Indiana Defunct Amusement Parks: Episode 1 - Enchanted Forest

I have many fond memories growing up in Northwest Indiana. Living close to Chicago, the Indiana Dunes and Michigan definitely had it's perks. But one distinct memory I have is visiting Enchanted Forest (EF).

This small amusement park was nestled on the corner of SR 49 and US 20 in Porter, Indiana. I would peer out the left side of the car to catch a glimpse of the magical oasis as we would drive to the Dunes for a quick splash in Lake Michigan or a hike. If I behaved well, did my chores or received good grades in school, on rare occasions I was rewarded by a trip to EF. Who remembers Surf and the Mad Mouse Rollercoaster? Looking back now, it pretty much was nothing more than permanent carnival rides, but to a child it seemed amazing.

EF was open from 1957 until 1991, so I was just 12 years old when it shut down for good. A few years later, the area became Splash Down Dunes and the water park is now known as Seven Peaks Water Park.

Enjoy this EF commercial from the 1980s.

She grew up in an Indiana town...

I'm making my triumphant comeback to the blogosphere after a five year hiatus. I need to enter back into this world slowly and cautiously, so my first post will be short and sweet.

In 2014, there was a blog post titled 10 Indiana Stereotypes That Are Completely Accurate. Having grown up in The Region, where we more closely associated with Chicago skyscrapers instead of Crawfordsville cornfields, I can't say that I relate to all of the stereotypes. But who else out there smiled and started singing when you read #3 on the list?