Lagoon Amusement Park359

Lagoon Amusement Park is one of the few family-owned amusement parks left in the United States. The park opened in 1886 in an area right next to the Great Salt Lake. It gets its current name from a body of water that sits on the south end of the park.

With rides like the Merry go Round (built in 1893), the classic roller coaster, the Wicked roller coaster (launching riders up and over a 110 foot tower), and the daring Rocket, Lagoon Amusement Park has the bases covered for kid personalities ranging from the timid to the brave, and children under 50" tall will also find rides designed just for them. The park tries to add about a ride a year, so there's always something new to bring families back year after year. Between rides, you can try to win a prize or two at one of the hundreds of games scattered throughout the park, or grab a bite from one of the numerous food vendors hawking burgers and fries, BBQ, and sandwiches.

A refreshing dunk at Lagoon A Beach is just the thing on a hot summer day. The water park covers six acres. Older members of the family can run white water rapids on a tube, play in the lazy river, or catch some speed on the many different water slides available. Smaller kids can romp on Castaway Island. Lockers, bathrooms, and changing rooms are located within the water park. Lagoon A Beach time is included with the purchase of an all day ride pass. Tube rental costs extra.

Whether or not you spend time in Lagoon A Beach, you should definitely plan to get wet. Between the water park, several water rides, and a large splash fountain, people rarely make it through the day with dry clothes.

While we really enjoyed our day at Lagoon, we found the park map confusing and frustrating. The rides were listed in no particular order (at least no order that we could discern). There was also no indication on the map of what the ride height restrictions were, leaving us to wander the park all day with our short (but brave) kid only to find out there were no large roller coasters she could ride. Kiddie Land had plenty of rides for short kids, but we only found a few bigger rides scattered throughout the park for our little brave one.

We suggest making your trip on a weekday or on Sunday, when the park is less crowded, and plan on spending at least eight hours or more to allow enough time to enjoy everything the park has to offer. Don't forget your sunscreen!

Season passports make frequent visits a little less painful for the wallet. For the 2009 season, Jan 5-Jun 7 passports for groups of four or more are $84.95 each, one to three people, $94.95 each; Jun 8-Sep 20 passports for four or more are $95.95 each, one to three people, $105.95 each. Season parking passes are available for $45.

Note that X Adventure Zone, which consists of the Double Thunder Raceway, Skycoaster, Top Eliminator, and the Catapult rides, are not included in the all day ride pass.

Lagoon also houses an RV Park and Campground, with campsites that range from basic tent sites, to spots that have electricity and or water, to full hookups for an RV. Other amenities include General Store, laundry, restrooms with showers, pay phones, a Subway Sandwich shop for quick meals, an ice cream shop for a cool treat, and a walking/biking trail. Prices range from $28-$34 per night; extra fees apply for additional vehicles and people (four years or older).