Lagoon (amusement park)

Coordinates: 40°59′08″N 111°53′41″W / 40.98556°N 111.89472°W / 40.98556; -111.89472
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Lagoon
Previously known as Lake Park (1886-1906)
Coordinates
40°59′08″N 111°53′41″W / 40.98556°N 111.89472°W / 40.98556; -111.89472
Opened1886
OwnerLagoon Corporation
SloganIt's what FUN is!
Operating seasonLate March – Last Sunday in October
Area95 acres (38 ha)
Attractions
Total54
Roller coasters11
Websitewww.lagoonpark.com

Lagoon is a family owned

Salt Lake City. Lagoon is divided into five main areas: The Midway, containing the majority of the rides; Pioneer Village, which has several exhibits displaying pioneer buildings and artifacts; Lagoon-A-Beach, a water park
; Kiddie Land, an area with several rides for small children; and X-Venture Zone, featuring more extreme upcharge rides. Lagoon also offers an RV park, a campground, and a walking trail outside the park that stays open all year. Every autumn, the park offers Halloween-themed shows and attractions, collectively known as Frightmares.

Lagoon has eleven

world's steepest drops; and Primordial
, an interactive dark ride coaster/3-D shooter game attraction inside an artificial mountain.

History

1886–1939

In 1886, the

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad built a resort called Lake Park on the shores of the Great Salt Lake
. It was one of several resorts built along the lake throughout the late 1800s. In the following years, however, the lake level receded drastically until Lake Park was far from the lake, and the park closed by the end of the 1895 season.

Sanborn Map of Lagoon (1911)

Simon Bamberger, who was building his Salt Lake & Ogden Railroad line from Salt Lake City to Ogden, Utah, was vice president of Lake Park.[2] To increase passenger traffic on his line, he bought most of the original Lake Park buildings from the D&RGW and moved them about 3 miles (5 km) east near Farmington, Utah. The resort was named Lagoon for the small body of water located on the original forty acres (162,000 m2) of the park. The original lagoon was enlarged to 9 acres (36,000 m2) by clearing some swampland.

Lagoon opened in Farmington on July 12, 1896, and featured live music and restaurants. In 1900, guests began swimming and rowing boats in Lagoon Lake. Over time, rides were added, such as the authentic

minor league baseball team in the Inter-Mountain League and in 1902, a team in the Utah State League.[3]

Lagoon's wooden coaster,

John Miller
and constructed in 1921. Its highest height is 57 feet (17 m), and it has 2,500 feet (760 m) of track. The ride lasts just under two minutes, and reaches speeds up to 45 mph (72 km/h).

Swimmers on a 1940s postcard

In 1927, a 1.5×10^6 US gal (5.7×10^6 L) swimming pool was built north of Lagoon Lake. It was one of the first filtered swimming pools in western North America, and was a cleaner alternative than swimming in the briny Great Salt Lake.

Lagoon's popularity grew during the 1920s and 1930s. The park's first Fun House was built in 1929, along with many other midway shows, rides, and games. During the "Big Band" era, many notable musicians played on Lagoon's stage, including Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller.

1940–1970

Lagoon's carousel

The park was closed for three seasons during World War II. By 1946, the park was in bad condition and on the brink of permanent closure. The Bamberger family considered razing it. However, Ranch S. Kimball and Robert E. Freed convinced the Bamberger family to lease the park to their newly formed Utah Amusement Corporation. Kimball served as president while Freed served as secretary and assistant manager. The Freed family's Lagoon Corporation later bought the resort outright from the Bamberger family in 1983.

When the Utah Amusement Corporation took over the lease of Lagoon, a Farmington town ordinance prohibited African-Americans from using the swimming pool and the ballroom. By the end of the 1940s, Robert Freed had fully opened Lagoon to the black community, and further extended this policy to the Terrace Ballroom (formerly the Rainbow Gardens) in Salt Lake City.[4]

Map of Lagoon from 1949

The Freed family made several improvements, including an overhaul of the swimming pool in 1949, a rebuilt fun house, the introduction of the "Dodgem Cars" and the "Lakeshore Express" miniature railway in 1951, and a new Ferris wheel in 1953.

