Elitch Gardens

Amusement park · Auraria

Elitch Gardens

Amusement park · Auraria

1

2000 Elitch Cir, Denver, CO 80204

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Elitch Gardens by null
Elitch Gardens by null
Elitch Gardens by null
Elitch Gardens by null
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Elitch Gardens by null
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Highlights

Amusement park with roller coasters, arcade, shows & waterpark  

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2000 Elitch Cir, Denver, CO 80204 Get directions

elitchgardens.com

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2000 Elitch Cir, Denver, CO 80204 Get directions

+1 303 595 4386
elitchgardens.com

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Last updated

Aug 14, 2025

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Day Trips in Denver

"There’s a legend in the Mile High City that says, “Not to see Elitch is not to see Denver.” The long-standing theme park Elitch Gardens, also the only large-scale downtown amusement park in the country, is as much a part of the city’s history as beat poets and the Broncos. Roller coasters and the waterpark are the perfect warm-ups for a night of live music at Red Rocks Amphitheater. The biggest names in nearly every genre stop at Red Rocks on their summer tours, and with towering rocks on both sides of the theater, mountain views behind, and the city skyline above the stage, it’s nothing short of breathtaking. Stop for dinner at the nearby Morrison Inn before the show. If a nightcap is in order, Jose Oshea’s is open late on the way back into town and has a free taco buffet at the upstairs bar." - MATADOR_NETWORK

https://matadornetwork.com/destinations/north-america/united-states/denver/day-trips/
View Postcard for Elitch Gardens

Melissa Baynes

Google
Nice amusement / water park. Unfortunately, lots of people vaping despite the supposed "drug free" park. One lifeguard actually said something, which was really great. Took six kids for a birthday party today and they all had a really great time at both parts of the park. Definitely get there early... we got there at 945 (opens at 1030). So if you want to set up a base without renting a cabana, you can get chairs together in the shade. Food expensive, but not outrageous for an amusement park.

Rodzilla

Google
Elitch Gardens is a must for families with kids. The season pass is one of the best investments you can make if your kids love fun, rides, and hanging out with their friends all summer long. It even includes a meal, which makes it an unbeatable deal. This park has become a summer tradition for my kids, and it’s worth every penny. I usually only join them for Fright Fest, and even that’s a blast. If you’re a parent in the Denver area, a season pass to Elitch Gardens is something you won’t regret getting for your kids.

Crystal Ridder

Google
We went on a Thursday, just after opening. We waited in line about 10 mins to get in. Most rides had 5-10 lines, so had almost no wait. Rides were fun but it's small, not as many rides for adults/thrill seekers as larger parks. The kiddie area is nice with 6 or so kid friendly rides & play area. Restrooms were worn but clean. Food was decent for park food. I think we paid $17 for a burger & fries. They also had rice bowls which was nice. Water park was nice, it had at least 7 big water slides, wave pool, lazy river & kids play/spray area. We went to the counter & asked to rent tubes for the lazy river, paid & found out they are provided. I wish they would have said that when I asked. They provide life jackets for babies & kids. The water park was crowded and water slide lines were about 20-30 mins. Overall it was fun for younger kids but not a place I would go to again unless we lived close by.

Robert John Smith

Google
I love Elitch Gardens and all the stuff they offer. I would give this a 5 star rating for everything else in the park, however, the staff are so rude and should be trained more properly. I got yelled at by an employee many times during my visit today. I rudely got yelled at by the security for trying to enter after I left to use the bathroom, I understand that I couldn't enter after leaving because it's a policy, but the way they told me to leave was so rude. These security staff are so rude and should be more polite next time. However I do have some favorite ride operators who are actually polite like Jose. This is the reason I give this 3 stars. Please tell the staff to be more polite to visitors for what they can and can't do. Thank you! Edit: Today during my visit wasn't a good visit. I now rate this 2 stars because I was getting food from the food court, when all of a sudden, a worker came up to me telling me that my card declined. It wasn't a big deal and I got back to "pay it", however, when I checked my recent purchases, it said that I paid it 2 times. I would love to get my money back and for Elitch Gardens to fix the machines, I'm sorry for my immature response but I'm pretty pissed off from this. Thanks Elitch Gardens for taking my money.

Jason Moore

Google
It was a good time . Just sucked rides were closed . It was our family's first time. It would have been nice to be able to experience all the rides. Other than that it was cool my kids had fun. It can get pretty expensive $$$$$$$.

eve KENDYFIVE

Google
Everyone is so friendly, my kids and their friends have so much fun! I'd love to get a promotion or discount since we buy food every day we go, and it's expensive to pay for seven people, but we love spending the whole day there. We love Elitch.

