Lagoon (amusement park) explained

Lagoon
Owner:Lagoon Corporation
Location:Farmington
Location2:Utah
Location3:United States
Opening Date:1886
Season:Late March – Last Sunday in October
Previous Names:Lake Park (1886-1906)[1]
Area Acre:95
Homepage:www.lagoonpark.com
Rides:54
Coasters:11
Slogan:It's what FUN is!

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 upcharged. 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.

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.

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 9acres 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 2500feet of track. The ride lasts just under two minutes, and reaches speeds up to 45 mph (72 km/h).

In 1927, a 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

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]

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.

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 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 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]

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 55mi/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 200feet: 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.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 100feet tower at 55mi/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. 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. The coaster was created by a group of manufacturers and Lagoon itself, and has a height of 45feet, 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.[7] On July 2, 2015, Cannibal opened, featuring a 208feet elevator lift hill, a 116° beyond vertical drop, three inversions, and a top speed of 70 mph.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10]

Attractions

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.[12]

NameManufacturerTypeDesignYear openedDescriptionLocationThrill rating
Wooden Sit-down 1921One 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 Midway
Jet Star 2Steel Sit-down 1974Spiral lift-hill followed by intense turns. Maximum elevation is 45 feet.North Midway
Colossus the Fire DragonSteel Sit-down 198387-foot lift hill with back-to-back double loop and two large helices.South Midway
Puff the Little Fire Dragon Steel Sit-down 1985A mild coaster intended for small children with only a small drop and hill.Kiddieland
Steel Sit-down 1998The second Wild Mouse coaster to be located at Lagoon. Features tight turns and sharp stops.South Midway
Steel Sit-down 2003Originally 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 Midway
Steel Inverted 2005A suspended family coaster. It is the sole inverted coaster at Lagoon.Kiddieland
Steel Sit-down 2007LSM-launched coaster with a vertical drop and a zero-G barrel roll.South Midway
ART Engineering, Lagoon Steel Sit-down 2011A short family coaster with smooth turns and small drops.Kiddieland
ART Engineering, Lagoon Steel Sit-down 2015The 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 Midway
ART Engineering, Lagoon Steel Sit-down 2023Development 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 Midway

Thrill rides

NameManufacturerYear openedModelDescriptionLocationThrill rating
Air RaceZamperla2012Air RaceAn airplane ride with vehicles looping sideways while circling a central point.North Midway
CliffhangerMondial2001Top SpinA spinning ride that goes up in a circle and falls down several times through geyser-like water fountains.South Midway
Centennial ScreamerHUSS1987EnterpriseConsists 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.[13] South Midway
Rock-O-PlaneEyerly Aircraft Company1954Rock-O-PlaneSimilar to a Ferris wheel, but with spinning cars.South Midway
RocketS&S Worldwide1999Drop towerA 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 Midway
SamuraiMondial2000Top ScanSix radial arms that spin as the entire ride rotates through an oval arc in either direction.[14] North Midway

Dark rides

NameYear openedModelLocationThrill rating
Dracula's Castle 1974Dark rideCentral Midway
Terroride1967Dark rideCentral Midway

Family rides

NameManufacturerYear openedModelDescriptionLocationThrill rating
BoomerangIhle1977Bumper carsA bumper cars ride.North Midway
Flying AcesBisch-Rocco1941Flying ScootersAn airplane-type ride. Riders can move the front sail.North Midway
Merry-Go-RoundHerschell-Spillman1906CarouselAn 1893 Armitage Herschell Company carousel; one of the oldest in the world.[15] South Midway
Musik ExpressMack Rides1982Music ExpressA spinning ride.South Midway
ParatrooperHrubetz1966ParatrooperAn elevated spinning ride.North Midway
Sky ScraperBussink1991Ferris wheelA 150-foot Nauta-Bussink R50 wheel with spinning gondolasNorth Midway
Sky RideHopkins1974Elevated gondola rideAn elevated gondola ride that spans across the entire park.North and South Midway
Space ScramblerEli Bridge Company1961ScramblerA spinning ride.North Midway
Tidal WaveHUSS1980Pirate shipA swinging ship ride.South Midway
Tilt-A-WhirlSellner Manufacturing1954Tilt-A-WhirlA ride that spins with separately spinning cars.North Midway
Turn of the CenturyZierer1987Wave SwingerA rotating swing ride.South Midway
Wild Kingdom Train ZooCrown Metal Products1975Miniature railwayA train ride that goes through a tunnel and circles Lagoon Lake, passing by many animal exhibits.South Midway

