Lagoon (amusement park)

Last updated
Lagoon
Previously known as Lake Park (1886-1906) [1]
LagoonAmusementParkLogo.png
Turn of the Century - Lagoon.jpg
Location Farmington, Utah, United States
Coordinates 40°59′08″N111°53′41″W / 40.98556°N 111.89472°W / 40.98556; -111.89472
Opened1886
OwnerThe Freed Family
SloganIt's what FUN is!
Operating seasonLate March – Last Sunday in October
Area95 acres (38 ha)
Attractions
Total54
Roller coasters11
Website www.lagoonpark.com

Lagoon is a family owned amusement park in Farmington, Utah, located about 18 miles north of Salt Lake City. Lagoon is divided into five main areas: The Midway, containing the majority of the rides; Pioneer Village, which has several exhibits displaying pioneer buildings and artifacts; Lagoon-A-Beach, a water park; Kiddie Land, an area with several rides for small children; and X-Venture Zone, featuring more extreme rides that are upcharge. Lagoon also offers an RV park, a campground, and a walking trail outside the park that stays open all year. Every autumn, the park offers Halloween-themed shows and attractions, collectively known as Frightmares.

Contents

Lagoon has eleven roller coasters, six of which are unique: Colossus the Fire Dragon, one of two remaining Schwarzkopf Double Looping coaster still in operation in the United States; Roller Coaster, one of the oldest coasters in the world, operating since 1921; Wicked, designed by Lagoon's engineering department and Werner Stengel in cooperation with ride manufacturer Zierer; BomBora, a family coaster designed in-house; Cannibal, built in-house with one of the world's steepest drops; and Primordial, an interactive dark ride coaster/3-D shooter game attraction inside an artificial mountain.

History

1886–1939

In 1886, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad built a resort called Lake Park on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. It was one of several resorts built along the lake throughout the late 1800s. In the following years, however, the lake level receded drastically until Lake Park was far from the lake, and the park closed by the end of the 1895 season.

Sanborn Map of Lagoon (1911) Lagoon Map 1911.JPEG
Sanborn Map of Lagoon (1911)

Simon Bamberger, who was building his Salt Lake & Ogden Railroad line from Salt Lake City to Ogden, Utah, was vice president of Lake Park. To increase passenger traffic on his line, he bought most of the original Lake Park buildings from the D&RGW and moved them about 3 miles (5 km) east near Farmington, Utah. The resort was named Lagoon for the small body of water located on the original forty acres (162,000 m2) of the park. The original lagoon was enlarged to 9 acres (36,000 m2) by clearing some swampland.

Lagoon opened in Farmington on July 12, 1896, and featured live music and restaurants. In 1900, guests began swimming and rowing boats in Lagoon Lake. Over time, rides were added, such as the authentic Herschell-Spillman Carousel and Cagney Miniature Railroad. In 1901, the park hosted a minor league baseball team in the Inter-Mountain League and in 1902, a team in the Utah State League. [2]

Lagoon's wooden coaster, Roller Coaster, was designed by John Miller and constructed in 1921. Its highest height is 57 feet (17 m), and it has 2,500 feet (760 m) of track. The ride lasts just under two minutes, and reaches speeds up to 45 mph (72 km/h).

Swimmers on a 1940s postcard Fresh water bathing, Lagoon, fun spot of Utah (75925).jpg
Swimmers on a 1940s postcard

In 1927, a 1.5×10^6 US gal (5.7×10^6 L) swimming pool was built north of Lagoon Lake. It was one of the first filtered swimming pools in western North America, and was a cleaner alternative than swimming in the briny Great Salt Lake.

Lagoon's popularity grew during the 1920s and 1930s. The park's first Fun House was built in 1929, along with many other midway shows, rides, and games. During the "Big Band" era, many notable musicians played on Lagoon's stage, including Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller.

1940–1970

Lagoon's carousel Lagoon carousel.JPG
Lagoon's carousel

The park was closed for three seasons during World War II. By 1946, the park was in bad condition and on the brink of permanent closure. The Bamberger family considered razing it. However, Ranch S. Kimball and Robert E. Freed convinced the Bamberger family to lease the park to their newly formed Utah Amusement Corporation. Kimball served as president while Freed served as secretary and assistant manager. The Freed family's Lagoon Corporation later bought the resort outright from the Bamberger family in 1983.