Ashley H

Google
We purchased 2 season passes and had planned to use the guest passes for our kids (it did not tell us that there were limitations in dates for that) found out that those guest passes could only be used Monday through Thursday. We dont live in Denver so this was news to us. Had to go purchase additional tickets. Then we went and asked for the souvenir cups it took about 10 minutes to find a place that even had them in stock. It was $14.00 per cup if you bought 3 of them which is what we did. These cups were cheaply made and my sons cup fell and broke within the 1st 10 minutes of us purchasing them. They were not going to exchange even though I had the receipt to prove we had just paid for them. I do not like a whole lot of rides personally but it was quite a let down to see so many rides not up and running. The twister was down, the swings were down and it took a while to the disaster rapids ride (I think thats what it was) up and running. There was a few others down but I cant remember which ones because again im not a huge ride fan. We came for my husband and kiddos to ride. Idk if we will ever come again but I was pretty let down for the amount we paid to come. I am all for safety but there should be discounted tickets when rides are down or tickets for people like me who want to come but dont necessarily plan on riding.

Leilani Osmundson

Google
I'm a couple years late but I just remembered our Luminova experience at Elitch Gardens and had to review! We went on the coldest night of the year and had an absolute blast. Because it was so cold, we were basically the only people there -- we had the carousel to ourselves, a lot of the rides, and a lot of the light displays for photo opportunities. Had a great time!
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Annie G.

Yelp
Growing up in Denver, I experienced Elitchs first, then the Six Flags edition, and eventually back to Elitchs. I have lots of memories here including: getting season passes and hanging out with friends in my high school days, bringing out of town visitors, and my first time having a funnel cake. Now as a parent, I'm able to enjoy the amusement park through my kids' eyes. And they really love it here! I find myself being a season pass holder again after 20 years... I feel grateful that this park still exists (despite many years of talk that it will be moving or closing soon). It brings vitality to the city and is always cool drive into downtown and see the rides in motion. I will agree that the workers seem so unhappy but I get that it's a monotonous job. We had trouble finding a single seat/chair available in the water park. That part was stressful and when my 2-year-old needed to nap, I had to hold him in my arms for over an hour (while my older kids went on rides). The Kiddie Land has several fun rides for their age, and the lines have been pretty short. They always want to take a go at the games which is where we spend the most money. Spent $45 to get a big Squirtle recently, but it's a guarantee win... Season passes include free parking and 15% off on food (which we didn't know, and the staff didn't ask us...).
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Kevin L.

Yelp
It's crazy how this is right in the middle of downtown Denver. I've been here for 5 years and this was my first time going. It was so much fun! The roller coasters are legit. Not a slight hump but a brain musher. The same ticket gets you in the water park and the non-water park. It was definitely worth going

Catherine P.

Yelp
I can not say how gross this place was. 75% of the ride not operating. The staff is disgusting and disrespectful. Grounds are putrid and smell like a rotting dumpster. Overpriced parking and entry fee for you to just ride 2 dirty rides that probably poorly maintained. They only reason to go here is if you are looking to get hepatitis or a massive staph infection or live out your final destination dream.,
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Brad W.

Yelp
Unfortunately two of the three coasters I wanted to ride were closed. Twister 3 and Boomerang were closed. Mind eraser was decent. Rest of park for kids and spinny rides. Hand rolled pretzels at front were good.
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Cassandra F.

Yelp
Let me start by saying, I am a Disney person. I grew up going to Disneyland and that is my gold standard. Which is honestly very hard to meet for smaller amusement parks. That said, Elitch's is abundantly more affordable than Disney. If you plan on going more than a couple of times in a year, the annual pass is well worth it. You can even get discounted/free food and drinks on some of the plans. My kids enjoy the rollercoasters, but I'm not a big fan of that kind of ride. Meow Wolf is more like style, and it's a fun ride but not nearly as cool as the Meow Wolf location in Denver. The water park is fun, but can get a bit crowded and isn't always as clean as I'd like to see. The lifeguards are very attentive though, so I always feel pretty safe with my kids getting a little further away from me. The lazy river is my favorite thing to do. Sometimes it doesn't open till later in the day though, fair warning. They also have Halloween and Holiday Lights events that are included with annual pass (though haunted houses are extra). Overall it's a fun amusement park for the middle of the country, just go in expecting something that's become a little run down. Just grab yourself a big pretzel or funnel cake and all will be better.
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Lauren R.

Yelp
Still having neck shoulder and back pain from falling in that hole on your property. Thanks again for a life altering injury and only caring about covering your own asses. Didn't even fix the fucking hole.
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Monika B.

Yelp
The rides are a great time, unfortunately it's quite expensive to wait in incredibly long lines that are slow at moving. If you don't have the fast pass (we bought them for the kids thankfully) idk if it's worth the amount you pay. The food and drinks are quite expensive as well. The park itself looks a little worse for wear. The ride operators were absolutely so kind when my children did interact with them, we really appreciated that. I think with some TLC this place could be amazing again.
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N G.

Yelp
Elitchs is okay I guess. the lines are what gets Me. I literally waited 1 hour just to get on one ride. I also tried getting a stuff animal. But it was 80 dollars for a small lady bug. 80!!!! I repeat. When I went to go get my tickets the lady was like yelling at me with an attitude.
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Aubrie M.

