Manhattan Beach (Denver)
Encyclopedia
Manhattan Beach was a former amusement park in Denver
(1881-1914). It was built on the shore of Sloan's Lake
in Edgewater, Colorado
(near Denver) and was the first amusement park
created west of the Mississippi River
. Open to the public for the first time 27 June 1881, it had a roller coaster
, a dance hall
, a Ferris wheel
, boating
attractions, hot air balloon
rides, wrestling
bear
s, contortionists, aerial acts
(including a human cannonball
), a man who walked on ceiling
s, and exhibits displaying more than 40 species of animals, but its primary draw was Roger the Elephant (real name: Rajah), who was a popular children's ride. Visitors reached the park by streetcar, boat
s, and wagon
s.
While Manhattan Beach was a popular destination, competition (from nearby Elitch Gardens
and White City, the latter eventually becoming Lakeside Amusement Park
) and mishaps marked its existence. Roger the Elephant was spooked by the sound of a hot-air balloon, bucked passengers and stepped on the head of a six-year-old boy; Roger was subsequently put down and buried in a nearby swamp
. In 1908, Manhattan Beach was destroyed by fire
; later that year, it was rebuilt and reopened as Luna Park. It closed for the final time in 1914.
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
(1881-1914). It was built on the shore of Sloan's Lake
Sloan's Lake
Sloan's Lake is a body of water, park, and neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, US. The neighborhood is located on the northwest side of Denver...
in Edgewater, Colorado
Edgewater, Colorado
The City of Edgewater is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Edgewater is located on the northwest side of Denver, in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population is 5,170...
(near Denver) and was the first amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
created west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Open to the public for the first time 27 June 1881, it had a roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
, a dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
, a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
attractions, hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
rides, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, contortionists, aerial acts
Aerialist
An aerialist is an acrobat who performs in the air, on a suspended apparatus such as a trapeze, rope, cloud swing, aerial cradle, aerial silk or aerial hoop....
(including a human cannonball
Human cannonball
The human cannonball is a performance in which a person is ejected from a specially designed cannon. The impetus is provided not by gunpowder, but by either a spring or jet of compressed air...
), a man who walked on ceiling
Ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....
s, and exhibits displaying more than 40 species of animals, but its primary draw was Roger the Elephant (real name: Rajah), who was a popular children's ride. Visitors reached the park by streetcar, boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
s, and wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
s.
While Manhattan Beach was a popular destination, competition (from nearby Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Colorado...
and White City, the latter eventually becoming Lakeside Amusement Park
Lakeside Amusement Park
Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado near Denver. Originally named White City, it was opened in 1908 as a popular amusement resort adjacent to Lake Rhoda spearheaded by prominent Denver brewer Adolph Zang...
) and mishaps marked its existence. Roger the Elephant was spooked by the sound of a hot-air balloon, bucked passengers and stepped on the head of a six-year-old boy; Roger was subsequently put down and buried in a nearby swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
. In 1908, Manhattan Beach was destroyed by fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
; later that year, it was rebuilt and reopened as Luna Park. It closed for the final time in 1914.