Enchanted Forest Water Safari
| Previously known as The Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks (1956-1988) | |
 The park's front gate. | |
| Location | Old Forge, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Opened | July 7, 1956 |
| Website | watersafari |
Enchanted Forest Water Safari (originally, The Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks) is an amusement park in Old Forge, New York.[1]
History
The park was opened as The Enchanted Forest of the Adirondacks in 1956 by A. Richard Cohen, a hardware store owner and commissioner for the Adirondack Authority in charge of the development of ski centres on Whiteface and Gore mountains. When opened, it had 35 employees and encompassed 35 acres (140,000 m2) of swampland. Admission was $1 for adults and 25¢ for children. Over time, the park expanded in size to its present 60 acres (240,000 m2).[1]
The design for the park, incorporating a large circus tent and a series of houses with themes from children's nursery rhymes and fairy tales, was based upon research by Cohen's daughter and wife, whom he sent to several amusement parks across the country to study how they worked. Concept watercolor paintings for the park were done by Russell Patterson, who also worked on the designs of the several individual fairy tale houses in the park.[1]
The only mechanical ride at the park in 1956 was a train, the Enchanted Forest Express, that traveled around the park. However, this changed during the 1960s when rides were introduced to the park.[1]
In 1977, Cohen sold the park to the Noonan family. In 1988, the park's name was changed to Enchanted Forest Water Safari, as a result of the popularity of the Wild Waters Water Park (two 350-foot (110 m) waterslides) that had been added in 1984.[1]
Rides and attractions
Water rides
- Amazon - A 1,100-foot (340 m) family tube ride through a jungle.
- Black River - A 500-foot-long (150 m) double tube slide that is completely dark for the whole ride, excluding a few sections with air-holes on the slide.
- Bombay Blasters - Two fully enclosed non-racing body slides, one a bit taller than the other, that end with a splash in Lake Nakura.
- Cascade Falls - A 500-foot (150 m) family tube ride that's full of twists and turns, ending in a pool at the bottom.
- Curse of the Silverback - New for 2009, the Silverback is a "toilet-bowl" type double-tube ride that starts with a first fully enclosed drop, then emerges into spiral around a bowl before the second drop which ends in a small pool.
- Kid Wash - A car-wash themed walk-through ride for the little ones.
- Killermanjaro - Killermanjaro is a fast speed slide featuring a 280-foot (85 m) drop (consisting of a pre-drop and then a second drop) that reaches speeds near 30 mph (48 km/h).
- Lake Nakura - A safari-themed area featuring a small free-swim swimming pool and a second pool where swimmers test their strength crossing a ropes course to the other side. The third pool is the splash zone for the Bombay Blasters and Nairobi Narrows.
- Log Jammer - A lazy-river type ride that includes a mini-wavepool.
- Nairobi Narrows - Two parallel short but steep body slides that end in Lake Nakura.
- Pygmy Pond - A children's area featuring small slides and some swings; also three slides for small children where one can optionally slide on a mat or tube on the mini-bombay blaster.
- Raging Rapids - A fast and bumpy single-tube ride down 700 feet (210 m) with caves and waterfalls.
- Rondaxe Run - Another double-tube slide featuring a number of enclosed and open sections with loads of waterfalls and banked turns in between.
- Safari River Expedition - A more relaxing lazy river, compared to Log Jammer, with a few waterfalls and water spouts!
- Sawmill - A small area where families can climb up towers and choose the slides they want to go on. The sawmill features two slides for children, a slightly more intense one, and at the top, a very curvy slide. At the bottom of the sawmill, there are jets and water spouts to play with. Every so often the log at the top of the sawmill will dump water over everyone in the splash zone.
- Serengeti Surf Hill - A speedy race where performed on mats, where up to four participants race. A 5th lane is currently not in use.
- The Shadow - Two fully enclosed, transparent and speedy slides ending in a pool.
- Tadpole Hole - Only for children, it is similar to the Serengeti Surf Hill, but without the mat—children sit down and race each other to the bottom. A mushroom sits at the bottom.
- Tidal Wave Pool - A 1/4 acre wave pool with waves up to four feet tall.
Amusement rides
- Boats - Just for children.
- Bumper Cars
- Carousel - A carousel built in 1920 and debuted in 1975.
- Enchanted Forest Express - A railroad that offers views of the entire park.
- Ferris Wheel - A classic Ferris wheel that fits up to two people per car.
- Flivver Cars - Kiddie cars that take one around the back of the park.
- Helicopters - A helicopter ride where participants can choose how high they want to go.
- Rock-o-planes - A Ferris wheel with seats that flip upside down. On most of the cars one can control the position.
- Round-up - A spinning ride standing up, as gravity holds riders to their seats, the ride tilts.
- Scrambler - A classic scrambler ride that spins riders.
- Sky Ride - An elevated ride that goes slowly across the park and back.
- Tilt-a-whirl
Modern Water Safari and Calypso's Cove
Among amusement and water rides, Enchanted Forest presently includes 32 heated water rides, including Curse of the Silverback, Killermanjaro, The Shadow, Black River and Rondaxe Run. The park features two circus shows (at noon and at 4 pm), a petting zoo, an Enchanted Forest Water Safari museum and multiple video game arcades and side show games throughout the park. Adjoining the park is the Calypso's Cove which includes an arcade, go-carts, children's go-carts, rock climbing, mini-golf, batting cages, bumper boats, and a zip line.
Other information
The park has a no smoking policy, but areas are designated for those who wish to smoke. Dogs on leashes are allowed in the park.
References
Further reading
- Donald R. Williams (2006). Adirondack Ventures, (NY). Arcadia Publishing. pp. 63–64. ISBN 0738545600.