Denver's beloved, 130-year-old theme park Elitch Gardens is staffing up and preparing to open for the 2022 season.
Guests will have to wait a bit longer to visit the water park, which is open May 28 through Labor Day.
What's new at the park?
Last year, the park announced a new policy requiring people ages 15 and younger to be accompanied by an "adult chaperone" over the age of 21. Park guests ages 16 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone after 3 p.m. Per 9 News, the change is a response to "unsupervised and unruly teenagers" at the park last summer. You can read more about this rule on Elitch's website.
Elitch's has been bringing thrills and screams to Denver for more than 130 years. The park first opened in the West Highland neighborhood as a zoo and theater venue in 1890, and gradually transformed into an amusement park. In 1995, the park moved to its current, larger location in the Central Platte River Valley.
The future of the park became uncertain when, in 2018, current property owners Revesco Properties announced plans to redevelop the area as part of the River Mile project. A representative for the project said the ownership group is interested in finding a new home for the park. An official closure date and relocation site have yet to be announced, though in 2018 the group also teased that it'd likely be "many years" before the park is moved.
"The park will be in its current location for the foreseeable future," an Elitch Gardens spokesperson told Denverite in an email on April 26. "Park management has no details regarding potential new locations."
Park hours vary by day. Early bird season passes, which include free parking and a souvenir cup, sell for $74.99 per person through May 8, when they jump up to $184.99. Individual tickets can be purchased for $44.99 online or $64.99 at the gate. More information about tickets can be found online.
