Lakeside Amusement Park

Merry Go Round carousel DavidK (Atlas Obscura User)

At the turn of the 20th century, amusement parks known as White Cities were built across the United States. These were also known as trolley parks, since they were located on the trolley line and trolleys were the main form of transportation to and from the parks. One of these parks, Lakeside Amusement Park, was built outside of Denver in 1908.

Through good times and bad, Lakeside Amusement Park still stands and operates as it did over 100 years ago. Its crown jewel, the Tower of Jewels, no longer shines as brightly as it once did or even serves as the main entrance, but children of all ages can still have a fun time at the same park their great-great-grandparents may have enjoyed.

A miniature railway can take you around Lake Rhoda for a scenic tour of Lakeside, Colorado. You may notice some abandoned or refurbished attractions. The entire park has been saved from the dustbin of history through some creative architectural salvage operations that have kept most, but not all of its rides operating.

Know Before You Go

At the time of writing, the Cylcone Roller Coaster, designated as an American Coaster Enthusiasts roller coaster landmark, is not operational but is promised to open again next year.