Visit Another World at the Enchanted Forest Park
To visit the Enchanted Forest park is to leave the modern city of Salem behind and enter a magical world where fairytales and storybook characters come to life. Situated on a hill just south of Salem, this enduring children’s theme park is the family-friendly adventure your kids will be talking about for years to come. You can easily spend a whole day at the amusement park, then go back and do it all again the next day!
The History of the Park
The Enchanted Forest is the creative vision of Roger Tofte, who worked for years during his spare time in the 1960s to open a fairytale-inspired theme park for people of all ages. The Enchanted Forest’s first opening season was 1971 and by 1973, Roger Tofte and his family were running the Enchanted Forest full-time. Additions have been made to the park over the years, like the Haunted House that opened in 1974 or the Ice Mountain roller coaster in 1985.
The Old Europe section of the park was added by 1993, and the log ride was completed by 1996. After those big additions, Roger and his family focused on adding kids’ attractions, like kiddy bumper boats. Like many amusement parks across the country, the Enchanted Forest had a rough time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, a severe ice storm in February 2021 delayed the park’s reopening further after causing extensive damage to park structures. The community rallied to raise funds to help with repairs, and the Enchanted Forest celebrated its 50th anniversary in August, 2021.
Events and Things to Do at the Enchanted Forest Park
In addition to the many rides and attractions at the Enchanted Forest, there are also places to eat and shop. The park has four gift shops where you can buy souvenirs, travel toys, artistic gifts, and costumes. There’s even an online shop if you can’t make it to one of the gift shops in person during your visit to the park in Salem. Additionally, there’s a comedy theatre where you can catch live stage performances fit for the whole family.
Plan Your Visit
The Enchanted Forest is located at 8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, OR 97392, right off of Interstate 5. The park is open every day from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm during the summer. General admission is $22.00 for everyone aged 13 and older and $19.00 for seniors aged 62 and older and children between ages 3 and 12. Children under 2 are free. The rides also cost between $3.00 and $5.00 each.