There is a area with several picnic table just outside a small snack bar. Never ever again will we return. She doesn't understand our concern, and is probably wondering why grown men traveling without children are in her park in the first place. Are you associated with this business? WebLake George Expedition Park is an amusement park located in Lake George, NY along Route 9. 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. Trip Planning Caution: RoadsideAmerica.com offers maps, directions and attraction details as a convenience, providing all information as is. Is there a live Santa the kids can visit with? when we went santa wasn't there and hadn't been for days. Get a piece of your childhood now! They first went 3 years ago. Santa had been on the Atkins diet and looked as healthy as the animals. The next button will take you to Roadpass to create a free Roadpass account and finish the process. $$ - $$$ American Steakhouse Vegetarian Friendly, $$ - $$$ Italian Vegetarian Friendly Vegan Options, $$ - $$$ American Bar Vegetarian Friendly, $ American Diner Vegetarian Friendly, $ American Cafe Vegetarian Friendly, Points of Interest & Landmarks Civic Centres. 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! The former safari area will see the most changes. I have no place to store it, he said. Jimmy Brown the magician is fantastic and I love that they have Santa there. Attraction status, hours and prices change without notice; call ahead! ' Gilette remembers. Statues from Magic Forest in Lake George are up for sale. Credits, Media/Business Inquiries Hours We could see things in the woods by they are roped off. Take time to enjoy the rides - the merry-go-round, you-drive car track, sail in the boats, and others. POTUS landmarks, oddities. "Magic Forest" redirects here. For just $12,000, you can literally be the old lady who lived in a (20-foot-tall) shoeold lady and five fiberglass children included. Most of the rides are "kiddie rides" and a 10 year old would be bored. So many rides. In fact, kids seem oblivious to the creepiness of this place, and so do the adults, for that matter. This place is great if you are into any of the following, all others beware: Unsafe broken rides, uneducated senior citizens running rides, creepy overall, sad use and abuse of a horse forced to walk up an inclosure and dive down into a pool multiple times a day, dirty sad animals in cages, safari train ride of ceramic animal heads with choking fumes from extremely slow moving ride, permanent carnival. My husband told me he was creeped out & felt like the statues were following is with their eyes. 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. The animals were severely underfed. He says to me, Do you know Charlie Woods? WebStatues from Magic Forest in Lake George are up for sale. 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. We are located on the seasonal Greater Glens Falls Transit Trolley route. $$ Photos See all photos Connect with Magic Forest on Facebook Log In or Create new account 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. Its fiberglass figures had long ago dug in their collective heelsand hoovesas the world evolved around them. He kept my kids entertained the whole show and that is a true magic trick. Theyve added Dino valley and are working on updates around magic forest. more, 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. Each ride had info about when and where it was made, when it was bought and info about the hydraulics. Copyright 1996-2023 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. Please alert us if there is any inaccurate information here. UPDATE 06/2019: The Magic Forest has been taken over by new owners and is now known as the Lake George Expedition Park. I didnt want to go to six flags or another big park that would take the entire day waiting in lines. We took our almost 3 year old and she loved it. 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 rides are very old school, and my kids. I hope the utilize this theme in the fall. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. They came from Woodys Fiberglass in Tennessee, Bensons Wild Animal Farm in New Hampshire, a mini-golf course in Ohio, and the Danbury Fair in Connecticut. They include paint-chipped animals, old theme park legends, and quite a few broken fae folk. WebExperience a journey through time. But the future doesnt have to be dark for analog attractions like the Magic Forest: I feel like disappearing Americana is not as much a problem as it was just 10 years ago, Baker says. The park collected hundreds of fiberglass figures through the years, sourced from the Danbury Fair, mini-golf courses, and other amusement parks. The best animatronic dinosaurs Ive ever seen, better than the Bronx zoo and several other parks weve been too. I havent had a bad experience with anything Ive sold.. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. The day we were there, a summer camp group was there and they had their own food item stored in coolers. We did go early in the season. The theme park reopened in 2019 with a new owner and a new name: Lake George Expedition Park. The it in questions runs the amusement part gamut, from typical equipment like a heater and a store product stand to any number of stranger things. 51. Putting prices on the items and getting them ready to go was a bit bittersweet for Gillette, but overall he says he would rather see the statues and decor go to people who can continue to get some enjoyment and use out of them. 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. We were there 4 years ago. These reviews are the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Best Western of Lake George 2452 State Route 9N, Lake George, NY, 12845 $77 per night Mar 1 - Mar 2 Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Lake George. All the classic cautionary tales are here, displayed in miniature within wooden shelters, or lurking in the woods along serpentine trails. WebMagic Forest Route 9, Lake George, NY Best For: Infants 0-2 Little Kids 3-6 Big Kids 7-9 Tweens 10-12 Teens 13-17 Best suited for the very young, or anyone with a penchant for quirky roadside attractions, this small amusement park opened in RoadsideAmerica.comYour Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions. No souvenirs though. Most hotels are fully refundable. No computerized rides here! It opened in 2019, and incorporates the Magic Forest, which opened in 1963, along with a new attraction entitled Dino Roar Valley. 