Visitors passing through the garish fairyland entrance building are inundated with choices, as paths curve away into clusters of statues, rides and brightly painted cottages. Its also shady as it is indeed in a forest. Just perfect for grandparents with two little ones 5 and 6. Uncle Sam is Out & Dinosaurs are Hours The information in this post is a record of the parks previous incarnation. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Magic Forest This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. The magic finally ran out last year when longtime owner Jack Gillette sold the park to a local contractor, Ruben Ellsworth. Its fiberglass figures had long ago dug in their collective heelsand hoovesas the world evolved around them. Undeterred, we assured her that we were willing participants in the charade that the park was still a viable tourist destination. The next button will take you to Roadpass to create a free Roadpass account and finish the process. Sometimes I wonder if we really saw Lightning, the last remaining diving horse in the country, take his famous (and some may say inhumane) dive twice the day we visited, or if it was all a mirage. Get expert advice, handpicked recommendations, and tips for your family all year round! Visitors passing through the garish fairyland entrance building are inundated with choices, as paths curve away into clusters of statues, rides and brightly painted cottages. 7.1/10 Train ride wasn't running which was disappointing. Magic Forest Gilette was something of a collector, amassing his estimated over 700 items over decades while running Magic Forest, which first opened in 1963. Before Chuck E. Cheese, video games, Six Flags, or Disney World, parks like the Magic Forest used to be the place to take your kids. Santa is actually there in an air conditioned log house. Mixed among the dioramas are giant statues of American icons, several of them reworked Muffler Men: Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, Smokey Bear, the Statue of Liberty, a big Indian, a couple of space-walking astronauts. The park is very clean and the employees are patient and friendly. Magic Forest But we bet this up close encounter will come back in someone's nightmares. Uncle Sam is 38 feet tall and formerly stood at the Danbury Fairgrounds in Connecticut. This is by far the greatest place whether you are old or young. RoadsideAmerica.comYour Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions. Lake George Staff is great rides are safe & fun for any child or adult. The people who worked there were either teenagers from Europe or seniors. There are plenty of unnerving fairy tale statues along the wooded trails of Magic Forest -- an impressive collection of contorted bodies, asymmetrical faces, weird leers, and bulging eyes. I was impressed by the amount of original International Fiberglass figures there, Baker says. WebLake George, New York. WebYour visit to the park will be a walking tour; for our visitors with mobility difficulties, we will provide alternative means. The Muffler Mena Paul Bunyan, a Mortimer Snerd, a clown, and Pecos Billwere among the first items to sell. Went there with 3 toddlers and spent almost 4 hours. Website Design by Trampoline Advertising & Design Co. | Web Site Development & Hosting by Nolee-O Web Design, Web Site Development & Hosting by Nolee-O Web Design. For Military (Vets, Active, Retired) 2 dollars off the price of admission. 8.6 Fabulous 813 reviews Price from 102 per night Check availability Best Western of Lake George Plenty of parking. Explore the unknown as you traverse the Dino Nest and uncover the world sleeping beneath our feet as you excavate colossal dinosaurs in the Fossil Dig Site. You can get the I LOVE NY Travel Guide by, 2023 New York Department of Economic Development, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources for Travelers, Spotlight: Jamestown and Chautauqua-Allegheny. The information in this post is a record of the parks previous incarnation. She doesn't understand our concern, and is probably wondering why grown men traveling without children are in her park in the first place. Also cant beat the setting, they are carefully dispersed through a beautiful forest. WebLake George Expedition Park is an amusement park located in Lake George, NY along Route 9. WebCompare 721 hotels close to Magic Forest Park with room rates, reviews, and availability. The theme park reopened in 2019 with a new owner and a new name: Lake George Expedition Park. In the beginning, I was getting over 30 emails a day, he says. Trip Planning Caution: RoadsideAmerica.com offers maps, directions and attraction details as a convenience, providing all information as is. Theyve added Dino valley and are working on updates around magic forest. Magic Forest (Lake George) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go, Hotels near House of Frankenstein Wax Museum, Hotels near SUNY Adirondack Community College Queensbury, NY, Adrenaline & Extreme Tours in Lake George, Game & Entertainment Centers in Lake George, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Lake