In fact, kids seem oblivious to the creepiness of this place, and so do the adults, for that matter. Receive emails and newsletters to keep in touch with I LOVE NY. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! Today, many roar obliviously north on the interstate, but enough families exit to keep MF hopping, under the management of Arthur's successor, Jack Gillette, since 1988. A great park. A very well run park. Most fairy tale theme parks eventually suffer the fate of a fabled cursed kingdom. 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. Definitely recommend for little kids. Restoration specialists will be working to spruce him up from the wear and tear hes endured over the years. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Rides are fun and seeing Santa was really great! Learn more about Roadpass accounts here. This place is great! 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. Fun for the kids and nostalgic for us babyboomers! 10am5pm | 7 Days a Week WebMagic Forest Address: 1912 U.S. 9, Lake George, NY 12845, USA, United States Magic Forest Contact Number: +1-5186682448 Try the best online travel planner to plan your travel itinerary! "His head is the way we got him. In the beginning, I was getting over 30 emails a day, he says. We are hoping to go back again We got there around 2 and stayed until close. He says that all of the figures lived diverseand sometimes manypast lives before they came to the Magic Forest. Web1912 State Route 9 Lake George, NY 12845 Visit Site Adirondacks Region Details Since 1963, Magic Forest has entertained young park goers and their families, creating memories for all. We left & renamed it "bizzaro world". 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! 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. Each ride had info about when and where it was made, when it was bought and info about the hydraulics. 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. There are also a petting zoo, magic shows, and stunt shows with the last remaining diving horse, Lightning. WebYour visit to the park will be a walking tour; for our visitors with mobility difficulties, we will provide alternative means. More, Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. 8.6 Fabulous 813 reviews Price from 102 per night Check availability Best Western of Lake George 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 day we were there, a summer camp group was there and they had their own food item stored in coolers. Is there a live Santa the kids can visit with? 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. 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? Magic Forest is the park of your childhood dreams! My guess is that you can, but I'd ask at the entrance. There were buttons to push to tell us their stories but the recordings didn't work so they sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher. Please try signing in with another option or create a new account with Roadpass. Returning the statue to its original home was part of the deal. Theyve added Dino valley and are working on updates around magic forest. Are you associated with this business? WebLake George Expedition Park is an amusement park located in Lake George, NY along Route 9. [2], The other part of the park is Dino Roar Valley, which opened in 2019 and featuring animatronic dinosaurs.[3]. 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. 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." The rides are very old school, and my kids. Having trouble using this site? Get a piece of your childhood now! 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. Get a piece of your childhood now! Contents 1 Magic Forest 2 Dino Roar Valley 3 References 4 External links Magic Forest [ edit] Our team of parents and travel experts chooses each product and service we recommend. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a 24-hour front desk. Posted by 3 years ago. As a separate park, it featured the largest Uncle Sam statue in the world (as of May 9, 2019, the statue has since moved back home to Danbury, CT), a magic show, and cottages and attractions which tell the story of the Three Little Pigs, Jack Sprat, Hansel and Gretel, various princesses, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, the Statue of Liberty, and the Spider Man. 7.1/10 I have no place to store it, he said. Copyright 1996-2023 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. Two Muffler Men are particularly disturbing. Are you associated with this business? This was very nastalgic for us because the rides here were bought from different parks over the years and brought to this one. Its a miracle that the Magic Forest, which opened in 1963, outlived its expiration date by several yearsmaybe even decadesbut nothing lasts forever. Luckily, anyone with the money and means to drive to Lake George can still own a piece of history. 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. Visit Family Vacation Critic on Facebook! We are located on the seasonal Greater Glens Falls Transit Trolley route. The theme park reopened in 2019 with a new owner and a new name: Lake George Expedition Park. Also guarding the minivans and SUVs is a large Santa Claus, reportedly the most popular statue on the property. 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. And I said, Charles Wood, and he says, okay.'. 7.1/10 This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Get a piece of your childhood now! The train ride was quite fun. $$ Photos See all photos Connect with Magic Forest on Facebook Log In or Create new account "Magic Forest" redirects here. The sale began last November, and Baker was shocked with the level of interest. $$ - $$$ American Steakhouse Vegetarian Friendly, $$ - $$$ Italian Vegetarian Friendly Vegan Options, $$ - $$$ American Bar Vegetarian Friendly, $ American Diner Vegetarian Friendly, $ American Cafe Vegetarian Friendly, Points of Interest & Landmarks Civic Centres. The people who worked there were either teenagers from Europe or seniors. Where else can you see Esso tigers and Sinclair Dinosaurs peacefully coexisting with pink flamingos and polar bears? Love that it is geared for younger kids and that all of the vintage rides have a brief history displayed. WebMagic Forest 3.5 461 #10 of 27 things to do in Lake George Amusement & Theme Parks Closed now 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Visit website Call Write a review About A family fun park, in the Adirondacks, that features 25 amusement rides, including the Safari Ride, plus live animal performances, magic shows and the ever-popular "Rex the Diving Horse." WebMagic Forest - Lake George Expedition Park FUN TO MAKE YOU SOAR Enter a world of nostalgia and wonder Magic Forest is the park of your childhood dreams! Jimmys magic show was the highlight of our visit. $$ Photos See all photos Connect with Magic Forest on Facebook Log In or Create new account Anyone know if I will be towed for parking there after hours? 