{"id":14272,"date":"2022-05-28T15:41:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-28T21:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lagoonhistory.com\/project\/?p=14272"},"modified":"2026-02-23T20:06:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T03:06:05","slug":"the-new-lagoon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lagoonhistory.com\/project\/the-new-lagoon\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Lagoon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is the second in a two-part series about the 1953 fire<\/a> and the \u201cNew Lagoon\u201d that rose from the ashes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We could see our entire business going down the drain that morning of the fire. But actually, it created a situation that forced us to remodel not only the burned out area but the entire midway.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter the fire our crews went on overtime and rebuilt much of Lagoon. We opened on schedule the following May with every board in place.”<\/p>\nRobert E. Freed, former Lagoon manager<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lagoon re-opened for a “pre-season pre-vue” in early May 1954, a little less than six months after an expansive stretch of the park burned to the ground. In that short time, nearly all of the damaged rides and buildings had been repaired or replaced. Formal opening ceremonies were held later that month at the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the rebuilt Roller Coaster on 28 May 1954. Photo: J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections, University Of Utah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dignitaries in attendance included Maurine Parker (Miss Utah), Governor J. Bracken Lee and mayors and city officials from around Davis County, Ogden and Salt Lake City. Cutting the ribbon at the new entrance was Joseph S. Clark who used to own part of the land Lagoon sits on and sold it to Simon Bamberger in the 1890s, and who was also at the first Lagoon opening. Below is a list of what changes could be found by guests returning for the 1954 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1954 ADDITIONS & IMPROVEMENTS<\/h6>\n\n\n\n