When the Utah Amusement Corporation took over the lease of Lagoon, a Farmington town ordinance prohibited African-Americans from using the swimming pool and the ballroom. By the end of the 1940s, Robert Freed had fully opened Lagoon to the black community, and further extended this policy to the Terrace Ballroom (formerly the Rainbow Gardens) in Salt Lake City. [3]

Map of Lagoon from 1949 Lagoon Map 1949.JPEG
Map of Lagoon from 1949

The Freed family made several improvements, including an overhaul of the swimming pool in 1949, a rebuilt fun house, the introduction of the "Dodgem Cars" and the "Lakeshore Express" miniature railway in 1951, and a new Ferris wheel in 1953.

In November 1953, a fire damaged much of the park, including the fun house, dance pavilion, and the front portion of the Roller Coaster. The Roller Coaster was rebuilt and reopend for the 1954 season. Many rides were restored, rebuilt, or replaced, and a few new rides were added in 1955. In 1956, Mother Gooseland, Lagoon's first themed section, was opened between the Midway and the swimming pool. It featured rides only for children.

Gardens of Lagoon's Midway Lagoon gardens.JPG
Gardens of Lagoon's Midway

From the mid-1950s into the 1960s, Lagoon made many improvements. A showboat was added to the lake, and a new fun house was built, which featured such attractions as a multi-lane giant slide, mazes, mirrors, obstacle courses, and mystery rooms. There was also a mini-car ride added in 1960, followed by the "Space Scrambler", spook house, I.Q. Zoo, and shooting gallery in 1961. A Wild Mouse coaster opened in 1965.

On the Midway, musicians including the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Kingston Trio, and Johnny Cash performed on the bandstand throughout the 1960s. The Beach Boys made mention of the park in the song "Salt Lake City" on their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) .

The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge Animaland Train began circling Lagoon Lake in 1967. In 1975, authentic steam locomotives built by Crown Metal Products were put into operation around the lake instead, and the railway's name was changed to the Wild Kingdom Train Zoo.

1971–1997

The Opera House Square opened in 1968 and showcased melodramas, musicals, and silent movies. In 1976, Lagoon expanded east by purchasing Pioneer Village, an old west town complete with several historic structures. The buildings were moved to Lagoon and the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge "Pioneer Village Railroad" (featuring "Old Ironsides", a Crown Metal Products locomotive) circled the town. In addition, the "Lagoon Miniature Railroad" looped around the residential area of Pioneer Village using an original miniature gauge steam locomotive acquired in the early 1900s. A log flume ride was brought in from the defunct Pixieland Park in Oregon. [4]

In 1976, the Jet Star 2 roller coaster was added. Before Lagoon purchased it, it was an attraction at Spokane, Washington's Expo '74. [5]

Peacock in front of Town Hall at Lagoon Peacock in front of Town Hall at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.jpg
Peacock in front of Town Hall at Lagoon

Colossus the Fire Dragon came to Lagoon in 1983. It was selected by People magazine in 1984 as one of the top 10 coasters in the country. Colossus was Lagoon's first coaster to feature inversions, with a top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h). With its double inverted loops, Colossus had the most inversions of any coaster at Lagoon for 32 years until the opening of Cannibal in 2015. [6]

In the late 1980s, both the old fun house and the "Haunted Shack", a walk-through dark attraction, were closed due to escalating maintenance costs and safety concerns. The swimming pool closed after its fifth decade in 1987. This made way for the $5.5 million Lagoon-A-Beach water park, which was completed in 1989. Its construction required the closure of miniature railroad operations in Pioneer Village, as some of the supports stood in the way of the track.

1997–2009

In 1997, in a major expansion of Pioneer Village, Lagoon added Rattlesnake Rapids, a river rapids ride located in the new Rattlesnake Plaza. In 1998, Lagoon added the Maurer AG Wild Mouse coaster. This ride replaced the wooden Wild Mouse coaster that had been demolished 5 years prior. In 1999, Lagoon opened its first attraction above the height of 200-foot (61 m): The Rocket, an S&S space shot tower with two different ride towers. In 2000, Samurai, a Mondial Top Scan, was built, as well as Double Thunder Raceway. In 2001, a Monidal Top Spin, Cliffhanger, was opened. In 2002, Lagoon expanded its X-Venture Zone by adding Catapult, a reverse bungee ride. Spider, a Maurer AG steel spinning coaster, opened in 2003. In 2004, Lagoon revamped Kiddieland, giving it a garden theme and adding two new rides, Kontiki and Dragon Fly. In 2005, The Bat, an inverted coaster manufactured by Vekoma, was constructed near Lagoon-A-Beach. It is a family-friendly coaster with a minimum height requirement of 42 inches. In 2006, Lagoon expanded Kiddieland further by adding two new rides, Dinosaur Drop and Lady Bug Bop, both of which are Zierer Family Drop Towers.