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The Magic Forest was originally opened in 1963 by Arthur Gillette. I think that you would probably be towed. In fact, kids seem oblivious to the creepiness of this place, and so do the adults, for that matter. They include paint-chipped animals, old theme park legends, and quite a few broken fae folk. But in fact, hes actually returned home. This is a must see. 8.6 Fabulous 813 reviews Price from 102 per night Check availability Best Western of Lake George More, National Cryptologic Museum, Annapolis Junction, Maryland (Feb 27-Mar 5, 2023). 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. The Spider Man is a creepy top-hatted arachnid, maybe not so scary in a world of chest-bursting aliens and zombies. Still gives me creeps every night to look back on it. Get a piece of your childhood now! The Magic Forest, a storybook amusement park located in Lake George, New York, looked abandoned for years before it officially closed. 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." This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. 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. We spot their blistered, sagging entry gates on lonely back roads, or squeezed between the Amusements of the Month in some overdeveloped Mecca. Theyve added Dino valley and are working on updates around magic forest. Create Your Own Bizarre Road Trips! I was especially concerned about "Lightening" the diving horse. The park was somewhat enjoyable but I would not return because of the use of the animal in this manner, and it ruined our time at the park. Rex the Diving Horse leaped on cue into a pool for many years; now his son, Lightning, takes the plunge twice a day. Its a good mix of things to do. Anything you purchase through links on our site may earn us a commission. WebLake George, New York. 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. Muffler Men and fiberglass figures are notorious for moving around the country. Gillette sold Magic Forest in Lake George in 2019 and retired. The magic finally ran out last year when longtime owner Jack Gillette sold the park to a local contractor, Ruben Ellsworth. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Both are protected with Clear Coat, as are all the statues in the Magic Forest. One account for all of our road travel apps. The 38-foot-tall Uncle Sam has been returned to its original location in Danbury, Connecticut. Theyve added Dino valley and are working on updates around magic forest. The Magic Forest felt like it was from a different time not only physically, but spiritually. Probably nowhere else is the disturbing world of children's' fairy tales brought to life more vividly. WebMagic Forest Address: 1912 U.S. 9, Lake George, NY 12845, USA, United States Magic Forest Contact Number: +1-5186682448 Try the best online travel planner to plan your travel itinerary! Baker is surprisingly sanguine as he watches the collection split up and scatter around the country. A lion-head drinking fountain (and lion-head trash can), a caveman family, Ma and Pa Kettle, an Esso tiger, a 15-foot Santa, a one-hump camel, a skull, and several other pieces are still up for sale. The women at the snack bar were putting together a puzzle in between filling orders, and when we found that the gift shop had closed before the park did, they allowed us to come back the next day (for free) to shop for souvenirs. By continuing to use our site you agree to ourprivacy policy. Close. Its different, he said. Copyright 2023 Family Vacation Critic All Rights Reserved. There are adult rides and family rides too. There is so much potential to this park. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 7.1/10 One family contacted him about a fiberglass teddy bear. That means the array of memories up for auction come from a variety of other fairs, carnivals and fun lands. 51. The park is very clean and the employees are patient and friendly. I havent had a bad experience with anything Ive sold.. For as long as I live, I wont forget how it felt to teeter on the brink of death, slowly ascending on a rickety Ferris wheel that appeared to have been built from the mismatched pieces of a garage sale Erector set. Kids enjoyed it a lot. The use of the diving horse is not nor should it be an attraction for children or adults. Accessibility is our goal, please contact us with site improvements. 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. Both are protected with Clear Coat, as are all the statues in the Magic Forest. Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in New York. WebStatues from Magic Forest in Lake George are up for sale. Rides were available for all ages and the Dino roar exhibits were entertaining as much as they were informative. Best suited for the very young, or anyone with a penchant for quirky roadside attractions, this small amusement park opened in 1963, and retains some of its retro charm. Enjoy the 20 minute train ride to watch the life-size animal statues with kids. I have no place to store it, he said. 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. These reviews are the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Anyone who wants to be one of Gillettes next buyers has a month to do it. Just perfect for grandparents with two little ones 5 and 6. But some of the once-over 700 sculptures that once called the park home are just now resurfacing. They first went 3 years ago. 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