Opened: 1896
Location: Throughout the park.
HISTORY & INFO
When Lagoon opened, people enjoyed simply taking a stroll through beautiful gardens and relaxing among the flowers and trees. Lagoon's gardens were once very large and expansive. Many postcards of Lagoon from that era featured these vast areas of the park and the gardens at Lagoon were considered by many to be the best around.
Much of the botanical areas began to dwindle throughout the 20th Century as the simple pleasures such as rowboating in the Lake and taking walks gave way to the excitement and thrills of mechanical rides.
Today, Lagoon still tries to keep at least some areas filled with flowers and natural landscape. Below are several photos of Lagoon's past, which give you an idea of what the park was like.
PHOTOS
Photo: Utah Historical SocietyThis photo is most likely from the early 20th Century. Notice how the walkways with lawns in the middle are much like the Midway today.
Photo: HuetherFlowers arranged to spell the words "See Utah First" with a beehive on top.
Photo: The Midway Gardens as they are arranged today. Notice the absence of the Sky Ride which travels above down the center of these lawns and gardens today.
Photo: Here you see the different landscape features popular when Carl Swaner maintained the gardens.
Photo: Carl Swaner (left) and his son (right) pose near a Viking house amidst flowers on the Midway.