Children's rides

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

NameManufacturerYear openedModelDescriptionThrill rating
Baby BoatsAllan HerschellN/ABoat rideSmall boats travel in an oval formation while surfaced on water.
BulgyEyerly Aircraft1956Bulgy the WhaleRiders sit in small whale carts that jump up and down.
Dinosaur Drop2006 Jumpin' StarA 40 foot drop tower.
The DragonflyEli Bridge Company2004DragonflyA spinning ride.
Engine 86Sartori2020CarouselA fire engine themed ride.
Flying TigersZamperla2017Flying TigersAn airplane ride on an oval track with tight turns. The airplanes slightly tilt on the turns.
HelicoptersAllan Herschell1963HelicoptersA ride meant for small children with helicopter carts that can go up and down using a joystick you control.
Jumping DragonZierer2009Jumping DragonA family spinning ride with a Chinese dragon theme; rotates clockwise, then reverses direction.
KontikiZierer2004KontikiA swinging and spinning ride.
Ladybug BopZamperla2006Jumpin' StarA 40 foot drop tower.
MoonrakerZamperla1983Space AgeSpaceship carts that move in a circular formation.
OdySeaZierer2008Flying 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.
Red BaronBradley & Kaye1984Red BaronA ride similar to Helicopters.
Red Rock RallyZamperla2013SpeedwayA spinning ride with Jeep carts.
Ruka SafariZamperla2017SpeedwayA ride with safari jeeps that bounce while rotating in a small circle.
ScalawagsMulligan1986ScalawagsA small spinning ride with animals as cars.
Sky FighterAllan Herschell1954AirplaneA small airplane ride with two-person cars.
Speedway Jr.Mulligan1978Speedway Jr.Miniature cars going around a track
Tipsy Tea CupsZamperla2013TeacupsA teacup spinning ride.

X-Venture Zone

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

!Name!Year opened!Model!Description
Skycoaster1995SkycoasterOne of the first Skycoaster rides in the United States. The launch tower is 153feet tall and the main arch is 173feet tall. The flyers are raised up to a height of 143feet. When they are instructed to do so, one of the flyers pulls the rip cord and then they drop rapidly, reaching speeds up to 80mi/h and experiencing sensations similar to skydiving.
Double Thunder Raceway2000Go-kartsGo-karts attraction that consists of two separate tracks: Lightning at 1146feet and Thunder at 1142feet. 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 250feet in the air.

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.[16] 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. While admitting to some problems, a Lagoon spokesman denied any abuse taking place and said veterinarians and staff regularly monitored the animals.[17]

Notable incidents

In popular culture

The Beach Boys reference Lagoon by name in the song Salt Lake City on their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).

Movies and TV shows filmed at Lagoon

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Lagoon History . October 28, 2021 . . 5 October 2013.
  2. Web site: Lagoon, Utah Minor League City Encyclopedia . 2012-08-25.
  3. . Reprint, with permission, at historytogo.utah.gov
  4. http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/pixieland.html Pixieland Park
  5. http://lagoonpark.com/show_ride.php?id=7 "Official Lagoon park website, Jet Star II's Page"
  6. Web site: Cannibal - Lagoon (Farmington, Utah, United States).
  7. Web site: Cannibal - New for 2015!.
  8. News: Edwards. Ashton. Lagoon's new roller coaster is out for blood, Cannibal coming soon. 5 September 2014. Fox13 Salt Lake City. 4 September 2014.
  9. Web site: Steinbrecher . Lauren . 2 popular Lagoon attractions a total loss after crews battle pair of blazes . KSL.com . 2021-12-19 . 2021-12-20.
  10. Web site: 'We've been dying to open this ride': Lagoon opens Primordial, a 3-D interactive roller coaster. September 16, 2023. Sean P. Means. The Salt Lake Tribune. December 17, 2023.
  11. Web site: Guest Assistance Guide. 2018. Cedar Point. June 28, 2018.
  12. Web site: ACE Coaster Landmark Awards . February 22, 2020.
  13. Web site: Centennial Screamer Lagoon. www.lagoonpark.com. 2016-04-12.
  14. Web site: Samurai Lagoon. www.lagoonpark.com. 2016-04-12.
  15. News: Arave . Lynn . July 11, 2002 . Lagoon's carousel is a classic . DeseretNews . Salt Lake City, Utah . October 10, 2020.
  16. News: Animal Rights Advocates Protest Lagoon Amusement Park . . 21 April 2012 . .
  17. .
  18. News: YOUNGSTER KILLED BY COASTER HAD THOUGHT RIDE WAS OVER. 1989-05-03. DeseretNews.com. 2018-11-02. en.
  19. News: Tavss . Jeff . Man who fell from Lagoon's Sky Ride dies . 16 August 2021 . KSTU . 16 August 2021 . en.
  20. https://lagoonhistory.com/project/america-screams-at-lagoon/
  21. https://lagoonhistory.com/project/attractions/draculas-castle/
  22. http://imdb.com/title/tt0125604/
  23. http://imdb.com/title/tt0274636/
  24. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800268/
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5265662/?ref_=adv_li_tt