In November 1953, a fire damaged much of the park, including the fun house, dance pavilion, and the front portion of the Roller Coaster. The Roller Coaster was rebuilt and reopened for the 1954 season. Many rides were restored, rebuilt, or replaced, and a few new rides were added in 1955. In 1956, Mother Gooseland, Lagoon's first themed section, was opened between the Midway and the swimming pool. It featured rides only for children.

Gardens of Lagoon's Midway

From the mid-1950s into the 1960s, Lagoon made many improvements. A showboat was added to the lake, and a new fun house was built, which featured such attractions as a multi-lane giant slide, mazes, mirrors, obstacle courses, and mystery rooms. There was also a mini-car ride added in 1960, followed by the "Space Scrambler", spook house, I.Q. Zoo, and shooting gallery in 1961. A Wild Mouse coaster opened in 1965.

On the Midway, musicians including the

Kingston Trio, and Johnny Cash performed on the bandstand throughout the 1960s. The Beach Boys made mention of the park in the song "Salt Lake City" on their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
.

The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge Animaland Train began circling Lagoon Lake in 1967. In 1975, authentic steam locomotives built by Crown Metal Products were put into operation around the lake instead, and the railway's name was changed to the Wild Kingdom Train Zoo.

1971–1997

The Opera House Square opened in 1968 and showcased melodramas, musicals, and silent movies. In 1976, Lagoon expanded east by purchasing Pioneer Village, an old west town complete with several historic structures. The buildings were moved to Lagoon and the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge "Pioneer Village Railroad" (featuring "Old Ironsides", a Crown Metal Products locomotive) circled the town. In addition, the "Lagoon Miniature Railroad" looped around the residential area of Pioneer Village using an original miniature gauge steam locomotive acquired in the early 1900s. A log flume ride was brought in from the defunct Pixieland Park in Oregon.[5]

In 1976, the

Spokane, Washington's Expo '74.[6]

Peacock in front of Town Hall at Lagoon

Colossus the Fire Dragon came to Lagoon in 1983. It was selected by People magazine in 1984 as one of the top 10 coasters in the country. Colossus was Lagoon's first coaster to feature inversions, with a top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h). With its double inverted loops, Colossus had the most inversions of any coaster at Lagoon for 32 years until the opening of Cannibal in 2015.[7]

In the late 1980s, both the old fun house and the "Haunted Shack", a walk-through dark attraction, were closed due to escalating maintenance costs and safety concerns. The swimming pool closed after its fifth decade in 1987. This made way for the $5.5 million Lagoon-A-Beach water park, which was completed in 1989. Its construction required the closure of miniature railroad operations in Pioneer Village, as some of the supports stood in the way of the track.

1997–2009

In 1997, in a major expansion of Pioneer Village, Lagoon added Rattlesnake Rapids, a river rapids ride located in the new Rattlesnake Plaza. In 1998, Lagoon added the

heartline roll, two half-pipe turns, and the signature "lake turn" into a final tunnel before returning to the station. Several improvements were made to the park in 2007 as well. On April 5, 2008, Lagoon opened OdySea, a Zierer "Flying Fish" ride with aquatic theming. OdySea is an interactive ride with a joystick to control the vehicle's height. Arrows blink to direct the rider to dodge jets of water from the sea creatures that attempt to soak the rider as accompanying audio tells a story.[8]
On April 4, 2009, Lagoon opened "Jumping Dragon", a Zierer "Dragon Roundabout" ride.

