Elitch Gardens Theme Park facts for kids
Previously known as
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| Location | Denver, Colorado, United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°45′2″N 105°0′40″W / 39.75056°N 105.01111°W |
| Opened | 1890–2014, (original 1890–1994) 1995 (current 1995–2014) 2015–present |
| Owner | Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (2015) |
| Operated by | Premier Parks, LLC (2015) |
| Operating season | May-October (theme park) Summer (water park) |
| Area | 65 acres (260,000 m2) total |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 40 |
| Roller coasters | 6 |
| Water rides | 2 |
| Website | http://www.elitchgardens.com |
Elitch Gardens Theme and Family Water Park, often called "Elitch's", is a super fun amusement park in Denver, Colorado. It's special because it's right in the middle of downtown! The park is open from April through October, offering thrilling rides and splashing water fun.
Contents
Discover Elitch Gardens: A Fun History
Moving to a New Home (1994–1995)
The original Elitch Gardens park was getting too small. So, in 1994, the Gurtler family bought a big piece of land near downtown Denver. They spent a lot of money to move some of the old rides and build a brand new park.
The old park closed in October 1994. Many rides moved to the new spot, which opened on May 27, 1995. Some classic rides like the Carousel and Sidewinder roller coaster came along. A new version of the famous Mister Twister coaster, called Twister II, also opened.
New Rides and Big Changes (1996–2006)
In 1996, a company called Premier Parks bought Elitch Gardens. They wanted to make the park even better!
Adding Thrills with Premier Parks
In 1997, they added exciting new rides. One was Mind Eraser, a roller coaster where your feet dangle. Another was Tower of Doom, a giant drop ride that's 220 feet (about 67 meters) tall! They also built a new theater called the Trocadero Theater.
Becoming Six Flags Elitch Gardens
In 1998, Premier Parks bought the company Six Flags. This meant big changes for Elitch Gardens! In 1999, the park officially became Six Flags Elitch Gardens.
New rides kept coming, like Boomerang: Coast to Coaster. Famous characters from Warner Bros. shows, like the Looney Tunes and DC Comics superheroes, started appearing at the park. There were also new water rides and other fun attractions.
In 2002, the park added Flying Coaster, a unique roller coaster that had some problems and was later moved to Luna Park in Coney Island. In 2004, the park got the Half Pipe coaster, which looks like a giant skateboard ramp.
New Owners, New Fun (2007–Present)
In 2007, Elitch Gardens was sold to a new company called PARC Management. They removed all the Looney Tunes and DC Comics characters. But they added new fun, like the RipQurl water slide and Ghost Blasters, an interactive dark ride where you shoot ghosts! The park also started hosting summer concerts and live shows.
More Changes and New Rides
In 2011, another company, Herschend Family Entertainment, started operating the park. They added three new rides: Tube Top (a waterslide), Rockin' Tug, and Tike Bikes in the kids' area.
Since 2015, Premier Parks, LLC has been operating Elitch Gardens.
A Year Off and the Future
In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elitch Gardens had to close for the entire season. It was the first time in 130 years the park didn't open!
There are plans for the area around Elitch Gardens to be redeveloped into a new project called "The River Mile." This means the park might move to a new location in the future, but nothing is decided yet.
Exciting Entertainment & Special Events
Elitch Gardens loves to host special events!
Fright Fest Fun
Since 1998, the park has had a spooky event called Fright Fest in October. It's full of haunted houses and trick-or-treat trails. Even when the park changed owners, they kept the "FrightFest" tradition going, making sure everyone could still enjoy the Halloween fun!
Island Kingdom Family Water Park
Right next to Elitch Gardens is the Island Kingdom Family Water Park. It's about 20 acres (8 hectares) of splashing fun! It opens in the summer, and your ticket to Elitch Gardens includes admission to the water park.
Island Kingdom has lots of cool attractions:
- Big tube slides
- Family body slides
- A fun water playground
- A large family raft ride
- A half-pipe water attraction
- A relaxing lazy river
They even plant palm trees every year to make it feel like a tropical island!
Getting to the Park: Public Transportation
It's easy to get to Elitch Gardens! There's a light rail stop right next to the park entrance. You can take the C, E, and W line trains. Many visitors use public transport to avoid paying for parking. There's also a bus station nearby.
Awesome Rides at Elitch Gardens
Roller Coasters: Get Ready to Scream!