Yelp
This place has their parking lot as a homeless and migrant encampment. I brought up complaints, as did my mother in law, and they refused to refund my money. No way was I going to bring 3 small children into that place with illegal migrants and homeless camping out. Its dangerous. I did not buy passes this season because of this encampment issue. I will never return to elitches due to the encampment issues they have. Its disgusting and not safe.

Michael Anthony M.

Yelp
best theme park ever the people were nice no dirty stuff and i just love it but i wish the twister was open

Peter J.

Yelp
My kids love it but the staff were a little rude and snotty. Also they don't take cash so we couldn't get food or drinks. Otherwise great!

Tianna K.

Yelp
The most miserable workers ever! For the amount of money you pay to get into the park, and then to pay for the drinks and food - party of 7, $400 to enter, $60 for 3 drinks and a sprite - with the employee dropping the straw on the ground and then sticking the straw into the cup? What an idiot and then to be rude when you tell them you don't want the dirty straw. And let's not talk about the $115 meal, that tasted horrible. Such a crappy establishment- never again! This park is horrible - I would give it negative stars if that was possible.
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Meghan M.

Yelp
As a Colorado native who has grown up coming here, this place is just so disappointing now. The grounds are poorly taken care of, and the employees couldn't care less about literally anything. The lines wouldn't be nearly as long if the people working there actually had the tiniest sense of urgency. I wouldn't recommend any of the food, got $18 wings at the food court, they were cold inside and out. They had been sitting so long that the fries were soaked in buffalo sauce and cold. Complete waste of time and money. It's so sad to see such an iconic place in such terrible shape.

Caleb W.

Yelp
I have trauma from the MindEraser. I will sue for trauma. Fix the MindEraser. I busted my lip. Fart you all.

Harrison C.

Yelp
Elitches is fun, but not the greatest rides. the meow wolf dark ride is really cool, and the boomerang is amazing.
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Joseph C.

Yelp
We got stuck on one ride for about 20 minutes then we got stuck upside down for maybe 5 seconds. We got the rapid ride passes but half of the rides with the rapid rides passes part were closed. One of the workers was super nice. When we went in October there were these people dressed in costumes carrying chainsaws scaring people so that was nice.

Kiah A.

Yelp
I went to Elitche Gardens with my family for the 4th of July, and we waited over an hour in line for the star flyer, so I left with my mom to go to the bathroom, like many people do, and then we went to return to line and there was a security guard Randy, telling us we couldn't enter again because that was "line cutting" even though we had been waiting for about an hour and a half already. My aunt came to show them a picture of me in line with them and they said that we couldn't enter still, and my mom was just talking to her sister, not talking to Randy, but he butted in and yelled at my mom and my aunt for being rude and said he didn't know what was wrong with us people. I can understand him just doing his job, but he must have known why we were upset and he was being disrespectful and rude to us. Other people that left the line for the bathroom were upset too, one woman tried to come back and switch places with her husband, but that wasn't okay either for some reason. Then my uncle did yell at Randy a little because he was being a little shit, and he called security on my whole family, including my aunt and grandma that didn't even speak to him, and said we were all being a problem as if there weren't other families that asked to rejoin the line as well. The security guard didn't listen to us when we tried to explain ourselves either. His badge said Sarah, but when my mom addressed him as that, he was confused, so I don't think that was even his badge at all. Overall, a very bad experience, I hope they find better workers next time and a better system that makes the rules clear and consistent, as that is greatly lacking at Elitch Gardens as a whole.
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Bob F.

Yelp
I was skeptical when I saw all the one-star reviews for Elitch Gardens. 'How bad could it be?' I thought, with the naive optimism of someone who doesn't know what's coming. Well, I stand corrected--this place is a carnival of horrors, minus the fun. First, the water park was so mobbed it felt like the set of a zombie apocalypse movie--except instead of brains, people were clamoring for a patch of shade. The lazy river? More like the chaotic torrent. The wave pool? A tsunami of disappointment. EVERY. SINGLE. RIDE. was either broken (with unfortunate souls stuck on them, probably rethinking all their life choices) or just not running at all. After an hour of wandering around in the blazing sun, waiting for something--anything--to be operational, I ended up with a nice sunburn because, guess what, they were sold out of sunscreen. Clearly, the only thing moving in this park was my patience...out the exit. Finally, we waved goodbye to this dystopian theme park and took an Uber to salvation (our air conditioned hotel room). One star is way too generous--I'm tempted to ask for a refund on the star itself but - you guessed it - Guest Relations was packed too!
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Sara N.

Yelp
Here again for Girl Scout Day. A bunch of rides aren't available and the prices for anything have gotten out of control. The white coaster wasn't running last year either. They were testing rides after the park opened which I feel is a waste of my time I paid to go on rides. 90 degrees with black pavement everywhere and not one of the water rides is running and not any time soon by the looks of it. I come here for the kids, not for myself but all of these issues is hard earned money out of my pocket and is just a disappointment. I sincerely hope once it moves, it will be a place you want to go, like Kings Dominion or Cedar Point.

