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<\/a>1886<\/strong> – The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad opens the Lake Park Bathing Resort<\/span> on the shore of the Great Salt Lake, not far west of Farmington. Construction began at the end of June with ambitious plans to open on July 15th, but the resort isn’t ready to welcome guests until July 26th when it hosts a special excursion for national members of the G.A.R. fraternal organization. Lake Park opened to the public on 27 July 1886.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1895<\/strong> – The lake’s water levels recede drastically and Lake Park closes<\/span> permanently by the end of the season. Vice president and part owner, Simon Bamberger, makes plans for a new resort farther inland using buildings from Lake Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1896<\/strong> – The new Lagoon<\/span> Resort opens in Farmington at what was then the end of the Bamberger Railway commuter line connecting to Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1906<\/strong> – Shoot-The-Chutes<\/span> opens as Lagoon’s first thrill ride. The first Davis County Fair<\/a> is held at Lagoon in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1907<\/strong> – The Scenic Railway<\/span> is introduced – Lagoon’s first roller coaster<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1908<\/strong> – The Bamberger Railway reaches Ogden<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1911<\/strong> – Horse races begin at the new Race Track<\/span><\/a> north of the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1916<\/strong> – Simon Bamberger is elected Utah’s governor<\/span>. He is the state’s first democratic governor and the second Jewish governor in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1918<\/strong> – An electric-powered Carousel<\/span><\/a> from California replaces an older one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1920<\/strong> – Farmington Creek floods<\/a> in the spring leaving two feet of mud in the swimming area. It was cleared out in time for the regular opening on Memorial Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1921<\/strong> – The Scenic Railway is replaced by the new Lagoon Dipper designed by John A. Miller. Over the years it has been known by many names and today it’s simply called the Roller Coaster<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1927<\/strong> – A new Swimming Pool<\/span> with “water fit to drink” opens just north of Lagoon Lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1929<\/strong> – The Davis County Fair<\/a> begins to take place annually at Lagoon until 1942.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1941<\/strong> – The Flying Scooters<\/a><\/span> (known as Flying Aces today) are installed east of the Carousel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1943<\/strong> – Lagoon closes during World War II<\/span>. The buildings fall into disrepair and the gardens are overtaken with weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1946<\/strong> – The park re-opens<\/span> under a lease by the Utah Amusement Corporation, consisting of Ranch S. Kimball and the Freed brothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1947<\/strong> – Many new buildings are added and further improvements<\/span> are made on rides and around the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1948<\/strong> – Lagoon begins pre-season openings on weekends before the regular summer season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1952<\/strong> – Passenger traffic on the Bamberger Railway<\/span> ends. The line is used for freight for a few years before shutting down permanently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1953<\/strong> – A tragic fire<\/a> on the night of November 14th destroys the Dancing Pavilion, Fun House, part of the Roller Coaster and the west side of the Midway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1954<\/strong> – An ambitious rebuilding effort<\/a> allows the park to re-open on time with several new rides such as the Rock-O-Plane<\/a>, Octopus<\/a>, Spook House<\/a> and Tilt-A-Whirl<\/a>. The biggest addition is the Patio Gardens<\/a> which will showcase many of the top performers in entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1956<\/strong> – Mother Gooseland<\/a> opens with new rides, play areas and food offerings just for kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1957<\/strong> – A brand new Fun House<\/a><\/span> is completed a few years after the first one burned down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1958<\/strong> – Lagoon management begins leasing the old Rainbow Randevu ballroom in Salt Lake City. They opened it under the name Danceland, but it was soon changed to The Terrace<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1959<\/strong> – A miniature Showboat<\/a> begins taking guests around Lagoon Lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1960<\/strong> – Following the popularity of Disneyland’s Autopia, Lagoon opens their own sprawling automobile ride called Speedway<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1962<\/strong> – Golf-Fun<\/a>, a professionally-designed miniature golf course opens between the Midway and the picnic terraces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1965<\/strong> – The Midway expands<\/a> on the north end to include a wooden Wild Mouse<\/a> coaster, new games and a fountain dedicated to Julian Bamberger (son of Simon Bamberger), who owned the park for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1966<\/strong> – The Davis County Fair<\/a> returns to Lagoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1967<\/strong> – Terroride<\/a> opens in place of the old Spook House<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1968<\/strong> – Opera House Square<\/a> opens with Victorian era buildings and shops. Plays presented in the Opera House starred University of Utah drama students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1970 <\/strong>– Weekly concerts at the Patio Gardens<\/a> come to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1971<\/strong> – A spacious campground<\/span> is added south of the park. Ranch S. Kimball sells his business interests to the Freeds and