Lagoon (amusement park) facts for kids
| Previously known as Lake Park (1886-1906) | |
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| Location | Farmington, Utah, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°59′08″N 111°53′41″W / 40.98556°N 111.89472°W |
| Opened | 1886 |
| Owner | Lagoon Corporation |
| Slogan | It's what FUN is! |
| Operating season | Late March – Last Sunday in October |
| Area | 95 acres (38 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 54 |
| Roller coasters | 11 |
| Website | www.lagoonpark.com |
Lagoon is a family-owned amusement park in Farmington, Utah, about 18 miles north of Salt Lake City. It is a popular spot for fun and adventure.
The park is split into five main areas. The Midway has most of the rides. Pioneer Village shows what life was like for early settlers with old buildings and tools. Lagoon-A-Beach is a large water park for cooling off in the summer. Kiddie Land has rides just for young children. The X-Venture Zone offers extra-exciting rides for thrill-seekers. Lagoon also has a campground and a trail for walking. In the fall, the park becomes Frightmares, with spooky Halloween shows and attractions.
Lagoon is famous for its eleven roller coasters. Six of them are one-of-a-kind.
- Colossus the Fire Dragon: One of only two coasters of its kind left in the United States.
- Roller Coaster: A classic wooden coaster that has been running since 1921.
- Wicked: A special coaster designed by Lagoon's own engineers.
- BomBora: A fun family coaster also designed by the park.
- Cannibal: A huge coaster with one of the steepest drops in the world.
- Primordial: A unique ride that is part roller coaster and part 3-D video game.
Contents
Park History
How Lagoon Began
In 1886, a resort called Lake Park was built on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. But the lake's water level dropped, leaving the park far from the shore. By 1895, it had to close.
A businessman named Simon Bamberger saw an opportunity. He was building a railroad and wanted more passengers. He bought the old Lake Park buildings and moved them to a new spot in Farmington. He named the new resort Lagoon because of a small lake on the property.
Lagoon opened on July 12, 1896. At first, it had live music and places to eat. Soon, people could swim and row boats in the lake. The park added a beautiful carousel and a small train. In 1921, the famous wooden Roller Coaster was built. It is 57 feet tall and reaches speeds of 45 miles per hour.
In 1927, a huge swimming pool was added. It was one of the first pools in the area with a filter, making it much cleaner than swimming in the salty lake. Lagoon became a very popular place in the 1920s and 1930s.
Big Changes and Growth
The park closed for three years during World War II. By 1946, it was in rough shape. The Freed family took over and began to fix it up. They made many improvements, including adding new rides like bumper cars and a Ferris wheel.
In November 1953, a fire damaged parts of the park, including the Roller Coaster. But everything was rebuilt and ready for the next season. In 1956, Mother Gooseland opened. It was a special area with rides just for kids.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, Lagoon kept growing. Famous musicians like the Beach Boys and Johnny Cash performed there. The park even got a shout-out in the Beach Boys' song "Salt Lake City."
In 1976, Lagoon expanded by adding Pioneer Village. This area looks like an old western town with real historic buildings. A log flume ride was also brought in. That same year, the Jet Star 2 roller coaster was added. In 1983, Colossus the Fire Dragon arrived, a thrilling coaster with two loops.
The old swimming pool closed in 1987 to make way for the Lagoon-A-Beach water park, which opened in 1989.
The Modern Era
Lagoon continued to add exciting new rides. In 1997, the Rattlesnake Rapids river ride opened. In 1999, The Rocket shot riders high into the air. In 2003, the spinning coaster Spider was built.
On June 1, 2007, the park opened Wicked, a $10 million coaster. It uses powerful motors to launch riders up a 100-foot tower at 55 miles per hour. In 2011, the surf-themed family coaster BomBora was added.
On July 2, 2015, Cannibal opened. This massive coaster has a 208-foot tall elevator lift and a drop that is steeper than straight down! It reaches a top speed of 70 miles per hour.
After eight years of work, Primordial opened in 2023. It is an interactive ride inside a giant mountain where riders can shoot at targets. In 2025, a new themed area called The District opened with three new rides: SteamWorx, Time Tinker, and Rivets and Rotors. Also in 2025, the park announced it would be closing its zoo to make room for future rides.
Park Attractions
Lagoon has rides for everyone, from gentle rides for kids to extreme roller coasters for brave thrill-seekers.
| Thrill level (out of 5) |
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| 1 (Children's ride) 2 (mild) 3 (moderate) 4 (high) 5 (aggressive) 6 (extreme) |
Roller Coasters
Lagoon has eleven roller coasters, each offering a different kind of thrill.