Wicked Wicked at Lagoon2.JPG
Wicked

On June 1, 2007, a $10 million roller coaster named Wicked opened. Wicked is a Zierer tower launch coaster, and is powered by linear synchronous motors that launch riders up a 100-foot (30 m) tower at 55 mph (89 km/h) in 2.5 seconds. It has several elements, including an Immelmann turn, a heartline roll, two half-pipe turns, and the signature "lake turn" into a final tunnel before returning to the station. Several improvements were made to the park in 2007 as well. On April 5, 2008, Lagoon opened OdySea, a Zierer "Flying Fish" ride with aquatic theming. OdySea is an interactive ride with a joystick to control the vehicle's height. Arrows blink to direct the rider to dodge jets of water from the sea creatures that attempt to soak the rider as accompanying audio tells a story. [7] On April 4, 2009, Lagoon opened "Jumping Dragon", a Zierer "Dragon Roundabout" ride.

2010–present

In 2010, Lagoon revamped their Ferris wheel, Sky Scraper. It was dismantled after the 2009 season, and reopened with a new coat of paint in April 2010. As a result of the economic crisis, Lagoon did not install a new ride that season. Instead, the park improved their entertainment division with several new shows. In 2011, Lagoon installed another family roller coaster, named BomBora. [8] The coaster was created by a group of manufacturers and Lagoon itself, and has a height of 45 feet (14 m), as well as a theme based on 1960s surfing. In 2012, Lagoon installed a ride called Air Race. In 2013, Lagoon began work on a new coaster at the site of the former Top Eliminator. Two new family rides opened for the 2013 season, Tipsey Tea Cups and Red Rock Rally, both of which were manufactured by Zamperla. In 2014, Lagoon continued work on a new coaster, building vertically throughout the entire operating season. With much of its focus on the new coaster, no new rides were added this year. Due to maintenance problems, Lagoon-A-Beach's old Rip-Curl slide was replaced with a new slide of the same name. At a press conference on September 4, 2014, Lagoon officially announced Cannibal, their new roller coaster for the 2015 season. [9] On July 2, 2015, Cannibal opened, featuring a 208-foot (63 m) elevator lift hill, a 116° beyond vertical drop, three inversions, and a top speed of 70 mph. [10] Shortly after its opening, the park began the early planning stages of Primordial. In 2016, Lagoon continued work on Cannibal, with no new rides being added. Extensive work was also done on Spider. In 2017, a mural by Sril Art was created at the park. Two new rides were added to Kiddieland: Flying Tigers and Ruka Safari. In 2018, the Roller Coaster was re-tracked. A new ride opened in Kiddieland called Engine 86 in 2020. On December 18, 2021, a fire broke out at the Carousel Candy shop. The fire rekindled that evening and subsequently destroyed the candy shop and the adjacent Scamper, a miniature bumper cars ride. [11] In 2023, Lagoon opened Primordial, a 4D interactive dark ride roller coaster, after eight years of development and construction. The attraction is located inside an artificial mountain and includes multiple ride endings. [12]

Attractions

Thrill level (out of 5) [13]
  1 (Children's ride)  2 (mild)  3 (moderate)  4 (high)   5 (aggressive)  6 (extreme)

Roller coasters

Lagoon features eleven different roller coasters. The oldest, Roller Coaster, was built in 1921 and is an American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) Roller Coaster Landmark. [14]

