington
Hartford
New Haven
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Lake Compounce — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The park sits in central Connecticut, straddling the border between Bristol and Southington, about 25 kilometres southwest of Hartford. Access is from Interstate 84, exit 31, with parking at the gate.

Lake Compounce opened on October 6, 1846. That makes it the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America, with nearly two hundred seasons of public operation.

A wooden roller coaster opened in 2000, built into the natural hillside rather than a wooden support frame. It runs along the ridge above the lake and ranks among the top wooden coasters worldwide.

Yes. A 1911 Looff-style hand-carved carousel still turns on the original midway, one of a small number of pre-war carousels operating on their original site in the United States.

The main season runs from early May through the first weekend of November. Crocodile Cove water park stays open through Labor Day weekend, and Phantom Falls runs on October weekends.

— about the piece in your home

Often, yes. For people from Bristol, Southington, and the wider Hartford area, Lake Compounce is a childhood landmark. A Small or Medium with a note from the studio carries well as a Father's Day or housewarming piece.

The lake greens, painted wood, and summer light read into warm Americana interiors, mid-century rec rooms, and coastal-modern palettes. It suits a finished basement or a den as easily as a hallway.

A single Large at 24 by 36 inches anchors a standard sofa wall. A 4-tile Mural opens the wall further; a 9-tile Mural reads as a window onto the lake and the wooden coaster behind it.

Yes. Choose Dura Satin or Matte for kitchens and bathrooms. Both are scratch-resistant and handle steam and splash without altering the colour in the ceramic surface.

A soft microfibre cloth with clean water. The pigment is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure and stays where it is under normal cleaning.

— if this one stayed with you

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