Lakeside Amusement Park

Opened in 1908, it is the oldest amusement park in Colorado still operating in its original location, and is the lone remaining American amusement park to have had the name White City. The park, comprising nearly half of the Town of Lakeside that it was responsible for creating in 1907, features the landmark Tower of Jewels.

Lakeside Amusement Park

Previously known as White City
Tower of Jewels at Lakeside Amusement Park
Location	Lakeside, Colorado, Colorado Denver, U.S.
Coordinates	39°46′42″N 105°03′34″W / 39.77833°N 105.05944°W / 39.77833; -105.05944
Opened	May 30, 1908
Owner	The Lakeside Park Company
Slogan	Enjoy the Ride!
Operating season	First weekend in May to Labor Day
Attractions
Total	25
Roller coasters	2
Water rides	1
Website	lakesideamusementpark.com

 

 

Lakeside Park was built by a group led by Denver brewer Adolph Zang, on an approximately 57-acre site located adjacent to Lake Rhoda (then known as West Berkeley Lake). Originally known as both “Lakeside Park” and “The White City of the West," the park was built in the Exposition and White City architectural styles, and was lit by an estimated 100,000 electric bulbs. It was serviced by a trolley line built by the Denver Tramway, making it a trolley park; however, unlike most trolley parks, Lakeside was independently owned, and included ample space for automobile parking.

The park’s original buildings included the 150-foot Tower of Jewels at the park’s main entrance, a three-story Casino building featuring a theater and dining areas overlooking the lake, a natatorium, a 15,000 square foot ballroom, a roller skating rink, a boat house with a 160-foot pier, and a train station with clock tower, which was modeled after Denver's Union Station.

The main entrance led down a wide staircase to a central park area. Rides and attractions were originally grouped at the southern end of the park, with the park's northern section reserved for social activities such as musical performances, ballroom dancing, boating, outdoor swimming and diving at the lake, and roller skating.

Original rides and attractions included the Lakeshore Railroad (a miniature railroad which circled the lake), a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, an airship and balloon ascension platform, a Third Degree funhouse, the Devil's Palace (described as an "interesting and instructing amusement" featuring snakes and other reptiles), a Shoot-the-Chutes, a mile-long Scenic Railway, and the Velvet Coaster. W.H. Labb of Indianapolis designed the Velvet Coaster, intended to be a combination of the Foster coaster at Chicago's White City and a type of figure-8; it featured a 1,200 foot (370 m) framework situated along the southern end of the lake, with a total of 3,600 feet (1,100 m) of track. A ride called The Tickler was installed, but was soon removed after customers received serious injuries, including broken bones.

The Derby Racer—a double-track racing coaster designed by John A. Miller—was added in 1911. The massive ride was built at the northern end of the park, which had previously been designated for social functions only, thus beginning a gradual move away from the park's White City aspirations.

The Scenic Railway and other structures in the southwestern section of the park were destroyed by a fire on November 15, 1911. Another fire in January 1912 destroyed the skating rink and damaged the Derby coaster. The coaster was repaired, while the natatorium was converted into the new roller skating rink; it would not be used for swimming again until 1928.

Following its acquisition by Ben Krasner in 1935, Lakeside underwent a period of major renovations and additions, further distancing the park from its original White City/Exhibition roots. Many new rides were added, including the Cyclone roller coaster, which replaced the Derby Racer in 1940. New buildings and features were built in the Art Deco style, including individual ticket booths for most major rides and attractions. Although most of these booths were of the standalone type, one notable exception was the Cyclone, which had a built-in ticket booth between the entrance and exit ramps. Although ride tickets (as well as unlimited ride passes) are now sold at the park’s entrances rather than at each ride, many of the original ticket booths are still in place. Architect Richard L. Crowther designed much of Lakeside's Art Deco and Modern features during this period, and included a great deal of neon lighting in his work.

There are many examples of architectural salvage to be found throughout the park. Inside the main restaurant is a marble and mirror backbar that was saved from the Denver Union Station, one of the picnic pavilions is created from a retired center column of a ride, and the pool for the Skoota Boats ride is an adaptive reuse of the original Shoot-the-Chutes ride. The main office features a functioning manual telephone switchboard that is still in use.

A fire in December 1973 destroyed the pool building, which was then being used for maintenance and off-season storage. Parts and blueprints for many of the park's rides (including the drive motors and cars for the Staride, a high-speed Ferris wheel-type ride installed circa 1916) were lost. Lakeside's ballroom, which had hosted thousands of local and national musicians and performers throughout the park's history, closed in 1972 due to declining interest in ballroom dancing. It was deemed a significant fire hazard and was largely demolished in 1974.