2010–present

In 2010, Lagoon revamped its Ferris wheel, Sky Scraper. It was dismantled after the 2009 season, and reopened with a new coat of paint in April 2010. As a result of the

116° beyond vertical drop, three inversions, and a top speed of 70 mph.[11]

Shortly after Cannibal's opening, the park began the early planning stages of

interactive dark ride roller coaster, after eight years of development and construction. The attraction is located inside an artificial mountain and includes multiple ride endings.[13] In late 2024, construction fences were put in place on the site of the former Log Flume attraction, featuring a banner for a new themed area entitled The District, which is slated to open in 2025. In November 2024, Lagoon announced that The District would include three new rides when it opened. One of these rides was announced on November 21st in a social media post as SteamWorx, an ART Wild Swing. This was followed by a second announcement on November 26th of a Zamperla NebulaZ titled Time Tinker. [14] On January 3, 2025, Lagoon announced that the third ride would be a "reimagining" of an existing ride, with the former Helicopters attraction being rethemed as Rivets and Rotors.[15]
Cliffhanger was also removed.

In March 2025 the park announced it would be phasing out its zoo by the end of the year. The stated reason was to free up space for future expansion. The zoo's big cats were moved to the

Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado[16]

Attractions

Thrill level (out of 5)[17]
  1 (Children's ride)   2 (mild)   3 (moderate)   4 (high)   5 (aggressive)   6 (extreme)

Roller coasters

Lagoon features eleven different roller coasters. The oldest, Roller Coaster, was built in 1921 and is an

Roller Coaster Landmark.[18]

Name Manufacturer Type Design Year opened Description Location Thrill rating
Roller Coaster Miller & Baker; Trains by Great Coasters International Wooden Sit-down 1921 One of the oldest roller coasters in the United States. Features an initial lift-hill and several subsequential smaller hills. Partially damaged by fire in 1953. South Midway 5
Jet Star 2 Schwarzkopf Steel Sit-down 1974 Spiral lift-hill followed by intense turns. Maximum elevation is 45 feet. North Midway 5
Colossus the Fire Dragon Schwarzkopf Steel Sit-down 1983 87-foot lift hill with back-to-back double loop and two large helices. South Midway 6
Puff the Little Fire Dragon Zierer Steel Sit-down 1985 A mild coaster intended for small children with only a small drop and hill. Kiddieland 2
Wild Mouse Maurer AG Steel Sit-down 1998 The second Wild Mouse coaster to be located at Lagoon. Features tight turns and sharp stops. South Midway 5
Spider Maurer AG Steel Sit-down 2003 Originally called "The Spider and the Fly", the ride includes a large drop and tight turns. The car constantly spins while traveling on the track. South Midway 5
The Bat Vekoma Steel Inverted 2005 A suspended family coaster. It is the sole inverted coaster at Lagoon. Kiddieland 3
Wicked
 Zierer Steel Sit-down 2007 LSM-launched coaster with a vertical drop and a zero-G barrel roll. South Midway 6
BomBora ART Engineering, Lagoon Steel Sit-down 2011 A short family coaster with smooth turns and small drops. Kiddieland 3
Cannibal ART Engineering, Lagoon Steel Sit-down 2015 The second steepest roller coaster in the United States, with a first drop at 116 degrees down a 208 foot tower. It features several inverting elements. North Midway 6
Primordial ART Engineering, Lagoon Steel Sit-down 2023 Development began in 2015, and construction began in 2018, but the latter was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction resumed in early 2021. Primordial opened towards the end of the 2023 season. It is an interactive 4D roller coaster. North Midway 5

