Growing up in Denver, you had the choice between two amusement parks: Elitch’s or Lakeside, and they were literally in the same neighborhood. The official name was Elitch Gardens, even though we all just called it “Elitch’s,” including the park itself (“Not to See Elitch’s is Not to See Denver”). I ran across this awesome archival footage that captured the original park in all its glory during its final days of operation (much of which I’d all but forgotten about, like the gondola that took you right over the Sidewinder track). Elitch’s was where you went when you had a little more money to burn, because even though it was more expensive, it was clearly the better park: two wooden coasters, a launch loop coaster, plenty of other rides for the whole family, great entertainment, and beautiful gardens.

Lakeside, on the other hand, had (and still has, thankfully!) some cool Art Deco elements, especially on the ride entrance signage. The original entrance, “Tower of Jewels,” loomed over Sheridan Boulevard and beckoned you to pass through the gate. Lakeside was a blast from the past; a living relic of a bygone era. I got my first taste of the adrenaline riding the kiddie coaster 27 times in a row as a toddler, and the next year I began riding the Cyclone: a wonderful—albeit short—wooden coaster that gives a wonderful vista of Lake Rhoda as you careen over the hills and curves. Cyclone is the last standing coaster by designer Edward Vettel, but it has not been in operation since 2022 due to an ongoing lawsuit.

By the time of my childhood in the 80s and 90s, however, Lakeside was already inching past its prime and suffered from a lack of vision and maintenance. Rides began to break down, and the “new” rides they began adding were simply portable carnival rides with lackluster theming. There were no shows, or any kind of entertainment beyond the handful of rides.

So even though I spent considerably more time exploring the park at Lakeside, when my parents’ wallets allowed the choice, I chose Elitch’s. And then, in a move that baffled my parents and made the midsummer sun on park days more excruciating, in 1995 they moved from a a beautiful park full of history and mature trees to the shadeless concrete jungle just west of Downtown Denver.¹ But it all turned out to be worth it for 11-year-old me with the opening of the first inverted coaster within hundreds of miles, Mind Eraser (the 10th installation of a standard Vekoma SLC replicated in many parks around the globe). I rode that thing more times than I can count, and I had every twist, roll, and inversion memorized. Twister II was a painful and rather boring wooden coaster, and I missed the shorter, rollicking Wildcat.² I didn’t care about theming, but I didn’t know that I didn’t care about theming.

Both of these parks carry historical significance. I greatly admire Lakeside for staying in the original location, and I think Elitch Gardens lost something wonderful in the move. But it’s probably not worth making a trip to Denver just for that. But if you’re already in town, maybe stop in for a while, and try imagine a vibrant park full of life and activity, the familiar roar of a roller coaster, and the excited chatter of families as they race from ride to ride.