George, Maui Nui Luau at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, St Maarten Sailing and Snorkeling to St Barts, Bryce Canyon National Park Self-Driving Audio Tour, Paris Tootbus Discovery Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, Adirondack Cottage, Escape, Relax, and Enjoy, View all hotels near Magic Forest on Tripadvisor, View all restaurants near Magic Forest on Tripadvisor. Attraction status, hours and prices change without notice; call ahead! Posted by 3 years ago. The park is open every day, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from late June June through Labor Day. For other uses, see, "Dinosaurs coming to Lake George this summer", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_George_Expedition_Park&oldid=1074053798, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2022, at 04:51. Information 1912 US Route 9 Lake George, NY 12845 518-668-7627 Memorial Day - October Visit Website Posted in Family Fun, Group Attractions Its a miracle that the Magic Forest, which opened in 1963, outlived its expiration date by several yearsmaybe even decadesbut nothing lasts forever. Most of the rides are "kiddie rides" and a 10 year old would be bored. They include paint-chipped animals, old theme park legends, and quite a few broken fae folk. Magic Forest is the park of your childhood dreams! Its different, he said. The former safari area will see the most changes. Memories of Magic Forest up for auction Reddit Is this worth it for a 2 year old? The Magic Forest, a storybook amusement park located in Lake George, New York, looked abandoned for years before it officially closed. Hundreds of fiberglass figures strewn about the heavily-wooded park were faded by decades of sun and exposure to the elements, covered in spider webs and other forest detritus. this was our first year visiting but well be back for sure next year! We are located on the seasonal Greater Glens Falls Transit Trolley route. Luckily, anyone with the money and means to drive to Lake George can still own a piece of history. The day we were there, a summer camp group was there and they had their own food item stored in coolers. Uncle Sam is Out & Dinosaurs are Also guarding the minivans and SUVs is a large Santa Claus, reportedly the most popular statue on the property. Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. Get a piece of your childhood now! Magic Forest (Gone There are also a petting zoo, magic shows, and stunt shows with the last remaining diving horse, Lightning. UPDATE 06/2019: The Magic Forest has been taken over by new owners and is now known as the Lake George Expedition Park. Maybe what we actually saw was the ghost of Rex, the parks original equine entertainer and Lightnings fatheror perhaps it was all an elaborate magic trick performed by the resident magician, Jimmy Brown (who also doubledor rather, tripledas the parks lone emcee and balloon animal artist). The 38-foot-tall Uncle Sam has been returned to its original location in Danbury, Connecticut. The fella Im buying stuff from says, We gotta leave some stuff for the auction.'. The Magic Forest, a storybook amusement park located in Lake George, New York, looked abandoned for years before it officially closed. A great park. Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! Dino Roar Valley is so fun its prehistoric! Then there are the fairy tale worlds blessed with good fortune, as if every child who ever visited used up a secret wish on its behalf. No masks were required even for the kids as it's all outside. The World's Largest Uncle Sam looms in the center of the parking lot, and other friendly icons beckon from the heavily wooded knoll where the Magic Forest lives. All stuff geared towards Christmas which also explains the Christmas songs played in the mix of music. Magic Forest Take time to enjoy the rides - the merry-go-round, you-drive car track, sail in the boats, and others. Close. May 28 - June 26 Cookies are used for measurement, ads, and optimization. I was buying stuff and bringing it back up here and just putting it in my parking lot, wherever I could, Gillette recounted. Most hotels are fully refundable. About 20 dioramas -- accompanied by audio at the push of a button -- bring to life the Three Little Pigs, Jack Sprat, Hansel & Gretel, assorted princesses and woodsmen Magic Forest opened in 1963, the brainchild of Arthur Gillette, who wisely built his fairyland along a major highway (Route 9) and just south of the town of Lake George, a magnet for summertime and weekend crowds from New York City. A good place to spend half a day for kids. Take time to enjoy the rides - the merry-go-round, you-drive car track, sail in the boats, and others. We took our almost 3 year old and she loved it. In fact, we were in love with the idea that we could actually achieve time-travel for less than $30 per person. Contents 1 Magic Forest 2 Dino Roar Valley 3 References 4 External links Magic Forest [ edit] Trip Planning Caution: RoadsideAmerica.com offers maps, directions and attraction details as a convenience, providing all information as is. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Rex the Diving Horse leaped on cue into a pool for many years; now his son, Lightning, takes the plunge twice a day. No souvenirs though. ' Gilette remembers. Love the nostalgia of Magic Forest and really like the new Dino Roar Valley addition. Magic Forest Learn more about Roadpass accounts here. Embark on a ride that will take you sky high or take the scenic route through the forest on our park train. Staff throughout park are great with the kids and very friendly! Gillette sold the park in 2019, but much of the remnants have remained on the property, now operating as Lake George Expedition Park. enchanted forest water safari where the fun never stops is up in old forge, this place was near Lake George. The kids thought the place was greatmy husband and I thought it could be better. It opened in 2019, and incorporates the Magic Forest, which opened in 1963, along with a new attraction entitled Dino Roar Valley. Explore the unknown as you traverse the Dino Nest and uncover the world sleeping beneath our feet as you excavate colossal dinosaurs in the Fossil Dig Site. It opened in 2019, and incorporates the Magic Forest, which opened in 1963, along with a new attraction entitled Dino Roar Valley. 7.1/10 7.1/10 WebStatues from Magic Forest in Lake George are up for sale. I didnt want to go to six flags or another big park that would take the entire day waiting in lines. Copyright 1996-2023 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. I made, I dont know, about 20 or 30 trips, sometimes with a tractor-trailer. Start here.Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip. The theme park reopened in 2019 with a new owner and a new name: Lake George Expedition Park. I hope the utilize this theme in the fall. You may have heard about a new, dinosaur-themed park coming to Lake George, but do you know whats happened to the iconic Uncle Sam statue? "His head is the way we got him. The animals were severely underfed. Memories of Magic Forest up for auction Jimmy Brown the magician is fantastic and I love that they have Santa there. Probably nowhere else is the disturbing world of children's' fairy tales brought to life more vividly. Magic Forest Are you associated with this business? And how the Magic Forest park will be incorporated into this new park? Almost all of the quirky attractions of Magic Forest described below -- including the diving horse, the gigantic Uncle Sam, and the Muffler Men -- have been removed. WebMagic Forest 3.5 461 #10 of 27 things to do in Lake George Amusement & Theme Parks Closed now 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Visit website Call Write a review About A family fun park, in the Adirondacks, that features 25 amusement rides, including the Safari Ride, plus live animal performances, magic shows and the ever-popular "Rex the Diving Horse." Theyve added Dino valley and are working on updates around magic forest. The full, 700+ lot posting will stay online until the end of September. Keep exploring with the Roadtrippers mobile apps. Jimmys magic show was the highlight of our visit. WebMagic Forest - Lake George Expedition Park FUN TO MAKE YOU SOAR Enter a world of nostalgia and wonder Magic Forest is the park of your childhood dreams! Lake George enchanted forest water safari where the fun never stops is up in old forge, this place was near Lake George. 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WebMagic Forest (Gone) Lake George, New York The theme park reopened in 2019 with a new owner and a new name: Lake George Expedition Park. The Magic Forest felt like it was from a different time not only physically, but spiritually. WebMagic Forest (Gone) Lake George, New York The theme park reopened in 2019 with a new owner and a new name: Lake George Expedition Park. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. Ruben Ellsworth, owner of Ellsworth & Son Excavating in Fort Ann, purchased the Magic Forest amusement park from the Gillette family, who has operated the park for nearly 60 years. 10am5pm | Sat & Sun Only I hope the owners decide to open it all the way up. He says to me, Do you know Charlie Woods? WebMagic Forest 3.5 461 #10 of 27 things to do in Lake George Amusement & Theme Parks Closed now 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Visit website Call Write a review About A family fun park, in the Adirondacks, that features 25 amusement rides, including the Safari Ride, plus live animal performances, magic shows and the ever-popular "Rex the Diving Horse." We could see things in the woods by they are roped off. This place was perfect for my 4 and 6 year old. The Magic Forest, a storybook amusement park located in Lake George, New York, looked abandoned for years before it officially closed. Credits, Media/Business Inquiries When the Fair went out of business, Jack Gillette bought him in April 1982 (along with dozens of other statues) and stood him in the Magic Forest parking lot. Almost all of the quirky attractions of Magic Forest described below -- including the diving horse, the gigantic Uncle Sam, and the Muffler Men -- have been removed.