Dreavyn N.

Yelp
I try to go on the teacups with my friends and the worker Gen called me and my friends rude for giggling I asked her how we were being rude and she said just stop being rude she clearly had a stick up her ass cuz she was being a real bitch this happened just today at 2:40 on Friday May 16 I was here with my school and I am only 13 if this is how employees talk to costumers than I would appreciate if employees like Gen don't work here she repeatedly gave me and my friends dirty looks this is out of hand and not okay to be treating MINORS like nothing a 13, 16, and 17 year old the rest of the experience was pretty good but she ruined our whole day. Me and my friends paid a lot on money here and we have a season pass if this is how we are getting treated than the money is not worth it

Lisa C.

Yelp
Parents be AWARE there is zero security checks at the entrance. No bag check. No metal detectors. I grew up going to Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Six flags etc. All in Southern California. All have bag checks and metal detectors. There are many unattended underage kids here. It's very concerning. I was shocked. Completely shocked there was no safety checks you can bring anything in! Do better elitches.
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Jim D.

Yelp
I've lived in Denver since before the "new" Elitch's... and I was aware it had gone downhill since before the move. But it is considerably worse than it was a couple decades ago now and seems worth mentioning just how bad it has gotten. The best way I can describe it is: Remember how rundown Lakeside was at the end? That is what Elitch's is like now. After waiting in line for The Tower... it was shut down by maintenance issues just before we got to the front. All of the attractions even kind of featuring water were closed. ALL of them, even those not in the water park area. It was 95 degrees. Apparently there was one lightning strike "within 5 miles" hours and hours earlier in the day, and they never reopened the water park. They did NOT make this clear on their web page or when we entered that the Water Park would never be open. It was 95 degrees and we were all wearing swimming suits. At least I saved the $18 per tube for tube rental. The MindEraser had a huge line, which went about half the speed it should have from a constant stream of entitled VIP kids streaming to the front of the line. Same for Storm Chaser, but it seems to run faster so it is less annoying; however, if you want to sit in the front seat forget it, they were letting VIP folks pick their seat first every time that I saw, and they always picked the first couple rows. The folk doing things like loading the ferris wheel... could easily have loaded and unloaded twice as fast. I saw a family with kids struggle to open the door and get out for over a minute before they gave up and just climbed over the door because they couldn't hold their kids and open the gate at the same time, while an employee watched on from 15 feet away looking impatient. (Worth noting: they had a shift change just before we got on. I observed the new person helping each pod unload on the other side. Definitely speed up exit as even adults were struggling with the confusing door that had all the instructions worn off of it so it was just a solid piece of white plastic that probably once said "PULL TO EXIT" or somesuch. Nickle and diming would be awesome. Eliches 5 dollars and 10 dollars you. They 10 dollar you a "convenience" fee you must pay to get any discount prices. They $5 you for a water/soda. What is called a "Small" dippin dots at the zoo is "Medium" at Elich's and costs $8. Most of the not particularly appetizing or large full meals are $20, with the online discount. Tubes are $10 to rent, or $18 for a double... I assume from the sign, the water activities were all closed. This was on a hot summer August weekend day when it was 95 degrees. Looks like they charged for a locker and towels. Oh, and no refunds for the water park being closed, they only do refunds if the tower, water park (both closed), twister, mind eraser and something else (probably something lame like the ferris wheel) are closed. Since Mind Eraser and Twister were open... no refund for a water park with no water rides. Want to send your staff home to save on money? Great, but then refund all your guests for half their money for having only half the things in your name. Would I go back? Hell no, not for me. My son is going off to college and wanted to go one more time before he left. We considered the actual real water park instead, guess we should have done that as the two roller coasters were not really why we went. Meow Wolf Kaleidoscope should not be the highlight of a trip to a water park.
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Kevin H.

Yelp
Without knowing any of the history behind this place, I'd say this is the budget hybrid offspring of Disneyland and Water World. The entry fee isn't that bad when you consider access to a bunch of kid and adult rides, carnival games, shows and a water park which includes multiple slides, lazy river, splash pads and wave pool. I should also mention that the staff members were all friendly when we interacted with them. We spent the first half of our day at the theme park and enjoyed a handful of rides. A couple rides were "temporarily closed" which seems to be a common occurrence. Plenty of other rides to keep us busy on a Saturday however. Lines were 10-20 minutes on average. Also not bad at all. The water park side was definitely less favorable. Again it was a Saturday so it was pretty packed and we couldn't find seating for our family of 4. As first timers, this side of the park felt absolutely chaotic. When we finally found seating, the group near us decided to smoke weed with kids all running around. I get it's tough to regulate bad behavior in a place as packed and busy like this, but it definitely made our time here less enjoyable. All in all I think 3 stars is fair and I'm sure it can be a 4 star park on good days. I can also see how this place can be a 1-2 star experience for some, so I'm going to hold to my 3.
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Lynn I.

