Lagoon's History
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In the late 1800's a number of resorts sprang up along the shores of
the Great Salt Lake. One of these was the original Lagoon, Lake Park.
It was "one of the most attractive watering places in the West," having
opened on July 15, 1886. It featured an open-air dancing pavilion
with delicately-carved lattice-work and archways. |
Original Lake Park Resort. |
Original Lake Park Terrace. |
Summer cottages rented by the week or month.
For fifty-cents admission, guests could enjoy swimming, dancing,
boating, a merry-go-round, roller skating, target shooting and
bowling alleys. Another fifty-cents bought a full-course dinner
in the resort's restaurant. By the end of the first season,
53,000 guests had visited Lake Park. |
| In 1893 the Lake began receding, leaving a sticky, blue mud
that was miserable to bathers. In 1896 the resort was moved two
and one-half miles inland to its present location, and its name
was changed to suit its new location on the banks of a nine-acre
Lagoon. |
Lagoon - Present Location. |
Guests arrive on Bamburger Railway. |
Rowboating, swimming, and, of course, dancing
were the attractions that brought the crowds on the Bamberger
Railway. A round-trip from Salt Lake or Ogden to Lagoon cost
twenty-five cents. |
| The Park's first thrill ride, Shoot-the-Chutes, was soon in
operation, and by 1906 the Scenic Railway was the thrill of its
day. Later that same year a new Merry-Go-Round with 45 hand-carved
horses was delivered. That same Merry-Go-Round is still in operation
today. In 1921 the roar of the Roller Coaster began and the excitement
still hasn't stopped. In 1927 the Million-gallon pool refreshed
guests in "Water Fit To Drink". During the '30's and '40's the
Dancing Pavilion featured the familiar names of the Big Band era:
Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and the
Glenn Miller Orchestras. The trains stopped running in 1952, and
the guests now arrived at Lagoon via the new cement Highway 91. |
Lagoon's First Thrill Ride.
Lagoon's First Roller Coaster. |
Lagoon was on Fire.
News of Fire quickly spread.
"Mother Goose Land" was added. |
In October of 1953, the night sky of Farmington
was red and smoking. Lagoon was on fire. The flames were so
high, they could be seen 20 miles away in Salt Lake City. The
fire swept down the west side of the Midway destroying everything
in its path. The front of the Coaster was gone, the Fun House
and Dancing Pavilion with its many memories were reduced to
rubble. The Carousel was saved by a constant stream of water
over its roof. Before the smoke had cleared, Lagoon's President,
Robert E. Freed, vowed to rebuild a "new" Lagoon. This was the
beginning of Lagoon as we know it today. A Lagoon with new attractions
each season. A Lagoon with new rides like the Speedway, the
Sky Coasters, a double-loop Coaster, and more recently a rapid
river ride, "Rattlesnake Rapids". The youngsters were not forgotten
with the creation of Mother Goose Land. A restaurant with the
best fried chicken in Utah drew guests from all over the West.
A Showboat cruised Lagoon Lake in search of an elusive dragon,
while the Lake Park Streamliner circled on shore. |
The Patio Gardens became the concert spot of Utah
during the '50's and '60's. Such luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald,
Louis Armstrong, Johnny Mathis, Frankie Avalon and even the Three
Stooges appeared at Lagoon. The legends of Rock 'n' roll, Bill
Haley and the Comets, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Rolling
Stones, The Doors, and the Beach Boys were among those who thrilled
the Lagoon guest. In the late '70's the Patio Gardens became a
Roller Rink and today, is the Game Time Arcade.
In 1968 the Lagoon Opera House pioneered Utah summer theater, presenting
such hits as "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "A Funny
Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", and other Broadway hits with
much shorter names. |
| Old and new merged in 1976 with the acquisition of Pioneer Village,
a 15-acre restoration of Pioneer Utah. This outstanding preservation
of history includes one of the country's finest collections of
horse-drawn carriages, a renowned gun collection and other exhibits
of pioneer artifacts. Today, Pioneer Village is preserving history
for all to see, hear and remember. |
Pioneer Village. |
In 1982 Lagoon began to expand its
live entertainment program with the presentation of Music, U.S.A.
Now in its 20th season, this all-singing, all-dancing musical
entertainment has been thrilling guests of all ages. Each season
Music, U.S.A. salutes the many and varied genres of American
music.
Lagoon has always been synonymous with water fun, from the days when
the Park was located on the shores of the Great Salt Lake to its million-gallon
pool that provided fun in the sun from 1927 to 1987. Lagoon continues
that tradition with the addition of Lagoon A Beach. Arriving at Lagoon
in 1989, this extraordinary Waterpark features every twist, turn and
splash available in today's water market. A Lazy River and Outrigger
are but a few of the many thrills awaiting the visitor to Lagoon A Beach.
When it comes to family entertainment, Lagoon has the bases covered.
It's over one hundred acres of excitement, and it's all for you. Thirty-five
rides, a waterpark, historic Pioneer Village, live entertainment, shops,
games and delicious eating. It all adds up to a world of family fun.
Enjoy the endless adventure that is Lagoon.
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