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! Anything you plan or save automagically syncs with the apps, ready for you when you hit the road! Are you associated with this business? Gillette sold Magic Forest in Lake George in 2019 and retired. Jack Gillette, the longtime owner of Magic Forest, initially purchased Uncle Sam (and other pieces) at auction from the Danbury Fair decades ago when the fair closed its doors in 1981. My guess is that you can, but I'd ask at the entrance. Since putting those larger fiberglass statues up for sale in 2019, Gillette says hes been impressed over and over by the kindness and care of the interested buyers hes met along the way. As Gillette tells it, Wood the creator of StoryTown USA, the former theme park where The Great Escape now stands was protesting the sale of any items from the sale prior to a proper auction. $$ Photos See all photos Connect with Magic Forest on Facebook Log In or Create new account All of that was fine. Magic Forest is the park of your childhood dreams! Luckily, anyone with the money and means to drive to Lake George can still own a piece of history. Theyve added Dino valley and are working on updates around magic forest. Plan your journey, find amazing places, and take fascinating detours with our app. Information 1912 US Route 9 Lake George, NY 12845 518-668-7627 Memorial Day - October Visit Website Posted in Family Fun, Group Attractions Love the nostalgia of Magic Forest and really like the new Dino Roar Valley addition. This park is a cute stop and great for small kids without the meltdowns that come with large parks when theyre beyond exhausted. And how the Magic Forest park will be incorporated into this new park? Two Muffler Men are particularly disturbing. Jack Gillette, the longtime owner of Magic Forest, initially purchased Uncle Sam (and other pieces) at auction from the Danbury Fair decades ago when the fair closed its doors in 1981. 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. WebCompare 721 hotels close to Magic Forest Park with room rates, reviews, and availability. POTUS landmarks, oddities. 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. Cookies are used for measurement, ads, and optimization. I even went as far as Kansas this summer, and everybody I have met has been nice, friendly and very appreciative. For what he does for them, that poor guy is not taken care of very well in return (matted mane, hooves not properly trimmed, SMALL paddock that he is just put back into after his dive, soken wet), and he doesn't seem to enjoy what he's made to do. Still gives me creeps every night to look back on it. The worlds largest Uncle Sam statue greets you in the parking lot. All stuff geared towards Christmas which also explains the Christmas songs played in the mix of music. 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. Model characters from fairy tales with the audio interpretation are a great initiative. Information 1912 US Route 9 Lake George, NY 12845 518-668-7627 Memorial Day - October Visit Website Posted in Family Fun, Group Attractions 1912 U.S. 9, Lake George, NY 12845, USA, United States, Magic Forest Address: 1912 U.S. 9, Lake George, NY 12845, USA, United States, Magic Forest Contact Number: +1-5186682448. Having trouble using this site? A bean pole droops, a gingerbread house caves in, a Humpty Dumpty falls one last time. Probably nowhere else is the disturbing world of children's' fairy tales brought to life more vividly. this was our first year visiting but well be back for sure next year! It was an amazing collection of original piecesthe largest I knew to exist.. The magic show by Jimmy Brown was incredible, full of laughs, both of my girls got to go on stage and participate. The Dinosaur park is amazing!! Also cant beat the setting, they are carefully dispersed through a beautiful forest. One family contacted him about a fiberglass teddy bear. tourist attractions and odd sights in New York, World's Highest and Longest Pedestrian Bridge. Its also shady as it is indeed in a forest. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a 24-hour front desk. For Military (Vets, Active, Retired) 2 dollars off the price of admission. The stable and manger are not in use. Gillette can be reached at 518-895-8150 to schedule an appointment. Id gladly trade a few more brain cells to take that so-called safari ride again and spend a few more precious moments with the mangy menagerie of animals scattered throughout the woods. Actually, that helps to explain a lot about this place. Jack Gillette, the longtime owner of Magic Forest, initially purchased Uncle Sam (and other pieces) at auction from the Danbury Fair decades ago when the fair closed its doors in 1981. Most hotels are fully refundable. Lake George Expedition Park is an amusement park located in Lake George, NY along Route 9. We spot their blistered, sagging entry gates on lonely back roads, or squeezed between the Amusements of the Month in some overdeveloped Mecca. No portion of this document may be reproduced, copied or revised without written permission of the authors. Three of the four fiberglass giants were purchased by Atlantis Plumbing in Dallas, Georgia. At Dino Roar Valley, find adventure, make discoveries, and be transported to other places through hands-on experiences. 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. Magic Forest probably has the longest running permanent "Diving Horse" show since Atlantic City's Steel Pier burned down. Anyone who wants to be one of Gillettes next buyers has a month to do it. It still happens, but I feel that awareness is growing about the importance of saving and restoring these piecesI like to think that today it is more about relocating Americana rather than disappearing Americana.. The 38-foot-tall Uncle Sam has been returned to its original location in Danbury, Connecticut. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Hes come to the buyers, too. 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. One, a giant clown, has to be the most remodeled MM in the world. Contents 1 Magic Forest 2 Dino Roar Valley 3 References 4 External links Magic Forest [ edit] "His head is the way we got him. All four of us had a really awesome day. That was a bit disturbing to me. Take time to enjoy the rides - the merry-go-round, you-drive car track, sail in the boats, and others. 7.1/10 WebYour visit to the park will be a walking tour; for our visitors with mobility difficulties, we will provide alternative means. Close. In fact, kids seem oblivious to the creepiness of this place, and so do the adults, for that matter. Create Your Own Bizarre Road Trips! Exhibits like Cinderellas Castle and Santas House as well as the snack bar and the gift shop are also great.