Goodbye Coney Island, So Long Knoebels: This Nostalgic Amusement Park Is An Underrated Lakeside Charmer

Long before theme parks relied on expensive screen-based attractions, record-breaking roller coasters, and land built around popular intellectual properties, summer joy was simple: The clack of a wooden roller coaster going up a lift hill, the glow of hand-strung neon, and families laughing while eating funnel cake. For decades, iconic parks, such as New York City's Coney Island and Pennsylvania's Knoebels, held a tight grip on amusement park's nostalgic heart. But out in the Rocky Mountains, just outside of downtown Denver, is an underrated historic park that can hold its own against its East Coast counterparts: Lakeside Amusement Park, the oldest park in Colorado still in operation. 

Situated on the southeastern shore of Lake Rhoda, this amusement park doesn't get the same recognition as Coney Island or Knoebels, but Lakeside's history is just as storied. The park opened in 1908 as a White City, a type of amusement park known for its white facades. While most of the White City amusement parks are gone, Lakeside Amusement Park managed to survive, even as the city grew up around it. Today, after nearly 120 years in business, Lakeside Amusement Park continues to be a summertime tradition for Denver area families, with classic rides surrounded by classic art deco architecture.  

According to Costerpedia, there are 20 rides and attractions scattered throughout the park, including three roller coasters. The main one is Pinfari, a classic steel coaster that echoes the familiar clack of a wooden coaster. It may not be nearly as flashy as the modern-day coasters dominating today's theme parks, but its nostalgic nature makes it a favorite among visitors. Before Pinfari, the park's signature coaster was Cyclone, which opened in 1940 and operated for 82 years until its closing in 2022. Many longtime parkgoers have fond memories of the ride. "I have no doubts that at least one person has broken a bone on the Cyclone, a very rough, but charming old wooden coaster," a reviewer wrote on Tripadvisor.

To truly experience the nostalgia of Lakeside, guests should take a ride on the Lakeshore Railroad, a miniature railway that first operated at the 1904 World's Fair in Missouri. The station sits inside a white clock tower, and the train takes riders around Lake Rhoda for a scenic view of the park. Lakeside Amusement Park may not compare to America's largest free-admission amusement park, Knoebels, nor does it have tons of thrilling seaside rides like Coney Island, but, like Arnolds Park, one of America's oldest nostalgic amusement parks in Iowa, what it does have is a loyal, local fanbase that continues to make it a summertime tradition. As one Tripadvisor reviewer put it, "This place is a blast, and the vintage feel is amazing."

Admission to Lakeside Amusement park is just $5 per person and for visitors who also want to go on the rides, tickets are $35 per person with a height requirement of 48 inches and $25 for those under 48 inches. The park is situated about 15 minutes from downtown Denver and about 30 minutes from Denver International Airport (DEN).