lakeside amusement park, lakeside, co
Lakeside Amusement Park is a historical time-capsule treasure, located in it’s very own city, Lakeside, CO, bordering Denver, Wheatridge & Arvada. It is one my favorites places in the world!
The Tower of Jewels, shown above, is now 100 years old and is built in the original Beaux Arts style from when the park was first created by Denver brewer Adolph Zang and friends in 1908!
Many cities across the nation created their own local versions of the 1893 World Exhibition and Fair of Chicago, all dubbed White City. They were all painted white
and covered head to toe in electric light bulbs, which would have been quite a sight
in that era!
But what makes Lakeside great is that is was purchased in the 1930s
by Benjamin Krasner, who then updated the park in elaborate
Art Deco & modernist styles which continued through to the 1960s.
It is amazing that this Krasner family still owns the park today and
has left the historical beauty of this park intact!
The ticket booths, the signs, the lettering are a treasure trove of
beautiful modernist designs.
Many of the late-1940s & 1950s era designs are by important
modernist architect Richard Crowther.
Richard Crowther designed some beautiful modernist homes around the Denver area, along with the Cooper Cinerama Theatre on Colorado Blvd.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Crowther House (401 Madison St), a gorgeous Cherry Creek modernist masterpiece, seems to be in constant danger of being scraped!
This is absolutely ridiculous, considering it is one of the most impressive buildings of it’s type in the state, on par with the Flying Saucer House in Gennessee, or the Mushroom House in Boulder!
Lakeside has an original Eyerly Aircraft Company Satellite ride!
Eyerly Aircraft Company also created the Loop O-Plane, the Roll O-Plane, the Rock O-Plane, & the much loved Octopus!
Even small gardening features at Lakeside look wonderful.
And Lakeside has plenty of shade from the hot Colorado sun. Look at this wild shade roof located in front of the Satellite.
This beautiful ghostly skeleton appearing through the trees is the original
Staride Ferris Wheel, from the old White City days.
Though this ride will probably never be restored, we can all thank the Krasner family for leaving it intact for those of us in later generations to appreciate!
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I am a hopeless Romantic of Lakeside. (White City) I have many old Photos from the 20s and even an original Post Card Stamped 1908. Two years ago I sneeked behind the old Ballroom and had a look around. From what I could tell, there was no visible way to enter but did find the remains of some of the Old Fun House stuff, along with a few old firetrucks rusting away. I also tried to gain access into the casino but was laughed at. Personally I think it a tragedy that this Park is in such decay. Email me if you would like to share some of these old picures I have.
Max
Thanks for your comments, I emailed you!
I think Lakeside needs a good face lift, with some old attractions reopened. The dance hall, cassino, fun house, spook house, along with some new rides.
Well, I agree we would all like to see the return of the Funhouse, and the main building with the Casino restored. I bet this WILL happen someday, as the city of Lakeside owns the mall property next to it, and they are doing a major rebuild on that as we speak. Hopefully, the income from that gives Lakeside the freedom to do as they please!
REDIT - she will return.
I remember spending hours in the funhouse as a kid. Nothing like being the last one left on the spinning disc or running through the barrels without falling. A lot of those things would be a liability nightmare now. I glad I was around to see it.
I was just there last weekend for the first time since I was a child, and the park is still very cool. It feels like a local amusement park, and not like a corporate-style resort park. The neon is just awesome, and I love that they still let you bring in food and picnic there…it is like a regular park with rides. Lots of trees and greenery everywhere.
I remember when I was a kid in the 60’s. Whenever my mom and dad mentioned going to Lakeside, it was like a dream come true. I haven’t been there for about 10 years but when I was there all of the memories of being young came flooding back. I remember the laughing lady at the fun house. She scared me to death! I loved riding the trains around the lake and still remember the speed boats out on Lake Rhoda. I also remember feeding the carp from the pier. I have a lot of good memories but I get a little meloncholy when every I see the place.