The View From Willis Case

I drove up to Denver's Willis Case Golf Course the other day to take a few photographs. This course dates from 1929 and is located on a hill overlooking Colorado's Front Range. You can also see historic Lakeside Amusement Park from there. Lakeside is a family-owned amusement park located in Lakeside, Colorado, and opened in 1908. It is the oldest amusement park in Colorado still operating at its original location. In the photograph above can be seen the Tower of Jewels, an original building from 1908, and the Cyclone roller coaster, added back in 1940. The great thing about this park is that you can get in for $5.00, and then if you want, purchase individual tickets to the various rides. There was a major renovation back in the 1930s, with additional rides added and new buildings and ticket booths built, all in the Art Deco style, making a visit to the park at night, with all that neon, a really fun experience. The park is most famous for the Cyclone wooden roller coaster, which I have ridden a number of times. Sadly, back in 2022, someone injured their wrist while riding it, sued, and as a consequence, state regulators had Lakeside close down the Cyclone until they were able to make it safer. It has been closed ever since, but I read on the website of KYGO, a local FM radio station, that a social media page called American Coaster Enthusiasts has reported the coaster is "being tested," leading to speculation that the Cyclone might be back in operation this summer. Lakeside has no comment about that, but at least there is a glimmer of hope.