Yelp
The expense of this park doesn't match the quality. $30 just to park plus the entry fee of approx. $35 per person (prices were half off for the upcoming holiday), plus any beverages or food, plus any games that are ridiculously priced along with everything else. I will say, at least all the rides were working that day, and we did have a good time. We went on a Monday, so the lines weren't too bad. The tables at most of the areas you can order food aren't regularly cleaned. I had to get napkins and use some of my pricey bottled water to make a space to sit that wasn't sticky with sauces and melted remnants of some slobs meal. The bathrooms are horrendously kept. Or unkempt rather. I've been in gas station bathrooms that were cleaner. Also, you're lucky if you find any toilet paper, so if you go, I'd bring some tissues just in case. In the water park, it's also filthy. The only place that's clean is the cabana areas that cost $300 for a limited number of people. It's unfortunate that there's no cabana bathroom and showers. The only option is the main restrooms and showers that are even more disgusting than the last. I went to change with my young son in the women's shower room, and not only was it horrendously hot, but we were hard pressed to find a stall that didn't look like a city alley. Hair globs, mold in the corners, even a sanitary pad on the shower floor. I wouldn't let my kid take his shoes off, and we got out of that bathroom asap! If you plan to visit the water side, do yourself a favor and wear your swimsuit to the park under your clothes and have extra towels in the car to sit on. That leaves us with the water people are swimming in. The wave pool is dirty. Now, I don't expect the staff to be able to account for every person and their littering, but the water is weirdly cloudy. There's a community pool in my neighborhood that is well used all summer, and the water never looks like that. I don't believe the staff maintains the water as well as they should. I gave 2 stars for the fun we had on the rides, plus the delicious altho overpriced funel cake, but the cost for such a filthy is atrocious.
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Alisa J.

Yelp
Had a great time seeing the luminova display! So pretty and loved that there were some rides open. It was very cold so the rides were colder when we were on them and then waiting in line. There were some heaters around. Overall recommend. Parking was so expensive though.
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Vincent C.

Yelp
As a roller coaster enthusiast, I've ridden hundreds of coasters all around the country and in foreign countries as well. I have never had to wait 2 hours and 20 minutes to ride a coaster until I visited Elitch Gardens. More specifically, I waited 2 hours and 20 minutes to ride Storm Chaser, which turned out to be extremely disappointing given the roughness of the ride. When I finally reached the front of the line, the cause of the extended wait time became apparent. The ride operators were dispatching trains with empty seats, making no effort to increase the capacity of the ride. As a point of reference, wait times usually average around an hour for the popular rides at Cedar Point, which gets ~3.5 million visitors per year. I did not attempt to ride any other coasters while at Elitch Gardens, with one of them even being out of service. I simply left afterwards, having wasted an afternoon and evening.

D K.

Yelp
Purchased tickets to Luminova Holiday, which advertises "Let's Glow Big" it was 110 for 2 adults and a child. There was No Big Glow, I have more nights up in my backyard. There were a couple of light-up reindeer and a moose, nothing spectacular, and a few lights on the fence. It costs more money, and you have to pay for parking than any of the other holiday light events in town. It took 5 mins to walk through all the lights, and it took 5 mins, because we did it 3 times, thinking we were missing something. 110 dollars is not acceptable, I thought we were going to have family time, something to remember. There wasn't even any holiday music playing. I had to go through security b/c I was wearing a jacket, took longer than the Luminova Holiday adventure. The security woman just kept banging her nails, and then hand on the plastic table over and over very loud. I said "You are not very nice, I don't know what loud banging on a table means". She then said "Empty your pockets". I said they were empty, and she started banging again. I said "Your behaviour is not acceptable", she then said set your phone on the table. Should have turned around then. As you can imagine a child is extremely disappointed, sitting in a car for 45 mins just to see 5 mins of boring white lights. We at least attempted to get a hot chocolate we stood there... and stood there, while the staff person was putting the chairs up on the tables... not sure why, it wasn't close to closing time. The person, then said it would be another 5 mins, and continued putting chairs on the table, to which he dropped two chairs, once again very loud. We left and went to Starbucks to get hot chocolate. 110 for that was not acceptable. I reached out to Elitch Gardens for a refund, they preferred I reach out via BBB.
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Drake F.

Yelp
Lines easy as hell to cut. Fuckin losers were waiting in line for the twister while my whole group just slipped through the fast pass line that security doesn't check. Imagine having to wait 2 hours for that whack roller coaster lol.

Paul A.

Yelp
For people visiting & do not live in Colorado, THIS IS NOT WORTH IT $30 Parking $78.99 season pass (cheapest way to get two people in for less than $120 $70 rapids ride admission $179.99 Still have to pay for food, drinks, games. Or keep upgrading & spending more money to save but nothing is worth it when you're just visiting. Save your money!
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Savanna B.

