Elitch Gardens Theme Park in Denver, Colorado

Last Saturday my family and I were looking for something fun to do. Since we moved here, we hadn’t been to Elitch Gardens Theme Park [map] and the kids have been begging us to take them there. So, on the spur of the moment, we bought fall passes for all of us and have already used them twice. The fall pass was only $10 more than a regular ticket, so they have already paid for themselves.

I love theme parks. I always have and Elitch Gardens did not disappoint! The first day we went, we decided not to do the water park because we only went a couple of hours before it closed. There were plenty of rides to keep us well entertained without the water park.

This last Saturday, we got there when they opened and made a day of it – waterpark and everything. There is basically a cheap way to do a theme park and an expensive way.

The Expensive Way

The expensive way is to eat there and buy the kids souvenirs. If you have the money to spend, Elitch Gardens has a great variety of food and numerous souvenir shops to keep you busy for awhile. We ate at Subway and it ended up being just under $10 a piece for a sandwich, drink and chips. So, for about $50, the 5 of us had a decent dinner that kept us full until the park closed.

The Cheap Way

The cheap way is what we did this Saturday. We brought our own food in a cooler. I noticed that a lot of people did this and it really makes sense if you don’t want to spend $100 or more on food and snacks.

You can’t bring outside food and drink in, so we packed a cooler full of lunch meat, cheese, drinks, cookies and some fruit. I made a big breakfast that morning so we wouldn’t be hungry for awhile. We got to the park around 10:30 and didn’t eat lunch until 2:00. When you leave the park, they give you a stamp so that you can re-enter that day.

If you are looking for the cheapest way to enjoy a day at Elitch Gardens, pack your lunch in a cooler, get your stamp and go have lunch in your car. There are several shade trees in the parking lot, so bring some chairs and camp out under a tree.

I personally think one of the smartest ways to have a fun day at the park is to get there when they open, go ride some of the roller coasters, have lunch in your car and then head off to the water park when it’s warmer.

We didn’t ride all of the rides but some of the family favorites were: The Sidewinder, Boomerang, Mind Eraser,Twister II, The Edge (water park), Tower of Doom and the Troika. I have an 11, 10 and 5 year old and there was something for all of them.

Mind Eraser

If you are looking for a family friendly activity to keep you busy for the day, I would definitely recommend Elitch Gardens. Our fall passes expire November 1st, when the park closes for the season, so we’ll be using them a few more times.

Head on over to their website to see what specials they have to offer, as well as events (like Fright Fest) that they have planned. This is the last day for the water park before it closes and remember that the park is only open on the weekend for the rest of the season!

If you have been to Elitches, tell me what your favorite ride is and if you have any tips for the best way to enjoy a day at the park.

Image Credit: flickr and Elitch Gardens