Thrill rides

Name Manufacturer Year opened Model Description Location Thrill rating
Air Race Zamperla 2012 Air Race An airplane ride with vehicles looping sideways while circling a central point. North Midway 4
Centennial Screamer HUSS 1987 Enterprise Consists of 20 cars around a disc. As the ride begins to spin, the disc stays in a horizontal position. When speed and centrifugal forces increase, the ride is lifted to a near-vertical position as the disc continues to spin.[19] South Midway 5
Rock-O-Plane Eyerly Aircraft Company 1954 Rock-O-Plane Similar to a Ferris wheel, but with flipping cars. South Midway 4
Rocket S&S Worldwide 1999 Drop tower A drop tower with two different ride types: "Blast Off", a rapid vertical ascent, and "Re-Entry", a slow ascent followed by a powered drop. North Midway 6
Samurai Mondial 2000 Top Scan Six radial arms that spin as the entire ride rotates through an oval arc in either direction.[20] North Midway 6

Dark rides

Name Year opened Model Location Thrill rating
Dracula's Castle 1974 Dark ride Central Midway 3
Terroride 1967 Dark ride Central Midway 3

Water rides

Name Manufacturer Year opened Model Description Location Thrill rating
Rattlesnake Rapids Intamin 1997 River Rapids A river rapids ride. Features a tunnel and waterfalls. Pioneer Village 4

Family rides

Name Manufacturer Year opened Model Description Location Thrill rating
Boomerang Ihle 1977 Bumper cars A bumper cars ride. North Midway 2
Flying Aces Bisch-Rocco 1941 Flying Scooters An airplane-type ride. Riders can move the front sail. North Midway 2
Merry-Go-Round Herschell–Spillman Company c. 1913[21]: 3  Carousel A Herschell–Spillman Company carousel built c. 1913 and installed in Lagoon in 1918.[21]: 3  South Midway 1
Musik Express Mack Rides 1982 Music Express A spinning ride. South Midway 3
Paratrooper Hrubetz 1966 Paratrooper An elevated spinning ride. North Midway 3
Sky Scraper Bussink 1991 Ferris wheel A 150-foot Nauta-Bussink R50 wheel with spinning gondolas. North Midway 2
Sky Ride Hopkins 1974 Elevated gondola ride An elevated gondola ride that spans across the entire park. North and South Midway 1
Space Scrambler Eli Bridge Company 1961 Scrambler A spinning ride. North Midway 3
Tidal Wave HUSS 1980 Pirate ship A swinging ship ride. South Midway 3
Tilt-A-Whirl Sellner Manufacturing 1954 Tilt-A-Whirl A ride that spins with separately spinning cars. North Midway 3
Turn of the Century Zierer 1987 Wave Swinger A rotating swing ride. South Midway 3
Wild Kingdom Train Zoo Crown Metal Products 1975 Miniature railway A train ride that goes through a tunnel and circles Lagoon Lake, passing by many animal exhibits. South Midway 1
Time Tinker Zamperla 2025 NebulaZ Spinning ride that has many near miss elements. Pioneer Village 3
Steamworx ART Engineering 2025 Wild Swing Family ride that swings with the movement of the gondola. Pioneer Village 3


Children's rides

All of these attractions are located in the park's Kiddieland section.

