WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — After nearly 70 years, the Tommy Bartlett Show is permanently closing down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The owners of the iconic water-ski, sky and stage show originally chose to close in May due to large gatherings not being allowed. 

“It is with great sadness that we announce the Tommy Bartlett Show will not be able to make a comeback in 2021 as we had hoped. After 69 years, we are permanently shuttering the business. From May through September 6, we experienced a complete loss of revenue when we had to cancel our 2020 summer season on Lake Delton due to the pandemic,” President and Co-Owner of the show Tom Diehl said. “Each fall, we begin to plan for the next season, and with so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the pandemic and travel, we cannot undergo additional financial risk and investment to begin planning for summer 2021. While we are grateful that we have had almost seven decades of entertaining visitors in Wisconsin Dells, we have no choice but to close the Show.”

The show usually ran from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day. 

The permanent closure will not immediately impact the seven year-round employees of Tommy Bartlett, Inc., but 115 seasonal employees lost their jobs this summer when the show closed down.

The year-round Tommy Bartlett Exploratory will remain open.

Beginning in 1952, the Tommy Bartlett Show first started as a touring water-ski exposition that traveled to World’s Fairs, on the U.S.O. tours and to other cultural exchange programs.

“What I’m gonna miss the most is it seeing those water skiers going through the course going over the jump going over the jumps and hearing the eww and ahhs in the stadium and that’s what I’m gonna miss,” Diehl said.

Diehl has been with the Tommy Bartlett show for 50 years. 

“The reality is that the best decision you could make is to call it a career and close it’s down. Emotionally it’s a different  thing when you put your life into something,” he said.

Prior to COVID-19, $1.6 billion in revenue of tourism dollars was brought into the Wisconsin Dells. 

The Tommy Bartlett Show brought in more than $3 million.

"I’m disappointed because I never believed that we would have to end like this but I have a philosophy in life that you don’t worry about things you can’t control," Diehl said. "Worry about things you can control and you can’t control COVID-19."