Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park, locally known as "Elitch's", is an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. It is owned by Stanley Kroenke and operated by Premier Parks, LLC. It is open May through October, and unique in that it is located in a downtown area.HistoryGurtler era (1994–1995)As space was getting scarce at the original location of Elitch Gardens at 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street, the Gurtler family and their financial partners purchased a 67.7acre plot of land in the Platte River valley near downtown Denver for the price of $6.1 million in June 1994. $90 million was spent relocating some rides from the original park and construction of the new park. The money was from a mix of public and private dollars and various loans.On October 1, 1994, the original park closed its gates forever and a majority of the rides were moved to the new property. On May 27, 1995, the new one opened up to lower than expected crowds. Attendance was weaker than the expected 1.2 million guests the park aimed for. Some notable rides at the park's opening were the original Carousel and Sidewinder roller coaster, relocated from the old park; and a new version of the Mister Twister, the Twister II.In October, 1996, the Gurtler family and its partners sold the park to growing theme park operator Premier Parks for $65 million.Premier era (1996–1998)Premier noted the lackluster figures the new park had in its first two seasons and new additions were soon rushed in for the park's third season. The first and most notable addition was the park's third roller coaster, Mind Eraser, a Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster. The next big addition was Tower of Doom, an Intamin freefall ride that stands at 220ft. Also added was the park's 700-seat Trocadero Theater, named after the famous ballroom and dance hall at the original park. The price tag for these additions came to a total of $28 million.
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