Name Manufacturer Year opened Model Description Thrill rating
Baby Boats
Allan Herschell
 N/A Boat ride Small boats travel in an oval formation while surfaced on water. 1
Bulgy
Eyerly Aircraft
 1956 Bulgy the Whale Riders sit in small whale carts that jump up and down. 1
Dinosaur Drop Zierer 2006 Jumpin' Star A 40 foot drop tower. 3
The Dragonfly Eli Bridge Company 2004 Dragonfly A spinning ride. 1
Engine 86 Sartori 2020 Carousel A fire engine themed ride. 2
Flying Tigers Zamperla 2017 Flying Tigers An airplane ride on an oval track with tight turns. The airplanes slightly tilt on the turns. 2
Jumping Dragon Zierer 2009 Jumping Dragon A family spinning ride with a Chinese dragon theme; rotates clockwise, then reverses direction. 2
Kontiki Zierer 2004 Kontiki A swinging and spinning ride. 2
Ladybug Bop Zamperla 2006 Jumpin' Star A 40 foot drop tower. 3
Moonraker Zamperla 1983 Space Age Spaceship carts that move in a circular formation. 2
OdySea Zierer 2008 Flying Gondolas Robotic sea creatures serve as cars that travel in a circular formation. Sea creatures squirt water at riders while riders use joystick controls to avoid the water. 3
Red Baron Bradley & Kaye 1984 Red Baron A ride similar to Helicopters. 1
Red Rock Rally Zamperla 2013 Speedway A spinning ride with Jeep carts. 1
Rivets and Rotors Allan Herschell 1963 Helicoptors A ride meant for small children with themed helicopter carts that can go up and down using a joystick you control. 2
Ruka Safari Zamperla 2017 Jump Around A ride with safari jeeps that bounce while rotating in a small circle. 2
Scalawags Mulligan 1986 Scalawags A small spinning ride with animals as cars. 2
Sky Fighter
Allan Herschell
 1954 Airplane A small airplane ride with two-person cars. 2
Speedway Jr. Mulligan 1978 Speedway Jr. Miniature cars going around a track. 1
Tipsy Tea Cups Zamperla 2013 Teacups A teacup spinning ride. 3

X-Venture Zone

Each ride in the X-Venture Zone is an upcharge attraction.

Name Year opened Model Description
Skycoaster 1995 Skycoaster One of the first Skycoaster rides in the United States. The launch tower is 153 feet (47 m) tall and the main arch is 173 feet (53 m) tall. The flyers are raised up to a height of 143 feet (44 m). When they are instructed to do so, one of the flyers pulls the rip cord and then they drop rapidly, reaching speeds up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) and experiencing sensations similar to skydiving.
Double Thunder Raceway 2000 Go-karts Go-karts attraction that consists of two separate tracks: Lightning at 1,146 feet (349 m) and Thunder at 1,142 feet (348 m). Each track has 28 cars and features several sweeping turns, overpasses, 360-degree spirals, straight-aways, and camelbacks.
Catapult 2002 Catapult Hurls two passengers at a time up to 250 feet (76 m) in the air.
Double Thunder Raceway's control tower
Lagoon's Catapult capsule

Controversy

In 2012, Lagoon became the focus of animal welfare groups' protests which called for a boycott of the park, citing USDA inspection reports that suggested poor care of animals in the Wild Kingdom Train Zoo.[22] The Utah Animal Rights Coalition and PETA pointed to a range of USDA citations over a 15-year span that included insufficient living space for and unexplained deaths of animals.[23] While admitting to some problems, a Lagoon spokesman denied any abuse taking place and said veterinarians and staff regularly monitored the animals.[24] It was announced in March 2025 that the zoo was being phased out to free up space for expansion.[16]

Notable incidents

  • In 1989, six-year-old Ryan Beckstead was struck and killed on Puff the Little Fire Dragon after he fell off the ride and stood up in between the track, before being hit in the head by the oncoming train.[25]
  • On August 14, 2021, a 32-year-old man fell 50 feet after dangling from the park's Sky Ride, a chairlift-like ride which transports people from one end of the amusement park to the other. The man succumbed to his injuries in the hospital the next day.[26]

The Beach Boys reference Lagoon by name in the song Salt Lake City on their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).

Movies and TV shows filmed at Lagoon

  • Mirror, Mirror: You and Your Self Image is a 1969 film by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Brigham Young University. The opening scenes are filmed at Lagoon.
  • Lagoon was one of many parks featured in the first roller coaster documentary, America Screams in 1978.[27]
  • An episode of the Werewolf TV series was filmed at Lagoon in fall of 1987, featuring scenes in and around the Dracula's Castle attraction.[28]
  • Some scenes in the 1996 TV movie, Terror in the Family, were filmed at the Roller Coaster and Centennial Screamer.
  • In My Sister's Shadow, a 1997 TV movie, featured a scene on the North Midway.[29]
  • Disney Channel original movie. A few scenes were filmed on the North Midway of Lagoon.[30]
    The dance festival scene was shot in front of the entrance to the Sky Scraper.
  • Wieners, a movie released in 2008, had a montage featuring scenes filmed at Lagoon in 2007. The name of the park was changed in the film.[31]
  • An episode of The Aquabats! Super Show! featured brief and edited shots of Lagoon.
  • In 2015, Christmas Land was filmed in the Pioneer Village section of the park.[32]
  • Season 3, episode 12 of Andi Mack featured brief and edited shots of Lagoon; including Paratrooper, Cannibal, and Sky Scraper.

