Anyone here ever hear of it?
My Ballard Forum » Open Forum
Elitch's Gardens
(21 posts)-
Nora Charles
offlineMemberPosted 2 years ago # -
VeganBiker
offlineMemberNC - do you mean this place?
http://www.elitchgardens.com/tickets.aspxPosted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberThe link you post is what it has become - I'm talking about the original elitch's gardens - still in Denver but in a different location...just wondering...nothing serious.
Posted 2 years ago # -
pennygirl
offlineMemberWhat was it like originally?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberIn the 1800s it was an orchard, then it became the home of some people who turned it into Denver's first zoological gardens, then it became a small amusement park then it became a pretty good sized amusement park complete with the country's oldest summer stock theater and a ballroom where big name bands played - Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, Guy Lombardo, Jimmy Dorsey etc. Sort of went downhill in the 80s by the 90s the whole park was moved then sold to 6 Flags...great sadness...just thinking some of the people who once lived in Denver might have remembered it...
Can you tell, I'm knee deep in reminiscing...about my home town...
Posted 2 years ago # -
pennygirl
offlineMemberThose 6 Flags people are the Devil!
I noticed you've been reminiscing a little recently. Which brings me back to your Sounders thread. There are a few Euro qualifiers coming up that should be pretty good. How about we watch one of the televised ones together at a local drinking establishment? Yes, I know, not the Market Arms :-)
Posted 2 years ago # -
Laura
offlineMemberI lived in Denver from 1959-1969 before moving to Wyoming. I remember the old Elitch's very well, especially that rickety wooden roller coaster! I was just in Denver last week visiting family and the new location by I-25 (I think that's the highway) doesn't seem the same, though I've never been. And what about Lakeside? I guess that's gone for good.
We lived in south Denver and I went to John J. Cory elementary school. I would have gone to Merrill and then South High, but we moved. I do miss the climate at times and am glad I have family and friends from college I can visit.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Ernie
offlineMemberWe used to go to Elitch's when I was a young kid (early 70's) and I remember it being the best ever, but of course everything seems more awesome when you're a kid.
NC, what was the water park called where there was the big hill with all the slides going down in all directions? They had a wave pool there before anyone. We loved that place too.
Posted 2 years ago # -
SippingTea
offlineMemberI grew up in Colorado Springs. Going to Elitch's in the summer was a once a year treat for me in the 70's. Very fond memories of that old wooden roller coaster.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberbelieve it or not my family used to own Elitch's Gardens...it was in my family for almost 100 years. Times changed...life happened...family was forced out of original location by the mob...seriously...it was downhill from there. Big fat mess...park got sold to 6 Flags and since then its changed hands a few times. That's why I made the comment "great sadness". It was a fine establishment.
If you went to Denver now and to the original location you would not believe it - the only buildings that still stand are the theater and the shell of the Merry-Go-Round...all the rest is condos and random business establishments. If you didn't know an amusement park was once there you'd never guess it...
Oh, and Lakeside...I do believe that place still is going...last I heard. Funny - they were within a mile of each other. I was once grounded for going to Lakeside in the 60's to see the Beachboys...they were there in concert. I only was there a couple of other times. Difference was Lakeside was built to be an amusement park...the amusement park at Elitch's evolved over time...
The theater is the biggest heart break - it was a fine old structure but to restore it would literally cost millions...people keep trying to raise the $$ to have it restored but I say let the fine lady go...it was a grand place back in the day and the site of many wonderful productions. It has been deemed "historical" as has the shell of the Merry-G0-Round so I suppose both will remain.
Oh, the stories I could tell...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberPGP...sure, I'd love to watch a soccer game with you at a local pub...which one? When?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberPGP...sure, I'd love to watch a soccer game with you at a local pub...which one? When?
Posted 2 years ago # -
pennygirl
offlineMemberNora...
I'm looking at fixtures and trying to figure out which one might work for a) a good match-up, and b) a type of play that might make it easy for me to explain to you what's going on. Thinking about it, a Premier League game might be better than a Euro qualifier.
