As I have been saying for a while now...Elitch Gardens is getting closed and redeveloped.
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/17/denver-river-mile-redevelopment-elitch-gardens/
I would suggest people make plans to get out here in the near future if there was anything worth seeing before it closed.
This makes sense to me because Glenwood Springs Adventure Park and Santa's Workshop at the North Pole are by far superior parks.
RIP Elitches
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We were in Denver last year, but didn't have time to squeeze in a trip to Elitch Gardens. However, we parked steps away from the park, and I was struck by how tiny and limited the park is. I'm sure long-time fans and residents are sad with the park's demise, but from a practical perspective, it's really hard to maintain a theme park in such an urban setting.
I'm a Colorado native and currently live within walking distance to this park. Haven't been in probably 8 years and could care less it's closing. This park has been a shell of itself for quite some time.
I had the chance to visit Elitch Gardens in 2014, and while it wasn't the worst park I've visited it isn't one I really care to ever go back to. The park probably has the weakest line-up of attractions of any mid-size park I've visited, and they haven't added anything major since the Six Flags sold the park over ten years ago. No matter how disappointing the park is, however, it's always sad to see one close. At least the Denver locals will still have the much better Lakeside Amusement Park just across town.
In any case, it doesn't sound like Elitch Gardens is closing right away. Based on the wording of that article, I'd give it 5-10 years. Perhaps Elitch will come up with an investment plan in that time and convince the city to change their mind. Given the other parks in the Premier chain I'm doubtful, but stranger things have happened.
A park located in a relatively wealthy city in the United States with a metro area of over 2.5 million people...and at the morning rope drop people are running to a 20+ year old Vekoma SLC...clearly there was a problem there.
@AJ: Surley you're not referring to the same Lakeside that's in utter disrepair in a terrible part of town? The rides are carnival quality in both thrills and safety/upkeep. Only worth while thing about that park is all the retro neon signs. Go get some nice Instagram shots and get the heck out.
Yes, Barry, I refer to the same. I visited both parks on back to back days in 2014 and I enjoyed the couple hours I spent at Lakeside far more than the half-day at Elitch, plus I'd rank the Cyclone as Colorado's best coaster. It's not a travel-worthy park by any stretch and certainly won't satisfy those who need something with the cleanliness and organization found in a corporate park, but it had a lot more character than many and was far more fun than any carnival I've visited. Having now visited 80-ish parks, I'd personally much rather go to a one-of-a-kind park that offers a unique experience than one containing fairly standard attractions and little to differentiate itself from others, even if the former is perceived as inferior to the latter.
To each their own but neither Denver based park,in my opinion, has any charm or character worthy of the price paid to enter. It's also worth noting in the four years since your visit,the park has only become more neglected. Ranking Colorado's best coaster is like ranking our best beaches.
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No one is saying exactly when the park will close. In fact, the developers seem like they are trying to encourage people to keep coming to the park.
The development is happening in phases, so I suspect that they are trying to keep the money flowing from the park - such as it is - while they're starting to build the skyscrapers. But yeah, the park is on death row now. The only question is... how long will it take to carry out the execution?