Yelp
My toddler loves Eliches, which is why we have season passes again this year. He always had a blast. To me, it's expensive, lines, and hot...most of the staff are really nice though and it is a good way to entertain a little one in the summer. The season pass is a good value, especially if you get one that includes parking (regularly priced parking is around $30/day). The water park is also a fun way to cool off and is included with admission.
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Noel J.

Yelp
I'm being generous with the 3 stars. First off parking is 25 dollars, definitely not worth it at all for what you get. Disney alone is 30 bucks and this place is no Disney. I really hate doing bad reviews but it's the only way things do change. So anyways onto the rest. First we paid 29.99 plus tax per person to get in, not bad really but not worth the price for what I'm about to explain. At least to me. We got scanned in and our first stop was the hot cocoa shop. We went to order 7 and the employee said that she didn't have enough for 7 and in order to get more she had to request it from a manager, so weird! It was a busy night why wouldn't you have an abundance of it for everyone that was in line waiting to get some hot cocoa. So we made due with 3 that's all she could get. She was a super sweet girl! I'm glad they didn't have 7 cups of it cause it was nasty! We ended up throwing it away. We went on our first ride which was the carousel. It was super fun. We tried to go on the Ferris wheel but that broke down so we went to go wait in line for another right which the lines weren't long, but we ended up waiting almost 45 mins to ride because of how they were doing the ride. It was weird and kind of hard to explain really. I believe there were like 5 rides open and all ridiculous long wait times for how short the line was. The only good part about this park was their Christmas light display. It was absolutely beautiful. If anything the ticket was worth that. If I do ever come back it will be only for the holiday ticket and to see the lights.

Javi M.

Yelp
I was having a fun time lines were not that bad and the food was great kinda pricey but your at a theme park the works were all really nice and we lost a iPhone in the locker and got it back from the front counter so I ratey experience a 5 stars
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Peter M.

Yelp
Hmm. Well, while I have crazy fond memories of Elitch's from my youth, the experience has gone a little mediocre. The reality is that there are too many people and not enough youths to make the place efficient anymore. We went a couple of times this year; once in the spring (crowded) and once in the fall right before DPS reconvened (not crowded, but since they lost a ton of workers back to high school, only 20% of the waterpark and about 30% of the other rides were open), it felt like a letdown. Still, it is a nice place with fun stuff and if you don't pay full price I truly think you get a nice experience for the money.
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Heidi M.

Yelp
WHYYYYY!!! WHYYYYY!!! WHY are there SO MANY people at Elitch!? The amount of people is overwhelming. My kids had a great time in the kiddie land area and pretty much rode every ride that they were tall enough to do. When we got too hot, we moved over to the waterpark area. Again, I repeat, why are there so many people there? The bathroom line was disgustingly long. I am so glad I never had to wait in that because it was no joke 30+ people every time I walked by the bathroom. The "changing area" was nonexistent so my daughter and I basically changed into our swimsuits in the open area in front of everyone and we were not the only ones doing that. The shower area was so crowded, filthy and disgusting. Don't even bother trying to shower because there is nowhere to put your clothes or bag down. No bench and no hook. STUPID. My aunt waited forever in the waterslide lines and the rest of us never bothered to do so. As soon as we got to the wave pool which had about 1,125,235,653 people in it, they made everyone get out for 15 minutes. There was MASS chaos out of the wave pool and then everything else was just overwhelmingly crowded. We followed the rules and didn't bring food or drinks into the park, but we definitely saw people had brought stuff in. We even saw a cooler packed with food/drink! Instead, we waited in the LONGEST lines ever to pay way too much money for mediocre amusement park food. My kids were miserable because it was so hot and there was nowhere to even go in the water. We only lasted a few hours. Elitch is extremely overpriced for tickets PLUS you have to pay $25 just to park! I would never recommend this place to anyone and I will never go back.
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Elizabeth J.

Yelp
Most of the rides are closed, kids are usually running wild, and the changing room/bathroom is disgusting. However, it's an amusement park and water slides, plus wave pool only a few miles from my house so I can go when it's less crowded in the off season. Ride your bike, grab a scooter, or take the train to avoid parking. Lower your expectations and enjoy it while it's here. It could be so much better, but it's certainly not the worst.
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Sonja A.

