Photos: The Lights Are Back on (Mostly) at Lakeside Amusement Park

Lakeside Amusement Park is back for its 116th year. What originally opened in 1908 as the White City has changed hands only once, when developers Adolph Zang and F.J. Kirshoff — who also created the town of Lakeside, today population sixteen — sold it to Ben Krasner in the 1930s. 

It may be 2024, but as you walk through the gates, you might think you're still in the ’30s...for better or for worse.

The smell of funnel cakes, the pings of Skee-Ball machines and occasional screams from the Wild Chipmunk fill your ears, and neon signs highlight the Art Deco design — even if much of that neon has gone dark.

So have the iconic Cyclone coaster and the Ferris wheel. But other rides are still running, such as the Tilt-A-Whirl, merry-go-round and even the Skoota Boats, despite the lack of lighting.
The rides that are open vary from day to day. "Just like your car, you can drive it home one day and it runs perfectly fine, but the next morning it doesn't start," says Brenda Fishman, who runs the place with her mother, Rhoda Krasner, the daughter of Ben.

The Cyclone was shut down two years ago after state regulators ordered its closure when a woman was injured while on the ride, according to the Denver Post. Fishman says the park is now waiting for a final third-party inspection before the roller coaster starts up again.

All the chairs were removed from the Ferris wheel for reconstruction during the off season. Fishman says the park is hoping to get it moving again this month.

"A lot of people say that we never paint, we never do anything, never whatever, and that really isn't the case," Fishman says, adding that people just don't see the upkeep work. The park is a registered amusement ride operator with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and its license must be renewed every year after a third-party inspection of each ride.
Last year, rumors spread that Lakeside was being sold to the creators of South Park, the same duo who purchased and renovated Casa Bonita. Fishman says that was just an April Fool's joke, and says that the family has no plans to sell Lakeside anytime soon.

While many park-goers focus on the biggest, highest, fastest rides, Fishman recommends that they take a step back and think about other amenities at Lakeside.

"Some of the best memories are made sitting on a bench, eating popcorn and watching the sunset," Fishman says. "Not everyone has a mountain cabin or a car to go somewhere. So also, we want to give people a little taste of nature."

Those memories she alludes to are not just a marketing pitch. In the Lakeside Facebook group, over ninety people responded to Westword's question about what Lakeside means to them.

Kyla Coppernoll got engaged to her childhood friend at Lakeside. "My fiancé and I grew up going there as kids and then Lakeside brought us together following a rough patch. Eventually that’s where he proposed," she posted. "Now, we are there nearly every weekend in the summer and would love to be able to take our kid there one day.

Rod Bartsch, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has taken his family on eight or nine road trips through Denver, and Lakeside is always a stop. He even has fond memories of a time when they were stuck on the Roll-o-Plane during a thunderstorm.

Many people praise management for keeping prices low. Admission starts at only $5, plus individual ride tickets; all-access passes are also available for $25 on Fridays and $35 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. And even with those passes, there's rarely a wait.

"I personally think a lot of people, when they don't enjoy their time here, it's because they come with a preconceived notion that their day should be spent standing in long lines for really fast, upside-down, crazy pieces of equipment that they're maybe going to get to ride two or three of," Fishman says. "For whatever reason, that's an acceptable day for people."

But not the kind of day to expect at Lakeside Amusement Park.

Here are photos from a recent day (and evening) at Lakeside: