Elitch Gardens Theme Park
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| Location | Denver, Colorado, United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°45′2″N 105°0′40″W / 39.75056°N 105.01111°WCoordinates: 39°45′2″N 105°0′40″W / 39.75056°N 105.01111°W |
| Owner | Stanley Kroenke |
| Operated by | Premier Parks, LLC |
| Opened | 1890 (original location) 1995 (current location) |
| Previous names |
Elitch Zoological Gardens 1890 to 1900 Elitch Gardens 1900 to 1998, 2007 to present |
| Operating season | May - October |
| Area | 65 acres (260,000 m2) total |
| Rides | |
| Total | 53 |
| Roller coasters | 6 |
| Water rides | 2 |
| Website | http://www.elitchgardens.com |
Elitch Zoological Gardens 1890 to 1900 Elitch Gardens 1900 to 1998, 2007 to present
Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park, locally known as "Elitch's", is an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. It is owned by Stanley Kroenke and operated by Premier Parks, LLC. Elitch Gardens is unique in that it is located in a downtown area and is open May through October.
As space was getting scarce at the original location of Elitch Gardens at 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street, the Gurtler family and their financial partners purchased a 67.7-acre (274,000 m2) plot of land in the Platte River valley near downtown Denver for the price of $6.1 million in June 1994. $90 million was spent relocating some rides from the original park and construction of the new park. The money was from a mix of public and private dollars and various loans.
On October 1, 1994, the original park closed its gates forever and a majority of the rides were moved to the new property. On May 27, 1995, the new Elitch Gardens opened up to lower than expected crowds. Attendance was weaker than the expected 1.2 million guests the park aimed for. Some notable rides at the park's opening were the original Carousel and Sidewinder roller coaster, relocated from the old park; and a new version of the Mister Twister, the Twister II.
In October, 1996, the Gurtler family and its partners sold the park to growing theme park operator Premier Parks for $65 million.
Premier noted the lackluster figures the new park had in its first two seasons and new additions were soon rushed in for the park's third season. The first and most notable addition was the park's third roller coaster, Mind Eraser, a Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster. The next big addition was Tower of Doom, an Intamin freefall ride that stands at 220 feet (67 m). Also added was the park's 700-seat Trocadero Theater, named after the famous ballroom and dance hall at the original park. The price tag for these additions came to a total of $28 million.
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