Lagoon Amusement Park – Member of the Week

Published by Angie Osguthorpe

Posted on September 23, 2019

Fall is here and you know what that means! FRIGHTMARES is open at Lagoon Amusement Park!!! If you haven’t guessed already, our featured member this week is Lagoon.

Lagoon has a rich history beginning in 1895 when the current location of Lagoon was purchased and the excavation of The Lagoon Pond began. In 1906, Lagoon’s first thrill ride, the 60-foot-high Shoot-the-Chutes was opened. Boats carried four passengers with a pilot up an incline by means of a cable and grip and as they held tightly in the seats, the boats slid down into the water with a mighty splash! A horse racing track was opened in 1911 where spectators mostly came by train to witness the race. In 1921 the Lagoon Dipper (roller coaster) was opened. The “largest swimming pool in the West” was built in 1949 and they promoted it as “Swim in Water Fit to Drink at Lagoon!” Lagoon was closed during both World Wars and reopened in 1946 and many new attractions were built the following year including stainless steel “rockets”. There have been hundreds of rides and attractions built throughout the years at Lagoon.

Did you know that Lagoon has hosted some of the biggest entertainers in the world including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Nat King Cole, The Monkees, and The Beach Boys (who actually even sing about Lagoon in their song, “Salt Lake City”)!

We also learned that before the Civil Rights Movement there were black entertainers who performed at Lagoon even though it was illegal for them to do so to mixed audiences at the time. Well… the owner at the time, Robert Freed, decided that wasn’t right and opened up the performances to everyone. And because the performers weren’t allowed in most hotels, he housed them in his own home. He was later awarded an honorary membership to the NAACP.

Madison O’Bagy is the current Director of Marketing at Lagoon Amusement Park. Her family owns Lagoon and we had so much fun walking around Lagoon with her last week while she told us about Lagoon’s rich history. We talked about all that Lagoon has done in our community over the decades and she even showed us a really quiet, shaded spot behind the Arby’s in Pioneer Village that not many people know about where you can eat your food and feel like you are in a secret garden. (Guess it isn’t a secret anymore). ;D

Madison’s passion and pride in Lagoon are contagious! Check out our interview with her here:

Did you know that Frightmares started in 1995 – the same year as the Skycoaster debut? With 9 haunted houses, storytelling from Windy the Witch, chainsaw demonstrations, séances and more, Frightmares has something for everyone. And did you know  Lagoon is known for its many ghosts? Have you ever seen a ghost or felt like one was nearby? Frightmares is a perfect place to see a ghost, or just see their incredible cast who, with the talented makeup, hair stylists and costume designers, create the spooky and haunted feel that so many people love this time of year!

We asked Madison what her favorite thing was about the Davis Chamber and she said that they really value the Leadership Institute. Each year they send a large number of their employees through Leadership Institute and they acquire skills they use to tackle day-to-day challenges at Lagoon, as well as in their everyday lives. They gain a great amount of confidence which benefits them as individuals and Lagoon employees.

Thank you, Madison for taking the time to meet with us! We are proud to have Lagoon in Davis County and in the Chamber. You can visit Lagoon Amusement Park at http://www.lagoonpark.com/.

Categories: Featured Members