NameManufacturerTypeDesignYear openedDescriptionLocationThrill rating
Roller Coaster Miller & Baker; Trains by Great Coasters International WoodenSit-down1921One of the oldest roller coasters in the United States. Features an initial lift-hill and several subsequential smaller hills. Partially damaged by fire in 1953.South Midway5
Jet Star 2 Schwarzkopf SteelSit-down1974Spiral lift-hill followed by intense turns. Maximum elevation is 45 feet.North Midway5
Colossus the Fire Dragon Schwarzkopf SteelSit-down198387-foot lift hill with back-to-back double loop and two large helices.South Midway6
Puff the Little Fire Dragon Zierer SteelSit-down1985A mild coaster intended for small children with only a small drop and hill.Kiddieland2
Wild Mouse Maurer AG SteelSit-down1998The second Wild Mouse coaster to be located at Lagoon. Features tight turns and sharp stops.South Midway5
Spider Maurer AG SteelSit-down2003Originally called "The Spider and the Fly", the ride includes a large drop and tight turns. The car constantly spins while traveling on the track.South Midway5
The Bat Vekoma SteelInverted2005A suspended family coaster. It is the sole inverted coaster at Lagoon.Kiddieland3
Wicked Zierer SteelSit-down2007LSM-launched coaster with a vertical drop and a zero-G barrel roll.South Midway6
BomBora ART Engineering, LagoonSteelSit-down2011A short family coaster with smooth turns and small drops.Kiddieland3
Cannibal ART Engineering, LagoonSteelSit-down2015The second steepest roller coaster in the United States, with a first drop at 116 degrees down a 208 foot tower. It features several inverting elements.North Midway6
Primordial ART Engineering, LagoonSteelSit-down2023Development began in 2015, and construction began in 2018, but the latter was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction resumed in early 2021. Primordial opened towards the end of the 2023 season. It is an interactive 4D roller coaster.North Midway6

Thrill rides

NameManufacturerYear openedModelDescriptionLocationThrill rating
Air Race Zamperla 2012Air RaceAn airplane ride with vehicles looping sideways while circling a central point.North Midway4
Cliffhanger Mondial 2001 Top Spin A spinning ride that goes up in a circle and falls down several times through geyser-like water fountains.South Midway5
Centennial Screamer HUSS 1987 Enterprise Consists of 20 cars around a disc. As the ride begins to spin, the disc stays in a horizontal position. When speed and centrifugal forces increase, the ride is lifted to a near-vertical position as the disc continues to spin. [15] South Midway5
Rock-O-Plane Eyerly Aircraft Company 1954 Rock-O-Plane Similar to a Ferris wheel, but with spinning cars.South Midway4
Rocket S&S Worldwide 1999 Drop tower A drop tower with two different ride types: "Blast Off", a rapid vertical ascent, and "Re-Entry", a slow ascent followed by a powered drop.North Midway6
Samurai Mondial 2000 Top Scan Six radial arms that spin as the entire ride rotates through an oval arc in either direction. [16] North Midway6

Dark rides

NameYear openedModelLocationThrill rating
Dracula's Castle1974 Dark ride Central Midway3
Terroride1967 Dark ride Central Midway3

Water rides

NameManufacturerYear openedModelDescriptionLocationThrill rating
Rattlesnake Rapids Intamin 1997 River Rapids A river rapids ride. Features a tunnel and waterfalls.Pioneer Village4

Family rides

NameManufacturerYear openedModelDescriptionLocationThrill rating
BoomerangIhle1977 Bumper cars A bumper cars ride.North Midway2
Flying AcesBisch-Rocco1941 Flying Scooters An airplane-type ride. Riders can move the front sail.North Midway2
Merry-Go-Round Herschell-Spillman 1906 Carousel An 1893 Armitage Herschell Company carousel; one of the oldest in the world. [17] South Midway1
Musik Express Mack Rides 1982 Music Express A spinning ride.South Midway3
Paratrooper Hrubetz 1966 Paratrooper An elevated spinning ride.North Midway3
Sky Scraper Bussink 1991 Ferris wheel A 150-foot Nauta-Bussink R50 wheel with spinning gondolasNorth Midway2
Sky Ride Hopkins 1974Elevated gondola rideAn elevated gondola ride that spans across the entire park.North and South Midway1
Space Scrambler Eli Bridge Company 1961 Scrambler A spinning ride.North Midway3
Tidal Wave HUSS 1980 Pirate ship A swinging ship ride.South Midway3
Tilt-A-WhirlSellner Manufacturing1954 Tilt-A-Whirl A ride that spins with separately spinning cars.North Midway3
Turn of the Century Zierer 1987 Wave Swinger A rotating swing ride.South Midway3
Wild Kingdom Train Zoo Crown Metal Products 1975 Miniature railway A train ride that goes through a tunnel and circles Lagoon Lake, passing by many animal exhibits.South Midway1

Children's rides

All of these attractions are located in the park's Kiddieland section.