Yelp
*Chicken Fight Fest Review* Oh my gosh! Found out about this event via Facebook and so glad I did! Purchased the early taste entry tixs and it was soooo worth it! We had an hour lead in to get what we could of food, bevvies and swag before the masses. I was totally impressed with how well orchestrated the event was. There really had to have been over 50 businesses representing their goods. Chicken wings, sammies, sliders, chick-on-a-stick... You name it, they had it. While every restaurant had some good grub on hand, I think my fave was the chicken sammie from Counter Culture....and I'm going on record to say that their version is way better than those fast food chains in the 2021 battle (hint...one is named after that famous spinach eating strong arm, the other, known for that infamous pickle add on that i really do love) So the whiskey was pouring generously, vodka, seltzer water and tequila drinks also were on hand. As soon as we checked in, we grabbed our oh so cool pressed palm leaf plate, bottled water and boom...we were off to the races. Music provided by local artists Buckstein (with original tunes!) and Bowman Law (covers) was fantastic and DJ jazzy kept the grooves going the rest of the evening. A few rides were open and we were so grateful to take advantage of an evening spin on the ferris wheel. All in all, the event was outstanding. We so got our monies worth and look forward to repeating attendance next year!
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Jessica A.

Yelp
Elitch Gardens will always hold a special place in my heart - the sound of Guns N Roses playing over the loudspeaker mixed with kids screams as they passed by on The Twister, the smell of funnel cakes wafting through the air, the way it looked (and felt) when the lights came on at night and you knew there was only a few hours left to cram in as much fun as possible. Of all my childhood memories, Elitch Gardens is one of the best. Fast forward to present day and that memory, like The Twister, comes to a jarring and screeching halt. I received a coupon for one free admission to Elitch Gardens with the purchase of one admission ticket - 2 for 1. Great - I can get 2 kids into Elitch Gardens for 50 bucks, I foolishly thought. I went online to purchase the tickets using the coupon and discovered with each ticket Elitch Gardens adds on a $10 convenience fee since it's an online purchase. Annoyed, I decided to go ahead and purchase the tickets at the gate to avoid the 20 dollars in fees. So I stand in line for 30 minutes because there are only 2 people at the ticket window (why have 6 ticket windows if you're only going to have 2 people taking tickets - when would it be more appropriate to have 6 people working than on the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend?!) and at the window I am informed that the cost for 2 tickets with my coupon will be $70, as Elitch Gardens has added on a $10 convenience fee to each ticket. What, may I ask, is convenient about parking my car, walking to the gate and standing in the hot sun for 30 minutes? Nothing. So why on earth is there a "convenience " fee at the ticket window? Oh, I know, it's because Elitch Gardens jumped on the fee bandwagon along with banks, Ticket Master and hotels - and added a sneaky, low down way to take more of their loyal customers money. Elitch Gardens could be honest and just call it what it is - a BS fee that allows us to reach further into your pocket for no good reason. At the very least Elitch Gardens could make it clear online and on any physical coupon that a "convenience" fee will be charged no matter how inconvenient it is to purchase a ticket - whether you purchase online or at the ticket window Elitch Gardens will still take 10 extra dollars of your hard earned money simply because we can. How sad that the Elitch family name is still attached to this park since it's only a shell of its former self. Thanks for the memories Elitch Gardens - I'm so glad I got to spend time at the old park that was filled with music, magic and memories versus this corporate money making machine that's only goal is to line its stuffed pockets on the backs of hard working Denverites.
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Said R.

Yelp
All the people that gives this place one star is crazy this place is so fun and you can anybody for free Watch september
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Kristen C.

Yelp
We took our kids to elitches yesterday. First time going. We bought passes during the 4th of July sale. We started at the water park which was big but they don't tell you that you have to bring your own towels. Nothing on the website and no reminders posted at the park. They do have a shop that sells towels but they are $27 per towel. A little outrageous if you ask me. The food here is good but again between $15-$20 per entree. The rides were ok at the amusement park. A lot of teenagers there without parents and a lot of weed smoking. We probably won't visit for a while due to living an hour away.
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John E. H.

Yelp
I just watched Gary Popp fire someone over hearsay and assumptions. I watched as he runs his department like a post teen daycare or a high school, lots of clicks and no real life training. Gary Popp didn't hear any explanation or offer any reason for the firing, seemed very unfair. Someone should tell his boss he is not a people person.
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Peter F.

Yelp
I moved to Denver from Portland recently & had been wanting to come here. I splurged & bought the premium season pass and I don't regret it. It's a fun little place to hang out for the day & it has an exciting vibe, similar to a mini Disneyland. I like that the premium pass comes with free parking, however, all 3 times I've come, like half of the rides haven't been operating, so they only get 3 stars. I'd probably have more fun if more rides were running, but since so many were down, lines were pretty long. Prices of water & Icees are more expensive then actual Disneyland, who's is total b.s., but it's still fun to walk around & just hang out there. The water slides are pretty cool too, but I'd plan to eat before you go, as you don't really get your moneys worth for the food either.

Kammie W.

Yelp
Elitch Gardens has to be the worst amusement park in the United States. Storm Chaser honestly light a match. If you like concussions Storm Chaser is the ride for you. Also, the park is so dirty. Don't touch anything you might get goneherpesyphilades.
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Lauren B.

Yelp
First time here on Memorial Day Monday and was pretty impressed with the place! I'd recommend buying the season pass because if you go twice, it pays for itself. The bathrooms could use a lot of attention and miscellaneous trash was everywhere.

