Located between Exits 20 and 21 of I-87 along Route 9, Magic Forest Amusement Park in Queensbury has excited and delighted children for the over 46 years. Magic Forest offers a unique experience designed specifically for a younger audience, the child's alternative to larger parks such as the Great Escape.
When the park first opened in 1963, Magic Forest - which today boasts
short lines and very manageable crowds - was even smaller in scale and
scope.
"The first year we opened it was called Christmas City USA," Shelly Cummins said, who has been the park's manager for the past 16 years. "There were only five rides at the beginning," she added. Visit the park today and you're still likely to see a few holdovers from those early days, including a giant reindeer statue towering over the front entrance. But over time the park has had the opportunity to change and grow, and now features some 25 rides and numerous attractions geared towards younger audiences.
"The rides are made for kids even as little as under one year old, and that's unusual," Cummins said. "Most places don't have things like that. Even at the Great Escape you have to fall within a certain height range to be able to ride. We have some old rides from the 1950's that are meant for little, little kids."
In fact, rides such as the Blue Goose, the Roto Whip, the Ladybug and the Critter require only that their riders be able to sit up on their own in order to safely partake in the fun.
A crowd favorite at Magic Forest is the guided tram ride, featuring hundreds of fiberglass statues of everything from giraffes, lions, dinosaurs and outlaw cowboys, all of which are pointed out with great enthusiasm by the train's engineer.
"It's very eclectic," Cummins said. "You'll see a caveman and a few minutes later you'll see pirates. And then you'll see some flamingos. It's all wild and thrown together, but kids love it. They don't need it to make sense. They see a giant ogre and then they see a dinosaur. To them it's just great."
The fiberglass statues aren't only found along the park's tram ride. Magic Forest is littered with strange and wonderful statues, featuring 4 giant, repurposed "Muffler Men," figures, including statues of Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, an Amish farmer (who looks suspiciously like Alfred E. Newman) and a giant clown. The most imposing statue of them all though is without a doubt the 38 foot high statue of Uncle Sam, who welcomes excited visitors through the front gates and into the forest.
"Everything came from other places that have gone out of business over the years," Cummins said. "Some of them came from a fiberglass junkyard in Knoxville, Tennessee. The owner of the park loves all the fiberglass statues. He gets them wherever he can whenever he can, and we redo them to make them look nice."
But perhaps the most unique attraction at Magic Forest is Lighting, the last diving horse in the entire world.
"He's very happy doing what he's doing," Cummins said about Lighting, who performs two shows a day during the summer months at Magic Forest. "Someone leads him across the crowd over to the bottom of the ramp. Then they unhook him, he climbs up, looks out at the crowd and jumps into the water."
Another longtime spectacle at Magic Forest is the act performed by magician Jimmy Brown. Brown has performed his act at Magic Forest for nearly 20 years, delighting audience members young and old.
"He's very popular with the little kids and the adults. He does tricks that span the ages that everyone will enjoy," Cummins said.
For families who wish to take their children out for a good time, but who may be wary of larger amusement parks such as the Great Escape, Magic Forest provides the perfect alternative for children between the ages of two and 11.
"We're the only ones specifically made for the little kids. You can come in here and sit on a bench and watch your kids go from ride to ride. There are lots of benches and we're in a nice, cool forest. You can bring little kids here and not worry about them," Cummins said. "There aren't any teenagers, there aren't any bigger kids running around. Your toddlers can come in and have a good time."
Magic Forest is located at 1916 Route 9 in Queensbury. Admission is $15.99 for seniors and children between the ages of two and 11. For children over 12, admission is $17.99. The park is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekend, as well as everyday during the week after June 28. For more information on Magic Forest, you can visit them on the web at www.magicforestpark.com, or contact them by phone at (518) 668-2448.
"The first year we opened it was called Christmas City USA," Shelly Cummins said, who has been the park's manager for the past 16 years. "There were only five rides at the beginning," she added. Visit the park today and you're still likely to see a few holdovers from those early days, including a giant reindeer statue towering over the front entrance. But over time the park has had the opportunity to change and grow, and now features some 25 rides and numerous attractions geared towards younger audiences.
"The rides are made for kids even as little as under one year old, and that's unusual," Cummins said. "Most places don't have things like that. Even at the Great Escape you have to fall within a certain height range to be able to ride. We have some old rides from the 1950's that are meant for little, little kids."
In fact, rides such as the Blue Goose, the Roto Whip, the Ladybug and the Critter require only that their riders be able to sit up on their own in order to safely partake in the fun.
A crowd favorite at Magic Forest is the guided tram ride, featuring hundreds of fiberglass statues of everything from giraffes, lions, dinosaurs and outlaw cowboys, all of which are pointed out with great enthusiasm by the train's engineer.
"It's very eclectic," Cummins said. "You'll see a caveman and a few minutes later you'll see pirates. And then you'll see some flamingos. It's all wild and thrown together, but kids love it. They don't need it to make sense. They see a giant ogre and then they see a dinosaur. To them it's just great."
The fiberglass statues aren't only found along the park's tram ride. Magic Forest is littered with strange and wonderful statues, featuring 4 giant, repurposed "Muffler Men," figures, including statues of Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, an Amish farmer (who looks suspiciously like Alfred E. Newman) and a giant clown. The most imposing statue of them all though is without a doubt the 38 foot high statue of Uncle Sam, who welcomes excited visitors through the front gates and into the forest.
"Everything came from other places that have gone out of business over the years," Cummins said. "Some of them came from a fiberglass junkyard in Knoxville, Tennessee. The owner of the park loves all the fiberglass statues. He gets them wherever he can whenever he can, and we redo them to make them look nice."
But perhaps the most unique attraction at Magic Forest is Lighting, the last diving horse in the entire world.
"He's very happy doing what he's doing," Cummins said about Lighting, who performs two shows a day during the summer months at Magic Forest. "Someone leads him across the crowd over to the bottom of the ramp. Then they unhook him, he climbs up, looks out at the crowd and jumps into the water."
Another longtime spectacle at Magic Forest is the act performed by magician Jimmy Brown. Brown has performed his act at Magic Forest for nearly 20 years, delighting audience members young and old.
"He's very popular with the little kids and the adults. He does tricks that span the ages that everyone will enjoy," Cummins said.
For families who wish to take their children out for a good time, but who may be wary of larger amusement parks such as the Great Escape, Magic Forest provides the perfect alternative for children between the ages of two and 11.
"We're the only ones specifically made for the little kids. You can come in here and sit on a bench and watch your kids go from ride to ride. There are lots of benches and we're in a nice, cool forest. You can bring little kids here and not worry about them," Cummins said. "There aren't any teenagers, there aren't any bigger kids running around. Your toddlers can come in and have a good time."
Magic Forest is located at 1916 Route 9 in Queensbury. Admission is $15.99 for seniors and children between the ages of two and 11. For children over 12, admission is $17.99. The park is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekend, as well as everyday during the week after June 28. For more information on Magic Forest, you can visit them on the web at www.magicforestpark.com, or contact them by phone at (518) 668-2448.
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