From the late 1930s through 1988, Lakeside Amusement Park operated Lakeside Speedway on the park grounds. The auto racetrack was a 1⁄5-mile (0.32 km) oval and featured races of three car classes sponsored by CARC: stock, limited modified and fully modified. The race track was built on the site of the park's original baseball diamond and incorporated the original stands into the new use. Following a fatal accident in 1988, racing at Lakeside came to an end. The track and grandstands are still standing, and are used for storage.

Roller coasters

The Cyclone is the most popular ride at the park. Built in 1940 to replace the Derby Racer coaster, it is an ACE Coaster Classic and Coaster Landmark.

 

Other amusement rides

• Loop-O-Plane
• Satellite
• Hurricane
• Auto Skooters (Bumper Cars)
• Crystal Palace
• Ferris Wheel
• Flying Dutchman
• Heart Flip
• Matterhorn
• Merry-Go-Round
• Lakeshore Railroad (miniature railway)
• Round-Up
• Roll-O-Plane
• Rock-O-Plane
• Scrambler
• Skoota Boats (Bumper Boats)
• Spider (replaced for 2018 season)
• Sports Cars
• Tilt-A-Whirl
• Whip
• Wild Chipmunk
• Zoom

Of note:

• Original rides from 1908 still in operation are the merry-go-round (although in a different location than originally installed) and the miniature railroad and train station. The Whip, installed circa 1916, is still in operation. The Staride, also installed circa 1916, has been standing but not operating since the mid 1970s.
• Lakeside's 1 ft 10+3⁄4 in (578 mm) gauge miniature railway train features the steam train locomotives "Puffing Billy" and "Whistling Tom" from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair along with the world's first miniature gauge diesel locomotive, patterned after the California Zephyr.
• The 1908 carousel was apparently made up from used figures from other carousels. Many of the animals bear characteristic designs of famed woodcarver Charles I. D. Looff. The carousel has also been credited to the Parker company, but the Lakeside horses do not have the typical Parker metal horseshoes.
• Lakeside has every type of Eyerly "O-Plane" ride except for one: the "Fly-O-Plane."

Carousel details:

Type: 4 rows, Park, 3-level platform, all wood composition
Figures: 16 jumping horses, 16 standing horses, 4 chariots; figures include 2 bears, 4 burros, 3 deer, 4 dogs, 5 goats, 2 lions, 4 pigs, 4 rabbits, 2 tigers, 2 zebras, 2 panthers, 1 cheetah, 2 monkeys, and 3 cougars
Music: band organ music via pre-recorded audio tape played through loudspeakers, although a non-functioning Wurlitzer #157 Band Organ mock up is present

Kiddie rides

Former attractions

Rides and attractions which no longer exist include the Shoot-The-Chutes (a splash-down water ramp ride, its lagoon now occupied by the Scoota Boats), the Scenic Railway, the Velvet Coaster, the Derby Racer coaster, a Coney Island Tickler, an Octopus, the Double-Whirl, the Lindy Loop, and the Circle Swing. The skeletal remains of the Staride stand north of the merry-go-round. The Rocket Ships ride (converted from an earlier sea plane ride) was removed in 1982 after damage during an inspection, but the base and tower still stand and are used as a concession stand. The pier for a Speed Boats attraction also stands vacant, fenced off to prevent access.

Other closed rides and attractions include the Tumble Bug (which operated from the 1930s until 1985), the Sky Slide (removed sometime in the 1970s), a miniature golf course (closed in the 1960s), the Paratrooper, Flight to Mars (a portable traveling dark ride that could be found at the park into the early 2000s), and Starship 2000.

From the mid 1940s through 1985, Lakeside's Funhouse featured an animated mannequin, Laffing Sal, whose loud laughter echoed through the park and surrounding neighborhood. The attraction featured slides, moving floors, spinning discs, rolling barrels, and catwalks. Due to rising liability and operational costs, the Funhouse was demolished in 1985; the Dragon coaster was installed in its place.

The 1908 Casino Theater—home to exhibitions, concerts, plays, and dance marathons for decades—still stands but is closed to the public and is used for storage. Also still in place but closed to the public is the Riviera nightclub, the lone remnant of the park's original ballroom.

• Lakeside is featured in the animated series "Thundarr the Barbarian" (Season 1, episode 10).
• Lakeside is one of several parks featured in the 1999 public television program Great Old Amusement Parks.
• Lakeside Amusement Park shares its name with a setting included in the video games Silent Hill & Silent Hill 3 by Konami.
• Scenes from the movie Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead were also shot inside of the park.
• Featured in a Westword Profile: "After 110 Years of Ups and Downs, a New Coaster Could Take Lakeside to New Heights."

In 2014, members of the Domino Service Dogs training group were denied access to the miniature train ride unless they wanted to leave their service dogs behind. As a result, the Cross Disability Coalition filed a lawsuit against the park alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Colorado's laws ensuring access. The police department and the town of Lakeside were also included as defendants in the suit.