theme park in Pleasant Grove, Utah.[3] Opened on September 29, 2018, guests visiting the park interacted with trained actors who portrayed fantasy characters.[4][5] The only traditional ride was "The Evermore Express", a small train that traveled around the park.[6] Evermore has been compared to the fictional Westworld, renaissance fairs and Choose Your Own Adventure books.[7][8] The property's landlord declared the park permanently closed on April 8, 2024.[2]
History
Evermore Park was created by Ken Bretschneider, the founder of
soft opening on September 20, 2018, before its grand opening on September 29, 2018. The park experienced financial difficulties, with some buildings and areas of the park remained unfinished throughout the park's life.[12][13] By June 2020, several lawsuits had been filed against Evermore by contractors who had not been paid in full for the construction of the park's buildings.[14] In 2021, many of the park's actors were laid off, and the land and buildings of the park were sold to Brandon Fugal, the chairman of Colliers International-Utah, a part of Colliers International, reportedly allowing the park to break even.[15][16]
One of the attraction ideas Bretschneider and visual effects artist Curtis Hickman had envisioned for the project, which would combine virtual reality with a physical environment, was spun off from Evermore into a separate business known as The Void, which also faced difficulty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17][18][19]
Features
Evermore did not have traditional rides. Instead, most of the guest experience revolved around interactions with actors in the park's fantasy setting, where guests were encouraged to roleplay for themselves and take part in the park's storyline. Visitors in the park were referred to as "World Walkers", and were permitted to come in costume.[3] Guests were able to join one of the park's guilds by completing tasks given to them by characters.[20]
The park was seasonal and only open on weekends. The first seasonal experience was called Lore, a Halloween-themed storyline during the fall. During the day, there was the Magical World of Lore, a family-friendly Halloween experience; at night, the park became the Cursed World of Lore, a haunted attraction.[13] The second seasonal experience was Aurora, a winter world loosely inspired by the works of Charles Dickens. The final seasonal experience was Mythos, lasting from spring into summer.[citation needed]
Taylor Swift litigation
Further information:
Evermore alleging trademark infringement.[24] Later that month, TAS Rights Management countersued the park on behalf of Swift, claiming that the park was playing Swift's songs "Love Story", "You Belong with Me" and "Bad Blood" without proper licensing.[25] In March, both parties agreed to drop their lawsuits.[26]