Elina S.

Yelp
ABSOLUTELY NOT! If only I could give zero stars... paid 60 dollars and spent the whole day here only to ride 3 RIDES. NOT EVEN INCLUDING THE WATERPARK. It was a beautiful sunny day but they kept saying that there was "signs of lightning". They would open up the rides for five minutes to give you hope of getting on, but as soon as you get to the front of the line they tell you it's closed again. You might as well just smash my head in with a brick. I wanted to cry the entire time. If you're not going to put any sort of warning on the website at least offer a refund for the all of the fun I DIDNT get to have. Thanks a lot.

Sophie B.

Yelp
Charged 60 dollars and got to ride three puny baby rides for babies, they would open the rides for two minutes at a time, just enough to get in line then they would close it again. Would not recommend. They do not offer refunds
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Jin C.

Yelp
One word: LUMINOVA!!! Please note that I am writing this review based on the Holiday Lights, and not the rides. Atmosphere - 5/5 - The place was covered in holiday lights, and it was awesome. Overall, it is a small theme park, and we didn't ride any rides, but the lights were fantastic. Staff - 5/5 - Very friendly and answered all of my questions. The only issue is that maybe we went too late (2 hrs before it closed), so not every restaurant wasn't open. Could be Covid related. Food - 4/5 - Ordered the following: Cinnamon Churro (Caramel filled) 5/5 - Like Churros? Like Caramel? Then get it. Cinnamon nuts - 2/5 - Dry....tasted old. Don't do it. Spiked Hot Chocolate - 4/5 - Had one with Rumchata and another with Peppermint Liquor. Definitely have to get the hot chocolate here (with or without liquor). I would give this place 4 stars, but gosh it is pricey ($30 pp $20 parking....). However, overall, we really enjoyed the lights. Enjoy the pics!
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Danita M.

Yelp
My second time here after buying a season pass. First time came just after 1:30 and had to wait over an hour for each ride. Was told to come early, so today got there right as the park was opened only to wait over 45 minutes while they "tested the ride" the ride should be open when the park is open! This is ridiculous. Will not be recommending this park.
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Dihedral D.

Yelp
Frustrating! Have been to parks around the world, and have always wanted to visit Elitch Gardens, which has an interesting history, and questionable future last I read, so I wanted to check it off my list. Arrived in the early afternoon on a partly cloudy May weekday and saw only 3 rides listed would not be operating. So, I opted to pay $59 after "convenience fees" to enter. At first glance, this is a beautiful park. Clean, welcoming, pretty landscaping, seems safe with a security check and all. However am afraid it went south from there. Wanted to get my credit on Twister III, so headed straight for that coaster first. Waited 1 hour 15 minutes in a line that was jumped by groups of individuals on no less than 7 instances. It was insane and infuriating. Never have I seen such bold line-cutting. On 3 occasions, groups of teenagers behind me were smoking pot in line. It is Colorado after all, but not something I prefer to smell or be around. They meter the number of guests in the station, so the line completely stops at times. As for the coaster, it's a one-and-done, trip to the chiropractor may be required afterwards. Ouch! But I still love classic wooden coasters, Sadly, Sidewinder (another classic coaster) was closed. Boomerang, also closed (although not posted on the sign out front). Next was Mind Eraser. After about 35 minutes in a queue (also with several instances of people cutting the line to join others ahead), sadly as I neared the station, the operators emptied the trains and left. One was kind enough to let us know it was "due to weather", but the others seemingly ran off. Break time perhaps? No official announcement in the queue or anything. I opted to wait as long as I could, but looking at the radar with some isolated storms in the area and not knowing their idea of "weather in the area," I left, but not before stopping by Guest Services to politely share my dissatisfaction with the product they seem to offer. I currently am waiting for a reply from be park, but as I live on the east coast, can't imagine I'd be back, possibly ever. I wish this park could be like Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen - a gem within a city, but sadly I left having spent $59 to ride 1 coaster and walk through a "weed" garden.
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Alana Z.

Yelp
Y'all. Elitch Gardens is so fun!! For those of us who remember running around theme parks as a kid and riding all the rides, this park definitely gives me a great amount of nostalgia. From the anticipation of the exciting ride as you're waiting in line to the coaster full of screaming riders flying by - all of it is what makes Elitches a grand ole time! No matter how old you are. Elitches has a old timey vibe to it. Some of the rides are very similar to the rides at Six Flags Great America in St. Louis which is probably due to the fact that Elitches used to be a Six Flags! The rides here are so fun! There aren't many but my faves are the Brain Drain, Mind Eraser, and Tower of Doom. The lines can be long on weekends but that's part of the theme park experience. Fright Fest here is also a good time! They have haunted houses and spooky decor and actors dressed up as scary monsters and people! And if you're complaining about the clientele, the lines, the old paint...then don't go! This place ain't for you homie! Go be a fun killer elsewhere!