retires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1974<\/strong> – An additional dark ride, Dracula’s Castle<\/a>, opens in part of the old Patio Gardens building and the Sky Ride<\/a> is added. Park manager Robert Freed passes away in July as a result of cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1975<\/strong> – Log Flume<\/a> and Wild Kingdom Train open at Lagoon after being purchased from the unsuccessful Pixieland Park in Oregon. MORE 1975<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1976<\/strong> –\u00a0Pioneer Village<\/a> opens in its new home on the east side of Lagoon after being relocated from Salt Lake City. The park’s first steel coaster, a Schwarzkopf Jet Star 2<\/a>, is brought in after operating at Expo ’74 in Spokane, Washington. MORE 1976<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1977<\/strong> – Two new bumper car rides are introduced – Boomerang<\/a> and the smaller Scamper<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1979<\/strong> – Tri-Star<\/a> opens next to Jet Star 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1980<\/strong> – Tidal Wave<\/a> is added on the edge of Lagoon Lake. A new main entrance building opens along with a new admission policy requiring purchase of an all day passport. MORE 1980<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1981<\/strong> – Golf-Fun becomes Putter Around The Park<\/a> and includes obstacles based on popular Lagoon rides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1982<\/strong> – UFO<\/a> opens for one season. A new amphitheater<\/a> featuring live entertainment opens south of Roller Coaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1983<\/strong> – Mudslides<\/a> in the spring force mounds of debris into the park and cause the park to close for a few days. Colossus<\/a> finds a permanent home at Lagoon after traveling in a carnival around Europe for a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1984<\/strong> – Heavy snowfall during the off-season destroys the European Carousel<\/a> and Red Baron<\/a> is introduced as a replacement. The Whirlwind<\/a> spends a season at the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1985<\/strong> – Mother Gooseland<\/a> becomes Kiddie Land and the old Kiddie Coaster<\/a> is replaced by Puff, The Little Fire Dragon<\/a>. Cyclone<\/a> operates for a single year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1986<\/strong> – Relocation of the Davis County Fair<\/a> allows further expansion of the Midway. Additions to the new area are the Flying Carpet<\/a> and the refurbished Flying Aces<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1987<\/strong> – Lagoon celebrates 100 years<\/a> and adds two rides – Turn Of The Century<\/a> and Centennial Screamer<\/a>. The Swimming Pool closes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1988<\/strong> – The Sun ‘N’ Fun Theatre<\/a> opened next to Game Time with sea lion and high diving shows. MORE 1988<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1989<\/strong> – Lagoon-A-Beach<\/a><\/span> opens, replacing the former Swimming Pool. Final season of shows in the Opera House<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1991<\/strong> – Sky Scraper<\/a><\/span> opens and becomes the park’s first ride to surpass 100 feet in height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1992<\/strong> – For better accessibility<\/span>, ride queues and walkways are modified to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1993<\/strong> – The parking lot is enlarged and reconfigured with a new Auto Gate<\/span> at the southwest corner. Work begins on the new Lagoon Trail<\/a> which will provide a buffer between homes on Main Street and a new eastward expansion of the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1994<\/strong> – Hydro-Luge<\/a> is installed east of Flying Carpet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1995<\/strong> – Sky Coaster<\/a><\/span> opens as an up-charge attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1996<\/strong> – A second up-charge attraction, Top Eliminator Dragsters<\/a>, opens in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1997<\/strong> – Rattlesnake Rapids<\/a><\/span> is added to Pioneer Village, becoming Lagoon’s most expensive ride up to that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1998<\/strong> – A new, steel Wild Mouse<\/a> is installed in the location of the old wooden Wild Mouse. The last section of the Lagoon Trail<\/a> is completed in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1999<\/strong> – The Rocket<\/a> opens, pushing Lagoon’s skyline just over 200 feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2000<\/strong> – Lagoon’s up-charge attractions become known as the X-Venture Zone<\/a> with the addition of Double Thunder Raceway<\/a>. Samurai<\/a><\/span> replaces the Flying Carpet and the popular, but aging Speedway, Sr.<\/a> closes for good at the end of the season. MORE 2000<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2001<\/strong> – Cliffhanger<\/a><\/span> is installed on part of what used to be Speedway, Sr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2002<\/strong> – The Catapult<\/a><\/span> is added to the X-Venture Zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2003<\/strong> – The Spider<\/a><\/span> opens on another section of land once occupied by Speedway, Sr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2004<\/strong> – Kiddieland is updated and two rides are introduced – The Dragonfly<\/a><\/span> and Kontiki<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2005<\/strong> – The Bat<\/a><\/span> replaces the old Lake Park Pavilion<\/a> which had been reconstructed out of a building that originated at Lake Park in 1886.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2006<\/strong> – Dinosaur Drop and Ladybug Bop<\/a><\/span> are added to Kiddieland and Bulgy The Whale and Sky Fighter are relocated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2007<\/strong> – Wicked<\/a><\/span>, a new, one-of-a-kind launch coaster, opens in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2008<\/strong> – A new water ride, OdySea<\/a><\/span>, opens next to the Opera House. Putter Around The Park closes permanently at the end of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2009<\/strong> – <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>