Adele Jordan

Review of Elitch Gardens - Denver, Color...

If you are a native Chicago and are old enough to ...

If you are a native Chicago and are old enough to remember Riverview, the grand old amusement park located south of Lane Tech High School, near Belmont and Western, that thrilled millions of patrons from 1904 to 1967 with attractions such as the Bobs roller coaster, Aladdin's Castle, Tunnel of Love, Pair-O-Chutes, Tilt-A-Whirl and Shoot the Chutes, you can appreciate Elitch Gardens Theme Park in Denver, Colorado. Opened in 1994, it covers 65 acres (Riverview covered 74 acres) and offers 53 rides, including six roller coasters. Over the years, it has undergone six managements, including the nationally known Six Flags, Inc., from 1999 to 2006, and has seen new rides come and go. One popular addition is Island Kingdom, a 20-acre family water park located next to the entrance of Elitch Gardens. It has several main attractions--a large tube slide tower, a family body slide tower, a family water playground, large family raft ride, a half pipe water attraction and a lazy river. On June 5, 2015 Stan Kroenke purchased the park with daily operation remaining under the control of Premier Parks, LLC. Unique for being located in a downtown area, Elitch Gardens Theme Park is open May through December. However, Kroenke has announced plans for a massive redevelopment project to take place sometime in the near future. Currently being called "The River Mile," it could require the amusement and water parks to be relocated elsewhere. Some of the rides remind old-time Chicagoans of Riverview. Such as Shipwreck Falls, a version of Shoot-the-Chutes that ends in a massive splash; Tower of Doom, a 210-foot drop tower that drops up to two groups of four people at a time; Big Wheel, a Ferris wheel ride over 100 feet tall; Carousel, a merry-go-round featuring 75 hand-carved horses and four chariots; Thunderbolt, an Alpine Bobs ride; Tilt-A-Whirl; Sea Dragon, a Viking longship that rocks back and forth, a park favorite; and Disaster Canyon, a white water rafting ride. For retirees, it's just a fun time to walk through the park and observe youngsters having fun on the rides.