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Elitch Gardens was a family owned seasonal Amusement Park , theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood of Denver , Colorado at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Colorado. It was nationally known for its lush gardens, the Trocadero Ballroom, the Theatre at the Gardens and the premier wooden Roller Coaster , Mister Twister. The park moved to downtown Denver in 1994 and later became Six Flags Elitch Gardens . The former location is being redeveloped. EARLY HISTORY Elitch's Zoological Gardens opened May 1 , 1890 , on 16 acres (65,000 m&2) of former farmland bought by John and Mary Elitch. Mary Elitch managed the park for 26 years following John's death in 1891. Theatre at the Gardens opened that year, and became home to the oldest Summer Stock theater in the country starting in 1897. The park's first roller coaster, a Toboggan Figure 8 , opened in 1904. The park's original Carousel , built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company , was added in 1906. MULVIHILL/GURTLER OWNERSHIP In 1916, the park was sold to John Mulvihill, with a provision stating the name could never be changed. New attractions appeared, including the Trocadero Ballroom in 1917, a Wildcat coaster — designed by Herbert Schmeck — in 1922 and a new carousel in 1928. The latter two were both Philadelphia Toboggan Company creations. This carousel is still operational at Six Flags Elitch Gardens . It was during this time the park's enduring slogan was first popularized: "Not to See Elitch's is Not to See Denver." As floral gardens were expanded and greenhouses built, Elitch's became a commercial florist. Mulvihill died in 1930 and the park's ownership transferred to his son-in-law Arnold Gurtler. In the mid 1930s, the zoo portion of the park was discontinued, with the space being used for more formal gardens (and rides). A giant floral clock was added and the "Trocadero Ballroom" became a regular stop for touring Big Band s and home to "An Evening at the Troc", a weekly radio broadcast. In 1945, management was assumed by Gurtler's sons, Jack and Budd. In 1952, a section of the park called Kiddieland, oriented to small children, was opened. At the time, amusement parks catered almost exclusively to adults. The floral business side of the park was quite successful, becoming the largest supplier of carnations in the country in the early 1950s. MISTER TWISTER Mister Twister opened in 1965. It was a 96-foot (29m) tall wooden coaster, designed by John Allen of Philadelphia Toboggan Company, and advertisements promoted the fact that it didn't "have a foot of straight track". It was regularly rated as one of the top ten rides in the country until it stopped operating in 1994 when the park was relocated. Twister II at Six Flags Elitch Gardens is a significantly tamer coaster modeled after the original. Knoebels , in Elysburg , Pennsylvania , considered relocating the original Mister Twister but due to space constraints, built a new Twister closely patterned after the original. The Trocadero Ballroom was torn down in 1975, due to the declining popularity of ballroom dancing. The theater, which had switched formats from summer stock to star-centered performances in 1963, closed in 1991. MOVE TO NEW LOCATION In 1985, management and ownership of the park was assumed by Budd Gurtler's son, Sandy Gurtler. At its historic location the park had no expansion space, and the family had long planned to relocate to a larger location. The city of Denver provided a location in the Central Platte River Valley, an area that was once a Superfund cleanup site. In May 1995, Elitch's opened at its new downtown location with fifteen of its eighteen major rides from the old location. The new location sits adjacent to Interstate 25 between INVESCO Field At Mile High and the Pepsi Center . It is currently one of the only downtown amusement parks in the United States. Following two seasons at its new location with attendance of about one million (versus 750,000 for the last season at its old location) and a second season goal of 1.2 million {Link without Title} , the park was sold to Premier Parks who subsequently purchased all Six Flags parks. The park's current name is a hybrid of the historic moniker and its corporate owner. REDEVELOPMENT The 28-acre (113,000 m&2) site of the former amusement park has undergone redevelopment as Highland's Garden Village. The site won the at the site, opting instead for a Sunflower Market certified-organic grocery store. REFERENCES
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