Lakeside Park Official Guide and Views

Official guidebook for the opening of Lakeside Park in Denver.

This wonderful compilation of views captures the excitement of the opening year of Denver’s Lakeside Park. Sixteen pages show architectural highlights from around the city, portraits of the board of directors, images of attractions, and a panorama looking south from the boathouse. According to the Denver Public Library;

“Lakeside Amusement Park opened on May 30, 1908, to a crowd of 50,000. Amazingly, the park has only changed ownership twice during its long history. The Lakeside Realty and Amusement Company, originally led by brewery magnate Adolph Zang, sold the park to Benjamin Krasner in 1935. Mr. Krasner’s daughter, Rhoda, owns the park today.

Why was Lakeside Amusement Park once referred to as “White City?” During the early part of the 20th century, there were several White City amusement parks scattered throughout the United States, Great Britain, and Australia. The name “White City” originated at Chicago’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, which featured amusement rides nestled among the exposition’s neoclassical buildings awash in white Plaster of Paris. Today, a trip to Lakeside is a stroll through a bygone era. Although the swimming beach, casino, theatre, race track, and public pool are no longer in operation, many classic rides survive, including the Cyclone coaster, the Wild Chipmunk, and the miniature train that circles Lake Rhoda.”

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