Enchanted Forest (Gardens) (Friends) (Times)
Posted by: steve | From: July 27, 2005
Enchanted Forest is a wonderfully antiquated theme park just south of Salem, Oregon. It is truly a wonderful place that was created in the early 60s by one man, Roger Tofte. He designed the entire park, did the artwork, created the characters, and ran the park. The park is inexpensive and is in a beautiful heavily wooded hillside setting. It is such a fun place to be and marvel at the hand crafted care and delightfully imperfect characters. I had an amazing time there this weekend with two perfect theme park pals, Rebecca and Rachael.
Photos from the day on flickr.
Lists of wonderful things from Rebecca:
Abraham Lincoln
Fantasy Fountains
Woman who will Drown You
Haunted Teen
Dizzy House
Card Tricks
British Tom Waits bird
Speed Boats
Papa Bear
Juan from OG
and let's take it back to Terrible Waitress. The Gary, Judy, and Ashley family dinner
List of wonderful things from Rachael:
Pinnochio's workshop and how life-like Geppeto's hands were.
Everything miniature.
Bargain priced fair food.
Any fairy tale scene that was behind a wall of glass, and covered with dust.
The every-country puppet display.
Water show!
The neon-green water pouring from craggy rocks in the 7 dwarves mine.
Abraham Lincoln and his ring that says "I am Abraham Lincoln".
The skeletons who were supposed to be scary, but were singing in reallynerdy voices.
The little boy magician who said when he messed up: "No, you're gonna get an Ace."
The idea that maybe Tofte was hiding anywhere at anytime: "Maybe Tofte lives in that mini-shack up there, and he's watching us!"
How Tofte made all of the park's art, including site map.
How Tofte crafted the entire park of his own ingenuity, I love it.
Really, I loved anything that was covered with dust.
Also! The broken display of the Ice roller coaster.
You just can't create that kind of quaint ambience, it's cultivated through years of neglect to detail.
I would like to add wonderful things:
Bagel with Cockroach
Fuz Muppy "A Feel Good Critter" from the Doogie Dork Stories
Collection of civil war era clothes owned by Abraham Lincoln himself, who possibly lives in a motel with no belongings other than said civil war reproductions
the ticket taker at the Haunted House ride running in the house to be behind the door to scare us and him telling us "Close the door behind you."
digital lute
Long live Enchanted Forest. (click on image for video)
whoa, that video is amazing, it really brings it all back for me. I've been there SO MANY EFFING TIMES! I used to hop through the haunted house 'cause I knew which floorboards triggered the spooks. thank you, working parents, for sending me to a day camp that took frequent trips to this special place...
Posted by: sarah at July 28, 2005 4:22 PM
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Enchanted Forest! I used to go there with my cousins & I have wanted to go back for years. My mom and aunt kept trying to get me to go down the rabbit hole. Hell no, I was NOT going down there. Nor was I going into the Old Lady's Shoe. I was going to sit on the shady curb and eat a sno-cone, all of whose syrup had trickled down to the bottom. Ah, Enchanted Forest memories.
Posted by: Emily at July 27, 2005 6:42 PM