The Rise & Fall of Fort of the Osage

Photo courtesy of Carol Trump

The unlikely beginnings, exhilarating journey, and mysterious end of a legendary Lake of the Ozarks amusement park.

by Nathan Bechtold

The first-ever amusement park at Lake of the Ozarks, Fort of the Osage Family Fun Park began — as so many ideas do — on a bar napkin.

Lake of the Ozarks area entrepreneur Wally Trump built the complex in the 1970s, and while Wally passed away years ago, his ex-wife Carol, now 82 years old, still lives at Lake of the Ozarks. She recalls those days with the refreshingly unfiltered candor of an Ozarks woman who’s seen it all.

“It was Wally’s idea,” Carol recalled. “He wanted to do this because he was hoping he was building a future for his son and son-in-law.” When Wally told her of his plans, she was unimpressed: “I told him that was the dumbest idea he ever came up with.” But Wally wouldn’t be deterred. The man had a vision, and he began construction on the park, leaving Carol to wrap-up the construction of a condo complex they’d been developing.

Photo courtesy of Carol Trump

The idea to hand the park off to his son and son-in-law was a flop, Carol recalled. “And then he said, ‘Now you’re going to have to run it.’ And I said, ‘Wait a minute. That’s exactly what I wasn’t interested in doing.’”