OK! I'll work on it! (But it won't be at the Market Arms)
Paging Rudy - (or anyone else with an opinion) -do you have any thoughts on this? She can't watch Chelsea because it will be too one-sided. Wolves are out because they are too scrappy. No Man U just because they are Man U. Arsenal? Man City? Everton?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Bathos
offlineMemberNora,
Wow! Elitch's was my favorite place in the whole world when I was a kid. The theater, the Trocodero Ballroom, the old picnic pavillions, and actual gardens, made it so I really haven't loved an amusement park since. My grandparents lived in Arvada, so going to Elitch's was the best summer treat in the world. I loved all the old wooden rides (and still love only wooden roller coasters) like the big airplanes on a swing that you could steer with a rudder. If you got them swinging in an out you could hit the trees with your feet.It's hard to explain to people who've only been to places like Disneyland and Wild Wives, but Elitch's was truely a special place. Even when you were in the theater and it was 110degrees inside and everyone tried to sit in front of the old electric fans.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberBathos - As you can imagine I spent a lot of time at Elitch's...sometimes when I'm at the Locks I think about Elitch's - all the people - the bell ringing when the bridges are parting, the dude on the loud speaker...makes me think of the park (Elitch's) on a busy evening. I can clearly see, hear and smell the "midway"...walking up from the theater to the roller coaster...passing the confectionary where they used to make taffy and cotton candy. There was usually a big band in the "Troc" so there was that sound as well. The clacking of the chain on the roller coaster as the car would ascend that first hill...oh my, oh my...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Laura
offlineMemberNora, My husband, born and raised in Denver and a trumpet player, remembers playing at the Troc for big band dances. I recall a small version of Mister Twister for little kids (which I was) - does that ring a bell? I may have it mixed up with some other amusement park. I was too petrified of the big rides so would never have gone on Mister Twister!
You might get a kick out of this link:
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberLaura...how old is your husband? Just curious...
Yes, there was a small version of the roller coaster there for a couple of years. That's the only one I'd go on for a couple of seasons...finally went on the "big coaster" Never really liked Mr. Twister though - I liked the original coaster the best. Spent hours on that ride once I got over my fear of it. Is your husband old enough to remember Pogo Pog (the d.j. who did a marathon of riding the roller coaster?) He rode it straight for like 3 days without ever getting off. (except to do the necessities of life, I'm sure).
Wowzer...the Troc...what a beautiful ballroom it was. Did you know that part of the Glen Miller Story was filmed there? Back in the day...
Posted 2 years ago # -
luluseattle
offlineMemberGrew up in Colorado, Elitch's was my weekend playground! Moved to Seattle in 1989, have family in Denver...visit often! Yes, Elitch's moved from the burbs to downtown Denver- great use of unused property- an asset to the neighborhood, plus it looks so damn cool at night with all their lights in downtown! Long live Mister Twister!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nora Charles
offlineMemberluluseattle, yes the lights of Elitch's at its present location do look amazing but, for me, Elitch's will always be on 38th and Tennyson.
Can you imagine - people actually dropped their kids off there for the entire day...people felt safe there...it was safe there...now days that just wouldn't happen...for the most part people don't feel that leaving their children in a big public place is safe...sadly, it isn't.
Memories abound...
Posted 2 years ago # -
neudl
offlineMemberI was born and raised in Denver and have the fondest memories of the old Elitch Gardens. The Mister Twister, still in my mind the best wooden roller coaster ever, the Wildcat (smaller wood coaster), log ride (and the gum tree where people waiting in line stuck their chewed gum). It was a real old-style park, with big shade trees, skee ball, haunted house. When I was in college it was bought by six flags and moved to a location by I-25. All of its charm was lost. No gardens. No theater. No trees. No Mister Twister. I went once or twice, but it wasn't Elitch Gardens anymore. My parents would buy us tickets, and we were free to enjoy the park. They would take in a play at the theater. Different times back then.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Laura
offlineMemberNora, Rich was born in 1946 started taking trumpet lessons at age 7 and began playing professionally around age 18. He remembers playing at the Troc in the mid-60s for the Jay Wieder band and wearing a powder blue tux! He doesn't remember Pogo Pog, but this thread did bring up a lot of memories about Jay Wieder and his band mates.
I've never been to the new location of Elitch's. I just don't think it could be the same as it was and I know I would be disappointed by it.
Posted 2 years ago #
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