Notes

  1. ^ "Lagoon History". The New York Times. October 28, 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  2. ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the original
    on November 3, 2022, retrieved June 12, 2024
  3. ^ "Lagoon, Utah Minor League City Encyclopedia". Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  4. OCLC 2523229. Reprint Archived 2017-12-30 at the Wayback Machine
    , with permission, at historytogo.utah.gov
  5. ^ Pixieland Park
  6. ^ "Official Lagoon park website, Jet Star II's Page" Archived 2007-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Cannibal - Lagoon (Farmington, Utah, United States)".
  8. ^ Dougherty, Joseph M. (6 January 2008), "Smoking ban now in effect in many Davis outdoor areas", Deseret News, archived from the original on November 4, 2012
  9. ^ Arave, Lynn (1 May 2010), "Lagoon to add new roller coaster in 2011", Deseret News, archived from the original on August 12, 2014
  10. ^ "Cannibal - New for 2015!".
  11. ^ Edwards, Ashton (4 September 2014). "Lagoon's new roller coaster is out for blood, Cannibal coming soon". Fox13 Salt Lake City. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  12. ^ Steinbrecher, Lauren (2021-12-19). "2 popular Lagoon attractions a total loss after crews battle pair of blazes". KSL.com. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  13. ^ Sean P. Means (September 16, 2023). "'We've been dying to open this ride': Lagoon opens Primordial, a 3-D interactive roller coaster". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Lagoon Announces 3 New Rides For 2025 – Lagoon History Project". Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  15. ^ "Lagoon Amusement Park is at Lagoon Amusement Park".
  16. ^ a b Leonard, Collin (2025-03-06). "Lagoon is phasing out its zoo, has already relocated big cats". KSL.com. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
  17. ^ "Guest Assistance Guide" (PDF). Cedar Point. 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  18. ^ "ACE Coaster Landmark Awards". Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  19. ^ "Centennial Screamer | Lagoon". www.lagoonpark.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  20. ^ "Samurai | Lagoon". www.lagoonpark.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
  21. ^ a b Broschinsky, Korral (August 2, 2012). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form – Lagoon Carousel" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  22. ^ "Animal Rights Advocates Protest Lagoon Amusement Park". The Salt Lake Tribune. AP. 21 April 2012.
  23. ^ Hirschi, Julie (3 August 2012), "Animal Rights Groups Target Lagoon's Animal Exhibits", The Globe, Salt Lake County, Utah: Salt Lake Community College
  24. ^ Animal Activists Protest Lagoon, ABC 4 Utah News (KTVX), 20 April 2012, archived from the original on 2012-04-27.
  25. ^ "YOUNGSTER KILLED BY COASTER HAD THOUGHT RIDE WAS OVER". DeseretNews.com. 1989-05-03. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  26. ^ Tavss, Jeff (16 August 2021). "Man who fell from Lagoon's Sky Ride dies". KSTU. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  27. ^ [1] Lagoon History Project "America Screams At Lagoon!"
  28. ^ [2] Lagoon History Project "Dracula's Castle"
  29. Internet Movie Database
    "In My Sister's Shadow (1997)"
  30. Internet Movie Database
    "The Luck of the Irish (2001)"
  31. Internet Movie Database
    "Wieners (2008)"
  32. Internet Movie Database
    "Christmas Land (2015)"
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