| Ride | Year opened | Description | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twister II | 1995 | A wooden roller coaster that looks like the original Twister from the old park. It opened when the new park did. | Hensel Phelps Construction |
| Sidewinder | 1995 | This roller coaster goes forward and backward! It was moved from the old Elitch Gardens park. | Arrow Dynamics |
| Mind Eraser | 1997 | On this coaster, your feet hang free as you zoom through twists and loops! | Vekoma |
| Boomerang: Coast to Coaster | 1999 | Another coaster that sends you forward through loops, then backward through them again! | Vekoma |
| Half Pipe | 2004 | You sit in a spinning car that goes back and forth on a giant U-shaped track, like a skateboard half-pipe. | Intamin |
| Blazin' Buckaroo | 2013 | A fun family roller coaster that's perfect for younger riders. | E&F Miler Industries |
Other Thrilling Rides
| Ride | Year opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hollywood & Vine | 1995 | A spinning ride with cool, futuristic cars, named after a famous street in Hollywood. |
| Turn of the Century | 1999 | A swing ride that lifts you high into the air and spins you around. |
| DragonWing | 1998 | This ride spins and tilts, making you feel like you're flying with a dragon! |
| Tea Cups | 1995 | Spin your own teacup as fast or as slow as you want! |
| Observation Tower | 1995 | A tall tower that used to take you up 250 feet (76 meters) for amazing views. It's now closed. |
| Spider | 1995 | This classic ride has arms that spin and lift, making you feel like a spider! |
| Troika | 1995 | A ride with three arms that spin and lift, giving you a dizzying experience. |
| Disaster Canyon | 1995 | Go on a wild white water rafting adventure down a rushing river. |
| Shipwreck Falls | 1997 | A giant boat ride that plunges down a huge hill, creating a massive splash! |
| Tower of Doom | 1997 | A thrilling drop tower that lifts you 210 feet (64 meters) up, then drops you super fast! |
| Sea Dragon | 1995 | A Viking ship that swings back and forth, making you feel like you're on a stormy sea. |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | 1995 | This classic ride spins and tilts in unpredictable ways, always a fun surprise! |
| Thunderbolt | 1996 | A fast-paced ride that spins you around curves and hills. |
| XLR8R (extra cost) | 1996 | A giant swing that pulls you 182 feet (55 meters) into the air, then drops you to swing like a pendulum. |
| Sling Shot (extra cost) | 2006 | This ride launches you straight up into the sky at 70 miles per hour (113 km/h)! |
| Meow Wolf's Kaleidoscape | 2019 | A unique, colorful, and mind-bending ride that takes you on a journey through a virtual world. |
| Big Wheel | 1995 | A huge Ferris wheel over 100 feet (30 meters) tall. At night, it lights up the sky with colorful LEDs! |
| Carousel | 1995 | A beautiful, classic merry-go-round from 1920 with 76 hand-carved horses and fun music. |
| Rockin' Tug | 2012 | A boat ride that spins and rocks back and forth, like a tugboat on wavy water. |
| Mike's Bikes | 2012 | A motorcycle ride for younger kids that goes over hills and jumps. |
| Brain Drain | 2015 | This ride spins you forward and backward, eventually doing full loops high in the air! |
| Star Flyer | 2017 | A super tall swing ride that lifts you high above the park, giving you amazing views as you spin. |
Water Park Rides: Splash and Play!
| Ride | Year opened | Description | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acapulco Cliff Dive | A fast, wavy slide that sends you speeding down. | ||
| Cannonball Falls | Two enclosed slides that twist and turn in the dark. | ||
| Castaway Creek | A relaxing lazy river where you can float along. | ||
| Commotion Ocean | A large wave pool where you can ride the waves. | ||
| Gangplanks | Two river-run slides that send you on a winding journey. | ||
| Hook's Lagoon | A fun water playground with slides, sprays, and a giant tipping bucket! | ||
| Paradise Pipeline | A corkscrew speed slide that twists you down quickly. | ||
| Sun Plunge | A fast speed slide for a quick splashdown. | ||
| Splashdown | A family raft slide where you can ride with friends and family. |
Past Rides: Memories of Fun
Some rides have left Elitch Gardens over the years, but they were part of the park's history!
| Ride | Added | Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edge | 2005 | 2014 | A unique water slide that was like a water version of the half-pipe roller coaster. |
| Shake Rattle and Roll | 1995 | 2014 | This ride spun and flipped riders upside down. It was removed because it was old and often broke down. |
| Rainbow | 1995 | 2010 | A popular ride that lifted you high into the air and spun you around like a rainbow. |
| Western Round-Up (flat ride) | 1995 | 2001 | This ride spun and tilted, but it had many maintenance problems and was removed. |
| Holland Express | 1995 | 1998 | A classic spinning ride that was moved from the old park. It was replaced by Thunderbolt. |
| Mine Shaft | 1995 | 1998 | A spinning ride that pinned you to the wall with force. It was removed due to safety concerns. |
| Sky Ride | 1995 | 1997 | A chairlift ride that took you over the park. It was removed when the water park expanded. |
| Run-Away Train | 1995 | 1997 | A powered roller coaster that only ran for two seasons because of damage. Mind Eraser is in its place now. |
| Flying Coaster | 2002 | 2007 | A unique roller coaster where you lay down to fly. It was a test version and was later moved to Coney Island. |
| Casino | 1995 | 1998 | A spinning ride that was moved from the old park but didn't have room in the new park. |
| Chaos | 1999 | 2010 | This ride flipped riders upside down while spinning and lifting. It was removed for safety reasons. |
| Cactus Coaster | 1995 | 2011 | A small kiddie roller coaster that was later moved to another park. |
