Heritage Square (Golden, Colorado)
General Store building
(originally Magic Mountain Play House) |
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| Location | Golden, Colorado, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°42′48.67″N 105°12′44.14″W / 39.7135194°N 105.2122611°WCoordinates: 39°42′48.67″N 105°12′44.14″W / 39.7135194°N 105.2122611°W |
| Owner | Lafarge |
| Opened | 1959 (reopened 1971) |
| Previous names | Magic Mountain |
| Operating season | All Year, Seasonal (Amusement Rides) |
| Rides | |
| Total | Alpine Slide, Go Karts, Bumper boats, Swan Style Paddle Boats, Rio Golden Train, Kiddie Rides, Magic Shows, |
| Roller coasters | Kiddie Coaster |
| Website | http://heritagesquare.info |
Heritage Square is a Storybook Victorian theme park shopping village at Golden, Colorado. It was originally built as Magic Mountain in 1957-59 by a group spearheaded by prominent Wheat Ridge businessman Walter Francis Cobb and Denver sculptor John Calvin Sutton. They hired Marco Engineering, Inc., led by original Disneyland vice president C.V. Wood Jr. to build the theme park, the earliest known to have attempted to spread the theme park industry beyond Disneyland. Several veteran Hollywood art directors who worked on Disneyland created the design of Magic Mountain, led by MGM veteran Wade B. Rubottom and Disney veteran Dick Kelsey. The park is one of the world's foremost and best-preserved examples of Storybook design, a form of architecture translating to real life the stage and cinematic arts. Although Magic Mountain collapsed in 1960, it was eventually reopened by Woodmoor Corporation as Heritage Square in 1971. Today it features a collection of artisan shops, children's rides, the second alpine slide outside a ski resort in North America, the Heritage Square Music Hall, Rio Golden train, and more. Admission is free, and it is open year-round. While much of Heritage Square will be closing after the 2015 season, the Victorian Event Center and The Amusement Park, including the Garden Grill and picnic areas, will remain open.
Walter Francis Cobb, noting the great possibilities of family entertainment that the theme park concept had to offer, teamed up in 1952 with John Calvin Sutton to create such a place for Denver area residents to enjoy. The great success of Disneyland further fueled their ambitions, and in May 1957 they incorporated Magic Mountain, Inc., a stock offering company, for investment to build the new theme park.
At first the new theme park targeted the northeastern alcove of South Table Mountain just east of Golden, Colorado to build, and purchased 460 acres (1.9 km2) of land to do so. The park's original concept at this location included a rainbow gateway guarded by giant genies, an enchanted forest, a Queen's Castle towering atop the mountain with an Old World court and fountains, themed refreshment stands including a pumpkin, polar bear and locomotive serving snacks via miniature train, a seafood ship, and a monorail. However, this site met with sharp and unexpected opposition from the nearby residents of the new subdivision of Applewood, who objected to the impacts of the development including traffic and building on the scenic mountain. Cobb soon complied with the community's wishes and walked away to an alternative location. Eventually this original location would become partly Rolling Hills Country Club and (upon the mountain) preserved scenic open space.
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Wikipedia