NameManufacturerYear openedModelDescriptionThrill rating
Baby Boats Allan Herschell N/ABoat rideSmall boats travel in an oval formation while surfaced on water.1
Bulgy Eyerly Aircraft 1956 Bulgy the Whale Riders sit in small whale carts that jump up and down.1
Dinosaur Drop Zierer 2006Jumpin' StarA 40 foot drop tower.3
The Dragonfly Eli Bridge Company 2004DragonflyA spinning ride.1
Engine 86Sartori2020 Carousel A fire engine themed ride.2
Flying Tigers Zamperla 2017Flying TigersAn airplane ride on an oval track with tight turns. The airplanes slightly tilt on the turns.2
Helicopters Allan Herschell 1963HelicoptersA ride meant for small children with helicopter carts that can go up and down using a joystick you control.2
Jumping Dragon Zierer 2009Jumping DragonA family spinning ride with a Chinese dragon theme; rotates clockwise, then reverses direction.2
Kontiki Zierer 2004KontikiA swinging and spinning ride.2
Ladybug Bop Zamperla 2006Jumpin' StarA 40 foot drop tower.2
Moonraker Zamperla 1983Space AgeSpaceship carts that move in a circular formation.2
OdySea Zierer 2008Flying GondolasRobotic sea creatures serve as cars that travel in a circular formation. Sea creatures squirt water at riders while riders use joystick controls to avoid the water.3
Red BaronBradley & Kaye1984Red BaronA ride similar to Helicopters.1
Red Rock Rally Zamperla 2013SpeedwayA spinning ride with Jeep carts.1
Ruka Safari Zamperla 2017SpeedwayA ride with safari jeeps that bounce while rotating in a small circle.2
ScalawagsMulligan1986ScalawagsA small spinning ride with animals as cars.2
Sky Fighter Allan Herschell 1954AirplaneA small airplane ride with two-person cars.2
Speedway Jr.Mulligan1978Speedway Jr.Miniature cars going around a track1
Tipsy Tea Cups Zamperla 2013 Teacups A teacup spinning ride.3

X-Venture Zone

Each ride in the X-Venture Zone is an upcharge attraction.

NameYear openedModelDescription
Skycoaster1995 Skycoaster One of the first Skycoaster rides in the United States. The launch tower is 153 feet (47 m) tall and the main arch is 173 feet (53 m) tall. The flyers are raised up to a height of 143 feet (44 m). When they are instructed to do so, one of the flyers pulls the rip cord and then they drop rapidly, reaching speeds up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) and experiencing sensations similar to skydiving.
Double Thunder Raceway2000 Go-karts Go-karts attraction that consists of two separate tracks: Lightning at 1,146 feet (349 m) and Thunder at 1,142 feet (348 m). Each track has 28 cars and features several sweeping turns, overpasses, 360-degree spirals, straight-aways, and camelbacks.
Catapult2002CatapultHurls two passengers at a time up to 250 feet (76 m) in the air.
Double Thunder Raceway's control tower Double thunder.JPG
Double Thunder Raceway's control tower
Lagoon's Catapult capsule Catapult capsule.jpg
Lagoon's Catapult capsule

Controversy

In 2012, Lagoon became the focus of animal welfare groups' protests which called for a boycott of the park, citing USDA inspection reports that suggested poor care of animals in the Wild Kingdom Train Zoo. [18] The Utah Animal Rights Coalition and PETA pointed to a range of USDA citations over a 15-year span that included insufficient living space for and unexplained deaths of animals. [19] While admitting to some problems, a Lagoon spokesman denied any abuse taking place and said veterinarians and staff regularly monitored the animals. [20]

