Enchanted Forest

This 20-acre outdoor theme park, nestled in a forested setting just off I-5 in Salem, is something of an Oregon icon. It has been family owned and operated since opening its doors in 1971. Today, there are kiddy rides, slides and storybook lane for the younger set, and a haunted house, Big Timber Log Ride (the biggest log ride in the Northwest) and a roller coaster for the slightly older bunch.

A wonderful day with the grandchildren

I highly recommend this great fun park for children ages 5 through 12 years of age. We have taken our adult children when they were young as well as our 4 grandchildren individually when they were 5 to 6 years of age. The park is clean, the entertainment fun and lively. The park staff friendly and helpful.

The best “tourist trap” ever!

So as you drive down or up I 5 near Salem, OR you can see a sign that says “Enchanted Forest”. For years we drove by and thought that it had to be a tourist trap. The type that when you walk in, a vacuum turns on and sucks the money out of your wallet. This place is anything but that! The first thing you hear is a friendly welcome and that any unused tickets will be reimbursed! What? It turns out that the place was built by a Navy veteran that had a passion for building things and he built an amazing park for kids and, apparently grandpas too. It has many fairy tales with characters and buildings that are fun and interactive. You get to crawl through tunnels with your kids/grandkids.. some people even need help getting back up, but that’s just me. It has a haunted house, rides for the little ones, slides for granddads, I mean the kids. All in all, this was a blast and well worth the time and money. So, this summer if you are looking for something to do with the family. Go to this enchanted forest eve a kid again.

An awesome PNW experience for kids

Wonderful place to visit in the PNW for a truly unique experience. It feels like walking into a storybook and although it is an older theme park it is fun especially if you can't fly to Disneyland. They have a carousel and kid rides suited for 4-9 year olds that you purchase tickets for, but some of them have height requirements so check before you go. They also had a nice ice cream shop for the kids to cool down at that was clean and the staff was very nice and offered the kids a sample when they could not decide. Parking was close so it was great for younger kids who get tired by the end of the day. The only thing to consider for young kids is there is a witch slide. Ours thought it was funny but we saw a toddler fussing to walk past it so if you have one that scares easy plan for an adult to kid of block it from view to walk past.

Country's Best Story Park

This park is a gem of an attraction and definitely the best storybook land in the country. You will pay a small admission fee then pay for ride tickets for the attractions you want to ride. I visited when the park first opened and I think that is the best strategy. It allows you to poke around the story area before the rides open for the day at 11. They have some really great dioramas, animatronics, slides, and crawl throughs to explore. The Ice Coaster is a must do and is incredibly unique. The log flume was ok, but I wouldn't classify it as a must. The haunted house was great for me, but I can see this terrifying countless children daily. The shooting ride was a lot of fun and is worth doing. Other than that, there are a lot of windows to poke your head in, a water show, shooting gallery, play areas, and lots of little details to explore. The park is a very low capacity park, so if you are going midday, it may not be the best decision. The ticket system tries to limit lines getting too long, but they still get quite long and the charm of some of the story areas is lost with the crowds. When I left midday, it was pretty packed. They allow families to bring picnics, which is a nice family park touch. This is an absolute national treasure, but try to plan a visit when crowds are low to get the most out of the experience.

Don't forget your wallet & credit card!

Don't forget your wallet & credit card! Expect a family of 4 ( Mom, Dad, 2 kids) to spend $400.00 on your visit. Bring snacks and water to offset the gouge prices. Rides are $5 each. The cost for a family maybe once in a decade adventure. Unbelievable for a park in SALEM to overcharge kids like they do.