8 Reasons Why Utah’s ‘Lagoon’ Should Star in Your Next Vacation
Disneyland, Disney World, Universal Studios…there are amusement parks all over the world, helping millions of guests make memorable experiences. Though the Mouse and the Minions are great places to visit and their theme parks are internationally famous, there are plenty of others that are just as fun and unique as these big-time entertainment destinations.
Among those “others”, one that stands out is none other than Utah’s own ‘Lagoon’. Located in Farmington, this fantastic place may not be as well-known as some of its fellow theme parks, but it bears a charm and a history that you won’t find anywhere else.
1 — Big Enough to Have Some Fun, Small Enough to Feel Like Home
Lagoon may not have the acreage of Disneyland or Six Flags, but that’s actually kind of nice. The park is big enough that you will definitely get your exercise in, but places to sit are never very far away. The main thoroughfare of Lagoon is filled with games like Wac-A-Mole and Spill the Milk, which appropriately give this historical park a small-town carnival feel.
2 — Kiddieland
If you have little people at home, Lagoon has them covered. Formerly known as Mother Goose Land, an entire section of the park is devoted to child-sized ‘thrill’ rides. Things like ‘Bulgy the Whale’ and ‘Scalawags’ are their own entity, while others such as the ‘Dinosaur Drop’ are merely miniature, more whimsical versions of full-sized rides around the park. There are even a few options that parents can enjoy too, such as the ‘Kontiki’ boat ride and a very mild roller coaster called ‘Puff the Little Fire Dragon’.
Lagoon’s Kiddieland is one of the largest of its kind in the whole nation: at few other theme parks will you find as many options designated solely for younger riders.
3 — Lagoon-A-Beach
Okay, so it’s not quite the Laguna Beach, but you get what they’re saying. Complete with inner tube rentals, multiple water slides, a swimming area and a ‘lazy river’, Lagoon-A-Beach is a fully-functional water park inside the main one (it’s even included with the admission fee!). On a hot day in the Utah sun, this place is going to be your best friend. Lagoon-A-Beach has not forgotten its younger swimmers, either: its ‘Bongo’s Bay’ area is a shallow-water playground designed with small children in mind. There are rope bridges, ‘waterfalls’, (little) slides, and coves — guaranteed hits for kids with an adventurous streak!
4 — Pioneer Village
If you dig history, Pioneer Village is one place you ABSOLUTELY must see. Also included with admission to the main park, this part of Lagoon contains actual pioneer-era buildings that have been collected and relocated, with actual pioneer-era items inside. (Want your kids to appreciate how good they have it? Duck into the Village’s old dentist’s office and have them look at that scary equipment!). If Main Street wasn’t cool enough, a few of the buildings double as little walk-through museums, and a carriage hall harbors a variety of different transportation systems used around the 1900s. It’s a fascinating look at the American Old West and a must-see for any history enthusiast!
Pioneer Village also boasts two rides: a classic Log Flume ride, and Rattlesnake Rapids, an inner-tube ride that makes you feel as though you’re braving the Snake River herself.
5 — Family-Owned
Owned by the Freed family since 1983. Support local. Go to Lagoon.
6 — Oldest Amusement Park In the West…
Have I mentioned ‘history’? Pioneer Village consists of actual 19th-Century buildings and equipment, but if that’s not enough, just look at the ground beneath your feet. Originally called ‘Lake Park’, the resort was founded in 1886 on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. A few years later in 1899, the park was moved to its current location along the banks of the body of water that would inspire its name change.
The original lagoon is there to this day: the rides ‘Turn of the Century’ and ‘Tidal Wave’ sit right along its shores, while the ‘Wild Kingdom Train’ takes you around its parameter.
7 — With Some of the Oldest Rides, Too!
Lagoon has a Victorian-era ‘Carousel’ that is over 110 years old, with 45 honest-to-goodness hand-carved figures. It was built in 1893, installed in 1906 and is still operating today. Their famous wooden ‘Roller Coaster’ (also still operating) was built in 1921, making it the fifth-oldest roller coaster in the nation and the seventh-oldest in the entire world.
8 — Speaking of Roller Coasters…and the World…
Out of 53 total rides in 2019, 10 of them are roller coasters, and five of those are unique to Lagoon: the above-mentioned ‘Roller Coaster’, the family ride ‘Bombora’, ‘Colossus the Fire Dragon’ — the last Schwarzkopf double-looping roller coaster still operating in the States — ‘Wicked’, and ‘Cannibal’. It’s rare for an amusement park to design and build its own rides, but Lagoon has: both ‘Wicked’ and Cannibal were designed by Lagoon’s own engineering team, and 75% of ‘Cannibal’ was produced in-house — most of the contractors who worked on it were from Utah!
In fact, ‘Cannibal’ is an international record setter: with its 208-ft tower and 116° drop, it is the world’s ‘tallest roller coaster with a beyond vertical degree’. Sound awesome? It IS!
So, there you have it. If you’re lucky enough to swing through Utah, take a day or two and explore Lagoon. You won’t be disappointed!