Movies and TV shows filmed at Lagoon

Notable incidents

Notes

  1. "Lagoon History". The New York Times . October 28, 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  2. "Lagoon, Utah Minor League City Encyclopedia" . Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  3. Coleman, Ronald G. (1976), "Blacks in Utah History", in Papanikolas, Helen (ed.), The Peoples of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Historical Society, pp. 115–140, ISBN   0913738263, OCLC   2523229 . Reprint Archived 2017-12-30 at the Wayback Machine , with permission, at historytogo.utah.gov
  4. Pixieland Park
  5. "Official Lagoon park website, Jet Star II's Page" Archived 2007-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Cannibal - Lagoon (Farmington, Utah, United States)".
  7. Dougherty, Joseph M. (6 January 2008), "Smoking ban now in effect in many Davis outdoor areas", Deseret News
  8. Arave, Lynn (1 May 2010), "Lagoon to add new roller coaster in 2011", Deseret News
  9. "Cannibal - New for 2015!".
  10. Edwards, Ashton (4 September 2014). "Lagoon's new roller coaster is out for blood, Cannibal coming soon". Fox13 Salt Lake City. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  11. Steinbrecher, Lauren (2021-12-19). "2 popular Lagoon attractions a total loss after crews battle pair of blazes". KSL.com. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  12. Sean P. Means (September 16, 2023). "'We've been dying to open this ride': Lagoon opens Primordial, a 3-D interactive roller coaster". The Salt Lake Tribune . Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  13. "Guest Assistance Guide" (PDF). Cedar Point. 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  14. "ACE Coaster Landmark Awards" . Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  15. "Centennial Screamer | Lagoon". www.lagoonpark.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  16. "Samurai | Lagoon". www.lagoonpark.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  17. Arave, Lynn (July 11, 2002). "Lagoon's carousel is a classic". DeseretNews. Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  18. "Animal Rights Advocates Protest Lagoon Amusement Park". The Salt Lake Tribune . AP. 21 April 2012.
  19. Hirschi, Julie (3 August 2012), "Animal Rights Groups Target Lagoon's Animal Exhibits", The Globe , Salt Lake County, Utah: Salt Lake Community College
  20. Animal Activists Protest Lagoon, ABC 4 Utah News (KTVX), 20 April 2012, archived from the original on 2012-04-27.
  21. Lagoon History Project "America Screams At Lagoon!"
  22. Lagoon History Project "Dracula's Castle"
  23. Internet Movie Database "In My Sister's Shadow (1997)"
  24. Internet Movie Database "The Luck of the Irish (2001)"
  25. Internet Movie Database "Wieners (2008)"
  26. Internet Movie Database "Christmas Land (2015)"
  27. "YOUNGSTER KILLED BY COASTER HAD THOUGHT RIDE WAS OVER". DeseretNews.com. 1989-05-03. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  28. Tavss, Jeff (16 August 2021). "Man who fell from Lagoon's Sky Ride dies". KSTU. Retrieved 16 August 2021.

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Wicked is a Zierer steel launched roller coaster located at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. Designed by Werner Stengel, the ride was manufactured by Zierer at a cost of $10 million and opened to the public in 2007. It features a zero-g roll inversion and two linear synchronous motor (LSM) launches, reaching a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Hersheypark</span>

The history of Hersheypark begins with the founding of the town of Hershey in 1903. Milton Hershey, The owner of the Hershey Chocolate Company surveyed a nearby area of land, which was to become a leisure park for the employees of his chocolate company. People began visiting the grounds of the future park in 1904 and 1905, while the park's first pavilion was built in the fall of 1905. The park was formally opened on May 30, 1906, when it opened as Hershey Park. The park slowly added rides until 1923, when the first roller coaster, the Wild Cat, was built. From then on, rides were regularly added, except during World War II. The park was redeveloped into Hersheypark in 1970, through a multi-phase project. Since then, it has added ten roller coasters, expanded to over 110 acres, and features many other attractions including shows with sea lions, well-known acts including Weird Al Yankovic and Duff Goldman from Charm City Cakes in the Hersheypark Amphitheater, and a short-lived laser light show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roller Coaster (Lagoon)</span> United States historic place

The Roller Coaster is a wooden roller coaster located at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. Built in 1921 and operating ever since, the Roller Coaster is the seventh oldest in the world, the fourth oldest in the United States, and the oldest at Lagoon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Mouse (Lagoon)</span>

Wild Mouse is a steel roller coaster manufactured by Maurer Söhne currently operating at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannibal (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster in Utah

Cannibal is a steel roller coaster located at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. It opened with the tallest beyond-vertical drop in the world on July 2, 2015, and its drop angle of 116 degrees was the steepest in the United States for a brief time. A large portion of the $22-million ride was built and designed in-house, a rare move for an amusement park. Since its debut, Cannibal has also consistently ranked in the top 50 among steel roller coasters worldwide in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primordial (roller coaster)</span> Interactive dark ride roller coaster at Lagoon

Primordial is a 4D interactive dark ride roller coaster located at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. Designed in-house by the park and various engineering teams, the coaster was developed and constructed over a period of eight years.