Lakeside Amusement Park - Denver, Colorado - Family-Oriented Theme and Amusement Park

Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-oriented theme and amusement park located in the major city of Denver, Colorado. It is a large-scale facility that not only offers an extensive selection of rides that fit the sensibilities and tastes of the entire family, but also offers plenty of other attractions as well including midway games, a video arcade, and free entertainment. It is also notable for being home to a number of historic amusement park rides, including two miniature steam engines that were originally featured at St. Louis's World Fair in 1904 and have been a part of Lakeside itself since the park's opening in 1908.

The main collection of rides spans the traditional selection and variety most people have come to expect from an amusement park. One of the most popular of these is The Dragon, a steel roller coaster designed especially for thrill seekers. For those who like roller coasters, but prefer a milder experience, there is the Chipmunk. The very popular Cyclone Coaster was featured as one of the Discovery Channel's top ten roller coasters in 2003. The Zoom is also a highly popular attraction and treats riders to a 140-foot drop that is sure to get anyone's pulse pounding.

Some rides treat riders to a spinning motion, such as the tilt-a-whirl, the Scrambler, the Matterhorn, and the Round-Up. Others revolve around recreating the sensation of flying, such as the Flying Dutchman and the Hurricane. Traditional amusement park favorites are well represented as well and include such attractions as a majestic Ferris wheel, a beautifully-carved carousel, a bumper car arena, and the Sports Cars.

There is also a section of Lakeside Amusement Park that is dedicated specifically to attractions built for younger visitors. Some of the rides featured here - such as the Kiddie Coaster, the Kiddie Whip, and the Kiddie Ferris Wheel - are meant to be pint-sized, milder versions of some of the popular adult-oriented favorites located elsewhere in the park. Others are unique attractions in their own right and include the Wet Boats, the Turtles, the Space Ride, the Midge-O-Racer, and the Granny Bug. The rides in this section of the park are meant for children under 7 years of age and under 100 pounds in weight.

Food options available span a wide selection of traditional amusement park favorites. These include main course fare such as pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. Grab and go snacks that can be eaten while visitors continue to stroll around the park and enjoy the atmosphere include ice cream, popcorn, sno-cones, soft pretzels, and cotton candy.

Lakeside Amusement Park is also notable for being a very reasonably priced option when it comes to family entertainment. Gate admission is very inexpensive - only a few dollars. Access to rides and attractions within the park itself is obtained through the purchase of additional tickets, allowing park goers to purchase as many or as few rides as they like during the course of their visit. For those who would rather purchase an unlimited rides wristband, this option is also available at an extremely reasonable price. For those thinking of visiting Lakeside as part of a larger group, special group pricing is available as well. For a list of current rates and specials, readers are encouraged to contact the park directly or visit their official website.