Enchanted Forest (Oregon)

The Enchanted Forest is an amusement park located in Turner, Oregon, next to Interstate 5 just south of Salem. Creator Roger Tofte opened the park in 1971 after seven years of construction. Today, the Tofte family still owns and operates the 20-acre (8.1 ha) park.[1]

Enchanted Forest
Main entrance
Location8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates44.833085°N 123.008249°W / 44.833085; -123.008249
OwnerTofte family
Opened1971
Websiteenchantedforest.com

History

In 2006, the Challenge of Mondor ride was added featuring dragons and monsters.[2] The original 1968 Humpty Dumpty display was damaged in July 2014 and was replaced in August 2014 with a new sculpture of the character.[3]

Attractions

The park is divided into various districts. Storybook Lane has attractions inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Mother Goose, and Grimms' Fairy Tales. Also featured are the English Village and its lighted fountain show, the Tofteville Mining Town, and a food service court featuring Bavarian architecture. Augmenting the park are attractions such as the Ice Mountain Bobsleds roller coaster, the Haunted House, and the Big Timber log ride, the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.[4] The Challenge of Mondor is an ETF Ride Systems indoor trackless interactive ride featuring dragons and monsters.[2]

Enchanted Forest also features a "Summer Comedy Theater," which showcases original musical plays based on classic fairy tales, written by Susan Vaslev (Daughter of Roger Tofte).

The park is open on a seasonal schedule: opening in late March, weekends only in April, daily from May to Labor Day, and then weekends only through September. Over 100,000 visitors come to the park each year.[1] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Enchanted Forest did not open as scheduled for the 2020 season. The Enchanted Forest opened daily beginning June 26th during COVID-19 restrictions with reduced capacity and COVID-19 safety practices in place.[5]

References
  1. Ozug, Matt (August 9, 2018). "How A Labor Of Love Grew Into An 'Enchanted Forest' In Oregon". NPR.
  2. "Another challange [sic] for ETF Ride systems in Salem, USA" (Press release). ETF Ride Systems. 7 June 2008. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  3. Killen, Dave (August 26, 2014). "Humpty Dumpty returns to Enchanted Forest, defying incompetence of King's horses and men". The Oregonian. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  4. "Rides Information". Enchanted Forest. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  5. "Updated List of Coronavirus Theme Park Closures". Coaster101. 13 March 2020.
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