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Year opened | Description | Location | Thrill rating | Rider Height Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roller Coaster | Miller & Baker | Wooden | 1921 | A classic wooden coaster with lots of hills. It is one of the oldest coasters in the world. | South Midway | 5 | 46" F |
| Jet Star 2 | Schwarzkopf | Steel | 1974 | This coaster has a spiral lift hill and many intense turns. | North Midway | 5 | 50" * |
| Colossus the Fire Dragon | Schwarzkopf | Steel | 1983 | Features a big lift hill followed by two loops and fast spirals. | South Midway | 6 | 46" F |
| Puff the Little Fire Dragon | Zierer | Steel | 1985 | A gentle coaster for young children with a small hill and drop. | Kiddieland | 2 | I |
| Wild Mouse | Maurer AG | Steel | 1998 | A zippy coaster with very tight turns and sudden stops. | South Midway | 5 | 46" F |
| Spider | Maurer AG | Steel | 2003 | The car on this coaster spins freely as it goes through drops and turns. | South Midway | 5 | 46" F |
| The Bat | Vekoma | Steel | 2005 | A family-friendly coaster where riders hang below the track. | Kiddieland | 3 | 42" |
| Wicked | Zierer | Steel | 2007 | A launch coaster that shoots riders up a vertical tower and through twists and rolls. | South Midway | 6 | 46" G |
| BomBora | ART Engineering, Lagoon | Steel | 2011 | A fun family coaster with a 1960s surfing theme, smooth turns, and small drops. | Kiddieland | 3 | 36" C |
| Cannibal | ART Engineering, Lagoon | Steel | 2015 | One of the world's steepest coasters, with a 208-foot tower and a drop that is more than vertical. | North Midway | 6 | 48" |
| Primordial | ART Engineering, Lagoon | Steel | 2023 | An interactive 4D coaster inside a mountain where you can choose your adventure. | North Midway | 5 | 36" C |
Thrill Rides
For those who love big drops, high speeds, and spinning, Lagoon has many exciting thrill rides.
| Name | Manufacturer | Year opened | Description | Location | Thrill rating | Rider Height Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Race | Zamperla | 2012 | Riders sit in airplanes that loop and spin while circling a central tower. | North Midway | 4 | 48" |
| Centennial Screamer | HUSS | 1987 | Cars spin around a large disc that lifts up to a nearly vertical position. | South Midway | 5 | 46" |
| Rock-O-Plane | Eyerly Aircraft Company | 1954 | Like a Ferris wheel, but the cars can flip upside down. | South Midway | 4 | 36" B |
| Rocket | S&S Worldwide | 1999 | A tall tower with two ride types: one shoots you up, the other drops you down. | North Midway | 6 | 50" |
| Samurai | Mondial | 2000 | Six arms spin around while the whole ride swings and rotates. | North Midway | 6 | 50" H |
Other Popular Rides
Beyond the big coasters and thrill rides, Lagoon has many other fun attractions for the whole family.
- Dracula's Castle and Terroride: Two classic spooky dark rides.
- Rattlesnake Rapids: A water ride where you float down a river on a large raft, getting splashed by waterfalls.
- Merry-Go-Round: A beautiful, historic carousel from 1913.
- Sky Ride: A gentle gondola ride that gives you a bird's-eye view of the whole park.
- Turn of the Century: A classic swing ride that lifts you high into the air.
- Wild Kingdom Train Zoo: A train ride that circles Lagoon Lake, passing by animal exhibits.
- Lagoon-A-Beach: A full water park with slides, a lazy river, and pools. (Separate admission may be required).
- X-Venture Zone: An area with extra-charge attractions like Go-Karts and the Skycoaster.
Safety at the Park
Lagoon works hard to make sure all its rides are safe for guests. The park follows strict safety rules and regularly checks all attractions. When incidents have happened in the park's long history, Lagoon has made changes to improve safety. For example, after a person fell from the Roller Coaster in 1989, new safety restraints were added to the ride. The park wants everyone to have a fun and safe day.
Images for kids
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Swimmers at Lagoon in the 1940s.
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A map of Lagoon from 1949.
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A peacock in front of the Town Hall in Pioneer Village.
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The control tower for the Double Thunder Raceway go-karts.
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The capsule for the Catapult ride in the X-Venture Zone.
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